Music Shop Bashing

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='dunetune_jazz' post='545539' date='Jul 20 2009, 05:56 PM']Truely outstanding service.... [/quote]

Swings and roundabouts. Could have been someone who came to the counter and said: 'I'd like to buy the MM Stingray 5 please.'

[xilddx]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='545535' date='Jul 20 2009, 05:53 PM']Just thought I'd mention this: A young girl came into our shop last Saturday looking for a beginner bass pack - bass, amp, etc. I gave them at least an hour of my time, which included:

A detailed run through 3 basses - a Squier Affinity P, Yamaha RBX, Cort active. All around £200.

I explained the difference between single and dual pickup configuartion, and the active tone controls on the Cort.

Ran through the features on the amp - an Ashdown Tourbus 10w.

Showed her the correct way to hold the bass, right and left hand positioning etc.

Because her Dad was into Cream, I gave an impromptu lesson on how to play Sunshine Of Your Love.

Demo'd the difference between playing with fingers and pick.

While she was practising the aforementioned bass part, I showed the parents some books and explained how to read tab.

The parents commented on fingerprints being all over the bass (!!), so I took ot and polished it.

When she chose a strap (chucked in for free), I adjusted it to the correct length.

Answered every one of the million quiestions they threw at me (Secret Shoppers?).

The whole sale came to £244.

Nuff said.[/quote]

Good man, that's how it should be.

I just started a thread about my local music shop who did me a really nice favour on Saturday. They LOVE kids in there, their website is nothing like any other music shop website I've ever seen [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=54900"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=54900[/url]

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='545535' date='Jul 20 2009, 05:53 PM']....The parents commented on fingerprints being all over the bass (!!), so I took it and polished it.[/quote]

An argument for human cloning. Imagine how bass shopping would improve.

[size=1](While you're at it, any chance you could nip round and change some strings for me? )[/size]

Edited July 20, 2009 by skankdelvar

[Tee]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='544385' date='Jul 18 2009, 10:27 PM']Andy went bankrupt, not sure who owns it now. He managed to keep his Rolls Royce though [/quote]


Music Ground are in their now. Although disturbingly, i have seen Andy himself in there now. I think he has his fingers back in that pie, so to speak.
I once stupidly had them sell a guitar on my behalf (when it was still Andy's) and guess what, when it did, the cheque he eventually (yes it took some time) gave me bounced. I then went back in person and demanded the cash after explaining the bounced cheque (he made out he was surprised , lol). Would you believe it, they found the cash. It might have been the look of "i will break everything and everyone in the shop" i had in my eye.

Just ordered from the bass centre for the first time. A pedal that's in stock. I'm wondering how long the process will take. Any ideas?

[thodrik]

[quote name='Tee' post='556909' date='Jul 31 2009, 10:33 AM']Just ordered from the bass centre for the first time. A pedal that's in stock. I'm wondering how long the process will take. Any ideas?[/quote]

Well. that depends on whether it is actually in stock, or just in stock unitl you get charged for it, after which it is magically no longer have it in stock and you have to wait ages for them to get hold of it!

That only happened to me once at bass centre but a couple of times with other places, so I'm wary of being dicked around now! Generally Bass Centre have been pretty good and delivered within 3 days to me when it is actually in stock, which is pretty good.

[toneknob]

[quote name='thodrik' post='556946' date='Jul 31 2009, 11:01 AM']Well. that depends on whether it is actually in stock, or just in stock unitl you get charged for it, after which it is magically no longer have it in stock and you have to wait ages for them to get hold of it!

That only happened to me once at bass centre but a couple of times with other places, so I'm wary of being dicked around now! Generally Bass Centre have been pretty good and delivered within 3 days to me when it is actually in stock, which is pretty good.[/quote]

A happy Bass Centre story from a few years ago, when they were still in Wapping - I had my heart set on a Stingray fretless 4, so went along on a Saturday afternoon to see what they had. There was one on display so I asked if I could try it. No problem, he said. Two seconds after I sat down, a couple of teenagers came in and grabbed something off a hook, yelled "ok to try this mate" at the assistant, who grudgingly nodded ok. Off they went with their endless endless loud Em slappity poppity widdley diddley no-sense-of-time "soloing", as I tried to investigate the subtleties of the 'Ray's piezo blend control. A Hopeless exercise, so after a few minutes I told the assistant it's a lovely bass but I can't really try it out to the level it deserves, so I'll come back in an hour "when the shop might be a bit quieter" (hint hint). Time was 4.15pm, they shut at 5.30.

An hour later I'm back. Same poppity widdley diddley still going on. Sigh. The assistant senses my despair, and "shuts" the shop early, turfing out the two kids who were by now the only customers left except me. As he's sorting out the day's paperwork, he lets me have the shop to myself for half an hour to proeprly put the Ray through its paces (including the piezo knob).

