The Basscentre is no longer a shop.

[OldGit]

[quote name='greyparrot' post='168701' date='Apr 2 2008, 07:36 PM']i work in the bass merchant p/t ! but its just my veiw.[/quote]

So what do you see? Do people come in time and again to play the same licks on a Saturday?

[greyparrot]

[quote name='OldGit' post='168873' date='Apr 3 2008, 09:18 AM']So what do you see? Do people come in time and again to play the same licks on a Saturday?[/quote]



to be honest i have not been there that long, and i dont work on saturday as i gig and stuff, but i guess im open minded about that sort of thing and dont really think or know if its there fav lick! But i was thinking, how many of us get to do what we want in a covers band loud? Could it be that its a chance to have a good blst with good gear without the neighbours shouting?? I remember years ago, i did play my best licks in shops, but for me it was to gain confidence in doing tech stuff in a public place, as i am really quite shy as a person. But its funny cos i was thinking that i may put together a 2 min backing track to do some flashy stuff live at the start of the 2nd set. Thats cos i feel that the bass has so much to offer in terms of an instument, and it may open the minds more to others out there to just how wonderful a bass reaally is, but where does that sit on this debate??


www.bsharpduo.co.uk

Edited April 3, 2008 by greyparrot

[OldGit]

[quote name='greyparrot' post='168878' date='Apr 3 2008, 08:30 AM']to be honest i have not been there that long, and i don't work on Saturday as i gig and stuff, but i guess I'm open minded about that sort of thing and don't really think or know if its there fav lick! But i was thinking, how many of us get to do what we want in a covers band loud? Could it be that its a chance to have a good blst with good gear without the neighbours shouting?? I remember years ago, i did play my best licks in shops, but for me it was to gain confidence in doing tech stuff in a public place, as i am really quite shy as a person. But its funny cos i was thinking that i may put together a 2 min backing track to do some flashy stuff live at the start of the 2nd set. Thats cos i feel that the bass has so much to offer in terms of an instrument, and it may open the minds more to others out there to just how wonderful a bass really is, but where does that sit on this debate??


www.bsharpduo.co.uk[/quote]

Good point. I guess some people don't gig or even get to a rehearsal studio very often. There is no real substitute for the thump in the chest/guts/ears you get from playing a bass loud.

Hum that tangent needs its own thread (I'll start it) - how do you show civilians the true potential of the bass without appearing to be a flash twonk?
Depends on your band or other public performance opportunities.

I have a favourite example from an unexpected source: Steeleye Span live version of Blackleg Miner from the "Present" CD with Rick Kemp slapping and popping his slightly flanged Overwater .. - Now That's What I Can Folk.
We'd play it in my band if it wasn't so overtly political. I'm looking for a similar opportunity that will still work at a wedding

Listen here
[url="http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner"]http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner[/url]

[geilerbass]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='168233' date='Apr 2 2008, 09:53 AM']If there is a good chance ill buy something then i will of course try it. Even if i do feel intimidated im not going to part with money unless im happy with the bass.
I can quite easily spend an hour or so in the shop trying a bass or two. I do tend to play mostly unpluged as if i like the feel of the bass im happy to buy it.
Unless i have my rig there i can only get an approximation of how it will sound at gigs anyway.[/quote]

Sorry if that came across a bit agressive - it was meant to be tongue in cheek.

I kind of know what you mean - maybe I probably get so self-absorbed when trying out nice bass kit that I forget there's anyone else in the shop!

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='geilerbass' post='168914' date='Apr 3 2008, 09:30 AM']Sorry if that came across a bit agressive - it was meant to be tongue in cheek.

I kind of know what you mean - maybe I probably get so self-absorbed when trying out nice bass kit that I forget there's anyone else in the shop! [/quote]

No problem.
One thing that strikes me though is that apart form the Gallery i cant think of anywhere i can actually get to try out "nice bass kit", not that i buy it that often.

I work all week, dont drive and gig at the weekends so im pretty much stuck with the west end, the Gallery and the internet.
My only problem with the Gallery is they don't take Amex and i use that for all my big spends.

I remember when i went looking for a 5 string and went to the BS, Dan was very good and patient with me. I spent about two hours trying different 5 strings, went back later and spent another hour just playing a Sandberg and two Laklands before getting my 55-01. He even offered to put new strings on the Sandberg and set it up. he pointed out the slightly twisted neck and dropped the price a bit (not enough IMO). He offered good advice as well.
In no way would i have gone off and ordered it on the net. If a bass feels right in the shop i say you should get it.
Its only recently that i haven't been able to find the bass i want in a local shop.

Saying that Thomanns make it very easy to shop online with and the returns policy is second to none IME.

