This is why your music store clerk hates you

• Work sucks. Life sucks. Deal with it.

• That's why you might buy online. If you don't like you just keep searching for the right vibe.

• I'm surprised at the amount of people commenting just to belittle the guy that made the videos. If you have ever been in a music store you have had to suffer through douche nozzles like this that are clearly just looking for attention and are way past the point of "testing" the instrument. In any customer service career you are going to have some customers you want to strangle. These videos are just his way of blowing off steam. Anyone who cannot sympathize with this guy has obviously never worked in retail, so you have no idea how stressful it can be. Stop being an asshole about his job choice and just chuckle at the video.

• Second guy is way funnier, he looks like he might die of laughter rather than try and kill anyone.

• AL says: "When I was a poor teenager I'd get major attitude from the rocker douche in my local guitar shop. A few decades later I'm an affluent professional with money to blow on custom shop guitars and the same clerk, now fat and balding is kissing my ass. Success is the best revenge" You're still giving him your money . . . he must be doing SOMETHING right! But you didn't say that you were an affluent professional MUSICIAN, right?

• AL says: When I was a poor teenager I'd get major attitude from the rocker douche in my local guitar shop. A few decades later I'm an affluent professional with money to blow on custom shop guitars and the same clerk, now fat and balding is kissing my ass. Success is the best revenge You're still giving him your money . . . he must be doing SOMETHING right! But you didn't say that you were an affluent professional MUSICIAN, right?

• Here's a little advice. Go into a music store, check out one of the most expensive guitars, plug it into a really nice amp, and proceed to mangle Smoke on the Water. Great laughs everytime.

• Jesus people. It's a damn joke. Don't take everything so personally. Everybody hates their fucking job. And if you don't. Well, good for you.

• go to college

• thank you for the laugh. those were very good.

• I admit, that keyboard player sucks, and it would blow to have to listen to people slaughter covers everyday, but man, that first guy pretty much rocked. he should start an industrial band. people actually pay to listen to that kind of thing!

• as a musician i can understand how irritating sone1 that can't hear themselves sucking is... however that's the price one must pay.

• Get real! If these salesman don't like it, they need to find a new line of work. The typical buyer in a music store is a student. That's partly why there are loads of Mexican Strats and Epiphone guitars, and only a couple of American Strats and Gibson guitars on hand. These guys are completely arrogant. Everyone who's ever learned to play an instrument, struggled at some point in time. Many non-drummers have no sense of time at all, early on. At any point, in any music store, that's mostly what you'll find shopping. They're trying to upgrade from their basic equipment, to something better, add to their arsenal, or whatever. Seasoned musicians don't shop for gear that often. They typically have all the gear they need and shop far less often.

• I don't hate you. I'm not even in sales. I'm in Ops; warehouse. I don't talk to customers usually and when I do, I tend to be more friendly because of that. This is not about the music store business as much as it is about retail. I'd bet there are thousands of retailers, waiters, clerks, and lackeys who could make the same video. I don't know how these went viral, but judging upon the reactions, I'm not alone. Just... shop locally. Tip your waitress. Have patience with the fast food clerk. "Asshole" is relative. And on both sides of the fence.

• I want to amend the above comment. It's not just kids that do it. I'm never going to make fun of that kid, because he is learning...while they're learning, I think maybe getting some manners would be cool.. We were all guilty, to some degree of doing that...it's when it is a grown adult that does it all day, on the expensive PRS through what used to be a good sounding store demo amp. Most of the digital stuff is made to sound good in the store, but they gotta mess with it. AND then they gotta bitch about how it sounds like shit. But, on the other side of the coin, I had a job!

