Bass Centre London?

[Pete Academy]

A customer came in to our shop today and said he had been to London. He said he visited a shop off Charing Cross called the Bass Centre. I thought the Bass Centre was now an online-only store.

He said the shop didn't have the Bass Centre's logo, and was connected to another store called the Guitar Centre.

He also said there was a 1960s P-Bass fretless in there advertised at £275!!

Anyone shed some light on this?

Edited April 24, 2013 by Pete Academy

[Fat Rich]

Yup, Wunjo now has two stores, one for bass and one for guitar.

The shop has Bass Centre in big letters on the window, and a number of confused guitarists wandering in and asking where all the guitars have gone despite Wunjo Guitars being in the same place it's always been

Edited April 24, 2013 by Fat Rich

[paulconnolly]

I was in there on Sunday. Wondered in to the first shop and thought it was funny that there were no basses in stock. 20 yards further down the road was the bass department . Nothing that particularly caught my eye though.

[BassBus]

Here's the evidence.

[url="http://www.wunjoguitars.com/uk/wunjos-brand-new-bass-centre"]http://www.wunjoguitars.com/uk/wunjos-brand-new-bass-centre[/url]

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Cool A hagstrom viking in the window. I wanted to see one of these and I had GAS but too many reports on the net that the bridge breaks and hard to get a replacement .

[arthurhenry]

It's clearly nothing to do with [u]The[/u] Bass centre.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1366826110' post='2057803']
It's clearly nothing to do with [u]The[/u] Bass centre.
[/quote]
If you're referring to the Brune Street one, that was only a pale shadow of the mighty Wapping Bass Centre. Words cannot describe how great that place was. Or the stock they had.
Fender, Gibson, Warwick, Dingwall, Alembic, Smith, Status, Parker, Musicman, Vigier, Ovation, Washburn, Steinberger, Kubicki, Yamaha, Ibanez.... And that's just the basses. Never mind the amps, strings, accessories.....

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1366826845' post='2057817']
If you're referring to the Brune Street one, that was only a pale shadow of the mighty Wapping Bass Centre. Words cannot describe how great that place was. Or the stock they had.
Fender, Gibson, Warwick, Dingwall, Alembic, Smith, Status, Parker, Musicman, Vigier, Ovation, Washburn, Steinberger, Kubicki, Yamaha, Ibanez.... And that's just the basses. Never mind the amps, strings, accessories.....
[/quote]
I was a regular in the Wapping days, I'd never think of it as "The Brune street one." Their existence now as an appointment only shop, seems odd; I wonder how they keep going.

[Pete Academy]

A 60s P fretless for 275? Impossible.

[miles'tone]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1366826845' post='2057817']

If you're referring to the Brune Street one, that was only a pale shadow of the mighty Wapping Bass Centre. Words cannot describe how great that place was. Or the stock they had.
Fender, Gibson, Warwick, Dingwall, Alembic, Smith, Status, Parker, Musicman, Vigier, Ovation, Washburn, Steinberger, Kubicki, Yamaha, Ibanez.... And that's just the basses. Never mind the amps, strings, accessories.....
[/quote]
Yeah I used to be in the Wapping Bass Centre everyday when I used to study at the M.I. which was directly above it ( mid nineties). It was like aladdin's bass cave. They used to get so many famous players giving clinics there too after hours. Saw and met Jeff Berlin and Stu Hamm there but still to this day feel gutted I missed JJ Burnel's.

Edited April 25, 2013 by miles'tone

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1366826845' post='2057817']
If you're referring to the Brune Street one, that was only a pale shadow of the mighty Wapping Bass Centre. Words cannot describe how great that place was. Or the stock they had.
Fender, Gibson, Warwick, Dingwall, Alembic, Smith, Status, Parker, Musicman, Vigier, Ovation, Washburn, Steinberger, Kubicki, Yamaha, Ibanez.... And that's just the basses. Never mind the amps, strings, accessories.....
[/quote]

Agreed. And they greeted you with a smile and made you a cup of tea...

[Lfalex v1.1]

And you didn't have to buzz to get in.
That front "door" was well weird. Were they expecting a flood or something?

[Lozz196]

Some nice stock in this shop.

[SpaceChick]

Oh no!!!!

I'm due to go to London in 4 weeks...... Why do I suspect that I am going to end up hammering my credit card again!!!!

[lowdown]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1366827860' post='2057843']
I was a regular in the Wapping days,
[/quote]

Me to...Awsome place - I think Barry the owner had a sister shop in LA, or some relationship with them.
I always remember his Porsche being parked out side.
Got myself a Wal 5 there in 1989.

The pub around the corner [the name escapes me] was a nice little social gathering place.




Garry

[xilddx]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1366822181' post='2057720']
A customer came in to our shop today and said he had been to London. He said he visited a shop off Charing Cross called the Bass Centre. I thought the Bass Centre was now an online-only store.