[greyparrot]

[quote name='OldGit' post='168900' date='Apr 3 2008, 10:19 AM']Good point. I guess some people don't gig or even get to a rehearsal studio very often. There is no real substitute for the thump in the chest/guts/ears you get from playing a bass loud.

Hum that tangent needs its own thread (I'll start it) - how do you show civilians the true potential of the bass without appearing to be a flash twonk?
Depends on your band or other public performance opportunities.

I have a favourite example from an unexpected source: Steeleye Span live version of Blackleg Miner from the "Present" CD with Rick Kemp slapping and popping his slightly flanged Overwater .. - Now That's What I Can Folk.
We'd play it in my band if it wasn't so overtly political. I'm looking for a similar opportunity that will still work at a wedding

Listen here
[url="http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner"]http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner[/url][/quote]


Wicked sounds great!! haha weddings military we do them too, Just a duo mind, me and a girl, so its a bit of an odd ball set up backing tracks, girl vox, bass and 3k rig! but on the right night and crowd, they dance and wildly (id like to think that the funky bass lines i do underneth it all has something to do with it, even if they dont know it!)! well we can say what the hell, i have been playing x amount of years and this is what i can do, so like it or lump it im, gonna do my flash bit then play brown eyed girl after!! ha ha

[geilerbass]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='168941' date='Apr 3 2008, 11:04 AM']No problem.
One thing that strikes me though is that apart form the Gallery i cant think of anywhere i can actually get to try out "nice bass kit", not that i buy it that often.

I work all week, dont drive and gig at the weekends so im pretty much stuck with the west end, the Gallery and the internet.
My only problem with the Gallery is they don't take Amex and i use that for all my big spends.

I remember when i went looking for a 5 string and went to the BS, Dan was very good and patient with me. I spent about two hours trying different 5 strings, went back later and spent another hour just playing a Sandberg and two Laklands before getting my 55-01. He even offered to put new strings on the Sandberg and set it up. he pointed out the slightly twisted neck and dropped the price a bit (not enough IMO). He offered good advice as well.
In no way would i have gone off and ordered it on the net. If a bass feels right in the shop i say you should get it.
Its only recently that i haven't been able to find the bass i want in a local shop.

Saying that Thomanns make it very easy to shop online with and the returns policy is second to none IME.[/quote]

Very, very true about not being able to try stuff out in many places. I'm in exactly the same position (London-based, full time job, no car) so I'm limited to the Gallery as well (now that the Bass Centre is gone...). Not that that's a bad thing, mind...

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='geilerbass' post='169215' date='Apr 3 2008, 03:45 PM']Very, very true about not being able to try stuff out in many places. I'm in exactly the same position (London-based, full time job, no car) so I'm limited to the Gallery as well (now that the Bass Centre is gone...). Not that that's a bad thing, mind...[/quote]

I get the impression that the BS had been winding down for a while before it closed.
A year or so ago there was a good selection of basses. Quite a few Laklands even. but last time i went in there i couldn't even find a cheapish P bass.

The bad thing with the BS going is (and no offence to Alex at the BG) is there wont be any competition now.
The BC could and did under cut the BG on some things and i felt that created a good situation but now things might be different. Could be though that without competition in London the BG might find its in competition with the internet more.

Could also be talking out of my bum of course.

[OldGit]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='169223' date='Apr 3 2008, 03:56 PM']I get the impression that the BS had been winding down for a while before it closed.
A year or so ago there was a good selection of basses. Quite a few Laklands even. but last time i went in there i couldn't even find a cheapish P bass.

The bad thing with the BS going is (and no offence to Alex at the BG) is there wont be any competition now.
The BC could and did under cut the BG on some things and i felt that created a good situation but now things might be different. Could be though that without competition in London the BG might find its in competition with the internet more.

Could also be talking out of my bum of course.[/quote]


Oh I think the gallery will find there's still plenty of competition.
It will just be largely interweb based

[alexclaber]

I think the best place to try out kit is one of the Bass Chat Bass Bashes! Shame about the Bass Centre but I hadn't been there since about 2001 when they were still in Wapping.

Alex

[MB1]

MB1.

"The Bass centre is no longer a shop"
Was it ever?....... or am i missing something here?....us Mancunians were robbed of this privelage many moons ago!
Manchester Bass Centre R.I.P.

[lonestar]

[quote name='OldGit' post='168900' date='Apr 3 2008, 10:19 AM']Good point. I guess some people don't gig or even get to a rehearsal studio very often. There is no real substitute for the thump in the chest/guts/ears you get from playing a bass loud.

Hum that tangent needs its own thread (I'll start it) - how do you show civilians the true potential of the bass without appearing to be a flash twonk?
Depends on your band or other public performance opportunities.

