BigRedX Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 The subject of set up of basses in shops comes up again and again, and I would make 2 points: 1. What suits me in terms of set up probably wouldn't suit others. 2. I can't ever recall playing a guitar or bass in a shop that was set up in such a way that it was impossible to form any kind of opinion on how good it would be if set up to my preferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1421248912' post='2658928'] It's not preparing to fail, because no business that cares so little about selling basses that they're dusty and badly set up is reliant on sales of those items. [/quote] It's not about what you care about, it's about getting your initial investment back with as healthy a profit margin that the marketplace will allow. Now - fetch your cloth Milty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1421254542' post='2659017'] It's not about what you care about, it's about getting your initial investment back with as healthy a profit margin that the marketplace will allow. Now - fetch your cloth Milty... [/quote] Right - The point is to make money, and the bottom line is to not lose money. Perhaps on a £1k bass and above, there's enough room in the profit to allow you to restring an instrument multiple times without hurting your margins. Cheaper instruments, especially those already discounted, don't have that luxury. As for dust - none of my instruments are dusty. But I wouldn't really be bothered if I walked into a shop and the basses had some dust settled on them. It happens, especially when nobody's interested in the things. There are far worse things in terms of presentation that shops often completely disregard, like lighting, boxes on the shop floor, colours, general tidiness etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 I emailed the shop owner this morning to see if he wouldn't mind if I came by and cleaned and performed a basic set-up on the basses on show. "Sir, Hope you are well and happy new year! The other day I visited ********** with the view of seeing and perhaps trying out your current bass stock with a view to perhaps purchasing in the future. I am a fairly regular customer, buying things such as cables and strings at least a few times a year and have been visiting for over 10 years. In fact, my first two basses and two amps came from *********! I was a little disheartened to see a formerly impressive collection of basses reduced to the small offering you have currently. I was further disheartened, upon taking some off the wall to try out, that the majority weren't in a suitable playing condition to really show off the quality of the instruments. On a few models I noticed rusty strings, many had action and intonation issues and all were covered in fingerprints and dust. All the instruments I tried were out of tune also. I am an experienced player and I am able to see past issues such as these, but it does make it harder to endear oneself to a instrument that you may previously have thought of buying. Other, less experienced, players may well simply prefer to go somewhere else. If you would like, I would be perfectly happy to come by sometime and fit new strings, adjust action and clean all the basses you have on offer. I am not a luthier or professional by any means, but I do know how to make an instrument playable and suitable for purpose. Legacy brand strings are good quality, can be had very cheaply and so, for a small outlay (I require only a constant supply of tea!), we can get your bass stock up to scratch and on a par with other larger music shops. Please get in touch if you feel I am offering a service that you think you require and we will arrange a suitable time to meet. Many thanks for your time, Alex Dictated but not read" Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stringsmcginty Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 let us know how you get on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Note to self: if I open a bass shop, don`t offer the managers job to Milty. [size=4] [/size] Edited January 14, 2015 by jezzaboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I have used the shop in question in the past but try to avoid spending any money in there now. I find the staff patronising and sometimes insulting - Barry in particular - I often leave feeling like I'm a thief or that I can't afford to buy what they have in stock which TBH isn't that much cop - even when I've walked in with expensive equipment to Part ex I left feeling that I've not been treated well. I'm not alone in this - other musicians I know won't spend money there which may explain why the shop in question had to move from the other side of the road. If the shopping experience isn't a good one buyers are unlikely to come back - fair to assume that the staff there don't have a Degree in Rocket Science as they still haven't figured that out yet! Edited January 14, 2015 by TheGreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1421237292' post='2658705'] Back in your box Wayne - that's twisting his words [/quote] I was asking BRX to clarify, please don't speak to me in that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1421264027' post='2659186'] Note to self: if I open a bass shop, don`t offer the managers job to Milty. [/quote] We weren't talking about bass shops. We were talking about general music shops, which deal in a lot