Music stores

Royale with Cheese

So what think ye of music stores in Ireland? Personally I'm not a fan, but can only speak for Dublin. So the main ones are Waltons (there's 2), musicmaker and to a lesser extent musician inc. Then there are lots of smaller ones that I can't remember the names of.

I think music stores in Ireland are very unfriendly towards potential customers and are badly run. I also did one weeks work experience in Waltons on Georges St. and was not impressed with the operation. The people that work in these stores I tend to find are often very talented musicians and just pour scorne on anybody who enters these stores. When working in Waltons I was given out to for giving some random punter a lead so he could try out one of the guitars. Understandable you get 14 year old goths with no talent (therefore creating noise pollution) coming in to play guitars without any intention whatsoever of spending money, but that's just part of the business and adopting a negative attitude towards customers is not going to help. I remember in the Musicianinc. in Dun Laoghaire (no longer there) a few years ago... I just never felt comfortable in that store, always felt like I was being watched.

Also the selection of goods available is not great. I own a Warwick bass and the only store in Dublin that stocks these is Musicmaker and last time I checked they hadn't had any in for over 2 years. A friend on mine wanted to buy a stage piano and wanted to try out several of the leading brands to see what he liked best but found that some stage pianos aren't available in Dublin. He ended up buying off the net. The price difference is crazy sometimes. My bass cost $600 when I bought it in Colorado and the list price in Dublin is €1179. I also find the bass selections in most shops to be very poor.

So this didn't really bother me that much until yesterday, I just figured that was what musicstores were supposed to be like. Now I live in Cologne and came across a very large music store that puts anything in Ireland to shame. Piano showroom, stage piano/keyboard showroom, huge selection of basses and electric guitars. Massive store spread over 3 floors. Friendly staff, you can pick up and play what you want without being watched or told how much the instrument is worth (like they're telling you how much it'll cost you to scratch it). They're aware people will come in to play the instruments with no intention of buying so they have a coffee bar there where people can buy drinks or biscuits etc. To top it all off I bought a set of Martin Acoustic strings for €3.

Rustar

Not to make you guys jealous or anything....
One of the cool things about being here in the US is our 'Macy's' department store of music, Guitar Center. No coffee bar, and I've never seen anyone go out the door without something in his/her hand.
There are rooms almost as big as the guitar room for acoustics, basses, drums, keys, PA, and accessories.
If you have quicktime installed, you can take a 360 degree tour of one of the stores here: http://www.guitarcenter.com/about/tour/index.cfm

mc nuggets

I suddenly get an urge to move to the U.S

Doc_Savage

ha.. bought my guitar case off of them!!

Kenny_D

Was that shop in Cologne actually called Music Store as in www.musicstore.de

I've bought from there before with no hassle and saved a fortune on my gear. Its no wonder people are buying from germany now from thomann and musicstore. Theres no justification in the price differences other than shop owners screwing people over here. I know VAT is cheaper in Germany but it doesnt account for the massive price differences

The only thing is that with more and more people becoming open to the idea of shopping online, hopefully retailers here will have to take note. I just wont buy an instrument in a shop here when I can get it so much cheaper online. With a little luck more people will realise this and not give in to the extortionate prices charged by irish retailers

I dont even buy strings here anymore. Get 6 packs of daddario/martin acoustic strings shipped from the states for about €30, a saving of about €20

Royale with Cheese

GStormcrow wrote:

Was that shop in Cologne actually called Music Store as in www.musicstore.de

Yep, that's the one. Was quite annoyed seeing as I've lived here 6 weeks and hadn't found any guitar shops and them stumble across the best one I've ever been in.

Kenny_D

Their prices are good and that shop certainly looks impressive. They've loads of pics of the shop inside the front of their catalogue. I'd be in heavin in that shop

christophicus

Dr J wrote:

So what think ye of music stores in Ireland? Personally I'm not a fan, but can only speak for Dublin. So the main ones are Waltons (there's 2), musicmaker and to a lesser extent musician inc. Then there are lots of smaller ones that I can't remember the names of.

I think music stores in Ireland are very unfriendly towards potential customers and are badly run. I also did one weeks work experience in Waltons on Georges St. and was not impressed with the operation. The people that work in these stores I tend to find are often very talented musicians and just pour scorne on anybody who enters these stores. When working in Waltons I was given out to for giving some random punter a lead so he could try out one of the guitars. Understandable you get 14 year old goths with no talent (therefore creating noise pollution) coming in to play guitars without any intention whatsoever of spending money, but that's just part of the business and adopting a negative attitude towards customers is not going to help. I remember in the Musicianinc. in Dun Laoghaire (no longer there) a few years ago... I just never felt comfortable in that store, always felt like I was being watched.

Also the selection of goods available is not great. I own a Warwick bass and the only store in Dublin that stocks these is Musicmaker and last time I checked they hadn't had any in for over 2 years. A friend on mine wanted to buy a stage piano and wanted to try out several of the leading brands to see what he liked best but found that some stage pianos aren't available in Dublin. He ended up buying off the net. The price difference is crazy sometimes. My bass cost $600 when I bought it in Colorado and the list price in Dublin is €1179. I also find the bass selections in most shops to be very poor.

