fatwull Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) Visited Kennys music in Dundee when i was home last and took in my Musicman Bongo 4 to be checked over before selling. I was looking for a decent second hand 5 string after buying a cheap one and liking the extra string, now they don't have many 5 stringers in the shop and he started telling me how 5 stringers were not as fashionable as 4 stringers these days and not as common so that's how they don't stock them, i thought that comment was a bit silly considering how many 5's are on here. He also started on about what he would give me for the bongo if i traded it in..£4-500 which they will try on you anyway, then he started on about how guitars that look different are hard to sell and even said he knows people who have had to change their guitar as the rest of the band didn't like the look of it which really put me off the guy as personally i think that is just crap. Has anyone experienced this problem of "sorry mate, your sh*t hot but that guitar just doesn't look good enough for our band"....... Edited January 31, 2015 by fatwull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) No, but when I was trading my 80s 2EQ Ray in, the owner sucked through his teeth and said "ohh, white - that'll be hard to shift" (MOR Music, York) Edited January 31, 2015 by Roland Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422721455' post='2676056'] Has anyone experienced this problem of "sorry mate, your sh*t hot but that guitar just doesn't look good enough for our band"....... [/quote] Not personally, but I'v heard of bassists that have been made to change basses to fit the bands image. He isn't making it up, it does happen. If I was in a band that decided to take that route, I would no longer be in the band But the rest of what he told you seems to be utter rubbish, fivers are more popular now than ever I would wager. Edited January 31, 2015 by Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subbeh Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) To be honest I don't think anything he said was far fetched. I'm sure the average music shop will sell more four than five string basses, and they also probably sell more Fender shaped guitars and basses than more interesting shapes like the bongo or thunderbird. His offer is pretty typical of what you could expect for a non p/x deal. As far as bands not liking the look of a bass the guy really isn't talking crap, Ive certainly heard of bass players being asked to play something more image appropriate for the band, not all are willing but it's cropped up on here and talk bass before. Maybe the guy just didnt come across well to you but I don't think anything he said was bull*&%$. Edited January 31, 2015 by Subbeh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatwull Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1422721930' post='2676061'] Not personally, but I'v heard of bassists that have been made to change basses to fit the bands image. He isn't making it up, it does happen. If I was in a band that decided to take that route, I would no longer be in the band But the rest of what he told you seems to be utter rubbish, fivers are more popular now than ever I would wager. [/quote] Could always tell whoever said to change the bass...." I can change my bass but you will always be fugly" TaTa.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolomonHelsing Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Yup i've heard stuff like that. First time I had a nut pop off after taking strings off to restring and had no clue back then what to do, took it to a music shop, got the bass out and he sighed and said a Five stringer ey? All in jest, As for the changing bass for the look of a band, reason why i'm always taking my Warmoth to a audition/first rehearsal, If they can't accept her they don't have me on board. Simple as. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatwull Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 So he wasn't speaking crap then...!! Interesting to hear about the guitar change requests...mind you i haven't gigged for 25 years and am a little out of touch...!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatwull Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Just imagined Mark King being told "sorry mate, we don't like that slappin stuff" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1422721930' post='2676061'] I've heard of bassists that have been made to change basses to fit the bands image. He isn't making it up, it does happen. If I was in a band that decided to take that route, I would no longer be in the band. [/quote] This... however I've never been asked to change my bass as I usually pre-empt the question by getting a bass I think will fit. As far as I'm concerned it's a great excuse to buy another bass! ...Like we need excuses, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatwull Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1422722487' post='2676083'] This... however I've never been asked to change my bass as I usually pre-empt the question by getting a bass I think will fit. As far as I'm concerned it's a great excuse to buy another bass! ...Like we need excuses, right? [/quote] Like your style.