Tried one of the new(ish) jackson 7 and 8 strings...music store fail as well...

[etb1234]

So today I went to grab some new strings at Long and Mcquade today and saw a couple newer guitars I had not tried yet. They had an RG2228 that they have had for a while and a Jackson JS32-Q8 Dinky in red and its natural 7 string counterpart. Ive never been a huge fan of jacksons but played one of the newer SLATXMGQ3-7 Soloist with the red quilted top (yes I am using the names off the site) and loved how it played.

My two main guitars are an Ibanez RG1527 and RGA8 so these two are a quite a bit different to mine so I was excited to try em.

The 7 played extremely well for such a cheap 7 string. The neck felt really comfy and even all the way around. The over all build quality was great and everything looked amazing. For under $400 bucks I would rather buy one of these than a RG7321 and I am an Ibanez man.

The 8 string was almost exactly the same. Looked great and could not find any flaws. The only problem was they had the 8th string strung with the exact same string the 7th was. Just ruined the whole thing, didnt want to even play it at that point.

I would say the last few times I have been to music stores, even just to browse, that things like this have happened. Last time I went 9/10 of the guitars I picked up (mostly with floyds) were so out of tune it could not be fixed by the fine tuners and I dont exactly carry a spare allen key with me when visiting larger music stores. I have stopped picking up basses (and I started as a bass player) because most are in desperate need for a set up and have action that would break fingers.

While I totally understand how much better it is to just order your strings, I broke one and needed one right away and thought I would grab a few sets while there. I found it odd that a larger music store, which carried over half a dozen 7 and 8 strings, had almost nothing string wise for them. Also tried to buy a set of bass strings to tun E-C and they didnt have a single one that would work, and they had 6 string basses!

Does anyone else find this strange? If I worked in a music store I would be elated to tune and set up guitars and basses all day. I would be taking pride in how well all the guitars played.

Sorry for the little rant. I know it may be a confusing story to follow.

 

[bcolville]

I too have to rely on Long & Mcquade as my local music store and I have had mixed thoughts on them. I totally agree about the string thing. I bought an RG8 from them that they didn't even know they had because it was in the back for months in a box unopened. Luckily for them the setup wasnt bad but when I asked for some new strings, they said I had to order them in. For something as popular as strings, that isn't acceptable to me. At least have one brand in stock.

 

[SnowfaLL]

Its L&M.. don't be surprised.

 

[Given To Fly]

If I worked in a music store I would be elated to tune and set up guitars and basses all day. I would be taking pride in how well all the guitars played.

This is what everyone thinks before they actually work at a guitar store. The best way to start hating guitar and gear is to work at a guitar store.

 

[jwade]

The reason that L&M guitars aren't set up or maintained on the shelf at all, and why there are few options string-wise for 7/8/baritone players is because L&M employees are not paid commissions, they're paid hourly. They don't give a shit if you buy a guitar. At all. They can stand there and play with their phones and not help a single person all ******* shift and they'll make the exact same as if they were out there checking setups and strings and keeping everything in tune.

They have zero incentive to do anything beyond take a guitar out of the back and put it on the shelf. That's it.

 

[AVH]

Sorry for the slight derail, but since it was mentioned..

The reason that L&M guitars aren't set up or maintained on the shelf at all, and why there are few options string-wise for 7/8/baritone players is because L&M employees are not paid commissions, they're paid hourly. They don't give a shit if you buy a guitar. At all. They can stand there and play with their phones and not help a single person all ******* shift and they'll make the exact same as if they were out there checking setups and strings and keeping everything in tune.

They have zero incentive to do anything beyond take a guitar out of the back and put it on the shelf. That's it.

Helloooo, former (and happily too) 5 year L&M repair tech here You're making presumptions without knowing what's going on internally in the store. No the sales staff aren't paid on commission, which to most consumers is a good thing - unless you actually enjoy being oftenly hounded by aggressive sales people who are desperate to make sales.

