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The Basscentre is no longer a shop.


6stringbassist
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this doesn't really surprise me.
the website listed a particular gigbag, but when I went there it was the usual "none in stock- order them in"- useless. no point in having a shop with a sales floor.

Edited by SJA
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Yes, but was it an inevitability because that's the way things are generally heading or was it an inevitabilitybecause the shop has been a pale shadow of it's former self after relocating from Wapping.

I loved the old bass centre and really enjoyed the odd trip up there. I also bought quite a lot from them. I still regret the day I saw two Vigier basses, a Passion 5 in blueburst and a Passion delta metal fretless in black and went for the fretless. I reckon I'd still have the 5 to this day.

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The website site is terrible, it will let you buy a Markbass F1, but they don't actually have one in stock.

They closed before Christmas, I was in there, it must have been the week before and there were no signs up or anything.

The problem is, they sell stuff that the Gallery doesn't, so how are you supposed to try something before you buy it, they're advertising some expensive gear there.

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The thing is you need to make having a shop work, make it an experience that you wont get shopping over the internet, and that means treating the customers like VIP's not irritations. If you want to try an F1 give BassDirect a call. Dont think you are that far from Kenilworth. A lot closer than I am anyway.

I tried one yesterday and it is amazing that it is a 500w amp not much bigger than my Microbass II pre-amp.

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"Good morning, The Bass Centre."
"Ah, hello, I'd like to blow a thousand quid on a bass without even having clapped eyes on it first, never mind actually playing it."
"Well you've come to the right place! And while you're committing yourself sight-unseen to a very major instrument purchase, can I also interest you in splashing out even more of your hard-earned on an amp that you have no idea whether you'll like or not?"

For god's sake. :) :huh:

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Well I won't be shedding any tears. Sounds harsh, but the few times I went in there I swore I'd never go back. The service wasn't just indifferent, it was bordering on being rude. As has already been mentioned - if their website doesn't improve pretty sharpish - they'll be finished, which can only be a good thing for all the shops/websites who [u]do[/u] make the extra effort for their customers :)

Pluck

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[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='129518' date='Jan 28 2008, 07:31 PM']Well I won't be shedding any tears. Sounds harsh, but the few times I went in there I swore I'd never go back. The service wasn't just indifferent, it was bordering on being rude. As has already been mentioned - if their website doesn't improve pretty sharpish - they'll be finished, which can only be a good thing for all the shops/websites who [u]do[/u] make the extra effort for their customers :)

Pluck[/quote]

Hear hear.

Pluck 'em

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I got told by Bernie Goodfellow the shop had shut down.

I never actually went to the London shop, as I'm in Manchester. But I can honestly say the branch that was opened in Manchester a few years ago was doomed to failure. The site for the shop itself was right out of the way, couldn't be seen from a street, no parking, was the size of a broom cupboard, etc. etc. etc.

So if the Manchester one was anything to go by, it's hardly surprising the London one's gone the same way.

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[quote name='Mikey D' post='129444' date='Jan 28 2008, 05:27 PM']As said above, they really need to sort out their website then.[/quote]

It was very obvious their website wasn't working well for them. I offered my services to help sort it out about 18 months ago but they declined ...

Bricks and mortar shops can succeed against web only / Thomman style shops because people like to buy from nice people and that's what makes teh difference. Customers will pay more if the service is right. But if you get the poor service often described onthis forum from shops then the customer may as well buy from a computer.

It's interesting that Thomman do that cheap on the web thing but also do lots of customer service things too.
That's the future of the mass market stuff and a specialist selling special stuff like BassDirect is the other way.

Edited by OldGit
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[quote name='Toasted' post='129542' date='Jan 28 2008, 08:09 PM']Don't forget Mark at Bass Direct - not really a "shop" but always happy to show you his stuff with a small amount of notice.[/quote]


Yup and he does Markbass stuff as well as the exotica
[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Mark_Bass_Analogue_Heads.html"]Markbass stuff at BassDirect[/url]

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