Thunderbird Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I do like to support my local music shop he is a fantastic guy and really knows his stuff and does magical set ups the only down side is he does not really sell much bass gear normally about 4 or 5 Fenders in the shop and a few packs of strings and a few odds and sods I don't really mind this as he is only a small shop and he cant afford to keep a big stock of bass gear as he makes most of his money on 6 stringers and repairs now here is where I start moaning there are basically 2 other shops near me that sell a bit more gear and 1 of them wont stock any thing bass related as he says there is no interest in it so fair enough I don't go to that shop and the other shop in the nearest town to me is a chain store now they have lots of bass gear in stock but the negative is they just seem like they don't care its kind of like comparing your local friendly newsagent with Tesco if you get my drift? and another downside is they seem to employ "kids" who no disrespect to them but they have very little knowledge and just go through the motions to sell gear and get there bonuses.So I tend to do most of my buying on here or on line for stuff I do pop in to my local shop now and again for some strings or set up work even though the strings and bits and bobs are cheaper on the net as I like to support his shop. But it just seems so sad that there are not really any proper music shops around is it the same for you guys in other areas of the country? I know that the day will come where the internet and chain stores will kill off the little shops which is a shame as there would be such a lot of knowledge and skill lost and where would we go for set ups and repairs? I know I certainly wont be trusting my basses to the larger chain store type places Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damonjames Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 [quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1387782378' post='2315477'] I do like to support my local music shop he is a fantastic guy and really knows his stuff and does magical set ups the only down side is he does not really sell much bass gear normally about 4 or 5 Fenders in the shop and a few packs of strings and a few odds and sods I don't really mind this as he is only a small shop and he cant afford to keep a big stock of bass gear as he makes most of his money on 6 stringers and repairs now here is where I start moaning there are basically 2 other shops near me that sell a bit more gear and 1 of them wont stock any thing bass related as he says there is no interest in it so fair enough I don't go to that shop and the other shop in the nearest town to me is a chain store now they have lots of bass gear in stock but the negative is they just seem like they don't care its kind of like comparing your local friendly newsagent with Tesco if you get my drift? and another downside is they seem to employ "kids" who no disrespect to them but they have very little knowledge and just go through the motions to sell gear and get there bonuses.So I tend to do most of my buying on here or on line for stuff I do pop in to my local shop now and again for some strings or set up work even though the strings and bits and bobs are cheaper on the net as I like to support his shop. But it just seems so sad that there are not really any proper music shops around is it the same for you guys in other areas of the country? I know that the day will come where the internet and chain stores will kill off the little shops which is a shame as there would be such a lot of knowledge and skill lost and where would we go for set ups and repairs? I know I certainly wont be trusting my basses to the larger chain store type places [/quote] Unfortunately this is a growing trend! The cold reality for us bass players is that we are in the minority, and lets be honest, how many basses do you buy in a year? You are lucky your local guy carries some fenders! It must be hard to justify tying up your cash flow in stock that doesn't move , atleast Compared to guitars. I agree about the knowledge level of staff too, the reality is that retail doesn't pay particularly well, so it is only appealing to the young. And this is a broad sweeping statement, but the gen y kids do seem to have a meh attitude toward pretty much everything! Maybe when us lot get a bit older and don't need the cash so much we can go and fill the ranks and use our experience to make up this shortage. Surprisingly though the new world we love in is giving rise to some outside the box thinking, as we are seeing more boutique shops start (regardless of what the store sells). Using the Internet to reach your market, your shop front can be anywhere and still sell. Drew at manchester bass lounge is a great example. Top bloke, great range of new ad second hand basses, and great knowledge. Be patient buddy, use the big chain stores to try stuff out and buy online. Either that or research loads of youtube reviews etc, but online and if you find you don't like it move it (I find this way much more fun!) that's generally how I do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 [quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1387782378' post='2315477'] I do like to support my local music shop he is a fantastic guy and really knows his stuff and does magical set ups the only down side is he does not really sell much bass gear normally about 4 or 5 Fenders in the shop and a few packs of strings and a few odds and sods I don't really mind this as he is only a small shop and he cant afford to keep a big stock of bass gear as he makes most of his money on 6 stringers and repairs now here is where I