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422721455' post='2676056'] ...then he started on about how guitars that look different are hard to sell and even said he knows people who have had to change their guitar as the rest of the band didn't like the look of it which really put me off the guy as personally i think that is just crap. Has anyone experienced this problem of "sorry mate, your sh*t hot but that guitar just doesn't look good enough for our band"....... [/quote] I heard of a guy who had exactly this problem in the 1980s with a Steinberger XL. Just took the mick out of him so he stopped using it. When he changed basses the band started moaning that the new bass didn't sound as good as the Steinberger. That was Bill Wyman and the band was the Rolling Stones. Edited January 31, 2015 by BassBus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badderer Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 TBH he was just pre-emptively low-balling you as you were in the market for selling, so picking up on any weakness in your bass to justify his low price. Put a bongo up for sale on here for for £600-£800 and if it's in good condition it will be gone quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I was chatting to a fender rep while the owner had gone off to take a call, and said that I liked the leads that they did, with the microfibre covering, and it got less tangled up than my rubbery planet waves lead. He then proceeded to tell me that the planet waves cables were no good as the plugs they used were too small as they had metric plugs rather than imperial, so they always fell out, and noone ever wanted a mute switch on their cable anyway so it was silly. In fact he went on about it so much my he really put me off buying their products! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1422725873' post='2676158'] In fact he went on about it so much my he really put me off buying their products! [/quote] Dissing the competition is never a good way to sell your own product. USPs, that's what they want!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422721455' post='2676056'] "sorry mate, but that guitar just doesn't look good enough for our band"....... [/quote] [IMG]http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/vinnybassist/soundcheck_zps94d87c5e.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Rep to me - 'you should stock a load of other brands so that customers can see what great value our kit is'. me (thinking deeply....'that'd cost about 30k and we got our sales up 20% last year without that stupidity') S'bloody dear wallpaper - some people.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422722411' post='2676078'] Just imagined Mark King being told "sorry mate, we don't like that slappin stuff" [/quote] If only! Just think of all the irritating noisy grief we'd all have been spared since then ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Subbeh' timestamp='1422721983' post='2676062'] To be honest I don't think anything he said was far fetched. I'm sure the average music shop will sell more four than five string basses, and they also probably sell more Fender shaped guitars and basses than more interesting shapes like the bongo or thunderbird. His offer is pretty typical of what you could expect for a non p/x deal. As far as bands not liking the look of a bass the guy really isn't talking crap, Ive certainly heard of bass players being asked to play something more image appropriate for the band, not all are willing but it's cropped up on here and talk bass before. Maybe the guy just didnt come across well to you but I don't think anything he said was bull*&%$. [/quote] I must admit that I agree with a lot of what you're saying here. We find that there's no huge difference between 4's and 5's across all sales but there certainly is with certain brands. EG Fender 5's will always be slower to move than a Sadowsky. Bongos are definitely harder to sell than many other body shapes and can take an age to shift. Doesn't matter how they sound, the look just makes some people visibly wince when they see one hanging on a wall. Musicman prices in general have taken a bit of tumble and they depreciate like crazy from new (way worse than Fender). A lot of places sell a new one at over £1,600 but I've seen very good used ones go for as little as £650 (I bought a black one personally for that price). We'd put one up for sale in the shop at about £800, maybe £50 more for a 5 string. However if it hung around for a while it would be more like £750 for a 5. That would give a PX value of £550 - £600. After accounting for VAT and card fees there's not a huge margin in this sort of sale for a retailer. Being told by a band, producer or TV director to change a bass because it doesn't look right is still surprisingly common. I've even known people to be asked to get a different colour bass - White and Black are still very popular for 'TV' basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1422725873' post='2676158'] I was chatting to a fender rep while the owner had gone off to take a call, and said that I liked the leads that they did, with the microfibre covering, and it got less tangled up than my rubbery planet waves lead. He then proceeded to tell me that the planet waves cables were no good as the plugs they used were too small as they had metric plugs rather than imperial, so they always fell out, and noone ever wanted a mute switch on their cable anyway so it was silly. In fact he went on about it so much my he really put me off buying their products! [/quote] I can't remember which series it was but there was actually a range of Planet Waves cables that were notorious for falling out really easily. Pretty sure it was the same range that had an option of the built in mute option that regularly failed and rendered the lead unusable. I first heard of this from a guitar repair man who said he'd had a lot of instruments in for replacement jack sockets because the leads kept falling out - when he tried them with a 'regular' lead he thought they were ok and he realised it was a lead problem not the jack socket. Although he also discovered that the loose lead had damaged some jack sockets as well because it jiggled around a bit and made the problem even worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1422731634' post='2676282'] I can't remember which series it was but there was actually a range of Planet Waves cables that were notorious for falling out really easily. Pretty sure it was the same range that had an option of the built in mute option that regularly failed and rendered the lead unusable.