Guitar Center fail - but with a twist

[MultiScaleMale]

A couple weeks ago I went to a local Guitar Center, headed to the bass section and plugged into the Markbass Ninja 122 that I was interested. Barely got two notes out and was asked to stop playing. But - it wasn't by an employee. Someone was videoing their sister trying to play a scale on a bass and apparently my shopping was interrupting their video shoot. My initial reaction was not what I wanted to say, so I just walked away which was probably a wise choice. I went back later, but at that point I really wasn't in the mood to buy anything.

Anyways, that was something new for me. Someone claiming the entire bass area as their own so they can video someone playing. Maybe I'm getting old.

 

[ZenG]

Pay it forward and indulge the request. What goes around comes around. There might come a time when you are asking somebody to do the exact same thing. You never know..

 

[micguy]

You could have offered to do a live sound track so she could play "air bass".

I'm curious, though, being Guitar Center, weren't there at least half a dozen teenagers playing strats and Les Pauls through Marshalls?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

My initial reaction is to say "Koon pood pahsah Thai dai mai?" (Can you speak Thai?)
and when they look at me quizzically, I just go back to what I was doing.

Once upon a time, in the 90s, I'd ask if they can speak Spanish, but these days often the answer is affirmative.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm curious, though, being Guitar Center, weren't there at least half a dozen teenagers playing strats and Les Pauls through Marshalls?

The bass area is separated from the guitar area, not by a door like the acoustic room, but enough of a separation that you don't have to worry about the guitars.

 

[petrus61]

I would have had to try really hard not to say something, but I wouldn't have budged. I probably would have asked the manager to wheel out an SVT that I was interested in buying out to the guitar section, because apparently there's a very important video shoot taking place. I'm interested in Dr. Cheese's take on this. He shoots lots of GC vids and he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that lacks enough common sense to silence the stores customers so he can shoot his videos.

 

[shwabilly]

If the request to stop playing was done politely, I would've indulged them for a few minutes. After which, I'd continue trying out the amp. If they were jerks about it, I'd be the bigger jerk.

 

[Jeff Scott]

My initial reaction is to say "Koon pood pahsah Thai dai mai?" (Can you speak Thai?)
and when they look at me quizzically, I just go back to what I was doing...

I would have said: "Sorry, I don't speak, nor understand, English". They would have really been looking at me quizzically!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

If the request to stop playing was done politely, I would've indulged them for a few minutes. After which, I'd continue trying out the amp. If they were jerks about it, I'd be the bigger jerk.

It was somewhere in between they were nice about it and they felt that they deserved it, if that makes sense.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I would have said: "Sorry, I don't speak, nor understand, English". They would have really been looking at me quizzically!

I've told this story here before, but here goes:

I learned how to say "I cannot speak Arabic." when I worked in Jordan, because I often got asked questions on the street.

Cut to months later in Bangkok & I'm standing in front of an Egyptian restaurant on Soi 3 Sukhumvit Road. A guy walked up to me & starts talking to me in Arabic.
So I used the phrase (can't recall it now, a decade later)
He looked at me with the most puzzled look & walked away.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I learned a bit of "street" Spanish by some coworkers when I was living in L.A. Unfortunately, I couldn't really use it in day to day life! I did occasionally have to tell folks: "No habla Español!"

I did, also learn a few works in Korean from a friend there.

 

[hondo4life]

It was somewhere in between they were nice about it and they felt that they deserved it, if that makes sense.

Sounds like fake nice.
Sounds like time to turn up your amp and practice your slap technique.
Pay it forward. Go back to GC and go around shushing people in every department while you video yourself playing scales.

 

[hondo4life]

I learned a bit of "street" Spanish by some coworkers when I was living in L.A. Unfortunately, I couldn't really use it in day to day life! I did occasionally have to tell folks: "No habla Español!"

I did, also learn a few works in Korean from a friend there.

I just say "peachy cool arrow"

 

[CGremlin]

Once upon a time, in the 90s, I'd ask if they can speak Spanish, but these days often the answer is affirmative.

The only Spanish I know is from my days at Disney World: "Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas". I also know the word "salida" and how to point to the exit.

 

[shwabilly]

It was somewhere in between they were nice about it and they felt that they deserved it, if that makes sense.

I know what you mean. In that case, I would've stopped playing, but stared at them intently and uncomfortably for a few minutes until he was done filming. I would then say, "You're welcome" very snidely before they had any chance to thank me. Then I would commence playing, while continuing to stare uncomfortably at them.

 

[mojomike001]

Sometimes it's nice just to be nice. Period. You wander around for a couple of minutes, then come back and play with the Markbass. No biggie.

 

[BunchyMutt]

A couple weeks ago I went to a local Guitar Center, headed to the bass section and plugged into the Markbass Ninja 122 that I was interested. Barely got two notes out and was asked to stop playing. But - it wasn't by an employee. Someone was videoing their sister trying to play a scale on a bass and apparently my shopping was interrupting their video shoot. My initial reaction was not what I wanted to say, so I just walked away which was probably a wise choice. I went back later, but at that point I really wasn't in the mood to buy anything.

Anyways, that was something new for me. Someone claiming the entire bass area as their own so they can video someone playing. Maybe I'm getting old.

Sounds like they wanted to document something really cool (someone making music), but either weren't familiar with the norms of GC or were caught up in their excitement that they drifted into rudeness.

Looking at the encounter now, I would have tried to explain that people come here to try equipment, that the setup sort of requires people to play over each other, and ask if they would be able to film somewhere else if they were looking for silence. [I'd also keep in mind that getting involved in music has an expensive start up cost, so if they didn't have a home then going to GC could be their only way to play (you didn't give any details about the folks and I'm not looking for details)].

If they pressed, I don't think you'd be rude by saying something like, "I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to stop playing. I'll keep it quiet if you keep it relatively quiet and short, though."

 

[Spectrum]

My initial reaction is to say "Koon pood pahsah Thai dai mai?" (Can you speak Thai?)
and when they look at me quizzically, I just go back to what I was doing.

Once upon a time, in the 90s, I'd ask if they can speak Spanish, but these days often the answer is affirmative.

If you said that at the 7 Corners GC in Northern Virginia, there's a good chance you'd have gotten back a reply in Thai, "Why, yes, I do. Now can you please be quiet so I can film my daughter?"

 

[electracoyote]

"You caught me in a good mood, so you have 3 minutes. Wrap it up in 3 minutes, because after 3 minutes I'm going to do what I came in here to do."

Problem solved.

And something like that would have deterred me only if I really wasn't shopping seriously to begin with.

 

[gln1955]

I'd give them about minute of polite silence. If they need more than that, they need to wait for a break in the action at GC, or go somewhere else for their video shoot. Consideration for others swings both ways.