start moaning there are basically 2 other shops near me that sell a bit more gear and 1 of them wont stock any thing bass related as he says there is no interest in it so fair enough I don't go to that shop and the other shop in the nearest town to me is a chain store now they have lots of bass gear in stock but the negative is they just seem like they don't care its kind of like comparing your local friendly newsagent with Tesco if you get my drift? and another downside is they seem to employ "kids" who no disrespect to them but they have very little knowledge and just go through the motions to sell gear and get there bonuses.So I tend to do most of my buying on here or on line for stuff I do pop in to my local shop now and again for some strings or set up work even though the strings and bits and bobs are cheaper on the net as I like to support his shop. But it just seems so sad that there are not really any proper music shops around is it the same for you guys in other areas of the country? I know that the day will come where the internet and chain stores will kill off the little shops which is a shame as there would be such a lot of knowledge and skill lost and where would we go for set ups and repairs? I know I certainly wont be trusting my basses to the larger chain store type places [/quote] Yes, I get the drift, but a bit of proportion, perhaps..? Is there anyone in your street playing concert harps..? Where do they go for a choice of instruments..? Too extreme..? Ok, then; drums. How many kits are on display for trial..? Is there a choice of Paiste hi-hats to compare..? Any selection of double basses, even..? You're right, of course, but there's never been a comprehensive musical instrument shop on every street corner like a newspaper shop. Some carry a bit of everything (as you mentionned, strings, consumables...); some specialise, but need a larger catchment area. None have it all, nor ever have had. Just a s well we have the web; the local shop still has a place, but it's not going to rivalise with t'web in all sectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Have a chat with Ronnie at Rock Hard Music down in Wolverton, his sense of humour alone makes it a worthwhile trip. http://www.rockhard-music.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 There are three main shops selling basses in Leicester. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and none have a huge range of stuff. But, if you put all three together, it's a reasonable selection. I'm not sure where to go for setup work. I've had a bass setup in Leicester by an independent technician, and I wasn't overwhelmed by the result. I've had a recommendation to go out of the city for setup work, but haven't done so yet. All of the shops have good service, in that if you go in and want to try stuff, it's no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 my local music shop has a rack of basses, but he tells me he doesnt get much interest in them and so he doesnt invest lots in keeping a large range or keeping (new) Fenders. Seems fair enough for a small business to me. Just makes up bass players more sought after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1387798098' post='2315694'] Just makes up bass players more sought after. [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Luckily the [url="http://manchesterbasslounge.com/"]http://manchesterbasslounge.com/[/url] is very near home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswareham Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I guess that my home town was quite lucky, since we had a decent selection of bass guitars in nearby Kingfisher Music. Not sure if they've downsized lately, as they moved premises a while ago. The problem was the staff though - the older guys tend to be utterly miserable and the younger ones think they're better than you just because they work in a music shop. As an example, I asked about Speakon cables and the spotty assistant sneeringly told me that they were a waste of time as he didn't use them with his GK rig. I told him I didn't give a rats toss what he used or what he thought and that he'd lost a sale as I had intended to buy a practice amp and Alesis drum machine as well as the cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 (edited) Sounds like a few people would benefit from this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oneH4LFtFTI Edited December 23, 2013 by chrismuzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 or this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNBlhCNjsc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I can never understand why there aren't more shops stocking second-hand gear. If I want to buy a bass, I will usually look for a second-hand item. I guess shops don't make much money this way, but if there was a shop near me that stocked a fair amount of second-hand basses I'd be in there every week. As it stands I probably visit my local shop once or twice a year- try a few things, then walk out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 (edited) Second hand gear is difficult because you have to buy it at the right price. Then instantly stick 20% VAT on (which goes straight to the government), add an 'effective' warranty for the problems that will stem from used gear (that the retailer will have to fix) and still have enough left for a bit of a margin. I used to work (as I'm sure I've mentioned) in the audio business and we needed to buy used equipment at around 50% of the price we were going to sell it at. People just thought we were trying to rip them off - it's amazing how many walked in thinking we should give them 'retail' for used gear! And then there's "Crack