Best and Worst Bass Shops

[Bass-Thing]

[quote name='groovebuster' timestamp='1342186551' post='1731129']
best.. america, worst... uk. is there nowhere on this god forsaken rock i can try out a stingray classic? how bout a 62 p bass? has any 1 here ever seen a 75 jazz bass on a shelf. i doubt it! every shop full of useless cheapo tat. uk sucks.
[/quote]

GAK in Brighton has all of those on the shelf. So has Guitar Guitar in Epsom. Also the best sucking I've ever experienced has been in the USA. Maybe get out a bit more?...

[LemonCello]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1262623551' post='700621']
I had a pretty poor experience in Music Room in Lincoln last week. First bass I played was a MIM Precision with a visibly high action, but I kinda had to play it just to verify if it was as unplayable as it looked. I expressed my concerns to the assistant, who tried to upsell me by using the old "you can't get a low action with those, try this MIA over here" trick.

Second bass I tried was a Vigier Excess which didn't really do the price tag justice, IMO.

The thing is, I'd already expressed an interest in the Vigier before I picked up the Precision, so I think that the salesman was trying to steer me away from the £425 Fender and towards the £1400 Vigier, to make sure that I didn't walk out of the shop with the cheaper item. Well, he certainly ensured that.

S.P.
[/quote]

£1400 for the Vigier is cheap! I have a custom Excess and I love it

[seashell]

Steve and Bob at The Music Exchange, Stirchley (Birmingham) are top blokes and really helpful. However it is just a small second hand music shop so you just have to take pot luck with whatever they might have in at the time. Got my Fender P there about a year ago (it was the only Fender they had in at the time).
And, as I have mentioned in my other thread today, they tipped me off about the Ibanez that the guy in the drum shop was selling.

That's International Drums, also in Stirchley, also small and friendly. He has one or 2 guitars and basses in.. I think he just gets them in as PX's sometimes.

It's great that there are 2 music shops so close together and so near to me!

Edited July 16, 2012 by seashell

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='Bass-Thing' timestamp='1342220753' post='1732136']
GAK in Brighton has all of those on the shelf. So has Guitar Guitar in Epsom. Also the best sucking I've ever experienced has been in the USA. Maybe get out a bit more?...
[/quote]

Been to one music shop in Las Vegas and asked to try out a Digitech compressor to be told "We don't demo pedals. If you want to know what it sounds like, it's compressor."

Yeah cheers. I left shortly after.

[ras52]

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1341927327' post='1726321']
Worst: American Guitar Centre in Tonbridge. Rude and unhelpful, lovely stuff though.
[/quote]
I had a very odd trip there. I was the only customer in the shop and the guy just wanted to ignore me completely! I was looking at an active bass, asked him what one of the controls was for: he said "I don't know" and carried on ignoring me.

[KingBollock]

Had an odd experience in The Music Station in Swansea. There's a Piano and Keyboard type shop downstairs, but there's a Guitar shop and a Lighting and PA shop upstairs.

We went in on a friday, the people downstairs were very pleasant and showed us where the Guitar shop was. I couldn't get the bloke in the Guitar Shop to look away from his computer. Wondered into the PA part and the bloke in there was lovely, we came out of there with an 8u Stagg rack. I tried to ask the Guitar shop bloke a question about a Guitar but he would only grunt. I'd seen something I wanted too, but he just wasn't interested. We went back the following day and the Guitar shop was staffed by three much younger people. The one that approached us was very friendly and helpful. I ended up buying the Cort T-35 that I'd seen the previous day.

[Mudpup]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1342456692' post='1735431']
I had a very odd trip there. I was the only customer in the shop and the guy just wanted to ignore me completely! I was looking at an active bass, asked him what one of the controls was for: he said "I don't know" and carried on ignoring me.
[/quote]

I had a very similar experience at The American Guitar Centre in Tonbridge.
They had/have a lovely USA Spector in there. I went down with a pocketful of cash to try it, took 30 minutes to get the MarkBass Momark demo thingy to actually work (the guy in the shop didnt know anything about it) so i had an amp to play through and then found the bass didnt actually work either. The guy there was completely uninterested and had a "oh well, never mind" sort of attitude. He didnt even suggest they open it up and have a quick look in case it was an obvious problem that could be quickly resolved. I dont think he was the owner though - there was another chap downstairs who was a bit more helpful (or at least chatty).

I never went back.

I have found DV247, The Bass Gallery in Camden, Gig Gear in Harlow and Bass Central in Florida most excellent though.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Mudpup

[weepaul]

PMT. Ordered an Ampeg PF500 from the PMT web site(most sites priced them@ £349,PMT price £329). So I parted with my hard earned cash. Got it today....................USED, no manual, power chord. If knew it was second hand I would've went elsewhere and paid £349 for a brand new unused amp.

[Lfalex v1.1]

It varies dramatically. From customer to customer within the same establishment. Everyone has off-days and good days.

In the late 90's, the old Wapping Bass Centre was where it was at for gear, environment and service. Nick,Grant,Alex and Chris were awesome. But, like all good things, it had to end.
Some incarnations of the Bass Merchant were good. Then it just evaporated.

After my first (and last) visit to the Gallery, I'll never spend a penny with them, even if they have the last strings on Earth.

I'm unlikely to just be passing Bass Direct, so I'll never know. It's just too far.

PMT vary, but staff members in my two nearest stores know me by sight and trend to be pretty OK.

Oh, and Strings Direct have always been great.

[Musicman20]

I'm very impressed with Promenade Music. Speak to Gary...nice chap!