He said the shop didn't have the Bass Centre's logo, and was connected to another store called the Guitar Centre.

He also said there was a 1960s P-Bass fretless in there advertised at £275!!

Anyone shed some light on this?
[/quote]

That's a mad as the other S/H prices in the shop

[shizznit]

I miss the Wapping Bass Centre dearly. I never failed to pop in there when I visited London. I bought all my Warwick basses from there. A good bunch of guys and very friendly.

[Dingus]

I too remember the Bass Centre at Wapping in the 1980's/90's and it was indeed an amazing place . Such a shame it had to close , but I think maybe there was a drop off in trade due to the advent of the internet and more people buying stuff directly from the States , etcetera . Back in its' heyday they used to do a roaring trade - you would go in one week and marvel at all the jaw-dropping high end basses you couldnt afford and then when you went back a couple of weeks later they had sold them all and a whole new bevvy of beauties had taken their place . Every time you went there there was always some major or minor bass celebrity in there , and it was fun trying to discreetly figure out who they were if you didn't recognise them . As other folks have pointed out , they were really friendly and laid back in there, too , which I'm sure helped them be so successful . Barry the owner was a nice guy who really cared about the customers , and for a while in the 1980's I modelled my hairstyle on his . My favourite shop in the World ever . Bring back the Bass Centre !

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1366963629' post='2059434']
Me to...Awsome place - I think Barry the owner had a sister shop in LA, or some relationship with them.
I always remember his Porsche being parked out side.
Got myself a Wal 5 there in 1989.

The pub around the corner [the name escapes me] was a nice little social gathering place.




Garry
[/quote]

Yes, I went to the LA one once. There was also one in Birmingham - any memories of that one?

[basstheface]

I remember The Bass Centre at Wapping very well and fondly. It was a regular haunt. I bought and sold a number of guitars there and some Trace Elliott amplification. Always helpful staff - if I recall right Nick was particularly helpful. I bought my MM Sterling there in the mid 90s - still my main bass today - and Nick threw in a hard case complimentary which has the The Bass Centre logo embossed on it. Still use that today too. A sadly missed store.

[Dingus]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1366988715' post='2060003']
Yes, I went to the LA one once. There was also one in Birmingham - any memories of that one?
[/quote]

I used to go to the one in L.A at Calabassas and then in Studio City after it moved . Chris Maury who was the manager was the most decent bloke you could ever wish to meet and it was similaly fantastic shop as the London one . The shop in Birmingham was smaller but when I went there not long after it opened in the early 90's they still had plenty of interesting stuff in there .

Edited April 26, 2013 by Dingus

[miles'tone]

[quote name='basstheface' timestamp='1366989848' post='2060023']
I remember The Bass Centre at Wapping very well and fondly. It was a regular haunt. I bought and sold a number of guitars there and some Trace Elliott amplification. Always helpful staff - if I recall right Nick was particularly helpful. I bought my MM Sterling there in the mid 90s - still my main bass today - and Nick threw in a hard case complimentary which has the The Bass Centre logo embossed on it. Still use that today too. A sadly missed store.
[/quote]

That's right and the store manager was an American guy called Grant. Great bloke. All the guys there were great and very tolerant of the skint young wide-eyed grommit I was back then!

[louisthebass]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1366826845' post='2057817']
If you're referring to the Brune Street one, that was only a pale shadow of the mighty Wapping Bass Centre. Words cannot describe how great that place was. Or the stock they had.
Fender, Gibson, Warwick, Dingwall, Alembic, Smith, Status, Parker, Musicman, Vigier, Ovation, Washburn, Steinberger, Kubicki, Yamaha, Ibanez.... And that's just the basses. Never mind the amps, strings, accessories.....
[/quote]

Agreed - I used to enjoy my jaunts over there from Surrey. I often used to drop in if I was on my way to visit my eldest brother in Beckton and I was always like a kid in a toy shop while I was in there. Bought my first ever Trace Elliot rig from them and my first ever 5 string bass. Great shop with great staff and it was a real shame that the Brune St store never lived up to Wapping. Also remember seeing Alain Caron do a clinic there .

Happy days..

[Lynottfan]

The brummy bass centre had its moments, that and the big comic shop (nostalgia iirc ) and the huge Virgin mega store made it a great day out on the train for a young Dredd crazed head banging 4 string maniac!

[Back to Bassics]

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1367006482' post='2060291']


Agreed - I used to enjoy my jaunts over there from Surrey. I often used to drop in if I was on my way to visit my eldest brother in Beckton and I was always like a kid in a toy shop while I was in there. Bought my first ever Trace Elliot rig from them and my first ever 5 string bass. Great shop with great staff and it was a real shame that the Brune St store never lived up to Wapping. Also remember seeing Alain Caron do a clinic there .

Happy days..
[/quote]