Is anyone else annoyed?

[Damonjames]

Hey guys n gals, is anyone else bothered by the lack of window shopping ability for bass guitars? There seems to be a complete lack of support for mid to high end basses in this country, particularly in the north (unless I'm missing something as I am new to the country). I mean I would love to try a fernandes, a zon or a Warwick etc to see what they are like before buying,and after already buying a bass second hand without trying it first and not liking it, I am reluctant to try it again or order new online.
If I can't play these instruments and hear how they sound, how do I find a "must have" that I pine for until I get? As I have since found out the "look" is only part of the picture!

[neepheid]

Distance Selling Regulations are your friend. Regardless of whether or not the item is used, if you buy it from a shop without having had the opportunity to inspect the item in person then you are legally entitled to return it for a full refund, as long as it is returned in the same condition you received it in. You might have to pay return postage.

When you say "north", how north do you mean?

[Damonjames]

Yeah not really that keen on freight.... The aforementioned bass I bought that I'm not massively keen on, I thought I had recently sold through the classified here, sent it and it disappeared for nearly 3 weeks before being returned to me minus all the cardboard/bubble wrap packaging. Naturally the sale fell through so am stuck with it now but I'm a little gun shy of shipping anything.
I'm in Manchester fyi

[shizznit]

I think that has always been the case in the UK. When I worked in music instrument retail I found that even stores with high-end gear in stock will cut back on the bass gear in comparison. Bass gear is expensive and tends to sit on the shop floor a lot longer than guitar gear because they sad fact is that guitar players grow on trees, so stores are reluctant to buy in much high-end bass gear. I can remember the guys at Cranes in Cardiff dropped Warwick from their stock list because they bought in 10 pieces that took almost 2yrs to clear. Most stores will stock decent Fenders, MM's and cheaper far eastern made instruments because thats what is a reliable sale for them.

I'm just glad that there are specialist stores in the UK like Bass Direct and Bass Gallery that have access to high-end gear. However, it is frustrating knowing that you have to spend money to travel a significant distance to these stores to these places just to satisfy your curiosity. I used to enjoy popping into my local store on weekends to keep up to date with whats new on the market, but they never seem to have anything in stock that interests me. I typically only go shopping in person when I am ready to spend serious cash and prepared to fill up the tank in my car. Its taken the fun out of it for me in some ways.

But, thats not what upsets me the most. The lack of specific knowledge of bass gear provided by the staff in musical instrument stores. Two things that make me walk out of the door within a few moments of entering through it is the lack of decent instruments on the wall and the staff replying "we don't have a member of staff that plays bass". No-one these days seems to have anyone working with them that has any product knowledge about the bass gear that they sell, what their customers want or can even have a clear conversation with an experienced bass player.

[neepheid]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1365688906' post='2042955']
Yeah not really that keen on freight.... The aforementioned bass I bought that I'm not massively keen on, I thought I had recently sold through the classified here, sent it and it disappeared for nearly 3 weeks before being returned to me minus all the cardboard/bubble wrap packaging. Naturally the sale fell through so am stuck with it now but I'm a little gun shy of shipping anything.
I'm in Manchester fyi
[/quote]

Manchester? North? You think you've got problems - I'm in Aberdeen! I've only ever bought on bass out of a shop in Aberdeen and it was my first one. It's a complete Fenderfest up here. I wouldn't go as far as to call it purgatory, but it's close. Since then, unless someone local is selling something I like (which has happened 2 or 3 times) I've always bought at distance. I keep what I like and shift on what I don't. Incidentally, I've never had problem with Interparcel/UPS for sending basses.

Also, the furthest I've ever travelled to buy in person (it was a swap, but never mind) was a smidge under 200 miles. Incidentally about the same as it is to go from Manchester to London

Edited April 11, 2013 by neepheid

[bertbass]

You think you've got problems, try being left handed.

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1365690064' post='2042977']
Manchester? North? You think you've got problems - I'm in Aberdeen! I've only ever bought on bass out of a shop in Aberdeen and it was my first one. It's a complete Fenderfest up here. I wouldn't go as far as to call it purgatory, but it's close. Since then, unless someone local is selling something I like (which has happened 2 or 3 times) I've always bought at distance. I keep what I like and shift on what I don't. Incidentally, I've never had problem with Interparcel/UPS for sending basses.

Also, the furthest I've ever travelled to buy in person (it was a swap, but never mind) was a smidge under 200 miles. Incidentally about the same as it is to go from Manchester to London
[/quote]

Aye, it's nae the same since Bruce Miller's closed doon min! (exiled Aberdonian in Surrey...)

[neepheid]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1365690559' post='2042985']
You think you've got problems, try being left handed.
[/quote]

You think you've got problems, there are left handed bass players in Aberdeen!

[Damonjames]

Incidentally, I've never had problem with Interparcel/UPS for sending basses.

I used interparcel/tnt

[BassBus]

You live in Manchester? You want to try higher end gear? I take it you know about the Manchester Bass lounge?

