bythesea Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Saw a bass I liked the look of on Ishibashi so sent an email enquiry. Didn't get a reply but the bass is now gone (been there for a few days at least). Do I take the fact that it is now not on the site as my answer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I bought basses from them on two occasions, a few days could pass before you gat a reply IIRC, but it was always a good experience. They seem to change their stock listings in a strange way, so if you are working from a bookmark it might now point to a different item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBobTTD Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Probably gone, sadly. I think they are very busy - there are zillions of messages on zillions of message boards like this one about them - and thus can be achingly slow about stuff in their used inventory....which often leads to you not getting it. It happened to me and, I hate to say, I was genuinely sad for a while afterwards. They do, however, have great customer service. You will probably get an email from them soon saying that it has gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Bear in mind that Japan are 12 hours ahead of us which means that by the time you see a bass in the morning here in the UK it may have been up there for a full working day in Japan, and by the time you've seen the bass and sent the email it will be past the end of the working day there, so you won't get a reply for at least another 12 hours. Plus Ishibashi is a chain of actual shops and all the instruments featured on the U-Box will be on display at one of them. This means for popular instruments here in the UK we've got almost no chance of competing timing-wise with someone living in Japan. If you're after something in particular that turns up reasonably regularly, then your best bet is to stay up for a couple of nights (during their shop hours) hitting refresh every 30 minutes or so. Otherwise you'll just have to trust to luck that you get in first. I have managed to successfully buy from the U-Box but it was on my 4th or so attempt to buy something that I hadn't been beaten to it due to the time difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Thanks for those replies - the post to them was over the weekend so I wasn't expecting a reply until after their working day, but it's good to know what to expect. It was an unlined fretless Japanese Jazz, so I'll keep looking, and prepare for a few sleepless nights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I've bought a few things from Ishibashi. As has been said their customer service is excellent. The best way for me is to get up early and check the ubox at about 6am. If there's something you want email immediately. If you want a direct email and name then PM me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 from my experience, they do not update things on their website very well. Last time i enquired about something, it had sold quite a while ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 [quote name='Kev' post='566309' date='Aug 11 2009, 10:05 PM']from my experience, they do not update things on their website very well. Last time i enquired about something, it had sold quite a while ago.[/quote] Yeah basically you have to catch it just right. But if you do they put it on hold for you for a few days so you can decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Hirokai and Naoko have always given me excellent service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) I had a reply from Hirokai within minutes of my original email. He had put the bass on hold for three days without my asking him to, which I though was excellent. During this time the bass in question was removed from the online inventory (because it was on hold for me). It went straight back on once I'd decided the bass was a bit of a risk. Keep checking the site as the bass you're after could come back on in similar fashion. I really want to buy a bass from those guys because they were SO helpful and polite, they deserve the trade. Contrast this with my UK experience: I tried three alleged MIJ dealers in the UK, got a reply from one after 8 days, one after 15 days and didn't receive a reply at all from the third. None could get the bass I wanted or anything close. Ishibashi had about 20 of them, they were significantly cheaper and, given the slow response of the UK lot, would also have been quicker! Chris Edited August 12, 2009 by Beedster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Yeah, the bass may come back, as they put them on hold for enquiries, as Beedster said. I've bought from them on a couple of occasions (through Hiro) and it's been great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 I had a reply this morning saying that the bass had gone, but I am watching now for something to turn up (and if that one comes back then great). I'm not in any great hurry but it's a great site to watch I currently have GAS for an unlined fretless jazz, but after my lesson last night maybe I should look at something else. I took my EUB along for my tutor to try (he has a DB) so we played those for a while rather than basses - and I kept falling off the fingerboard looking for the low B Can't believe I have got used to a 5 string so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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