basscentre.com reliable?

[Cybergimp109]

ok im not sure where this fits but its about buying a bass so i thought here worked.. if not please feel free to move the thread.

im planning on buying a bongo 6 HH from this website as theres nothing over here (ireland)
[url="http://www.basscentre.com/6-string-bass-guitars/musicman-bongo-vi-hh.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/6-string-bass-gu...ongo-vi-hh.html[/url]
the price seems alright anyway if anyone knows a better/cheaper place links and info would be appreiated

im just wondering if anyones dealt with these people what kind of service etc.. ivve had some bad experiences with soundslive and thomann in the past and if i buy this i dont wanna get ripped off or messed around so what do you think of them.
cheers

Edited September 6, 2009 by Cybergimp109

[leonshelley01]

Took them 6 weeks to deliver a Dunlop Bass Wah that their website said was in stock. They didn't contact me during this time even though they had my email address and mobile number, I had to chase them. And to add insult to injury, I didn't recieve the £20 voucher they promise on their website for delays over 28 days. Needless to say, I won't be using them again.

[budget bassist]

if you really want a bongo with little hassle you should try string 'n' things, they're the UK distributor and you can order one to your exact specs, though it may be more expensive and it would take a few months.

That said, i've heard a few people say good things on here about the bass centre.

[Cybergimp109]

that doesnt sound too good... anyone else?
is this a once off or the norm for them.
theyre one of the only places i found that wasnt way overpriced.

anyone have any ideas where to get a bongo 6 HH that will deliver to ireland for not too bad a price?

[Cybergimp109]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='591827' date='Sep 7 2009, 12:37 AM']if you really want a bongo with little hassle you should try string 'n' things, they're the UK distributor and you can order one to your exact specs, though it may be more expensive and it would take a few months.

That said, i've heard a few people say good things on here about the bass centre.[/quote]

im having a look now, i might be on the wrong page but i cant see anything about musicmans... link? if youre bothered.
ill keep searching anyway
ill have to probably wait 1-3 months for bass centre anyway so aslong as its not too much more thats expected the price might be a problem

[Hamster]

Personally I've never had a bad experience with them, but others here have had bad service from them

Maybe get a written quote from them and see if Martin at The Gallery will match or beat it? - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/musicman.html"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/musicman.html[/url]

[Cybergimp109]

[quote name='Hamster' post='591835' date='Sep 7 2009, 12:56 AM']Personally I've never had a bad experience with them, but others here have had bad service from them

Maybe get a written quote from them and see if Martin at The Gallery will match or beat it? - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/musicman.html"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/musicman.html[/url][/quote]

good idea
would an email do or do i need a physical letter or something? ive been in the bass gallery so atleast i know they exist anyway and ive heard good things

[bassatnight]

I have always found that contacting before ordering is the best way to go. I usually say something like I have to have it within a week as I am out of the country after that for x number of weeks and need to take it with me. Also you would be suprised how much power saying you are a regular conributor to this website holds ;-)

[spongebob]

I bought a bass in their sale, and their service was excellent. Ordered lunchtime Monday, arrived 9.30am Tuesday.

The only thing I'd be aware of is their 'availability'. The green tick simply means available - it doesn't actually mean that it's in stock, just that they can actually get it.

I found this when looking for my Markbass NY cab. Gave them a ring, and was told that it could take up to 3 weeks to get, even though the site said 'available'.

Like what's been said above - good service, but always buy by phone just to be on the safe side.

[LeftyJ]

Interesting, they claim on their website they can get the Sterling and Stingray dual pickup-models lefthanded, but I don't think Ernie Ball make those in lefty versions. There is only one Sterling HS around (a Dargie Delight, owned by a lefthanded friend of Sterling Ball who's on the leftybassist.com forum). They don't have a mirrorred version of the required preamp and so far have refused to have one manufactured, except for that one-time-only bass.

[Spencer X]

[quote name='Cybergimp109' date='Sep 6 2009, 09:41 PM' post='591721']
ok im not sure where this fits but its about buying a bass so i thought here worked.. if not please feel free to move the thread.

im planning on buying a bongo 6 HH from this website as theres nothing over here (ireland)
[url="http://www.basscentre.com/6-string-bass-guitars/musicman-bongo-vi-hh.html"]http://www.basscentre.com/6-string-bass-gu...ongo-vi-hh.html[/url]
the price seems alright anyway if anyone knows a better/cheaper place links and info would be appreiated

im just wondering if anyones dealt with these people what kind of service etc.. ivve had some bad experiences with soundslive and thomann in the past and if i buy this i dont wanna get ripped off or messed around so what do you think of them.
cheers

Dear Cybergimp
I have used The Bass Centre a few times and they have been fine - had a problem with a pedal I bought from them and they sorted it out very quickly and efficiently
Good luck
Spencer

[Cybergimp109]

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='592009' date='Sep 7 2009, 11:52 AM']Interesting, they claim on their website they can get the Sterling and Stingray dual pickup-models lefthanded, but I don't think Ernie Ball make those in lefty versions. There is only one Sterling HS around (a Dargie Delight, owned by a lefthanded friend of Sterling Ball who's on the leftybassist.com forum). They don't have a mirrorred version of the required preamp and so far have refused to have one manufactured, except for that one-time-only bass.[/quote]

also on the bongo 6 they have a piezo option and matching headstock option.. i assume (and hope) its just bad site design

[Cybergimp109]

[quote name='bassatnight' post='591931' date='Sep 7 2009, 09:29 AM']I have always found that contacting before ordering is the best way to go. I usually say something like I have to have it within a week as I am out of the country after that for x number of weeks and need to take it with me. Also you would be suprised how much power saying you are a regular conributor to this website holds ;-)[/quote]

only problem for me is the bongos probably gonna take 3 months anyway just for ordering it.. unless they happen to have the options i want in stock. i might get rumbled pretty quickly.

about the saying youre a regular contributor, really? how would you slip that in to an order....