[url="http://manchesterbasslounge.com/"]http://manchesterbasslounge.com/[/url]

[neepheid]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1365690651' post='2042993']
Aye, it's nae the same since Bruce Miller's closed doon min! (exiled Aberdonian in Surrey...)
[/quote]

I was at the closing down auction. Although I was frequently scathing of their product range during their run (trying to be all things to all folks and end up pleasing no-one) I did buy my first bass there. Although the bass is long gone, I still have the 30W Laney amp (still works too) and the gig bag - with the Bruce Miller logo stitched in it. So it was a little sad. What was even sadder is that practically everyone there had no concept of how an auction works and clearly forgot about (or were completely unaware of) the premiums. Thus, no bargains were to be had.

[Jellyfish]

I manage a shop here in Birmingham and, being a bass player, I can empathise with you. Unfortunately, it's not easy for shops to stock other, more 'obscure' brands knowing that the majority of people are willing to travel far to try out mid to high end basses to places like Bass Direct or the Bass Gallery and other places.

It's the equivalent of Volvo making a sports car. Nobody would bother, they'd drive right past the Volvo dealer to their nearest Porsche dealer, regardless of distance.

And Mr. BassBus has a very good point.

[thunderider]

theres a place called the bassbarn some were by hinckley run by hannah and bruce,t.c electronis taurus amps and shuker basses.

[woodyratm]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1365693386' post='2043058']
I was at the closing down auction. Although I was frequently scathing of their product range during their run (trying to be all things to all folks and end up pleasing no-one) I did buy my first bass there. Although the bass is long gone, I still have the 30W Laney amp (still works too) and the gig bag - with the Bruce Miller logo stitched in it. So it was a little sad. What was even sadder is that practically everyone there had no concept of how an auction works and clearly forgot about (or were completely unaware of) the premiums. Thus, no bargains were to be had.
[/quote]

Except for TVs. They went pretty cheaply.

But yeah - I agree - Aberdeen is ding for musical stuff on bass.
I'm still confused why RnB are a "full" orange dealer but weren't willing to order the OTB500 unless I was actually going to buy it... eh no... I want to try the damned thing first!

On another note; BMs did have some good stuff occasionally (got my Lakland there) - though the girl who sold it was a dingbat.

[Damonjames]

Great feedback guys, as some of you have said atleast I'm not left handed! (Well I am actually but I play right handed!) thanks mr bassbuss for the heads up about the bass lounge, might have to go check it out.

[Len_derby]

Basschat is your friend.
Since I've joined this place, apart from consumables like strings, I've not bought from anywhere else.

[lojo]

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1365700626' post='2043232']
Basschat is your friend.
Since I've joined this place, apart from consumables like strings, I've not bought from anywhere else.
[/quote]

this is true for me also

basses are not something many people wish to buy, a niche market, so you have to do the leg work yourself if you wish to go test driving I guess

[Geek99]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1365688159' post='2042936']
Distance Selling Regulations are your friend. Regardless of whether or not the item is used, if you buy it from a shop without having had the opportunity to inspect the item in person then you are legally entitled to return it for a full refund, as long as it is returned in the same condition you received it in. You might have to pay return postage.

When you say "north", how north do you mean?
[/quote]
The rules are, I think, different if its special order, or customised

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='woodyratm' timestamp='1365695698' post='2043116']
Except for TVs. They went pretty cheaply.

But yeah - I agree - Aberdeen is ding for musical stuff on bass.
I'm still confused why RnB are a "full" orange dealer but weren't willing to order the OTB500 unless I was actually going to buy it... eh no... I want to try the damned thing first!

On another note; BMs did have some good stuff occasionally (got my Lakland there) - though the girl who sold it was a dingbat.
[/quote]

Going back much further, did you ever frequent Brian Middleton Music on Holburn Street, close to the junction with Willowbank Road? Brian would stock much more interesting stuff than BM's, and would let you take basses out 'on approval' with nothing more than a scribble on a receipt book. At 16 years of age in 1976, I took an Antoria Jazz Bass copy out one weekend, and dropped it on the way to rehearsals, completely knackering the finish on the bottom corner. Obviously I had to buy it, but he let me pay it off at a couple of pounds a week, with no interest. It took a long time, and it turned out to be a really good bass. Sadly his business went under eventually, and he ended up working at Bruce Millers.

Living 'doon sooth' as I have for many years, I'm not up on what goes on musically in Aberdeen anymore, but back then almost every pub had live music, many of them several nights a week. Changed days.

[bagsieblue]

Based in the North West, I would love to visit a Warwick stocking that has the 'full suite' of Warwicks.
I believe they are difficult to deal with from a stockist/distributor point of view as they try to force onto the store the full range of stock and amps which I suspect would give most stores an issue in the amount of money they would have to spend to put some stock on site.

[KevB]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1365690559' post='2042985']
You think you've got problems, try being left handed.
[/quote]

Quite a few of us on here are, but we've had the good sense to learn to play right handed