Where (or where not to!) Shop?

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1354200150' post='1883467']
I wasn't for a second trying to say anything other than 'most of the people I've met in Newcastle are REALLY friendly'. That's the truth.

I've lived in Leeds, Nottingham, Grimsby and Newcastle. Grimsby is the home town (unfortunately) but I won't be moving back. No city offers a life like Newcastle.
[/quote]

Have you ever noticed that Nottingham and Leeds are like the same city just rearranged a bit differently ?

On the subject of the online retailers , one of the very best is MB Music . Decent , honest and straightforward to deal with , in my experience .

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1354206319' post='1883627']

[/quote]

From my point of view, coming from a quiet but nice village, next to an awful town (Grimsby), Newcastle is absolutely brilliant. The city itself offers something I can't quite put my finger. It just seems 'energetic'....probably helped by all the students, plenty of partying, and the amount of things to do.

Leeds is great, Nottingham is alight, but Newcastle is where I feel at home (even though it isn't my home town).

Think that makes sense?!

We need bass specialist store up here. Didn't the Bass Doc used to run one?

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354209162' post='1883678']
Have you ever noticed that Nottingham and Leeds are like the same city just rearranged a bit differently ?

On the subject of the online retailers , one of the very best is MB Music . Decent , honest and straightforward to deal with , in my experience .
[/quote]

Absolutely. I find a lot of cities blend into one another. I think Leeds edges it for up and coming trendy places to live, but Nottingham has a brilliant music scene....really good bands. I was probably at my peak of 'wow, Im actually in a good band' in Nottingham. Granted, I've been in busier bands since, but that band I had in Nottingham were really, really good. A cross between The Mars Volta and Radiohead.

Anyway, Leeds bass stores? I used goto Soundconrol, (now PMT)....I don't like PMT now.

Nottingham? There isn't that much there in terms of instrument stores unfortunately.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Joker2807' timestamp='1354177830' post='1882981']
thanks for the responses guys... any shops near wakefield ??
[/quote]

If you need a set up or any maintaince work really really recommend Alpher instruments in Saltaire/bradford - or Chrisdabass on here. Other than that not really found anywhere since I moved here.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1354209761' post='1883689']Nottingham? There isn't that much there in terms of instrument stores unfortunately.[/quote]

Only been to Nottingham a couple of times, both times for gigs, at least that was the alibi but damn she was good. I was surpised to see there was a Hard Rock Cafe there - but it was closed & next chance I had to go it had gone completely.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1354209761' post='1883689']
Absolutely. I find a lot of cities blend into one another. I think Leeds edges it for up and coming trendy places to live, but Nottingham has a brilliant music scene....really good bands. I was probably at my peak of 'wow, Im actually in a good band' in Nottingham. Granted, I've been in busier bands since, but that band I had in Nottingham were really, really good. A cross between The Mars Volta and Radiohead.

Anyway, Leeds bass stores? I used goto Soundconrol, (now PMT)....I don't like PMT now.

Nottingham? There isn't that much there in terms of instrument stores unfortunately.
[/quote]

I must confess it's a long time since I was in Leeds , Nottingham or indeed the fine city of Newcastle , but of the three I would guess that Newcastle is best served with guitar shops , with Sounds Live and Guitar Guitar . I suppose it is significant that as a city Newcastle is a hub for that whole region , and people from Teeside all the way to Glasgow would consider Newcastle to be within their orbit in terms of shopping ( as well as nights out on the town ) . The sad thing is how depressed the rest of the North East is compared to Newcastle , and there are some pretty depressed parts of Newcastle !

Edited December 1, 2012 by Dingus

[mentalextra]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1354181639' post='1883048']
A final thought - if you are in serious purchasing mode, it is usually best to avoid Saturdays. That is the day for penniless teen wannabees to practice their metal riffs and mangled RHCP licks on gear they can't even afford the case for. I once was that teen, but if you are planning a serious spend, go on a quieter day when you can enlist a staff member's help for your quest.
[/quote]

Sadly lots of music shops adopt this attitude. Forgetting that todays penniless teens wannabees are tomorrows basschat experts! I have never forgotten the bad treatment I received when I was younger from rude nasty shop assistants!

[BassTractor]

Had never imagined I'd write this, but after my experiences, I now heartily vouch for
- GAK
- Gear4music
- Music Matter
- Thomann.