[Leftbass]

Bought a Warwick Corvette from them it came a week earlier than expected. I thought the service was good but not as personal as it could have been when your spending your hard earned! I suppose thats what to expect 250 miles away. Anyway the bass needed a setup which I thought they might have done before dispatch. Not the case. Another problem with not getting your hands on at the store. Good luck with your purchase.

[attackbass]

I just bought a SD qrt pounder pickup from them last week - had no real problems... they had the best price, and the postage was cheap - it took 4 working days to get here which did have me worried but turned up today so i'm happy!

Yeah as somone said before - try contacting strings and things, they deal with my ernie ball endorsement and are really cool guys

[Platypus]

Well that price is very good - I would phone and ask if they have it in stock and confirm when they can dispatch. If that all seems good i would go for it. Really nice basses the Bongo 6, played one at a show last year was was very impressed

[eightball]

i would never consider getting anything else from them again, no matter what the price.

i ordered a cab from them, which was reported to be in stock, and at a great price. not only was it not in stock (1st excuse 1 week on, no contact), but 'we couldn't possible sell it at that price if we did have it'. didn't stop them taking the money from my account immediately though.

with excuses and attempts to sell me ex demo stock, it took me about 3 weeks and 7/8 calls to get my money back. they were pretty arsey about it too.

[mattbass6]

I would always approach Martin or Alex at The Bass Gallery in Camden. I have never, ever had a problem with these guys and have been going there for over 10 years now. Amazing service, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable but above all, honest. [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com"]The Bass Gallery Website[/url]

[Kev]

back when i first started playing bass, i ordered an OLP off them. Two weeks later, they email me saying they are out of stock. Two weeks! Needless to say i cancelled my order, and never used them again.

[EvilSmile]

I've bought a few things from them and have had mix experiences, nothing very bad mind. When i've rung them they have been helpful and have responded to emails quickly that said ordering by phone i think is the best way to avoid any of the problems other people have mentioned.

[wookiee]

I've had trouble with them as well. I ordered a cab that was supposed to be available... 10 days later, no news: I emailed them and got no response. Of course, my credit card had been debited loooong ago. I threatened them that I would cancel my order if they failed to answer my questions... They didn't care enough to answer. I had to PM Giles, their webmaster, which is a member here. He very kindly told me that they were moving to a larger place and had not yet put their internet and telephone back on. He asked the sales people to contact me and they did. But in the meantime I had to buy the cab elsewhere, so I asked them to cancel my order and refund me in full. I had to insist three times before they finally directed me to Gill so I could give her all the details about my order, so she can cancel it. I did so, but it's been 20 days now and nothing's happened.
So my advice is: stay away from these people! All they care about is taking your money. I will never have business with them ever again!

[purpleblob]

It's such a shame hearing some of the problems people have had with the basscentre.com. I remember them when they were the Bass Centre in Wapping and more recently near Liverpool St. Always a joy to deal with them in those days.

EDIT: Assuming they are really the old bass centre and somebody didn't just buy the name

Actually I hadn't realised they'd gone totally mail order so one day too a long trek out to find the "shop" only to find a sad little place. I suppose you call it a warehouse but really it's just a shabby little door to a storeroom (or so it seems, maybe a bass player's Narnia lived just behind the door).

I hope they sort themselves out and get the web business running smoothly.

Edited September 14, 2009 by purpleblob

[wookiee]

BTW, does anyone know who's in charge there? With an email? I'm fed up with people there not answering my emails...

Edit: Nevermind. With some help from my friend Google, I found the name of the eCommerce manager at BassCentre and promptly emailed him about my problem. And guess what? Five minutes later, I received a message from Gill, who confirmed that my refund had been completed... Coincidence? I think not...

Edited September 16, 2009 by wookiee

[Cybergimp109]

got in contact with alex from bass gallery anyway, he said he can match that price which is great but it took many many emails to find out how much delivery would be.
does anyone else have this problem too?... cause anytime i order over the internet and have some questions it takes so long to get an answer out of the people.
the first email i sent maybe had 3 questions in it, one gets answered so i have to ask the other two again and just keep going through this process till eventually i get an answer, i dont think they read past the first line of emails.
if theyre busy its understandable but id prefer a slow but complete reply than having to annoy them and send 5 or 6 emails asking the same things over and again, it just makes more work for them.
this happens any time i have any questions about a product and im not talking about little things i mean price, whats in stock, delivery etc.

maybe its just me though.
ive still got one question left to be answered from them wish me luck..

[jonny-lad]

I bought a Little Mark II and a Warwick 411Pro from the bass centre a year or a year and a half ago. I'd done quite a bit of research and, having struggled to find much info and user reviews on the Warwick cab, I decided to phone them and found they were very helpful.

I think it helped that I'd done my research, but I think it helps if you research whatever you're interested in before asking loads of questions and, as I phoned, I could get an instant response to anything I needed to know. I even had a couple of problems regarding speaker cables (which I couldn't work out), as they missed it out at first and I tried the cab with speakon cable from some monitors I have, not realising it was wired the wrong way, but they were very understanding and helpful and sent the speaker cable promptly after I spoke on the phone to them.

I think sometimes it's a good idea to phone places like this, as you can always get an instant response and speak to a real person. Once they've spoken to you, they have a good understanding of who you are and what you're after and they'll know how serious you are about what you're interested in, so there's something in it for them aswell as you. It worked for me - I got some good gear at decent prices and I always knew what was going on...Certainly beats waiting for e-mails!