[/quote] Well, I mentioned mine not fitting well, but that was in my dingwall. Ironically in my fenders it is perfect. I measured it after he said with a vernier, it is exactly what it should be. Even if it wasn't, and it was true, I think it is a very unprofessional way of conducting yourself when you are a rep for a company, as whatever the truth, it reflects badly on your company. And his rant on what a stupid idea the mute was was even worse as that is the reason I bought one, so for all his 'noone wanted this / you can mute by unplugging / waste of time', so he was calling me stupid. The only thing I don't like about the planet waves lead is that it tangles easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1422732480' post='2676297'] Well, I mentioned mine not fitting well, but that was in my dingwall. Ironically in my fenders it is perfect. I measured it after he said with a vernier, it is exactly what it should be. Even if it wasn't, and it was true, I think it is a very unprofessional way of conducting yourself when you are a rep for a company, as whatever the truth, it reflects badly on your company. And his rant on what a stupid idea the mute was was even worse as that is the reason I bought one, so for all his 'noone wanted this / you can mute by unplugging / waste of time', so he was calling me stupid. The only thing I don't like about the planet waves lead is that it tangles easily. [/quote] Spooky - there's actually a live thread about Planet Waves cables causing jack socket problems! http://basschat.co.uk/topic/254671-planet-waves-compression-spring-cable-has-loosened-my-socket/page__fromsearch__1 As far as I know the current range is all sorted now though May still be some old stock out there still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422721455' post='2676056'] Visited Kennys music in Dundee when i was home last and took in my Musicman Bongo 4 to be checked over before selling. I was looking for a decent second hand 5 string after buying a cheap one and liking the extra string, now they don't have many 5 stringers in the shop and he started telling me how 5 stringers were not as fashionable as 4 stringers these days and not as common so that's how they don't stock them, i thought that comment was a bit silly considering how many 5's are on here. He also started on about what he would give me for the bongo if i traded it in..£4-500 which they will try on you anyway, then he started on about how guitars that look different are hard to sell and even said he knows people who have had to change their guitar as the rest of the band didn't like the look of it which really put me off the guy as personally i think that is just crap. Has anyone experienced this problem of "sorry mate, your sh*t hot but that guitar just doesn't look good enough for our band"....... [/quote] Five strings have never been as fashionable as four strings and have always sold many less items. I'd say the guy was correct. In a shop, around £400-£500 trade on a Bongo sounds about normal to me; if anything a good deal. You'd perhaps get more selling it privately but it's definitely a buyer's market just now. I'd say the guy was correct. Guitars that look different are harder to sell and harder to resell. Most people want a Fender or a Gibson or a clone of those styles. I'd say the guy was correct. Bands have images and the kind of guitar or bass is part of that image. You may think it's crap, however I don't think it's crap. Besides which I'd say the guy was correct whether or not you think it's crap. I've never been asked to change a bass myself but then I would either try hard to turn up with something suitable or I wouldn't be interested in the band in the first place. I do try to use a different instrument for a different band. Otherwise not much point having different instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1422731634' post='2676282'] I can't remember which series it was but there was actually a range of Planet Waves cables that were notorious for falling out really easily ... [/quote] I had a couple of those Planet Waves cables; they were a total waste of time and money and I threw them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 [quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422722411' post='2676078'] Just imagined Mark King being told "sorry mate, we don't like that slappin stuff" [/quote] That would have a been a big relief for many of us - and he is a very good fingerstyle player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Look at Jamareo Artis, clearly records Bruno Mars albums with a five string, but plays a sunburst Fender 4 live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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