Have always gone out of my way for supporting local and specialised shops, but recently I had half a yearly income to spend on new gear, and the two shops I wished to support had unwilling, unknowledgeable staff, and nothing or almost nothing in stock.

I'm not sore about not finding a Music Man bass in stock this year, unlike last year. But no Squier of any type in stock? Few if any Warwicks? No MarkBass at all in stock? Telling me to check the importer's site for all the info on MarkBass (yeah: model name and price that was, without any explanation)? Having only 1 tc head/cab? That they couldn't move so was blasting down there on the floor and into some other gear inbetween the cab and the wall - a wall that was just 1m from the cab's front?

C'mon!
So off I went, and spent most of all my money in above mentioned online shops. They have all been fantastic on the phone AND in e-mail, and I have experienced their service levels.


But I will continue to try and support any local shop or spesialist, and will support them as long as they do not perform as bad as I now experienced: way worse than "online box shifters".


best,
bert

Edited November 29, 2012 by BassTractor

[Matt P]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1354209585' post='1883684']

We need bass specialist store up here. Didn't the Bass Doc used to run one?
[/quote]

Yup, Howard's Bass Place, it was just a doorway on Nun street, next to the hoover repair shop, you went in and up the stairs and doubled back on yourself into a smokey bass heaven! not much by way of new stuff that i remember but you could pick up (or commission) one of Howard's fantastic hand built basses or take your pick from the large and varied collection of used gear. it was one of those shops that you only found if someone told you how to get there, a secret except for those in the know!

Matt

[Joker2807]

Well on Thursday I finally received my order from PMT... the bass and the amp are awesome I'm very impressed with the quality of both items but the service has left a very bad taste in my mouth and kind of ruined the whole buying experience if I'm honest.

To be fair the assistant manager did manage to cough out what I thought was the start of an apology, but I'm afraid its little too late I will not be returning.

Oh and yeah... the bass I ordered was a maple fretboard... erm well it kinda showed up in rosewood instead... I'm not bothered because I like Rosewood... but i think that says it all and should let anyone know whose thinking of buying from them the kind of people and service your likely to encounter

[JohnFitzgerald]

My preference is try before you buy.

Two sealed boxes with ostensibly the same instrument inside could be entirely inside the box.
A sealed box holds no attraction for me at all.

Merchant City Music in Glasgow set up every guitar before it goes in sale. How it should be.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1354366283' post='1885217']
My preference is try before you buy.

Two sealed boxes with ostensibly the same instrument inside could be entirely inside the box.
A sealed box holds no attraction for me at all.

Merchant City Music in Glasgow set up every guitar before it goes in sale. How it should be.
[/quote]

Hence the good returns policies. Sealed box...crap bass? Send it back at no cost.

[BassPimp66]

Best store ever: The Bass Gallery / London

Worst store ever : The Bass Centre / London

[yorks5stringer]

Just thinking about the posters preference for a sealed box....I always understood most mass produced guitar/bass manufacturers always set the instrument up a little high to compensate for shipping, warehousing and hanging in a shop. A quick tweak of the truss rod then settles it in nicely?

[louisthebass]

[quote name='BassPimp66' timestamp='1354384911' post='1885462']
Best store ever: The Bass Gallery / London

Worst store ever : The Bass Centre / London
[/quote]

I was thinking about the great days of the Bass Centre (mid 1980's to early 1990's) the other day. Great staff, great vibe, and it was always a thrill to go over there and check out all the latest stuff. I also saw Alain Caron do a great clinic over there.

Happy days.

[Hugh971]

I thought my days of being treated like dirt in a music shop were over when I stopped being a penniless teen but I was proven wrong by a sales assistant at PMT Leeds yesterday.

I buy music gear regularly but I don't think I'll be buying it from there ever.


Sorry to reopen an old thread but I felt I had to rant.

[chris_b]

My experience of music shops, from when I first started to go to them in the 60's, is they have always been full of idiots, on both sides of the counter.

Some staff think they're cool because they work in the "music business" and some customers, most of whom aren't going to buy anything, think they are cool because they can play Smoke On The Water, very badly and on 11. I've encountered many poor shop staff over the years but there are usually good guys as well.

Music shops have more than their fair share of tyre kickers and morons walking through the door putting on attitudes, so I don't blame the staff for showing a disinterest at first. If anyone has had bad service and you actually want to do something positive about it, call the manager.

Then, if you get nowhere, you can post about it.

Edited November 23, 2014 by chris_b