Converters" and their friends.... Edited December 23, 2013 by thepurpleblob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnm93 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I know what you mean about second hand. The problem there for the shop is ensuring they do not by nicked stuff. Once the local herberts are in the know, the retailer has a constant flow of dodgy gear coming through the door. It's a very similar story with bicycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 [quote name='Johnm93' timestamp='1387834497' post='2316374'] I know what you mean about second hand. The problem there for the shop is ensuring they do not by nicked stuff. Once the local herberts are in the know, the retailer has a constant flow of dodgy gear coming through the door. It's a very similar story with bicycles. [/quote] You can tell as soon as they walk in the door. The shops that are buying this stuff know, they just don't care. Which is a disgrace quite frankly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I've long since realised that I have to travel some distance to get to the kit that really interests me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnm93 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 On the 'used' subject, I have bought two guitars - yeah, sorry - from Cash Converters. They are apparently definitaly not nicked and they do take stuff back if it is faulty. They don't know much about instruments, though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I'm afraid it will continue. It extends much further than just the instrument retail world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiltyG565 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 [quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1387782378' post='2315477'] I do like to support my local music shop he is a fantastic guy and really knows his stuff and does magical set ups the only down side is he does not really sell much bass gear normally about 4 or 5 Fenders in the shop and a few packs of strings and a few odds and sods I don't really mind this as he is only a small shop and he cant afford to keep a big stock of bass gear as he makes most of his money on 6 stringers and repairs now here is where I start moaning there are basically 2 other shops near me that sell a bit more gear and 1 of them wont stock any thing bass related as he says there is no interest in it so fair enough I don't go to that shop and the other shop in the nearest town to me is a chain store now they have lots of bass gear in stock but the negative is they just seem like they don't care its kind of like comparing your local friendly newsagent with Tesco if you get my drift? and another downside is they seem to employ "kids" who no disrespect to them but they have very little knowledge and just go through the motions to sell gear and get there bonuses.So I tend to do most of my buying on here or on line for stuff I do pop in to my local shop now and again for some strings or set up work even though the strings and bits and bobs are cheaper on the net as I like to support his shop. But it just seems so sad that there are not really any proper music shops around is it the same for you guys in other areas of the country? I know that the day will come where the internet and chain stores will kill off the little shops which is a shame as there would be such a lot of knowledge and skill lost and where would we go for set ups and repairs? I know I certainly wont be trusting my basses to the larger chain store type places [/quote] I've recently started working in my mate's music shop. Since he opened, I've been bugging him to get a bass in, and he finally got a couple - and SX P bass, and a Woodstock acoustic. Both reasonable basses at a reasonable price. The thing is - we don't have a huge market, being in a moderately sized town, nowhere close to any big towns or cities. The good thing is that the local music scene is thriving. However, what you tend to get are parents coming in and saying "I'm looking a guitar for my son/daughter etc etc", so you have to show them guitars - that's what they are interested in. We don't get sales bonuses or anything like that (small shop etc), so it doesn't really matter what somebody buys. Another thing - You mentioned that your local stocks Fender basses. I can understand why they wouldn't stock too many. They don't sell very fast, and with Fender (and Gibson) you have to order a minimum of £10K of stock per year - if the shop buys in loads of basses, and can't shift them, they'll stop stocking Fender altogether, and who knows where that would leave them? It's a shame, yes. Frankly, I'd love somebody to come in and say "My child wants to play bass", but that hasn't happened yet. I think the way things will go is that all music shops will do a portion of their trade online, and you'll buy on reputation and service rather than price. I think it's important to remember that all these little items that a music shop stocks - the 50p/£1 items - they hardly make anything on those, but a good shop will stock them just to please their customers. Getting some inside knowledge makes you really appreciate (some) local music shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Hey Thunderbird, can you let me know which shop does the good set ups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 [quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1388238819' post='2319789'] Hey Thunderbird, can you let me know which shop does the good set ups? [/quote] PM sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Much obliged sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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