• Ok, I have been on all 3 sides of the proverbial fence. Yeah, I said 3. Because I have been a customer, a salesguy, and worked for the guys who make the equipment as a Product Specialist. Folks, NAMM shows are no different. And you WOULD expect someone to be able to play there. I honestly feel this guys pain. I have heard so many bad renditions of "Stairway" and "Enter Sandman", let alone kids screwing up "Crazy Train". Yes, there should be alimit to how long you wank. Most of the ones who crank it up and annoy everyone are the ones who's parents drop them off at the music store so it and the sales guys can babysit. On the other hand, you decided to work in a music store. SInce "Wayne's World" we all know how that goes. You will have hacks. And a lot of those hacks have money and want gear. I tried to give every customer service and nice guy attitude. I remember what it was like when I was a kid and wanted to touch a shiny guitar. Those kids sometimes grow up to be customers. And some of those customers, regardless of how bad they play (I'm looking at you CC DeVille) may grow up to be rock stars. It happens. All in all, funny video. But also be thankful in this day and age, you HAVE A JOB. Off my soapbox...and I can comment on this because I hold endorsements and have played on hits. So I am a pro.

• Typical Saturday guitar noise. I used to get home and sit in silence for a few hours after that shit. The dudes expressions are fucking gold.

• Customers who go to stores to see/hear/test gear who are also serious players - or at least competent - don't enjoy the cacophony either. I cannot imagine having to sit there all day and listen to the teens who can't play but have an hour to kill while mommy is in the Christmas Tree Shops, banging away on a drum set as if they are trying to raise the dead. The unmusical sounds that come off the showroom floors really make the shopping/browsing experience a miserable one. Thankfully, we shoppers don't have to be there all the live long day. Maybe that's why the staff are cranky. This however, dos not explain how unprepared, uninformed, and clueless the staff often are. I know they are in sales, but it might help if you knew the equipment. And don't tell me "you use one at home..."

• If you can't play worth a damn you keep the volume down. I'm with the store clerks on this.

• When I was a poor teenager I'd get major attitude from the rocker douche in my local guitar shop. A few decades later I'm an affluent professional with money to blow on custom shop guitars and the same clerk, now fat and balding is kissing my ass. Success is the best revenge.

• You should try working in an old rehearsal studio where the walls aren't that soundproof. It's not soo much the crap bands, as much as all the crap bands playing at once. "iPod on, surf the Intarwebs" until someone wants a pack of chips or a snickers.

• "Guitar gear shoppers MUST crank up the volume to hear true live tone in order to make an informed buying decision" Oh my. You actually believe that too... don't you? I'm guessing everyone ragging on the guy who shot this vid has played something way too loud and felt like they were rocking the house.

• If you work in music store you are slightly one career notch above a fast food chain so get over it losers.

• What a fabulous din! You gotta figure that kind of blend of music will affect a person over time, gradually turning them from a fine upstanding citizen into an antisocial monster bent on revenge. Note to self: never hire an ex-music store employee.

• Music store employees may choose to be d!cks, and many do. That's their prerogative. Music store customers may choose to drive far out of their way to patronize a store where the attitude is reasonable. There is certainly a difference from store to store. Guitar gear shoppers MUST crank up the volume to hear true live tone in order to make an informed buying decision. Its a music store. Sh!t gets loud in there. Some people sound worse than others. That's what happens in a music store. If you get attitude you don't like, crank it up a little louder, play louie louie, finish shopping, then tell them you're buying the gear online because you don't like the attitude in the store. They'll love it. Tell them you're going to musiciansfriend.com. They love that site.

• here's an idea....If I am looking to buy a guitar/piano in order to LEARN HOW to play the piano, why would i go into a store and make an ass of myself trying to pretend to play the piano when I could easily ask one of the likely trained musicians in the store to give me a demo of what it sounds like or to quickly show me a chord to play/strum so i can get a quick idea about whether or not i like the feel of said instrument while playing it (which should take all of 30 seconds to figure out)....I dont work in a music store, but I am well aware of shopping in them, and, from what I can tell, while this guy may have been annoyed by specific customers, I find the cacophony of several good and bad musicians at once, irritating, but I may love music and love working in music stores...but just not really into hearing every person try out ever instrument for 20 minutes a piece....I mean, a piano is a piano,...genrally, its gonna sound like a piano...guitars, kinda the same, but for all intensive purposes, when you're an amateur are you even going to be able to tell the diff,...I cant (this is especially true for drummers i think-they really dont need to test out the sets, for long, especially when bad...).

