Earlier this week I needed to buy a replacement hard shell case for my SG Custom and the Guitar Center here (Baton Rouge, LA) didn't have anything that was made for a SG that hadn't been broken already by someone in the warehouse (womp).
I called around and was told about a place called The Perfect Guitar/The Perfect Bass. I was told that they are mostly an online dealer (a la Musicians Friend but smaller) so I wasn't expecting much from their home base of operations with a "small showroom", as I was told...
I'm sure everyone knows what it's like to be blown away by an incredible collection of gear that you don't usually see. Guitars, basses, drums, amps, pedals, and everything in between that you only hear or read about but never actually see in person unless you know someone who's got it or you decide to pull the trigger on it yourself. It had been years since I had that feeling (as I've grown accustomed to Guitar Center and the smaller retailers in the area) and I was so overwhelmed by the quality of the establishment and what awaited this jaded gear junkie therein that I had to proclaim to the owner several times my elation.
This place had all the gear you always wanted to see. Everything from ESP Custom Shop and BFR Music Man guitars to Rivera and Orange amps to Demeter and Red Witch stomp boxes... nothing was too boutique for this place. And that was just what was lurking around the shop! To top it all off, upon revealing my awe-struck state to the owner his response was, "Yeah, and we're low on stock right now."
I had forgotten about, and thus subsequently and subconsciously deeply missed, that kid-in-a-candy-store, maniacal, unprofessional, overall just plain giddy sensation that comes with being a musician and loving great gear... and the truly upsetting part was that I hadn't even bothered to notice that it was gone.
So I tip my hat to you, The Perfect Guitar/The Perfect Bass, for restoring my faith in myself as a lover of all things gear related; for as easy as it is to become that jaded musician who's seen, read, and/or heard about it all (mostly on TGP if we're honest), you made me feel like a goofy youngster that just wanted to play, tweak, and enjoy it all again.