I have a favourite example from an unexpected source: Steeleye Span live version of Blackleg Miner from the "Present" CD with Rick Kemp slapping and popping his slightly flanged Overwater .. - Now That's What I Can Folk.
We'd play it in my band if it wasn't so overtly political. I'm looking for a similar opportunity that will still work at a wedding

Listen here
[url="http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner"]http://www.last.fm/music/Steeleye+Span/_/Blackleg+Miner[/url][/quote]


Classy bit of playing. I never heard slapping over a folk track before! Thanks for posting this

[thegallery]

[quote name='OldGit' post='169284' date='Apr 3 2008, 05:08 PM']Oh I think the gallery will find there's still plenty of competition.
It will just be largely interweb based[/quote]


ok so take the argument to its ultimate conclusion... internet sales will always be cheaper due to fewer overheads.. so people keep buying from the net so more shops go out of business.. where then do you go to try new gear...? or get your basses set up/repaired...? or your amp fixed when it stops working... shipping it backwards and forwards gets costly.. everyone wants to get the most for their money.. but with a shop you can see what you are buying... try it...compare and get advice. At the end of the day we as a shop will always try and get close to or match any sensible prices out there but its not always possible

a

Edited April 4, 2008 by thegallery

[s_u_y_*]

Here's my 2p for what it's worth. There will always be a sector of the market concerned with getting good customer service. Otherwise why else would some people shop at Waitrose than Tesco?

If the Bass Gallery continue and maintain their reputation for good customer service, they will survive the storm rocking a whole of music instrument retailers at the moment. Because it is extremely hard for a web based company to provide that good a customer service apart from getting the item shipped to the person quickly... and even then they're at the mercy of Royal Mail, etc. So of course BG will find it difficult to compete with prices, but there are people out there who want the extra level of service and customer care that even places like thomann.de can't provide.

Edited April 4, 2008 by s_u_y_*

[dave_bass5]

I agree with the last two posts but lets not forget though that Thomanns are not just an internet shop. They are a huge retail outlet as well.
Ok, they are in Germany so for us they are internet based and so dont offer the services that the gallery and others can.
But it seems like people are saying you wont get good customer service from internet based shops and i disagree.
There are also places like GAK and Soundslive who although not being internet based do have cheaper prices sometimes and do give good advice. After all, they are musicians working there.

Personally i would get my gear from a shop if it was in stock and at a good price. Im not bothered about saving £20 for instance and its a lot more hassle to get things fixed if ordered over the net as Alex has said. But, for a saving of, say £100 and not in stock when i want it that changes things for me.
I can understand that shops in prime locations need to make a larger profit to pay the rent etc and so cant compete with the internet based shops but i also have rent to pay and so will shop around and like i say, if i can make a large saving i will. plus, i hate having to order in gear. Ive been stung too many times (mainly with the BC) and even that means im ordering something unplayed, might as well get it sooner if thats the case.
Im not sure of all shops policy but in the past i have been asked to put a deposit down before a shop will get something they dont always stock.


Ill still try and use shops if i can and for set up and stuff like that the Gallery would be my first port of call as it in easy reach but if i can save a considerable amount by shopping on line then i will. This is the way things are going and its a very sad state of affairs but people do want bargains these days.
Apart form the one time (as i mentioned in a post above when looking for a 5 string) i have always got my basses either unplayed (on line) or just taken whats in the shop as it normally the last one.

I guess im just one of those mercenary's but i do have two kids to look after and money is tight.

Edited April 4, 2008 by dave_bass5

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='168213' date='Apr 2 2008, 10:34 AM']If I bought a bass online, I would hope that its new, ie not been in some other blokes house or at his rehearsal.[/quote]

Sorry, i meant to add the other day about this comment.

I do agree but how many of us buy a bass from a shop thats in a sealed box?

How do we know how long a certain bass has been on display and played by many people?

While its not quite the same as someone using a bass for a gig or rehearsal if the bass is in good condition and unmarked i dont see what the problem is as we are willing to buy one in the same condition from a shop.

IMO of course.

Edited April 4, 2008 by dave_bass5

[The Burpster]

If the center closing makes the Gallery stronger then all well and good AFAIC.....

I did not feel at all welcome when I went in the BC, infact I felt like I was in the way!

valued customer? they wouldnt know what one was if one hit them in the face!

I get MUCH better service in my local shop in Lincoln (that sells a broad spectrum of guitars and drums inc basses) than I did in that ......so called specialist shop!

In fact I was pretty undewhelmed by the whole of Tin pan alley.....

I do appreciate this is only my opinion, however how on earth did they expcet to survive with completely uninterested uniteresting, staff?

