My local GC is the former Veneman's Music, and they have an acoustic room where the guitars are on the wall, but playable. They have a few really high-class guitars behind glass, but I didn't want to play the "The Les Paul" anyway, you know? I don't worry about the salesfolks 'cause I ignore 'em, and they're big enough that I can usually duck the "professional greeters" by just nodding my head toward the department I'm heading for, and act like I'm an old hand at it. Now, I'm not memorable to them, haven't spent more than maybe $1500 there all told (and that includes a used Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue -- used), so I don't notice a change in attitude from before they were the GC.

My other local stores are Washington Music (RIP, Chuck Levin), Wheaton Music, and, my favorite because it's a real junk shop in terms of having lots of used stuff and unpushy staff, Atomic Music in College Park. BTW, my "local" area is Montgomery County, MD. I like Atomic but have to say that you won't find many Bourgeois or even Martins there, though they usually have one or two Gibson archtops, for some reason. But they have lots of middle-grade electrics and old tube amps. I bought my Reverend Slingshot guitar there, and no one else has any of 'em (being sold direct from the maker only). They had five of them when I went looking.

I think I'll be going over there later this week (if my plans don't fall through like they usually do) and look for a nice small tube amp that isn't a Fender. I played a nice Gibson there once, and they likely have another, if past history holds.

Anyway, GC is pretty much the "big dog" in music stores, other than the mostly-online stores (Musician's Friend, etc.), but price competition moves them toward the Mac-vanilla approach (i.e., you know exactly what to expect in each of them). In some ways, it's good (prices do stay lower) and some ways bad (fewer choices and less freedom to try 'em out). As for the an under-educated sales staff, that's an industry problem, mostly. Most sales doods aren't that "up" on brands and models, especially the higher-end acoustics.

Bob Clayton