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1377767348' post='2191440']
After my first (and last) visit to the Gallery, I'll never spend a penny with them, even if they have the last strings on Earth.
[/quote]
I've never been there but phoned them about a bass i'd been after for a while and was on their website (It was over £1,000) with the intention of buying it. I asked about posting it to me but wasn't given a price just that it would be better if i came in. I asked again about sending it and got the same reply so soon realised that this wasn't going to work so just said o.k. and that was that. I wouldn't bother again.

[molan]

[quote name='weepaul' timestamp='1377726639' post='2191160']
PMT. Ordered an Ampeg PF500 from the PMT web site(most sites priced them@ £349,PMT price £329). So I parted with my hard earned cash. Got it today....................USED, no manual, power chord. If knew it was second hand I would've went elsewhere and paid £349 for a brand new unused amp.
[/quote]

If this was a recent transaction you should return it and ask for your money back. Inside 7 days you have lots of legal protection even if it was advertised as used or ex-demo.

The PF has a lot of reliability problems so it's possible you've been sent one that was a warranty return - this could be a longer term issue as even some of the repaired ones have been known to fail again

[tonyf]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1342455602' post='1735392']
Steve and Bob at The Music Exchange, Stirchley (Birmingham) are top blokes and really helpful. However it is just a small second hand music shop so you just have to take pot luck with whatever they might have in at the time. Got my Fender P there about a year ago (it was the only Fender they had in at the time).
And, as I have mentioned in my other thread today, they tipped me off about the Ibanez that the guy in the drum shop was selling.

That's International Drums, also in Stirchley, also small and friendly. He has one or 2 guitars and basses in.. I think he just gets them in as PX's sometimes.

It's great that there are 2 music shops so close together and so near to me!
[/quote]

Blimey, in all these years of being erm, a Brummie, I never knew there was a music shop in Stirchley. Completely missed that, despite living here for most of my life (in Solihull nowadays).

Guess I've always been loyal to, and never ventured far from, the main stores such as PMT, FairDeal and the old Sound Control. Mind you, I've not ventured into Guitar Guitar yet so hey, what do I know?

T

[seashell]

[quote name='tonyf' timestamp='1377790594' post='2191898']
Blimey, in all these years of being erm, a Brummie, I never knew there was a music shop in Stirchley. Completely missed that, despite living here for most of my life (in Solihull nowadays).

T
[/quote]

They've been there a while I think. At least 10 years I'd say. They started off in a smaller shop that is now the drum shop. A couple of years ago they moved a few doors down to a shop that is only slightly bigger!

[tonyf]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1377791329' post='2191920']
They've been there a while I think. At least 10 years I'd say. They started off in a smaller shop that is now the drum shop. A couple of years ago they moved a few doors down to a shop that is only slightly bigger!
[/quote]

Whereabouts are they Michelle? Actually in Stirchley or on the Pershore Road? Was rehearsing at Rich Bitch tonight so should have had a look around the area. Regularly gig at the Roadhouse so know that part of the world reasonably well.

T

[funkypenguin]

Best - The gallery, called them to inquire about an SKB bass safe for my cruise work. Alex asked me to call back the next day to make sure they had them in stock, then he beat me to the punch and called first, had it ready for me the day after. Big props to strings direct too, great people, and to John East, best customer care ive ever experienced.

Worst - The old Leeds Sound Control. When i was after my MIM 50s Precision they tried to steer me onto an MIA P, then quoted me a £150 more than GAK....

[seashell]

[quote name='tonyf' timestamp='1377819351' post='2192470']
Whereabouts are they Michelle? Actually in Stirchley or on the Pershore Road? Was rehearsing at Rich Bitch tonight so should have had a look around the area. Regularly gig at the Roadhouse so know that part of the world reasonably well.

T
[/quote]

Actually in Stirchley on the 'high street' (which I think is still the Pershore Road in fact). About half way down the 'high street' area, on a corner on the left hand side (on your left if coming away from B'ham).

Worth dropping in if you're passing as you never know when they'll have in a little gem.

On the other hand, I've been in sometimes and they've had a rack full of Arias and nothing else.


Edit:
BTW, I'm Shelley, not Michelle

Edited August 30, 2013 by seashell

[cytania]

Worst - Peach Guitars in Essex. Every time I 've been there it's like the League of Gentlemen's 'Do not touch the precious things of the shop'!

[jimbobothy]

mmm, well I think the best bass specific shop is the 'For Sale' section on this very forum , and yes, I've used it lots and lots!!

Edited August 30, 2013 by jimbobothy

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='jimbobothy' timestamp='1377856332' post='2192737']
mmm, well I think the best bass specific shop is the 'For Sale' section on this very forum , and yes, I've used it lots and lots!!
[/quote]
+1! This is a [i]local[/i] shop for [i]local[/i] bass players.

[rk7]

Mark at BassDirect is a great guy to deal with. Highly recommended.

thank you please

RK

[dmccombe7]

Agree Mark at Bass Direct has impressed me most over the many yrs I've been playing.

WORST - any shop where the staff are "too busy" to take even the slightest interest in you browsing and are nowhere to be seen when you are actually looking to buy. Been to a few of them over the years.

Magnum Sounds in Wishaw have been great over the years altho not specifically a bass shop they have gone out of their way to get what I was looking for and helping supply me with gear when mines failed in the past. Worth a mention I thought.

Dave

[seashell]

I have to say I've always found the guys in PMT Birmingham very friendly. But I've never bought anything big in there - just odds n sods like strap locks and music books. Seem like a nice bunch though.
Also, I had my Fender P set up there. The guy gave me a reduced rate cos he said it didn't need that much doing to it. I thought that was very fair. He could have convinced me it needed all sorts doing to it!