CONDUCTING BUSINESS

I've noticed a very particular insistence and urgency among my Internet customers that is new to me, something very unlike the layed-back spirit I'm accustomed to in our Berkeley store. The difference is so profound, I thought it would be worthwhile to say a few words about it. The goal of this message is to reduce the stress on you, my valued customers, and on myself.

The first point is that I'm not a downtown, corporate kind of guy. Any expectation of a corporate attitude, is both sad and mistaken. This is what you can expect from Subway Guitars -- apart from the best prices and the broadest spectrum of new, used, vintage, custom, weird and demented guitars, basses and parts you'll find on Planet Earth.

• Subway Guitars has been in Berkeley for over thirty years. A large part of the Subway tradition is our easy-going 60s business style. The biggest part of our style is my relaxed, unconventional, anti-corporate approach to just about everything.
  
  
• I personally handle all Internet email and inquiries. That's the good news and the bad news. The guys in the shop just don't have a handle on this end of the business.
  
  
• I am not always available. I'm generally at Subway from noon till six, Monday through Saturday (except Thursdays) -- but there are exceptions that you need to understand. First, there are my daily breaks for pizza, mochas, and the occasion fresh pressed juice at Kareem's. Then there's the added (GREAT!) distraction posed by the steady flow of buddies from across the country and around the world who blow into Berkeley to touch base, catch up and pick up another piece of work.
  
  
• I always make time for each one of you, but sometimes the timing is just off. I may be in the middle of berating some guy -- mercilessly -- for running off and leaving his wife and kids without support (why'd he tell me THAT?!@#$>^!?) or to praise new work to short-circuit corporate greed -- foresake the sale!
  
  
• I'm the only who knows what's squirreled away. I've been collecting guitars, pickups, pickguards, tuners, and all manner of stuff for more than 30 years. There are more than 3000 guitars and basses and countless retro parts and do-dads. My inventory resides in my memory. Subway is one of your basic old-school, New York-style guitar stores of the 50s and 60s. Subway is here to carry on that revered and overwhelming tradition.
  
  
• Unconventional attitude is a major experience at Subway. Subway Guitars is neither Macy's nor a strip mall shop. Life comes streaming through the doors; weird stuff has a way of acting out and bouncing off the walls. Subway is a man's life, writ large, as life uncensored. You'd probably love the freedom of the place.
  
  
• Don't be dismayed if the guys in the shop don't have your answer; but rest assured: everybody gets their turn. Call and ask for FatDog. If I'm not in, the guys in the shop will take your phone number and the stuff you're calling about. I'll call you back -- most generally that same day; the money you can save is definitely worth any wait.
  
  
• Here's a tip: There's this long distance dime line that charges only ten cents a minute with no monthly service charge. I encourage you to use the prefix 1010-811 then our store number.

• I see no reason to charge you extra money for a shiny new box to ship the guitar to you, so I recycle materials and make a second good use of them.
  
  
• The merchandise is securely packaged against damage in transit, but the box may not look that pretty.
  
  
• It may be a couple of days before your order is shipped. Orders placed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday aren't received from our secure server until late Monday afternoon. I can't act on the order until Tuesday. Orders placed during the week do not have this delay.

Policy

• Your purchase will definitely arrive in good, undamaged condition AND in a timely manner.
  
  
• Your purchase is insured against damage in transit.
  
  
• If you don't like what you've ordered, you can return it within two weeks of purchase.
  
  
• You have the option of a full CASH refund or a trade-in for something else you like. All you pay is the return shipping, which amounts to about $10 within the Continental United States.
  
  
• You just can't lose.