• "two fat fucks with shitty careers" Lakawak, you must be the type of person who thinks Superman and Clark Kent are different people.

• I used to work in a music store, and these videos only scratch the surface! Though listening to stuff like this for hours at a time is annoying, it can also be pretty hilarious.

• Have you been to south? The 21st century hasn't quite made it's way here yet. Having worked at a music store myself, I don't see any reason to get worked up over this. It's not like he's being rude to the custys and at least didn't show their faces, a respectful gesture. He just wanted to share what he thought was funny. Seriously - some people don't know when a polite time for a product demo to end should be. Lack of skill and nails on chalkboard noviceship should be expected, and as long it's at 15 minutes tops it's tolerable. At the store I worked at we used the circuit breaker in extreme cases (like they've been there an hour and are avoiding eye contact, no signs of stopping) - not to mention if it's in a mall trendy preteens tend to camp out in there. Anyhoo, funny vids - thx for sharing.

• The customers are all clearly Jazz players.

• maybe you should get a job at a music store from the 21st century where you test instruments in soundproof rooms

• Um, how about this: build a couple of sound rooms - Long and McQuade in Canada has this as well as a few other music instrument stores I know of. That way, not only can you save the rest of your customers from bad playing and loud amps, etc., you can work one-on-one with your customers and they can find what they want.

• Having read the comments to this post before watching the vids, I was thinking that they were going to show some playing that was at least semi-good, albeit ostentatious or a little rough around the edges. I was not prepared for just how flagrantly terrible either of these two "players" actually were. Anyway, whether the guy in the vids is complaining about his job or not, you can't escape the fact that these two videos show two of the worst examples of musical carnage I--or anyone for that matter--will ever hear. Too funny.

• Wow you guys [commenting] are angry and totally miss the point of this video. Funny. I have sympathy for you :)

• As a teen, my good friend worked at a music store in Montgomery, AL. All the owners (who, by the way, were those musical elitist types) did when people walked in was kiss their butt and then judge them behind their back. They were especially find of saying the most obscene things towards women, under their breath of course. He finally couldn't stand it so he left. Deal or leave.

• LOL! You think THAT'S bad, try working in day care centers. Choose-adults that can't play real instruments, or a room full of screaming toddlers banging away on toy instruments for hours on end, every day? Most jobs come with their pros & cons. There's stupid, incompetent, pretentious behavior wherever you go. Welcome to humankind-we're all in this together! LMFAO! Everyone, watch the movie "Office Space." This is hysterical.

• <b>Walking into a music store with countless hung musical instruments waiting to be played does not give you the right to come in and act like Axel Rose after too many shots of tequila. If you don't know how to play the instrument, then come in and sign up for lessons you fucking douche bag! <h2>DO NOT</h2>delude yourself into thinking that what looks like your imitation of a seizure sounds anything like the shitty Puddle of Mudd song you think you are playing.</b>

• Don't listen to these fools giving you grief. They are just jealous cause they resemble those tone deaf hacks. As a musician, I feel your pain. =) @lakawak "Two fat fucks with shitty careers." It's the same guy twice douche nozzle

• It's really simple: if you suck don't amp up. If you must use an amp, keep the volume down. You're there to test an instrument, not put on a show. The volume should only be enough for you to hear it, there are other people trying to to hear their instruments as well.

• This is so true, and the reason why I hate to spend any extended period of time in a music store. Those of you who don't understand why these guys made the videos, I'm guessing that you're either not musicians, or you've never spent much time in a music store. Everyone is insistent on playing at ear-splitting volumes at music stores. Even when someone is an awesome player, it can be distracting and annoying to those that are trying to shop or hear their own instruments. So, if you suck AND you're playing super loud? Then it's absolutely painful.

