Fairdeal Music Ltd in Birmingham

[2wheeler]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum but it isn't a review of equipment and I couldn't find and better home for it...

Fairdeal Music Ltd in Birmingham
[url="http://www.fairdealmusic.com/"]http://www.fairdealmusic.com/[/url]

Before hopping on the train back home to York, I nipped across the road from Birmingham New Street station and had a look round their basses. I said I was looking for a 4 string and wanted to know more about what you got with active pickups (having a battery-free, passive bass at the moment).

They gave me a Yamaha BB415 to try, which is definitely not a 4-string bass and I don't think it has a pre-amp. Their price was identical to the GAK price for a BB615 (I just found that out and it made me cross enough to bother writing this up).

Although I thought it was a great bass they clearly weren't really listening to me and the salesman admitted he was a guitar player not a bass player. It really didn't put me in the mood to buy anything so I left with my marriage intact -- ooops I mean money unspent - hang on, it's the same thing

I would welcome a defence from anybody who is involved with Fairdeal Music.

They were friendly and seemed helpful but now I am checking up on the details I think some of what I was told was just plain wrong, or at least got me confused and left me with the wrong impressions.

Can anyone suggest a better shop? I go to Manchester from time to time, and I travel round the South for work and visiting family.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Maybe I'll use a similar excuse next time I'm asked something at work - "I don't know anything about unix, I'm a bass player".

[Machines]

Yeah they aren't great to be honest. They have pretty run of the mill bass gear (Squier / Ibanez / Yamaha etc..). I wouldn't go there asking questions - they're mostly guitarists...

PMT is your best option in Birmingham.

[Buzz]

On the mention of Brum shops, apparently Sound Control stock Ashdowns' Lodestone basses, someone please go have a wander in and report back for the good of the community.

[G-bitch]

They don't know about basses, but they know about customer service in general. It's the only shop in Brum where I don't come out lamenting the fact that it's staffed by arseholes.

[Machines]

[quote name='Buzz' post='76673' date='Oct 19 2007, 07:15 PM']On the mention of Brum shops, apparently Sound Control stock Ashdowns' Lodestone basses, someone please go have a wander in and report back for the good of the community.[/quote]

Week after next I shall be in there .

[Super_Mario_Bass]

Soundcontrols your best option in birmingham IMO

its just guitarists lol at fairdeal. they're overpriced crap in that store anyway.

[Guest Bald Eagle]

It's too small and hot in there for one, many many moons I tried an active bass in there - well it would have been if the battery wasn't flat, they seemed a bit clueless then.

[EBS_freak]

I still don't reckon there is anywhere decent in Birmingham for bass gear...

Sound Control stock is just laughable.

PMT is ok if you want a Sandberg.

Jeez, I miss the Bass Centre.

As for Fairdeal... not much in there to talk about I am afraid.

[markytbass]

The bass centre was good. I bought a Fernandez jazz bass and a Trace Elliott BLX130 from there about 10 years ago and really regret selling both. Around the cornrner was music exchange. Those were the days.

[G-bitch]

Ah, good old musical exchanges - paying brand new prices for stuff that'd been gigged 20 times by staff. No instructions, no case, no straplocks but 'we'll do you a deal'.
I really do not miss that place or the way they did business. Shady as f***.

[john_the_bass]

didn't the bloke who manages PMT in Birmingham now use to own a shop down on Dale End?
What was the name of that shop - I knew half a dozen people who went in there and got some absolute bargains when it closed down.

[PaulyB]

Brum is cr*p now for bassists, PMT are friendly enough and have some decent stuff in but not an extensive range (couple of Mesa and MB), Soundcontrol range is a joke and fairdeal??> the only thinhg I've ever bought from there is a strap. If you're after an Ashdown and a Fender you're okay, for anything else forget Brum.