pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) Hey people, For any of you that have visited Nottingham Guitar & Drum Centre you will know it has a great range of low - mid priced basses (one of the largest for miles) and a workforce with a reputation for great customer service... And absolutely NO knowledge about bass at all! This is my 'local' store, but I was getting sick of picking up a nice bass to find out it has been set up by someone who has no clue. So what did I do? I took a punt that something might change and confronted the owners, Dave & Andy about the way they handle there bass stock, both of which admit the stock is not tendered too as it should be, and that none of the staff can set up a bass. At the end of the rant and lecture they offered me a job! So... As of this Saturday I can be located at the store as the 'resident bass expert'. As I work full time plus some already I will just be doing 4 hours 10 - 2 for the time being, taking time to go through the entire bass stock, one by one, setting up, cleaning and generally making thier bass range more playable. They will be looking to me to advise them on where to go with the stock and so I expect to be selling through the older items in the near future. If any Basschatters are in the Nottingham area on Sarurday mornings, it would be cool to put names to faces etc. Bring a bass down... There's some nice SWR Working Pro rigs that need a real test!! If your about pop in and ask for Shep! Edited July 24, 2010 by pantherairsoft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Good job! The store is great for customer service, but you are right in that they don't know anything about bass. I happened to stroll in last week to find someone querying what the difference was between power cables with 1/4" jacks and speakons, and the staff couldn't help him. The customer was being particularly confusing with his description of his bass amp which didn't help. So well done for you, sounds like a change for the better! I'll be sure to pop in one Saturday and say hi. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Nice one! I regularly visit Nottingham on saturdays, so i'll come and say hello one weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='pantherairsoft' post='611576' date='Sep 29 2009, 07:05 AM']If your about pop in and ask for Shep![/quote] Nice one! I've bought one or two things from there (bass stuff and drum stuff), and they're always friendly and keen to help. They could do with a bass specialist though - I tried out a Fender Jazz 5 string there a while back and the set up did it no favours at all. I'll certainly be popping in to say hello! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Great stuff guys. I'm hoping I can steer them in a more commercial direction in terms of what's on the wall. There is actually some nice Ibanez stuff in as well as a surprisingly good Washburn under £300, but they are hanging out of reach and go unnoticed. Give it a month or so and hopefully things will be brighter for bass in Notts :-) I have a half day at work today so I'm going to take my Overwater down this afternoon and go through the amps they have in stock. I know the sound of my bass so I'm hoping it will give me an insight to what each of the amps they have in is capable of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Well done! And get them to stock some 5-string sets of strings. Rotos at the very least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 That's already on my list :-) they have a few 5 basses in and even a 6 but no strings to support them??!? We shall see if we can turn it around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I'm in & out of Notts. so I'll try & get down soon to make faces at you through the glass!!!! G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='pantherairsoft' post='611698' date='Sep 29 2009, 10:25 AM']That's already on my list :-) they have a few 5 basses in and even a 6 but no strings to support them??!? We shall see if we can turn it around[/quote] If you're looking at strings, some decent flats wouldn't go amiss either! I agree with you on the stock - they actually have a decent range in there for its size. I tried a really nice Ibanez ATK when I was there a while back, and a very temptingly priced semi (think that was an Ibanez as well). Certainly better than the Sound Control replacement around the corner - thier stock is woeful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 That's excellent news! Well done. This a great example of turning a negative into a positive. And fair play to them for having the gumption to address a problem. Now all we have to do is infiltrate [i]all [/i]the UK guitar shops. The revolution starts here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 I agree. I expected to be met with a little more resistance but Dave and Andy were really keen on the idea of having someone around now and then they can pick up a few pointers about bass from and I was pleasantly surprised about there honesty over the lack of knowledge. Hope a few people can pop in, a bit of feedback on the range from other Basschatters will go along way as well! Here's to the revolution ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Nice one, if i'm ever down notts on a saturday i'll pop in (though i spend enough time in notts for college as it is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Do they do part-exchanges there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WonderHorse Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 My GF has just started uni at Nottingham so I'll make an effort to go to this place. Only place I've been to so far in Notts si the one in Victoria Centre. Wasn't too shabby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='cytania' post='611845' date='Sep 29 2009, 12:38 PM']Do they do part-exchanges there?[/quote] Not really. I asked that myself as a customer about a year ago and was told they avoid it due to them never shifting on 2nd hand stuff. If anything changes though I'll let you know! [quote name='WonderHorse' post='611874' date='Sep 29 2009, 12:53 PM']My GF has just started uni at Nottingham so I'll make an effort to go to this place. Only place I've been to so far in Notts si the one in Victoria Centre. Wasn't too shabby.