• Let me put this whole scenario in to some context. Making a lot of useless noise in a music store is like making a lot of useless noise in a restaurant or a grocery store or a funeral home. Its just rude. When you have to put up with this bullpucky all the time, you've got to do something to blow off some steam and have some fun. I say no harm, no foul. Also, I'd think that if I admired a guitar that much, and was sooooo awesome at it, I'd just buy the son of a bitch and play it at home (or at an AWESOME venue with my AWESOME band.) Well done sirs. Chin up, stiff upper lip.

• I used to work at guitar center. This was every day for me.

• Hahahahaha...priceless! I work in a music store and absolutely love my job. A lot of families come in where entire generations of people allow me to get em' set up with guitars, keys, you name it. I love making someone's day. That said, there's always the guy that comes in and creates utter havoc on a guitar. It's usually the fella that was in yesterday - you know, the guy that never buys anything. He's usually wearing a wallet chain, hasn't washed his hands in three weeks (or showered), and always steals your picks. God love em!

• This is hilarious. The guy's facial expressions make the videos.

• Lakawak, its the same guy, it hurts me to listen to it for 100 seconds, i imagine day in day out it would get old really quick the guys facial expression was priceless tho :P

• Oh, The hate up in here! Come on Folks - this was bust a gut funny! Yes we can all talk about the superior attitude of the Store staff, but we have all been in music stores during these frenzied displays of musical prowess. I see this just about every time I walk into my favourite local jukebox to buy strings & things. I feel for the folks in that store. How they maintain any composure is beyond me. It is too funny to listen to all of the Satriani hopefuls bastardize the instruments they hold. I know I was one of them one time (maybe still am for all the hell I know). We all have to learn, but for sure, we are all annoying when we do (my parents must be saints)... This was simply AWESOME! Good job fellas!!

• How did something this lame get on Digg?

• These are funny because the "musicians" must have played for quite a while if he had a chance to set up the camera and capture the video. I understand not everyone is a great musician but they like to tinker and that's okay. But needing to test the instrument only goes on for so long before it is a cry for help, save the 25 minutes of noise experimentation for the home studio/basement/closet. That also goes for the guy who can shred. I mean dude, your really not impressing anyone with you hours of playing Crazy Train on the latest Kramer. All you are doing is proving that you have such a sad life that you feel the need to try and show off to a room full of complete strangers. Really the rest of the customers would rather you stop playing so they can shop in peace.

• this is funny. take it for what it is..no need to get all angry..

• If you don't know how to play an instrument...don't rage it in public...I wouldn't be caught dead playing my guitar where other people can hear it, because I suck at playing the guitar....this shit is hilarious

• Lakawak, eat my asshole.

• I hope that the jerks who insult peoples' livelihoods maintain their current musically-talentless plateau, and go on to lose all of their families' wealth, forcing them to take jobs at music stores.

• I refuse to watch the video, but are THOSE the guys? Becuase if they are, they shouldreally not be mokcing ANYONE! They are he ones who go through life getting made fun of (mostly with good reason.) I mean...LOOK AT YOURSELVES for crying out loud! Two fat fucks with shitty careers. You cannot afford to burn bridges.

• I have to clean people's crap off toilet seats.

• All these people getting butt hurt over this video and trying to prove a point about day jobs & musical endeavors are killing me. Y'all are hilarious. Pull the stick out your ass and have a laugh.

• Deal with it. You work in a music store.

• So everyone that walks into a music shop must be a master in every instrument that store sells? Sorry not everyone is an experienced career musician like yourself. Perhaps you should quit your day job and devote your time to your own musical endeavors.

• Hilarious! Haters hate away, that shit was FUNNY, especially the dude trying to snap a beat to that guy thrashing the keyboard to death.

• I have to say I agree with Patrick. You work there, get over it asshole.

• The only thing that sucks more than working in a music store is shopping in a music store. Mainly because of the burnouts who work there. They're kinda like the people who used to work at record stores. When there were record stores.

TotalComments: 60