Everybody knows a Les Paul (especially Gibson) is a sought after instrument that most players would LOVE to own. Not only do they have iconic status but they also have a certain sound, one that I love. I felt like telling him not to bother me ever again if he was only going to talk b o l l o c k s!
As a Les Paul owner, I can tell you he was right. They aren't anything special. Mine's a nice guitar, but when push comes to shove, I tend to reach for my Telecasters first.
Well , that's your opinion . Here is mine . I don't consider a Telecaster worth the price to lay my money down on one . I guess that makes it nothing " special " to me .
If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .
Well , that's your opinion . Here is mine . I don't consider a Telecaster worth the price to lay my money down on one . I guess that makes it nothing " special " to me .
Well, my LP is my #4 axe out of the 11 guitars I own. I'd never dream of dismissing a guitar out of hand simply because of brand or model. I'd be too likely to miss out on something.
Anyway, everyone's entitled to an opinion.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
I completely agree with Wes. It's a known fact that it's harder to get a new customer than it is to keep an existing one. Display amateurish/boorish behaviour to a customer and the word will quickly spread - particularly with the number of fora, blogs and whatnot on the web. The store is losing customers, before its got them.
Instead of "Gibson aren't that good", he should have said "Good choice, popular instrument", even if he hates them. If the store doesn't carry them, he should tell the customer, that they don't. Tell the customer to look around, see if there's anything that might interest him, while you go and make a few phone calls (tell him that you're going to to that for him), to find the best place, nearby, where he can find a Gibby, in the colour he's looking for (at the kind of price he wants to pay). Make sure that, if you find somewhere, he has to ask for a particular salesman and tell the salesman who sent him. The salesman not only gets commission, but also Brownie points with the other store.
He will leave the store (probably without buying anything) feeling that he has just been treated like a valued customer - as long as he lives reasonably locally, he will come back again, that's almost 100% certain.
A good salesman will also never ask "Can I help you?" - it begs the answer "No" - end of conversation. "How can I help you?" makes the customer come up with a more informative answer. Even "I'm just looking" is an opening for something like "Anything in particular?" and, maybe, "We don't have everything on show, I may need to get one from the back for you."
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
Anyway the icing on the cake runs a little like this;
A.) The music store I visited actually has the Gibson Les Pauls online so he could have EASILY sorted me out with one.
B.) They just got in the Epiphone Les Paul Slash signature, which would have been an obvious recommendation had I been the salesman.
God I hate that store
LOL :lol:
together we stand, divided we fall..........
Everybody knows a Les Paul (especially Gibson) is a sought after instrument that most players would LOVE to own. Not only do they have iconic status but they also have a certain sound, one that I love. I felt like telling him not to bother me ever again if he was only going to talk b o l l o c k s!
As a Les Paul owner, I can tell you he was right. They aren't anything special. Mine's a nice guitar, but when push comes to shove, I tend to reach for my Telecasters first.
Well , that's your opinion . Here is mine . I don't consider a Telecaster worth the price to lay my money down on one . I guess that makes it nothing " special " to me .
My opinion -- which makes the following indisputable, as much as yours or anyone else's: None of these guitars sitting in any store or on-line warehouse is anything special. Certain designs and models have become popular and preferred, defacto standards; some are superior examples of design and engineering; some are manufactured to better quality standards; some are identified with guitar gods; some custom models are interesting as pieces of art, furniture/craftsmanship or absurdia. But the true value and "specialness" is imbued by the player. No "off the shelf" guitar should be special to anyone -- except for maybe the feeling that they worked hard to get it. Special is a process that happens when the player puts something of his or herself into a guitar -- maybe by playing it or bonding with it over some "shared" history.
The salesperson may not have been very good, but c'mon, Flea, you admit baiting him into that minor testosterone war.
-=tension & release=-
My take on sales people? Treat them with respect, and they'll treat you with respect. They're human beings, doing a job to earn a crust, and it costs absolutely NOTHING to be polite. Of course, respect is a two way street - if you're being nice to someone, and they treat you like dirt, then feel free to take your custom elsewhere.
And if by chance you do get a good deal, thank the person who helped you - it'll make them feel good about themselves. AND as a bonus, you'll probably get good service next time you visit.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Selling the 'salesperson'. :lol:
Anyhoo, who should be the salesperson of Guitarnoise ?
Sometimes I will try to talk a customer into buying something else than what they originally want. I frequently get business customers wanting iPhones. As cool as the phone is, I try to talk them out of it because it's a personal entertainment phone more than anything. Videos, internet, ipod. No Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint or anything. If I had to chose between a customer upset for talking them into something else and a customer locked into a 2 year commitment with a phone that doesn't suit their needs, I'd pick the former in a heartbeat.