Monday morning I'm on the phone putting in an order - and they've just had delivered my precise requirements: three-band blendable-peizo 4-string in Burnt Apple. It's on my desk a couple of days later, one happy customer. Shame they've upped sticks from wherever they moved on to.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='545535' date='Jul 20 2009, 05:53 PM']Just thought I'd mention this: A young girl came into our shop last Saturday looking for a beginner bass pack - bass, amp, etc. I gave them at least an hour of my time, which included:

A detailed run through 3 basses - a Squier Affinity P, Yamaha RBX, Cort active. All around £200.

I explained the difference between single and dual pickup configuartion, and the active tone controls on the Cort.

Ran through the features on the amp - an Ashdown Tourbus 10w.

Showed her the correct way to hold the bass, right and left hand positioning etc.

Because her Dad was into Cream, I gave an impromptu lesson on how to play Sunshine Of Your Love.

Demo'd the difference between playing with fingers and pick.

While she was practising the aforementioned bass part, I showed the parents some books and explained how to read tab.

The parents commented on fingerprints being all over the bass (!!), so I took ot and polished it.

When she chose a strap (chucked in for free), I adjusted it to the correct length.

Answered every one of the million quiestions they threw at me (Secret Shoppers?).

The whole sale came to £244.

Nuff said.[/quote]

..........and then you gave them my number for lessons?

Hopefully.

[alexclaber]

I have to say I used to really enjoy going to the Bass Centre in Wapping. Took my new to me '87 Warwick, Mackie power amp and Acmes in there in 1999 to pick a preamp and had a great time and left with an SWR Grand Prix. Tried lots of other nice stuff there too. In modern times The Gallery is very good and I've always been very well looked after in GAK (though I stomped out annoyed once when they wouldn't match their online price on a Line6 DL-4 (brought one back from the US instead, their loss)).

Alex

Edited July 31, 2009 by alexclaber

[bassmansky]

i have been waiting 2 months for my local music store to get in a couple of cabs i want to try out.they know that i would buy one of them as long as it was not overpriced so dont know what their problem is.they have stores all over the country so could easily ship one down.perhaps because i have spent over £1500 in there over the last 18 months they think i have no more cash to give them!so in this part of the world some things you just cant try
PS;Not naming names but its 3 letters!

[leonshelley01]

[quote name='Tee' post='556909' date='Jul 31 2009, 10:33 AM']Just ordered from the bass centre for the first time. A pedal that's in stock. I'm wondering how long the process will take. Any ideas?[/quote]

Ordered a Dunlop 105q Wah that was "in stock" from Bass Centre on 30th June. They duly took my money and after many phone calls and broken promises, apparently it may arrive next week.

[thodrik]

[quote name='leonshelley01' post='557470' date='Jul 31 2009, 10:42 PM']Ordered a Dunlop 105q Wah that was "in stock" from Bass Centre on 30th June. They duly took my money and after many phone calls and broken promises, apparently it may arrive next week.[/quote]

Ah, then I'm not the only one! I ordered a Mesa Walkabout that was 'in stock' in early January. I was charged and it duly arrived in April. Luckily I did end up getting the new blackface model and if they had charged me after I received it, it would have included the almost £300 price hike that was attached to the amp since the time I ordered it. So I guess I was lucky to be unlucky!

It was taking the piss a bit though when I walk into my local shop in early February and a second hand Walkabout is sitting in the shop!

[iamapirate]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='557343' date='Jul 31 2009, 06:30 PM'](though I stomped out annoyed once when they wouldn't match their online price on a Line6 DL-4 (brought one back from the US instead, their loss)).

Alex[/quote]
Ah, yes the old 'why can't you match the online prices?' deal. Well, I think it's fair enough - seeing as gak.co.uk and the physical GAK are actually different companies using each other for reputation - quite clever, but I Feel sorry for the people who work in GAK always getting asked to match prices. Their service is excellent, though!

[OldGit]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='543349' date='Jul 17 2009, 04:21 PM']That goes for you at PC World who told me the modem I wanted to connect the missus's laptop to the internet was probably too difficult for me to use, so he recommended I pay ninety quid for them to come and do it. A mate did it for nothing.[/quote]

A bit OT but fun and related ..
My 75 year old neighbour went into PC World to buy a laptop. He asked for one with XP rather than Vista (this was an "upgrade" on some business systems at the time)
The kid said that they couldn't supply it with XP,
"Oh," says my neighbour "I'll just tave Vista off and load it with XP"
"Can't" say the kid "you see there's something called the BIOS and they are different"
"No problem" says my neighbour "I'll just rewrite the BIOS" .. kid falls on floor with shock that someone old knows something about difference engines.