A Springtime saunter down Denmark St

[skankdelvar]

Up in town for a Regimental reunion and being in need of a warm-sounding analogue delay, I resolved to visit Denmark St, the better to try out an item which had caught my ear.



Brief visits to a number of shops convinced me that a concise mini-review of these establishments might benefit my fellow-toilers here on BC. In each instance, I bade the assistant a polite and friendly good day and enquired “Do you have the Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy”. Here are the outcomes:

[b]Rose Morris[/b] – EHX Stockist

Asst: (As if catching me out) “You mean the Memory Boy”
Me: “No. The Memory Toy”
Asst: (His tone hardening somewhat) “ You mean the Memory Boy”
Me: “No. The Memory Toy”
Asst: (Nastily) “No. It’s the Memory Boy”
Me: Okey-Doke. Bye!

[b]Regent Guitars[/b]

(A rank of colossal Orange rigs dominates the landscape. In the back, a lad of no more than 15 is working his way through a compendium of 70’s classic rock licks. Nice for an old Bob like me, but how unprogressive we have become)

Asst: Sorry, we don't. You could try Music Ground, though. They’re a main EHX stockist.

What a nice young man.

[b]Music Ground[/b] – EHX Stockist

(The Assistant behind the counter is eating a pizza)

Asst: “You mean the Memory Boy”
Me: “No. The Memory Toy”
Asst: “You mean the Memory Boy”
Me: “No. The Memory Toy”
Asst: “Oh. That one. None in stock” A silence as he eats more pizza
Me: “When will you be getting some in”
Asst: “Dunno. Some time, I suppose. Maybe in the next few weeks” Further silence
Me: “And do you have a price on them?”
Asst: “Dunno. Whenever they come in.” A silence as he licks cheese from his fingers
Me: “Enjoy your lunch. Looks nice. Careful you don’t choke on it”

[b]Vintage & Rare[/b]

A pleasant young lady informs me they don’t stock them, but I should try Macaris. I admire her charms and an old Melody Maker. We chaff for a while and I leave, having been made to feel entirely welcome. Their stock isn’t really high-end. Mostly £1k-3k guitars in reasonable nick, but not much exotica. Nice, workmanlike instruments, shall we say.

[b]Macaris[/b]

… are in the process of replacing the price stickers on many of their pedals. How strange.

They have one. Sensation! They assure me that they’ll sell me the pedal at the current sticker price, even though it’s about to go up when they change the sticker. How generous.

I finally try a Memory [s]Boy[/s] Toy (edit: dammit, they got to me), priced £20 above ebay average. It’s OK but not great. As I hand it back, they change the sticker price. It now costs £10 more than when I walked into the shop.

[b]Postscript[/b]

I passed briefly through the Bass Cellar. The two assistants present were treating shoppers with interest and respect. An aspirant hard-case purchaser was very fairly traded down to a gig-bag, as her requirements were clearly ‘light-weight’ and infrequent. I thought this a commendably honest approach. A small child thumping arrythmically on a 5-string through a gigantic rig was neither evicted nor eviscerated, though his conduct richly merited suchlike.

How much at variance with recent reports. Perhaps they’re putting something in the tea.

Edited March 6, 2010 by skankdelvar

[josh3184]

another entertaining post, thanks Skank!

[Mrs Tinman]

Gentleman's Vade Mecum?

Sexist!

PS: I had to Google Vade Mecum, every day's a school day!

Edited March 6, 2010 by Mrs Tinman

[misrule]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='765944' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:00 PM']The two assistants present were treating shoppers with interest and respect.[/quote]
My god -- that's a first

Cheers

Mark

[Happy Jack]

Some comments:

Music Ground and Regent Guitars are, of course, the same shop. It's entirely possible that Dopey behind the counter didn't know this.

The pleasant young lady in V&R was, of course, the delightful Simone. She is arguably V&R's greatest asset these days. Entire threads have been devoted to her.

I'm disappointed that you didn't see fit to make a note of the type of pizza that was being consumed. If it was an Extra Hot Pepperoni Deep Pan then his reluctance to interrupt his lunch/breakfast for a mere customer does, of course, make more sense.

I could, of course, stop saying "of course".

Of course.

[Clarky]

If it was Sloppy Giuseppe its only surprising he didn't crack you over the head with the nearest BC Rich

Edited March 6, 2010 by Clarky

[Clarky]

Perhaps if you carried some condiments (chili oil and a small packet of grated parmesan should do the trick ) with you next time you would get a better response in Music Ground

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Clarky' post='765961' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:16 PM']Perhaps if you carried some condiments (chili oil and a small packet of grated parmesan should do the trick ) with you next time you would get a better response in Music Ground[/quote]

Next time I may conceal an anchovy about my person.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='765958' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:11 PM']Music Ground and Regent Guitars are, of course, the same shop.[/quote]
As are Bass Cellar, Hanks Acoustics and Rockers - Staff and stock seem to often rotate around all of these shops.