Honestly, I wouldn't bother trying to bait or spite salespersons or reps for any reason. I've been on the other end of it and it doesn't work. I've had people say our service sucks and I care to the extent that I'm paid to care but don't lose sleep over it. It's weird the things people try. Let refusing to pay a bill because it's higher than they expected. It's not my credit rating on the line, so I don't care. Or threatening to sue over an $150 bill, when a lawyer costs twice that much an hour. Or my personal favourite, threatening to sue me personally. I'm in another country, good luck.
Basically, you become immune to it after a while. So flea, you mentioned they had an Epiphone Les Paul Slash Signature. I would say if you are interested in it go to the store and buy it. If you chose not to buy it, that's fine, but make sure it's not because you want to snub the store or salesrep because realistically, it won't do much.
"In what, twisted universe does mastering Eddie Van Halen's two handed arpeggio technique count as ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!" - Dr Gregory House
Well , that's your opinion . Here is mine . I don't consider a Telecaster worth the price to lay my money down on one . I guess that makes it nothing " special " to me .
Well, my LP is my #4 axe out of the 11 guitars I own. I'd never dream of dismissing a guitar out of hand simply because of brand or model. I'd be too likely to miss out on something.
Anyway, everyone's entitled to an opinion.
I apologize if my post seemed a little too aggresive in my defense of the Les Paul . I love mine . I like the way it looks , plays , feels and sounds . It just annoys me that whenever there is a post about LP's all these supporters of other guitars come out of the woodwork to voice their opinion of how heavy they are (wimps) , how overpriced they are , blah blah blah ...
I made my decision based on my own experience with guitars . I was willing to spend more for the guitar that I wanted and have never regretted the decision because it was worth it .
It is a debate that has gone on for a long time (Fender vs. Gibson) . I don't like to see people taking potshots at my favorite guitar especially in a forum where a lot of new players could be influenced by the opinions expressed by posters who have a particular dislike for a certain make or model .
If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .
I've a feeling that happens with any popular or iconic guitar. Just as there are LP-haters, there are Strat-haters, Tele-haters, Rickenbaker-haters (c'est moi), etc, etc.
Music generally is saturated with various forms of snobbery, elitism, and prejudice. But tbh, most of its rubbish. I reckon anyone with enough cash to buy any of these popular/iconic guitars ought to have enough sense to evaluate that purchase by their own standards and experiences than be put off or encouraged by a random opinion they wander across on the internet.
I do not feel any personal Gibson Vs Fender or any guitar Vs another they all have different sounds, one song my suit a Les Paul, another may suit a Stratocaster or Tele or an Ibanez or Jackson all depending on what you want to play.
together we stand, divided we fall..........
I don't like to see people taking potshots at my favorite guitar especially in a forum where a lot of new players could be influenced by the opinions expressed by posters who have a particular dislike for a certain make or model .
if you don't like to hear people's opinion then don't visit the 'opinions' forum. I personally don't like LPs. I don't like the weight, espescially since I have minor back-problems from an accident (strange how you don't mind insulting people by calling them wimps but dislike insulting guitars...), I don't like archtop, I don't like the neck. And to me, yes, a standard gibson LP is overpriced. Notice how I don't insult any person but just say what I think of a lump of wood. That's my opinion. Deal with it.
<if you don't like to hear people's opinion then don't visit the 'opinions' forum.>
Maybe you should listen to your own advice . Oh , but then I forgot , your opinion is right .The difference in weight between a Les Paul and a Stratocaster is about three pounds . Noticeable , yes but hardly neck breaking . You've got back problems , join the club .
If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .
Maybe you should listen to your own advice .
No, because unlike you I dont explicitly complain about people having different opinions, I merely disagree with them. As for the weight, it's an individual opinion whether it's worth it or not. I think it's too heavy, and if you don't, good for you. For what it's worth, my main guitar weights substantially less then a fender strat, let alone a gibby LP.
Maybe you should listen to your own advice .
No, because unlike you I dont explicitly complain about people having different opinions, I merely disagree with them. As for the weight, it's an individual opinion whether it's worth it or not. I think it's too heavy, and if you don't, good for you. For what it's worth, my main guitar weights substantially less then a fender strat, let alone a gibby LP.
People who don't follow their own advice shouldn't give it . It speaks of hypocracy .
If I claim to be a wise man , it surely means that I don't know .