So this didn't really bother me that much until yesterday, I just figured that was what musicstores were supposed to be like. Now I live in Cologne and came across a very large music store that puts anything in Ireland to shame. Piano showroom, stage piano/keyboard showroom, huge selection of basses and electric guitars. Massive store spread over 3 floors. Friendly staff, you can pick up and play what you want without being watched or told how much the instrument is worth (like they're telling you how much it'll cost you to scratch it). They're aware people will come in to play the instruments with no intention of buying so they have a coffee bar there where people can buy drinks or biscuits etc. To top it all off I bought a set of Martin Acoustic strings for €3.

I completely know how you feel,i really am put off going into music shops because of the attitudes of the staff.the only shop ive found with good staff is ESSANESS in killkenny,they are really friendly but the y are really small,with not a great selection,even though they will order anything for you at a great price.

Johnny Storm

mc nuggets wrote:

I suddenly get an urge to move to the U.S

Me too, TBH.

The Freeman

that shops my idea of heaven:o

spunkymunky

My problem with MM is that when i do go in to buy something (drums) im at the mercy of the guys there and there price books. Im a shopper who looks at something and then the price!! I hate in MM that i have to ask the guys there how much everything costs. I know its gonna cost a bit but i dont want to look like a fool saying "woo thats expensive" and then just walking out. I be more inclined to probably buy something if left to my own devices and just pick it up and go to the counter. I could look at the price, try it out and maybe buy it.
And why is it just the drum dept. all the other ons have the prices on display!!!

Cousin it

I have that exact same problem.
And i don;t like the way the pricing is so arbitrary, I walk up and ask how much sticks cost and it can range anything from €10 to €14 depending on whether they're having a good day or whatever, pure hell.
And I dunno I always feel intimidated or stupid for asking questions. meh I use the internet for buying stuff anyway

68 lost souls

I hate Irish shops! They know nothing about guitars except for one guy in Musicmaker that is making his own. I was looking for a new locking nut recently and everywhere was telling me to buy the ones they had and that they where all universal, they had know ckue about nut width, string spacing, the difference between top mounting and rear mounting.

Its a disgrace after being in New York and walking down 42nd Street. As soon as I finish College Im oopening my own shop and will mop the floor with all Irish shops. I will have properly trained employees and a custom shop out back.

Royale with Cheese

68 lost souls wrote:

Its a disgrace after being in New York and walking down 42nd Street. As soon as I finish College Im oopening my own shop and will mop the floor with all Irish shops. I will have properly trained employees and a custom shop out back.

Please do, anyone with any business sense can just copy the formula of successful music stores from overseas (i.e. don't be sh*t, and stop ripping everyone off) and put Musicmaker and Waltons out of business.

68 lost souls

Oh I already have a website half done aswel as the start of a business plan. Ive been talking to some suppliers aswel. At the moment I dont seem to have the time, come next summer...

Eoin Madsen

Dr J wrote:

Please do, anyone with any business sense can just copy the formula of successful music stores from overseas (i.e. don't be sh*t, and stop ripping everyone off) and put Musicmaker and Waltons out of business.

Yeah, unfortunately business sense isn't what you need to start a business. Money is. And to put Musicmaker and Waltons in any real danger you'd have to open a shop in the city centre, which means a whole lot of money.

Royale with Cheese

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Yeah, unfortunately business sense isn't what you need to start a business. Money is. And to put Musicmaker and Waltons in any real danger you'd have to open a shop in the city centre, which means a whole lot of money.

Yeah I know, but if you were to have a store as good as something you find in the states or the one I know in Cologne you wouldn't have to be as central as Musicmaker or Waltons. Serious musicians would come back to your store if they were that impressed by it. When I'm in town I browse around the musicstores but I never buy anything. It's not like I go in to buy a pair of Jeans, a new cd and a Gibson. If I wanted to buy an instrument I would go out that day with the sole intention of buying an instrument. However yes you would lose out on things like strings/accessories sales and mother's buying their kids guitar starter packs.

Fr Dougal

What about online? Would you guys buy instruments from an online store?
Are there any good Irish online stores or do you have to buy from abroad?

Royale with Cheese

www.thomann.de
www.musicstore.de
www.soundslive.co.uk

Depends what you're buying. Alot of people would never buy an instrument before they've played it.

68 lost souls

The problem with online shops is most places wont supply you or wont give you the proper reduced prices unles you have a shop your selling out of that people can walk off the street into.

Rustar

Here's how they treat me at Guitar Center whenever I go in
(and they should, after spending 7 grand...)

Royale with Cheese

So today I bought a set of Warwick black label 4 String bass strings, 2 sets of Martin western acoustic strings and a chromatic guitar tuner for €35. Anyone care to hazard a guess at what this would have cost in Musicmaker or Waltons etc.?

68 lost souls

Id reckon about twice what you payed for them.

Duff_Man

lol at least!!

i hate waltons cant stand em i bought my gibson sg of em and i had to argue wit the manager bout the price cause it was dearer than perfect pitch and that other one on the ques(cant remember its name)...it was like 20 euro dearer! and then to top it all of i asked em for a spare set of strings and they said they didnt have any!..its ridculious...i liked the look of that american shop posted earlier wouldnt mind movin to america just to go there!

Royale with Cheese

My friend bought a Gibson Les Paul Custom DC Pro from the Waltons on North Frederick Street. It was marked down from €4000 to €2000 but there's no way it was worth €4000. When he asked for a spare set of strings the patronizing bitch said 'No, sorry. You're already getting €2000 off, aren't you a lucky boy' (because he was only 20 at the time). He was not impressed. The vast majority of the people in those stores have no idea how to deal with customers properly.