Music Shop Salesman Tales..Or NOT!!

[fatwull]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1422738795' post='2676392']
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]

I sold it on here and got £800 for it and the lad was well happy.
Sounds like times have changed, must be a lot of bands that look perfect in every way....
I must really be out of touch with reality after 25 years away from gigging

Edited February 1, 2015 by fatwull

[JapanAxe]

Shop trade-in prices will never be great, and no surprise that the salesman immediately works on lowering your expectations.

As for image, one of the reasons I didn't buy a Dingwall was that the look would not have worked with a band dressed up in Western wear! And that is yet another reason why every bass player should own at least one Precision...

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='fatwull' timestamp='1422798275' post='2676829']
I sold it on here and got £800 for it and the lad was well happy.
Sounds like times have changed, must be a lot of bands that look perfect in every way....
I must really be out of touch with reality after 25 years away from gigging
[/quote]
If a shop were selling a used Bongo for £800 they'd have to allow for profit and VAT and general overheads like rent/wages, so giving you £500 (i.e. about 2/3rds) on a trade-in would be about normal. You can expect less if it's going to take longer to sell.

I'd actually say times haven't really changed much and they are much the same as they always were, i.e. four string Fenders (or similar) are the norm and certain basses (e.g. coffee tables and pointy things) don't look right in e.g. a C&W band.

[ambient]

I've been told that a lot of shows specifically ask for a Fender bass.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1422809724' post='2677002']
I've been told that a lot of shows specifically ask for a Fender bass.
[/quote]
Often, during the sixties and into the seventies, especially in the US, the electric bass was known as and even credited as the Fender bass.

[stingrayPete1977]

After years of anything but I've taken the "if you cant beat them join them" approach, Jazz, 3 tsb, 4 ply tortie guard, rosewood board.....but.....it has a B string.

[sharkboy]

My favourite comment from a music shop employee was about 30 years ago when my pal was looking to upgrade the stock pickups in his LP copy. A local guitar emporium had a set of Gibson pups for sale, so my mate asked the woman behind the counter "how much are the Gibson pickups?" "The what?" came the reply, so he pointed to the box on the shelf behind her. She picked them down, looked over the box before replying "these aren't pickups". "Of course they are!" he replied. "No they're not! How can they be, they're magnetic!" was the intelligent response.