of things. Let's not sink to the level of personal attacks, eh? You don't know my level of competence as a manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I wonder if many previously successful music shops have become disheartened and have largely given up, I have two formally excellent music shops, one lost it Fender dealership status years back and now only stocks cheap cheerful Gear 4 Music type stuff and has a bunch of 2nd hand Encore stuff...sadly I have found nothing worth buying from there in 3 years or more......the second shop has kept the Fender dealership status (I think) up until summer last year.....the owner was complaining back then at the stock levels he was being forced to order to allow him to maintain the dealer status, I have not seem any new instruments come in since last summer so, as nothing has changed I have not been in for a while, I nipped in last week and said "hello" what's new......his response...."nothing new, nothing has shifted" So Fender/ Gibson are putting increasingly difficult demands on smaller dealers who desperately want to hang on to dealer kudos and once gone what else is there to offer? I can see why they may have given up. And the knock on from that......PMT....walls of new Fender's, Gibson's and Ibanez a few other specials (most probably owned by Fender or Gibson) no decent second hand stock and little interest in taking trades I am with Milty on this, look after your local shops you will miss them once they are gone...sadly I think it is too late for many, they are already in terminal decline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1421265264' post='2659203'] So Fender/ Gibson are putting increasingly difficult demands on smaller dealers who desperately want to hang on to dealer kudos and once gone what else is there to offer? I can see why they may have given up. [/quote] Fender are changing how they do business. Their minimum order used to be quite reasonable, but in one year, they both halved the amount of shops they supplied (by jacking up the minimum order), and increased their sales in a big way. Now, the shops have no choice when they have a Fender dealership. From what I hear, when they sell an instrument, Fender automatically sends them out another one to stock in their shop, and charges them for it, regardless of whether the shop wants to stock it or not. It's not a deal that I'd be happy about. I'm also glad that you agree with me, but my point wasn't to support your local music shop in the face of any failings, more that if we want a healthy supply of bass gear in our shops, that we need to buy a healthy supply of bass gear in our shops. If not, that's fine, we can buy online, but there's no use in crying that they don't do enough bass stuff when that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1421237040' post='2658700'] So a person who buys a Fender can't be discerning? [/quote] That's not what I said and you know it. While most people on Basschat have spent time and money working out what bass(es) suit them whether they be ones with Fender or another manufacturer's name on the headstock, the majority of bass players (and most of these spend little or no time on here) simply want something that is either cheap or has a well known name (which will almost definitely be Fender) on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1421266024' post='2659219']...there's no use in crying that they don't do enough bass stuff when that happens. [/quote] Joni Mitchell told us this years ago... [size=3]http://youtu.be/94bdMSCdw20[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1421266855' post='2659231'] Joni Mitchell told us this years ago... [/quote] Notice the lack of bass in that song? Her local music shop must have paved paradise already at that point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421254073' post='2659008'] 2. I can't ever recall playing a guitar or bass in a shop that was set up in such a way that it was impossible to form any kind of opinion on how good it would be if set up to my preferences. [/quote] I can, I have experienced basses in several shops that took so much effort to play it was impossible to tell what their full potential would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 [quote name='waynepunkdude' timestamp='1421264747' post='2659196'] I was asking BRX to clarify, please don't speak to me in that way. [/quote] It was meant as a friendly dig in the ribs, as I hoped the smilie indicated. If I have caused offence then I offer my apologies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) [quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1421267189' post='2659238'] Notice the lack of bass in that song? Her local music shop must have paved paradise already at that point [/quote] bass..? You want bass..? We got bass,sir..! Yes, sirree, we done sure got bass..! Here yeh go; with bass... [media]http://youtu.be/WHicpqU84V0[/media] ... and (what the heck, she's worth it...) as a bonus, here's the good version... [media]http://youtu.be/7agB7jriyUU[/media] Check out the full concert..! No, sir, no need to thank me, it's been a real pleasure. Edited January 14, 2015 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) - Edited February 22, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) - Edited February 22, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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