Doozer

[quote name='Gamble' post='280690' date='Sep 9 2008, 09:09 PM']It's just nice to be able to go to a shop that already have things in stock to try out, which is what pi$$es them off![/quote] Yes, but any decent shop owner should realise that customers that just try stuff out one day, if they're well treated, will come back when they want to buy something and will tell their mates to do the same. I hate to think how many basses I try before I buy one, but it must be in the region of 100 cases of 'just thinking about it' before the wallet comes out. I've been flirting with the idea of an acoustic bass guitar for about 3 years, have tried dozens, but am still no nearer being sure of whether I want one or not... Half the fun of buying a new bass or amp is the process....which is why GAS tends to return worryingly fast even after a purchase. You've got every right to try stuff out, otherwise how would you know what you want to buy? - it's their job to convince you to buy it and buy it from them. Stick with it I say. Personally I think all bass shops need to be like the old Wapping Bass Centre. I bought my first decent bass from them when I was 14 (a Bass Collection SB300...passive, now a fretless and still going strong...), and they lined up a dozen basses for me to try that were in my Dad's price range and I amused myself for an hour or so in front of a Trace stack that was considerably taller than me while my Dad drank the free coffee. Once I'd made my choice, they let me try a Thumb bass - my dream bass then, but about 10x the cash my Dad had - just for a treat which as I remember it was their suggestion not mine. A few years later we were back to buy a huge, heavy, quite horrid second hand Laney combo. Then a few years later I was back on my own to buy a bass with my own cash. My loyalty continued after they moved to Liverpool St, where I bought a MarkBass combo last year, some 18 years after my first Bass Centre purchase. I've tried masses of stuff in both the Wapping and LS shops but never been treated with anything other than respect, whether I was 14 with my Dad, 17 with no cash and up in London for the day with my mates, a 20 yr old student still with no cash or 30 yrs old and trying out a bass in between meetings in the City looking like the typical more-money-than-sense type. Pure class, and their reward is my loyal custom, cash and recommendation to anyone who's asked me where to go to buy bass stuff. Still, let's hope for the best with our Cellar-dwelling chums...I'll swing by again in a few weeks on a dress down day and see if anything's different!

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='279352' date='Sep 7 2008, 09:38 PM']Do you wear a nice suit for work?[/quote] Sometimes...although sometimes a not so nice one....

I've been following this thread with some interest - I work around the corner from Denmark St and have spent a fair bit of time (and cash) in a few of its shops. A few months back I saw the handwritten sign on the till in the Bass Cellar that Mike mentioned - "Want a new bass? Got no cash? Don't waste our time". I didn't like the shop too much before then (although to my shame have bought two pretty nice basses from them over the years, a Yamaha TR6 II and a US Jazz) but on seeing this I vowed to never buy anything from them again, not even a plectrum. Anyway, like many of you I've plenty of stories of bad experiences in the Bass Cellar, but last Friday I left work a little early and it was chucking it down, so rather than get soaked walking to the station thought I'd kill a few minutes to see if it stopped, and having worked my way through the other shops there was only one left and it was still raining....so I dropped in to see our mutual friends. While we don't know whether they've read (or actually responded) to this thread, something seems to be getting through to them. The sign is gone, and the two guys who were in there were friendly, pretty helpful (changed a duff battery, offered to tweak the setup on a bass), let me try a load of things just out of interest and the whole thing wasn't bad at all. If that was the first time I'd been there I'd definitely be going back. They've still got a way to go to make me break my vow over the sign on their till, but with this sort of feedback from the bass playing community there's a chance that they'll get better and learn to do it right....maybe they've started listening?

Hello Basschatters, Having been a relatively long-term guest reader of this forum - by the way, thanks to all you members for insightful, stimulating and often provocative discussions, us 'guests' benefit from reading even if we don't quite get round to joining - thought I'd register so as to chip in from time to time. Been playing bass for some 15 years, although family / job / general growing up means I don't get to play or gig quite as much as I would like. But I love playing my basses when I get the chance. Look forward to joining in!