Backstage Music FAQ
A: In Starkville, Mississippi, which is in the northeast quarter of the state. We are 90 miles west of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and 60 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi.
Q: Who are you people?A: Backstage is owned by folks who are local to the Starkville, MS area. The owners are Jim, and Cody. Jim oversees our A/V contracting services. Tony oversees all our repair services. Cody oversees our internet sales and retail operations. Don, Jimbo, and Dean take care of most of the needs of our retail store. This was Jim back in the earliest of days, right after electricity was invented.
A: Of course you should. And, of course I would say that, because I'm on staff here. A more objective answer would be this: We've been in business here since 1978, and we have many repeat customer who have been with us for over 30 years. In this day and age of instant-internet-everything, and instant online performance reviews, folks who know us are comfortable buying from us over and over. We want your online buying experience to be no different than it would be if you were standing here in the store.
Q: Are you a "real store", or an "internet fly-by-night"?A: We're real. We're a brick and mortar store, with real people, and real service. We were around long before the internet, long before personal computers were around. Our first sales tickets were written on clay tablets.
Q: Is my credit card info safe with you?A: The short answer is, yes. We (meaning folks here at Backstage Music) never see your credit card information. That's all handled securely outside of our store, by a secure server. That keeps your info safe.
Q: What if I buy something, and then change my mind?A: We understand how that happens. It happens to us now and then. Drop us an email (see our contact form), or give us a call at 662-323-3824. Keep the item new, leave the tags on, etc., and call us within a reasonable period of time.. We'll swap the item or refund your money. (Bear in mind that if you take it home and play it, we may consider it a used instrument, and not returnable.)
Q: I called your store, and you guys talk funny. Why is that?A: We're from Mississippi. Not only can we not help the way we talk, we're proud of our Southern accents. It's part of who we are.
Q: I'm kind of new at guitar (or banjo or mandolin or whatever), and I'm not sure what kind of strings to buy, or if I need a strap, and I don't want to call you guys and let you see how clueless I am about this stuffA: That's exactly why you should call us. We're here to explain the difference in strings, guitars, cases, cables, or anything else music-related you need to know about. There are a lot of things (i.e., lumber, thermal dynamics, cake icing) that you probably know a lot about, and we are clueless on, so we'll do our best to help you make the choice that's best for your situation. We've been in your spot before on other topics, and we know how good it feels to get a friendly, knowledgeable voice on the phone.
Q: If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how many eggs can six chickens lay in seven days?A: We've always thought the answer was 42, but the are some folks at Miss. State University (just down the road from us) who disagree, and they say the answer is 30-something. Others assert there is a strong reason to believe the answer is 28. This falls into the category of "Things We Are Not Experts On", though we still feel, and feel strongly, the answer is 42.
If you have a question we didn't cover here, and you probably do, give us a call at 662-323-3824. Don't bother asking for "Internet Sales Dept.", just ask for Cody.