As far as the setups go, i do agree with you, that properly setup floor stock sells better, but the employees and particularly the techs don't have the time to setup literally dozens-to-hundreds of floor guitars constantly, they are more than busy enough keeping on top of the influx of just customer repairs. If there's a guitar that you might be seriously interested in, just explain that to the salesman and ask if the tech can give it a few tweaks - they usually are quite accommodating, and this is how it was at the store I worked at. But they aren't mind-readers, you actually have to ask for it instead of just publicly whining about it on an internet forum. And if they actually brush you off (which I doubt a bit - I know about L&M's internal policy), then you have the full right to firmly but politely remind them that everyone has a boss, which usually gets the ball rolling.

This is what everyone thinks before they actually work at a guitar store. The best way to start hating guitar and gear is to work at a guitar store.

 

[larry]

this is the first time I've heard of a large music retailer paying hourly. something else to add to the list of reasons for moving to Canada.

 

[jwade]

Sorry for the slight derail, but since it was mentioned..



Helloooo, former (and happily too) 5 year L&M repair tech here You're making presumptions without knowing what's going on internally in the store. No the sales staff aren't paid on commission, which to most consumers is a good thing - unless you actually enjoy being oftenly hounded by aggressive sales people who are desperate to make sales.

As far as the setups go, i do agree with you, that properly setup floor stock sells better, but the employees and particularly the techs don't have the time to setup literally dozens-to-hundreds of floor guitars constantly, they are more than busy enough keeping on top of the influx of just customer repairs. If there's a guitar that you might be seriously interested in, just explain that to the salesman and ask if the tech can give it a few tweaks - they usually are quite accommodating, and this is how it was at the store I worked at. But they aren't mind-readers, you actually have to ask for it instead of just publicly whining about it on an internet forum. And if they actually brush you off (which I doubt a bit - I know about L&M's internal policy), then you have the full right to firmly but politely remind them that everyone has a boss, which usually gets the ball rolling.

My statement was based on the primary Calgary location, where the guitar tech is apparently not technically an L&M employee, but in fact operates as an independent repair shop situated within L&M that is contracted to handle their warranty repairs. His workload is so high that unless it's a severe warranty-covered guitar issue, you'll probably be waiting 3-5 months before he'll get to your instrument.

Secondly, I've mentioned serious GLARING issues with guitars I've tried (improperly cut nuts, severely over-adjusted truss rods, shorts in pickups, giant gouges in the finish of guitars, volume knobs missing, etc etc), and the sales guys' reply is always the same. They shrug, and put it back on the shelf without making a note of it, calling the tech, nothing. Perhaps things were different where you worked, but here, not one of them could give a shit less about the guitars. Not one bit.

This is based on 15 years of experience at the same store, with the same staff, seeing the same response over and over to the same problems. The only reason I've gone there for so long is that there are a few staff members I really enjoy chatting with, and L&M tends to be quite a lot cheaper than anyone else here in Calgary. I generally just order in specific things and do the setups myself at home, because I know that there's no chance of ordering something and having them even open the box to check if it's a functional instrument.

 

[bschmidt]

I've also had a lot of bad experiences at long and mcquade. Mostly really ignorant staff but also with poorly cared for gear. For what it's worth I try and avoid them at all costs

 

[MetalHeadMat]

I thought I wasn't a 7 string guy after I sold my 7 string.. As soon as I played one of those new Jackson's, my mind was changed.

 

[Defect Noises]

the 8s are not so good. Ibanez is better

 

[Krigsmjod]

In Greater Vancouver L&M outsources all of their major work to three or four independent guys around town.
I've completely given up on buying strings from a store, they never have the brand I like, and never the gauges, and NEVER anything for 7 and 8 strings. I just try to keep ahead of my needs by ordering in bulk from JustStrings a couple times per year. I can buy a case of string sets, a fistfull of low strings, and picks for my outrageous pick collecting problem and have it all shipped to my house in a week for less money than L&M.