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='169640' date='Apr 4 2008, 09:45 AM']I do appreciate this is only my opinion, however how on earth did they expcet to survive with completely uninterested uniteresting, staff?[/quote]

Exactly. They didnt.
I live 10mins walk from them so i used to go in there quite a bit over the past 5 years and have seen how it changed for the worse.
It got to a point where i didnt even bother with them.
Its nice to be able to go in to a shop, have a chat, ask for some advice and get to play on something.
All the things you couldn't do at the BC by the end.

Edited April 4, 2008 by dave_bass5

[Kiwi]

I'm going to mention a dirty word here *cartel*

I'm aware of at least two attempts at price fixing in the UK over particular lines of product involving two of the biggest retailers in the UK in the last 5 years. Although I don't like to see the well-meaning and genuine retailers suffer, I find the presence of cartels and bullying of distributors [u]completely[/u] unacceptable. The presence of online retailers has been absolutely pivotal in breaking those cartels up. As I said to Alex on Monday, I'm fully prepared to pay 10% extra for peace of mind and the Gallery has my support so long as it continues to be a genuine and trustworthy retailer.

BTW Alex, I hope the EA Micro 300 wasn't seriously damaged and the radio is back working again. I wouldn't mind coming back to have a go on it sometime with the EBS neo212.

[thegallery]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='169749' date='Apr 4 2008, 12:58 PM']BTW Alex, I hope the EA Micro 300 wasn't seriously damaged and the radio is back working again. I wouldn't mind coming back to have a go on it sometime with the EBS neo212.[/quote]

hi steve

yea just a fuse... all hunky dorey now

al

[mewsie]

[quote name='thegallery' post='170041' date='Apr 4 2008, 10:05 PM']hi steve

yea just a fuse... all hunky dorey now

al[/quote]

phew! glad to hear it. proved to be a great story though, alex. was nice to meet you!

x

[OldGit]

As Al from the Gallery is reading this (and, no doubt, the other threads on shops vs net and how customer service is worth paying for) I hope the voice of the bass buying public is heard and that the Gallery continues to offer great customer service.
It will stay in business if it does that.

[Marshy]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='129963' date='Jan 29 2008, 01:59 PM']I hope they have not got anyone's gear on a commission sale basis. I know Kiwi used to try and sell stuff there.[/quote]

Well, damn, don't I wish I'd read this a while back. I had two basses there on commission sale: a teal green stringray 5 and a yamaha fretless 5. Got a call in *February* to say the shop was closed in favour of online only, would I collect the 'ray, and the fretless was sold.

I note from earlier comments that the retail shop shut before Christmas. That's a long long delay before calling me. And, oh, I had to burn a day's holiday to get down on a weekday to pick up the 'ray too (thank god I did though, eh?). They couldn't find the paperwork for the Yamaha, and said a cheque would be in the post. That was March 6th and guess what: I'm still sat here three months later with no money for the Yamaha sale. Lots of phonecalls from me to them, lots of empty platitudes or unreturned calls.

Barry owes me a phonecall. Again. He knows it, Nick knows it, the other staff there know it.

They owe Companies House a set of accounts too.

Will I ever see my cash? I'm guessing not.

Having spent two grand with them just before they closed the shop up, this is all a touch disappointing.

If you're watching guys, please do the decent thing.

--Chris

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Marshy' post='216495' date='Jun 10 2008, 11:14 PM']Well, damn, don't I wish I'd read this a while back. I had two basses there on commission sale: a teal green stringray 5 and a yamaha fretless 5. Got a call in *February* to say the shop was closed in favour of online only, would I collect the 'ray, and the fretless was sold.

I note from earlier comments that the retail shop shut before Christmas. That's a long long delay before calling me. And, oh, I had to burn a day's holiday to get down on a weekday to pick up the 'ray too (thank god I did though, eh?). They couldn't find the paperwork for the Yamaha, and said a cheque would be in the post. That was March 6th and guess what: I'm still sat here three months later with no money for the Yamaha sale. Lots of phonecalls from me to them, lots of empty platitudes or unreturned calls.

Barry owes me a phonecall. Again. He knows it, Nick knows it, the other staff there know it.

They owe Companies House a set of accounts too.

Will I ever see my cash? I'm guessing not.

Having spent two grand with them just before they closed the shop up, this is all a touch disappointing.

If you're watching guys, please do the decent thing.

--Chris[/quote]

Unfortunately it sounds all too familiar. I hope you get your money soon. It sounds like they're heading for bankruptcy though. I wonder if Barry took all his money out of the operation just prior to things going downhill?

[Marshy]

Cheers kiwi... At least it was the modestly-used Yamaha that sold (worth a modest three figures) not the utterly mint-condition Stringray (probably just in 4...)

I'd be very Mr. Unreasonable were it that way around.

--Chris (looking for a silver lining somewhere...)