[/quote] That would be Music Inn. It's good for sheet music and picks/cables etc, due to it being a small store there range is obviously limited! Joe, Matt and Rachel are great staff though. Joe is actually a damn good bass player, you can fond his band on myspace, called 'The Other Left'. Very funky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='pantherairsoft' post='611952' date='Sep 29 2009, 01:45 PM']That would be Music Inn. It's good for sheet music and picks/cables etc, due to it being a small store there range is obviously limited! Joe, Matt and Rachel are great staff though. Joe is actually a damn good bass player, you can fond his band on myspace, called 'The Other Left'. Very funky.[/quote] Nah music inn is on alfreton road, the one in viccy centre is music room. I've found the service from some of the staff there to be pretty poor too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Sorry, your right. Music Room is correct. I got the staff right though! Maybe I get good service because I've known them for years! :-) To be honest I don't shop there a great deal, I have an apartment in the city and can see Guitar & Drum centre as well as Soundcheck out of the window... No prises for guessing where I go when I need something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 ahh fair enough, right near my college too Have you checked out the new shop called fuzz guitars on hockley? The staff in there are great, they know what they're talking about and have some great instruments. guitar and drum centre has some potential too, but i've seen that same corvette and l-2000 tribby hanging up in there for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Dale and the boys at Fuzz are cool, there product range is quite luxury as well, there pricing however is a bit off as they carry much of the same Fender stock as Guitar ANC Drum, but slap an extra £200 on them... Not sure why!? I know Fuzz are looking to sell a few decent bass ranges in the near future as well so hopefully they'll be one to watch... If your at college nearby I assume thates Stoney Street? I'm at the Ice House around the corner... Small world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) nah i'm at confetti on convent street, behind oceana. Stoney street is adams right? The gibsons at fuzz seem to be pretty well priced, well, apart from the ones that were stupidly expensive in the first place. Give me a faded SG any day they have a couple of stingrays in there now though. I have to say, out of all the models in the ebmm lineup and all the colours and pickup configurations, i was pretty disappointed that they chose two single humbucker stingrays in black/black/maple and sunburst/rosewood. Generic much? Edited September 29, 2009 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 I have just spent 2 hours down at the Guitar and Drum centre, trying to go though stock and to try out a few amps with both my bass and there basses and in most cases I was pleasantly surprised. The SWR Working Pro range they stock is fantastic, its expensive but when you think its cheaper than my MarkBass by a mile and tonally very close, plus the lovely added extra of a foot switch with a mute and 2nd channel (Bass Intensifier), its very nice. I raised the issue of strings. They mainly deal in Ernie Ball Slinkys, but also have a few dribs and drabs of D'darrio (is that how you spell it?), Hartke and rotosounds. All the 5 string sets are EB's as are the Flat wounds (yes they do have some in stock, but only Med gauge and only 4 string sets). We had a good chat about strings and they are currently sourcing pricing to start stocking Elites as the primary string, and I have suggested they speak to Overwater about the chance of stocking some of there stings as well. As they have access to the entire Ibanez range with the exception of the Prestige items (these are from a different distributor) I have already suggested that stop sticking to the budget ranges and so we are looking at getting some BTB's in soon. They mainly stock the ATK and GSR's along side the Sound Gear range but are keen to do more with Ibanez now they no longer deal with Warwick due to a few distribution issues (so I'm told). That said, the Warwick Corvette and the Warwick Profet 3.2 and a few cabs that are left in stock will soon be 'priced to sell' should anyone be looking. Fingers crossed, come saturday I should have a little control over shifting out old stock that has been there for a while, in order to fund getting in more up to date stock. Watch this space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 could you drop me a pm when that corvette becomes "priced to sell"? i may be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 [quote name='budget bassist' post='612271' date='Sep 29 2009, 05:55 PM']could you drop me a pm when that corvette becomes "priced to sell"? i may be interested.[/quote] Yeah will do. I had a good play around with it today. It needs the action and truss rod sorting, which I will do on Saturday and it could do with some new strings as well. The fretboard needs a good lem-oiling, again I'll do that on Saturday as well. Its up at £649, which seems to be about average 'in retail' for them at the mo, but it does have a the Turquoise Blue finish, and it also have a fretboard with no fret markings as well... neither of those options are available on a factory run Corvette now to my knowledge, and it does sound nice (fantastically light for a Corvette as well). I will have to see what they paid for it on Saturday and see what happens. I think, had it been set up right in the first place it would of sold at £649 long ago... quite possibly to me :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 £649 isn't a bad price in the current climate, but i can't afford that right now! Is it an active or passive one? If it's passive i may have to, well, pass! Oh and i'm pretty sure none of the corvettes come with fret markers, i've never seen one with fret markers infact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 I do think your right about the fret markers. I had it in my head that they have a 12th mark usually... but looking around. they don't! I believe it is a passive one, although I will have to check again as I have not had a proper play or poke around with it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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