Question: So what brands and/or products do you buy at your local music store?

[Gary Blanchard]

This and some Kyser or Dunlop capos. And the clip-on tuners.

Headstock decor?

 

[Chihlidog]

I only use GHS boomers. I'm surprised, I thought they were more popular. That's about the only brand I care about as far as "consumables."

 

[Mark Wein]

I haven't looked through the KMS catalog in a while. I don't even think they sent me one this year but wow I have access to a lot of new stuff: http://www.kmcmusicorp.com/kmconestop2013/

This cracked me up though:

 

[Mark Wein]

I only use GHS boomers. I'm surprised, I thought they were more popular. That's about the only brand I care about as far as "consumables."

I still have the better part of a case of GHS strings left over from the last time we did retail. No one would buy them.

 

[Chad]

I'd stock things that you can use yourself. And maybe a few different gauges of daddario, and an assortment of picks.

this. That way, you always have what you need and if you sell some great.

Also maybe ask some students what they prefer seeing as they will most likely be the buyers. For me, I don't really have any brand loyalty. I generally use Fender Medium or Thin picks and for strings, I always am trying different ones, but I prefer pure nickel.

 

[Chihlidog]

I still have the better part of a case of GHS strings left over from the last time we did retail. No one would buy them.

Wow. I'm even MORE surprised. I havent even considered using other brands for many years. I seriously thought GHS was far and away the most popular and for good reason.

 

[Kerouac]

If it were me, I'd stock:

D'Addario and Ernie Ball electric strings
D'Addario and Martin acoustic strings
Dunlop and Planet Waves accessories (picks, straps, etc)
Either Evans or Remo drum heads
Vic Firth or Pro-Mark sticks

That's about it.

QFT.

 

[Kerouac]

Wow. I'm even MORE surprised. I havent even considered using other brands for many years. I seriously thought GHS was far and away the most popular and for good reason.

GHS are consistently the worst strings I've ever put on a guitar. I quit using them over a decade ago.

Ernie Ball in high school, GHS when I was poor in college, DR when I had some cash, D'Addario all the time now.

 

[GilmourD]

Wow. I'm even MORE surprised. I havent even considered using other brands for many years. I seriously thought GHS was far and away the most popular and for good reason.

I tried them years ago because David Gilmour uses them. Even I couldn't gel with them.

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[Mark Wein]

this. That way, you always have what you need and if you sell some great.

Also maybe ask some students what they prefer seeing as they will most likely be the buyers. For me, I don't really have any brand loyalty. I generally use Fender Medium or Thin picks and for strings, I always am trying different ones, but I prefer pure nickel.

Thats why I'm doing a little research here and in the studio this week. The answers are pretty much what I thought but its nice to get a little feedback since I haven't been worried about retail in a few years.

Wow. I'm even MORE surprised. I havent even considered using other brands for many years. I seriously thought GHS was far and away the most popular and for good reason.

D'Addario seems the most popular around here with Ernie Ball in second place. Occasionally my students will buy DR or Dunlop strings when talked into it at GC

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

D'Addario seems the most popular around here with Ernie Ball in second place. Occasionally my students will buy DR or Dunlop strings when talked into it at GC

I love my Dunlop strings and won't be switching back to D'Addario any time soon. But I realize I'm in he vast minority on that one.

 

[Mark Wein]

I love my Dunlop strings and won't be switching back to D'Addario any time soon. But I realize I'm in he vast minority on that one.

Does Dunlop have something new I've missed recently? They used to be a non-contender. And what ever happened to Dean Markley strings? I quit using them in the early 90's when I bought a box of them and non of the packs had G strings

 

[Chihlidog]

I've tried plenty of other strings and never had any that sounded as good or held up as well as GHS. Last time i had anything else on my guitar was years ago, and I remember distinctly it was a set of Ernie Balls. They sounded thin to me and the G-string broke within an hour, and I remember at that point deciding never to bother with anything else again. Strange how different the experiences have been.

 

[Mark Wein]

I've tried plenty of other strings and never had any that sounded as good or held up as well as GHS. Last time i had anything else on my guitar was years ago, and I remember distinctly it was a set of Ernie Balls. They sounded thin to me and the G-string broke within an hour, and I remember at that point deciding never to bother with anything else again. Strange how different the experiences have been.

I'm in the minority in my string choices as well, since I only use Gibson Vintage Reissue strings on my electrics. Anything else I've tried has sounded to bright and thin to me, even other strings that are pure nickel.

 

[Devil is Dill]

Wow. I'm even MORE surprised. I havent even considered using other brands for many years. I seriously thought GHS was far and away the most popular and for good reason.

We stock them but I only re-order them maybe two or three times a year. We burn through D'addario, Ernie Ball and Martin strings.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Does Dunlop have something new I've missed recently? They used to be a non-contender. And what ever happened to Dean Markley strings? I quit using them in the early 90's when I bought a box of them and non of the packs had G strings

Dunlop strings haven't changed any, though their brand power has definitely gotten them into GC and the major online stores. They brought over a VP from DR and gave him free reign to make the strings he wanted to. They're higher polished, more consistent, and with the same low tension DR has been known for. It's just a better product. But nobody actually asks for them.

 

[Modern Saint]

I've tried plenty of other strings and never had any that sounded as good or held up as well as GHS. Last time i had anything else on my guitar was years ago, and I remember distinctly it was a set of Ernie Balls. They sounded thin to me and the G-string broke within an hour, and I remember at that point deciding never to bother with anything else again. Strange how different the experiences have been.

Ditto on that Dog. Been using GHS Boomers on the electrics since the 80's. I went through my experimental stage back then. Tried all sorts of strings during that period - Dean Markley, Slinky's, D'Addario, SIT, Fender's, Gibson, etc. The Boomers worked best for me and have been a mainstay since.

Now for acoustics, that is another world. I have found Elixir's to work best for me Steel String acoustics, for Classical D'Addario strings.

 

[Gary Blanchard]

I have become hooked on Elixers for my acoustics; D'Addarios are my second choice. I have a hard time finding extra-large plastic thumb picks, and some of the large are too tight. I love the Alaska fingerpicks, though I an in a minority there, for sure.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Pretty much what these guys say. Strings (D'Addario most often), picks (dunlop Ultex), patch cables, pedals.

 

[Tralfaz]

Dunlop nylon picks. D'Addario and Martin strings. I'd buy Pyramid strings too from a local shop if they stocked them, but I don't think they'd be a big seller overall.

And I seem to buy a string winder every year or so because I keep losing them.