Highfox Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) Yes, that place, who remembers it? Just came across an old and tatty receipt I had for the Warwick I bought from Wapping. Think I told the tale before, went there with the anticipation of buying a MM 4 HH they didn't have any so walked out the door with a Streamer. used it for a solid 15 years so no regrets. Edited October 21, 2018 by Highfox another photo Quote
Frank Blank Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 I bought a black Jaydee Supernatural from there in the very late 80s, a bass I sorely regret selling. Quote
ezbass Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 A wonderful establishment, I remember going there on numerous occasions and chatting with Nick Owen and Jimmy Sims; top chaps. The shop in Houndsditch/Aldgate was good too. Quote
Hobbayne Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 They moved from Wapping to London Bridge where they mainly did it all online. I went there once after they moved, and they told me that guys would come in the shop, try out a bass and get it cheaper online. Quote
Old Horse Murphy Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) Barry is still going strong, but is now based in Bagshot, mostly as a distributor and dealing with online sales. I popped in there a few years ago and had a great chat with him. He said they the Bass Centre simply couldn’t compete with online stores so changed their business model. We talked about the Bass Centre range and he told me about working with Bill Wyman when they built his Tribute Bass. As you can imagine, it was quite a story I told him one of my Bass Centre stories which seemed to please him (“I love hearing people’s Bass Centre stories”) and as we parted he gave me a free set of Elites Flatwounds...lovely guy Edited October 21, 2018 by Old Horse Murphy 2 Quote
mybass Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 Top man Barry....I bought my Warwick, one of the first ones into the country from him, meeting Hans Peter of Warwick into the bargain. Quote
chris_b Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 In the mid to late 80's I joined a band and we used the rehearsal studio on the ground floor. That's when I discovered the Bass Centre. Later they moved down to the ground floor but when I first went there they were upstairs. What an Aladdin's Cave of bass gear and the first time I'd seen more than a couple of basses and amps in one place! Over the years I bought several amps and cabs from Nick, Grant and Alex and used to drop for a browse on many occasions. 1 Quote
louisthebass Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) An establishment I still hold dear in my memories - spent loads of money in there. Strings, a Trace Elliot bass rig, my first 5 string, my first ABG, repairs to bass gear, and copies of Bass Player mag... And an Alain Caron clinic 😊 The Wapping store was a great place to visit in the mid 80's to early 1990's, especially when the likes of Pino, and MK were pushing bass to the forefront in music. The staff were absolutely brilliant too. Happy days! 😊 Edited October 21, 2018 by louisthebass 1 Quote
Sonic_Groove Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 5 hours ago, Frank Blank said: I bought a black Jaydee Supernatural from there in the very late 80s, a bass I sorely regret selling. I went there in the early 90's to try an Alembic Stanley Clarke (only place in the country that had one), I had a Jaydee Supernatural at the time & thought the Alembic would be an upgrade. Got to test the SC against a Jaydee roadie they had in & the Jaydee was IMHO much better!!! Whilst there I tried a Graphite neck Vigier that had just the sound I wanted at the time but it was fretless, they didn't have a Status in at the time but I got to try one later in Birmingham & fell in love!! Great shop, great staff very helpful & just let you try stuff. Those were the days!! Wouldn't of had the chance to compare & find out without them. Still got My Jaydee & still play Status to this Day Brendan 2 Quote
Bigwan Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 5 hours ago, Highfox said: That's a pretty special Streamer! Never seen one quite like it! Quote
Highfox Posted October 21, 2018 Author Posted October 21, 2018 22 minutes ago, Sonic_Groove said: I went there in the early 90's to try an Alembic Stanley Clarke (only place in the country that had one), I had a Jaydee Supernatural at the time & thought the Alembic would be an upgrade. Got to test the SC against a Jaydee roadie they had in & the Jaydee was IMHO much better!!! Whilst there I tried a Graphite neck Vigier that had just the sound I wanted at the time but it was fretless, they didn't have a Status in at the time but I got to try one later in Birmingham & fell in love!! Great shop, great staff very helpful & just let you try stuff. Those were the days!! Wouldn't of had the chance to compare & find out without them. Still got My Jaydee & still play Status to this Day Brendan Nice one. I have been gasing for a Jaydee for a good while now! Great to hear people are still happy with them One day! 1 Quote
