Where (or where not to!) Shop?

[Joker2807]

hey guys....

After buying a Bass and Amp from PMT Leeds and not being happy with the service, I wondered if i could start a thread to find out some better places to buy from by hearing your gear shopping stories! (good or bad).

I think its about time we named and shamed a few places and praised the good guys who deliver first time every time.

so come on guys I'm looking for some gear for my bass rig where do I shop and where should I avoid???

[LukeFRC]

Having just moved to Leeds and walked into PMT I must say it was like no other music shop I've ever been in- it's odd.

[Joker2807]

what really annoys me is they have like 10 guys all working there at the same time all trying to fit behind the counter instead of been in the store where they are needed

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='Joker2807' timestamp='1354124550' post='1882428']
what really annoys me is they have like 10 guys all working there at the same time all trying to fit behind the counter instead of been in the store where they are needed
[/quote]

I think that's PMT policy (!)
They do it in the Southend store, too. (Less so in Romford)

Edited November 28, 2012 by Lfalex v1.1

[Lozz196]

I`ve used the PMT Northampton store a few times, and they`ve always been great.

[stingrayPete1977]

Bass direct

My ray5 was from pmt Birmingham and they were ok although the service at guitar guitar was better, just a shame they had no ray 5s in stock.

[louisthebass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1354125822' post='1882454']
Bass direct
[/quote]

+1 to this & can also recommend Bass Gear in Twyford. Best two bass only shops I've had a good shopping experience with in the last two years.

Edited November 28, 2012 by louisthebass

[Joker2807]

thanks guys ... i just feel that i would rather spend money with a shop that is going to do the job right

[TheGreek]

Got to go with stingrayPete and Louisthebass - Bass Direct - Mark is a really nice fella and will always take the time to answer any questions you might have..

[Joker2807]

i'll check them out seem to be getting the thumbs up from you guys

[Big_Stu]

I thought the GuitarGuitar in Edinburgh a good shop, helpful but not in your face staff who knew their gear.
Went into the new Reidy's in Blackburn Lancs the other day & was greeted as though I'd taken a dump in the doorway as I entered; obviously geared up to catch the students from the college next door but the 6 or 7 staff in there were failing miserably at trying to fool each other they were busy.
Dawsons in Manchester is a good one too, let you get on with it and generally good eggs.

[lurksalot]

Its nice to see Bass direct recomended , I have ordered a new Spector from them , I was given their details from the importers and have to say Mark has been very helpful, thorough and prompt, even just dealing via email.
Suffice to say the deal was decent aswell.

[Pete Academy]

Thought I'd share this. A guy rang our shop today to see if we had an Epiphone EJ200 acoustic guitar. To cut a long story short, he'd been to a shop in Stafford, where they offered him the guitar at 350. He said everyone on the internet was advertising it at 269. The shop owner said it was 350 because he had ordered it from Germany. Turns out he wasn't an official Epiphone dealer and he had ordered the guitar from Thomann and tried to make some money on it. When the customer said he was charging way over the internet price of 269, the shop owner said those guitars had dodgy bent necks. Absolute bullishit.

Why do some dealers try to dupe the public and risk getting out of business?

[Joker2807]

dont know but it seems to me they hire too many deadheads instead of a few knowledgable guys

[Musicman20]

I can't stand rude arrogant staff. WE are the ones spending the money, keeping THEM in a job. If I spoke to my clients as rudely as some staff do in music stores do to their customers I'd be ashamed. I'd also get a roasting from my supervisor, which I would deserve.

...and here is another thing. If a customer is spending a fair whack, I would suggest never to let them down, because you might lose £5,000+ of sales over the next few years.

[hamfist]

I don't really do any music shop browsing these days. I'm an online buyer almost exclusively. I have had multiple very pleasing purchase experiences with Digital Village (love their 4 year warranty), Hotrox, Effects Power Supplies, Stringsdirect, GAK & Nevada.
Also Soundslive have also treated me well, although are a little slower than some in refunding returns.

The only relatively nearby store I go to in person, which has any sort of range at all is Nevada, near Portsmouth. If I go on a weekday, they are usually pretty helpful and let me play what I want, for however long I want. However, the range is fairly limited for bas. All the Southampton stores only have the standard Fenders & peaveys etc so it's only on very rare occassions I go to any of them.

