I was in Nashville for SPBGMA last weekend. Some f...

I was in Nashville for SPBGMA last weekend. Some friends and I decided to run by some guitar shops in Nashville, and Carter was our first stop. The selection of instruments was decent, but I did not find anything in the store that lived up to the hype about Carter Vintage. Since I play banjo, when I saw two men walk in with an old Gibson RB-1 with the original case and an ancient looking hide head, I was very interested. The banjo had a very old two footed bridge as well. I was standing near the counter on the opposite side that the men were on checking out the instrument, and when I asked about the year of the instrument, my reply from Walter Carter was It s a 33. Now, back off. I was very surprised that a store owner would be so aggressive with a customer. I did as I was told, and explained the incident to my friends. We were walking out of the showroom when Mr. Carter approached me, and said that he apologized for his remark, because sometimes it gets a little crowded, and that he was in the middle of a sale. I do not feel that this is the correct way to treat a customer. I understand that being a college student, I may not look to be the most knowledgeable or talented musician to ever live, but that s not what matters in this situation. The point is treating people how they should be treated. We left the store, and went straight to Gruhn Guitars, where we met the two gentlemen that owned the banjo in the parking lot. I apologized to them for being intrusive, and talked to them about their instrument. They did not mind sharing the story of it whatsoever. At Gruhn s, we found a much better selection of instruments, and far better customer service. I can t speak for any other instruments, but I also felt that the banjos were set up better than those at Carter. The guys at Gruhn went far out of their way to get me what I needed. The only reason that I feel Carter Vintage Guitars should have the two stars instead of one is because of the apology I recieved.