ebenezer Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 It was a veritable aladdin's cave ....... travelled from county durham to visit that shop. Quote
Al Krow Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) Ah memories. Been a resident of the same London borough for nearly 3 decades now. Got me a 12 string acoustic from there in the days when my view of bass guitar was err.. for folk who couldn't play proper geeetars. Oh how the mighty are fallen! 😂 Edited October 21, 2018 by Al Krow 1 Quote
Linus27 Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 I loved The Bass Centre in Wapping. I used to visit all the time. When I signed my record deal in 1998, we negotiated a chunk of money for each band member to buy new gear. I got £5k and headed to The Bass Centre and got me my dream bass, a teal green Stingray. I was in heaven 😁 Plus a Hartke HA5500, Hartke XL410, Hartke XL115, Status Shark and some acoustic bass. Used to love going up there to nose at all the gorgeous basses and leave with a set of Elite Stadiums 😊 Quote
Al Krow Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 19 minutes ago, Linus27 said: When I signed my record deal in 1998... Don't leave us hanging! So what's the backstory and what happened next?!.... Quote
Frank Blank Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Al Krow said: Don't leave us hanging! So what's the backstory and what happened next?!.... Oh don’t say that, it always kills the next chapter dead, but, I must admit I’m Basil Brush eager for then next instalment... Edited October 21, 2018 by Frank Blank Quote
Steve Browning Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 An awesome shop. Miss it tremendously. Bought some amazing stuff in there in the past. Receipt for 0189 and part of the certificate I got from JE as it appears in the Haynes manual. 5 1 Quote
stu_g Posted October 21, 2018 Posted October 21, 2018 My bass centre stadium bass,i never visited the bass centre but picked this up a few years back really nice bass,still sporting its elites and even a bass centre case. Quote
NancyJohnson Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 It was always a bit of a pilgrimage whenever I was up in Landaan. Basswise, I bought a Hamer Scarab and a Warwick Streamer 5-string from there. Amps and cabs, a TE 4x5" bright box and a huge SWR 4x10 (Goliath?). Also went up for the Doug Wimbish clinic. Even the old lady enjoyed that. Quote
FinnDave Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 I only went there once, when I was rehearsing nearby with a band based in Acton - we'd all pile into a van and drive through the centre of London to use a downmarket rehearsal studio in Wapping, so I had to pop in - and popped out with a new Trace Elliot combo. I can't remember the type now, but it was a 4 x 10 and bloody heavy. I lived on the third floor of flats in Acton then, and there was no lift, so I had to carry the damn thing up and down the stairs all the time. Sounded great, though! Pretty sure the Bass Centre was up some stairs then, or maybe just the amps were. Would have been about 1983/5, somewhere around then, anyway. Quote
NancyJohnson Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 35 minutes ago, FinnDave said: Pretty sure the Bass Centre was up some stairs then, or maybe just the amps were. Would have been about 1983/5, somewhere around then, anyway. I'm certain the BC was at street level. Wasn't there the Acoustic Centre upstairs. I remember my first time up there, Wapping High Street. Coming out of the Tube, you're just expecting this bustling street, but it was deserted; it wasn't really gentrified, from memory no real shops...a narrow road and if memory serves me correct, the street was cobbled? 2 Quote
Steve Browning Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) As I recall it was basses upstairs and drums on the ground floor (but my memory could easily be wrong). Obviously I never went into the drum bit so I have no evidence it was there. Edited October 22, 2018 by Steve Browning Quote
FinnDave Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 1 minute ago, Steve Browning said: As I recall it was basses upstairs and drums on the ground floor (but my memory could easily be wrong). Yeah, I can't really be sure whether I went up a flight of stairs or not 35 years ago! 1 Quote
Steve Browning Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 I'm positive the basses were upstairs. It's the drum bit I am unsure of although I'm pretty sure. Quote
bartelby Posted October 22, 2018 Posted October 22, 2018 I definitely walked up some stairs when I went 29 years ago. None in the Bass Centre though, but the lifts were out of action in Wapping Tube station... Quote
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