[Oopsdabassist]

Fairdeal in Brum aint too bad, handily located for me right under our Brum office! Also only 2 mins from New Street station

Staff are friendly enough and don't hassle you at all, prices can't beat the internet, but they do have a fair selection of stock. was looking at 5 strings last week and managed to have a noodle on a Fender Jazz, 2 Yamaha's, an Ibanez and a 'ray.

[Floyd]

Digital Village hasn't been good for me. I bought a Gibson guitar off them a couple of years ago. All the Gibson security seals on the box were broken. I always suspected that guitar was a returned item but you can't prove anything. This year I bought a Gibson SG bass........ I know, I know, but that's what I wanted. I made a big deal of wanting one that had never been out of the Gibson packing and DV couldn't do it. They told me they had to take them all out to check them and that they might need to be in the showroom I even talked to Gibson to try to make it happen. In the end I went to Music Store in Germany www.musicstore.de I explained exactly what I wanted and why and that's exactly what I got. A perfect Gibby in the original box. They now advertise......... in original packaging!
and no I have no commercial interests in this company. They just gave me what I wanted and I'm a happy bunny.

[ead]

I've been into PMT in Salford (or is it Manchester) and have been completely ignored several times - won't be going there again.

I've only ever bought a new bass on line once and that was from the Bass Merchant who were marvellous. Other than that mostly on here or occasional evilbay purchases.

[Tankdave]

Bass Gear in Twyford, (near Reading) real good bunch

[Joker2807]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1354143856' post='1882823']
I can't stand rude arrogant staff. WE are the ones spending the money, keeping THEM in a job. If I spoke to my clients as rudely as some staff do in music stores do to their customers I'd be ashamed. I'd also get a roasting from my supervisor, which I would deserve.

...and here is another thing. If a customer is spending a fair whack, I would suggest never to let them down, because you might lose £5,000+ of sales over the next few years.
[/quote]

well they have lost all my future business and considering i am a musician for a living (i buy a lot of stuff) they have lost out on a lot of money

[Joker2807]

thanks for the responses guys... any shops near wakefield ??

[BluRay]

For orders placed over the phone or email, I've had good service in the past from both Academy of Sound and Dolphin. They've both been really helpful, prompt and effecient.
I don't like going into guitar shops generally, unless I can have it all to myself (like the Queen in Harrods ). Lots of folk noodling for england puts me off! Bass Direct have been very good. Yes, you can find some of the same stuff for less if you shop around online - but you KNOW you're going to get a good product/service from them. Well worth a visit.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Floyd' timestamp='1354175862' post='1882963']
Digital Village hasn't been good for me. I bought a Gibson guitar off them a couple of years ago. All the Gibson security seals on the box were broken. I always suspected that guitar was a returned item but you can't prove anything. This year I bought a Gibson SG bass........ I know, I know, but that's what I wanted. I made a big deal of wanting one that had never been out of the Gibson packing and DV couldn't do it. They told me they had to take them all out to check them and that they might need to be in the showroom I even talked to Gibson to try to make it happen. In the end I went to Music Store in Germany www.musicstore.de I explained exactly what I wanted and why and that's exactly what I got. A perfect Gibby in the original box. They now advertise......... in original packaging!
and no I have no commercial interests in this company. They just gave me what I wanted and I'm a happy bunny.

[/quote]

Interesting story, but I have to ask what's the dealer adding to the sale process if someone insists on buying an unopened product?

They can't open it to check for any faults or transit damage. They can't open it to do a set-up. And if it is returned because of a fault, they can't be sure that the customer didn't do the damage because they've never seen it before.

I take the point about not wanting to buy a returned product, but in this case the dealer is just acting as a box shifter - in which case why not just buy online from the cheapest source? Possibly even the manufacturer themselves, if such a customer trend became really popular.

PS: That adverts states "in original packaging" - it doesn't state "in original unopened packaging"

Edited November 29, 2012 by flyfisher

[Joker2807]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1354178817' post='1883001']
Interesting story, but I have to ask what's the dealer adding to the sale process if someone insists on buying an unopened product?

They can't open it to check for any faults or transit damage. They can't open it to do a set-up. And if it is returned because of a fault, they can't be sure that the customer didn't do the damage because they've never seen it before.

I take the point about not wanting to buy a returned product, but in this case the dealer is just acting as a box shifter - in which case why not just buy online from the cheapest source? Possibly even the manufacturer themselves, if such a customer trend became really popular.

PS: That adverts states "in original packaging" - it doesn't state "in original unopened packaging"
[/quote]

you got a point there