[Golchen]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='765944' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:00 PM'][b]Macaris[/b]

… are in the process of replacing the price stickers on many of their pedals. How strange.

They have one. Sensation! They assure me that they’ll sell me the pedal at the current sticker price, even though it’s about to go up when they change the sticker. How generous.

I finally try a [b]Memory Boy[/b], priced £20 above ebay average. It’s OK but not great. As I hand it back, they change the sticker price. It now costs £10 more than when I walked into the shop.[/quote]


no ............. IT"S A MEMORY TOY!!!!!! Sheeesh.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='765978' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:39 PM']As are Bass Cellar, Hanks Acoustics and Rockers - Staff and stock seem to often rotate around all of these shops.[/quote]
Which makes any shopping trip something of a bagatelle. You have to be lucky on the day.

[quote name='Golchen' post='765988' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:49 PM']no ............. IT"S A MEMORY TOY!!!!!! Sheeesh.[/quote]
Dammit. It was, indeed, the 'Toy' that I trialled. Cor, what a Carry-On.

Edited March 6, 2010 by skankdelvar

[The Funk]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='765944' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:00 PM'][b]Vintage & Rare[/b]

A pleasant young lady informs me they don’t stock them, but I should try Macaris. I admire her charms and an old Melody Maker. We chaff for a while and I leave, having been made to feel entirely welcome.[/quote]

That'll be Simone, ex-Bass Cellar. Very nice and very helpful lady.

[karlfer]

Once again informative and entertaining.
I am ,however, struggling to take you serious since the demise of the 2nd headstock!

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='karlfer' post='766115' date='Mar 6 2010, 03:12 PM']Once again informative and entertaining.
I am ,however, struggling to take you serious since the demise of the 2nd headstock![/quote]

Bwahahaha! Good spot, that man.

[karlfer]

Bring back the 2nd headstock.
Please sign my petition.

[gafbass02]

Crucially, how was the reunion?

[Marvin]

[quote name='karlfer' post='766424' date='Mar 6 2010, 08:08 PM']Bring back the 2nd headstock.
Please sign my petition.[/quote]

Somebody will have to take on the mantel of Bilbo's carrots then.

[tredders]

That's a great post. We need to do more of these. Remind me to rush out to Music Ground next time I need something...

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='766467' date='Mar 6 2010, 09:03 PM']Crucially, how was the reunion?[/quote]

The numbers grow fewer year by year - old Jumbo Collaterly dropped off the twig only last month.

Arnhem seems so distant now. It was another time.

[Happy Jack]

And Bunty? How was dear, dear Bunty?

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='766978' date='Mar 7 2010, 03:40 PM']And Bunty? How was dear, dear Bunty?[/quote]

As well as ever. Pie-eyed on the Port. Sends his best.

Apparently, shrapnel from that 88mm is still coming out, 60 years on. Who'd have thought it?

[JMT3781]

i enjoyed that
my mates mxr crbon copy sounded great on my bass, bit pricey though

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='765944' date='Mar 6 2010, 12:00 PM'][b]Vintage & Rare[/b]

A pleasant young lady informs me they don’t stock them, but I should try Macaris. I admire her charms and an old Melody Maker. [color="#FF0000"]We [u]chaff [/u]for a while[/color] and I leave, having been made to feel entirely welcome. Their stock isn’t really high-end. Mostly £1k-3k guitars in reasonable nick, but not much exotica. Nice, workmanlike instruments, shall we say.[/quote]

in public

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='766992' date='Mar 7 2010, 03:58 PM']in public [/quote]

–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1.to mock, tease, or jest in a good-natured way; banter: They joked and chaffed with each other.
–noun
2.good-natured ridicule or teasing; raillery: "I don't suppose you have an analogue delay pedal in here for £75 or so?" "Not a f***ing prayer, you lecherous old goat."

Edited March 7, 2010 by skankdelvar

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='767003' date='Mar 7 2010, 04:12 PM']–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1.to mock, tease, or jest in a good-natured way; banter: They joked and chaffed with each other.
–noun
2.good-natured ridicule or teasing; raillery: "I don't suppose you have an analogue delay pedal in here for £75 or so?" "Not a f***ing prayer, you lecherous old goat."[/quote]

ah, my mistake. I thought you were using an algorithm for solving instances of the boolean satisfiability problem in programming.