lojo Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Have you ever brought an amp or cabs without trying (or really hearing it) What was it? Was it a mistake or a good move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I have done a few times (4 or 5 :wacko:) but did a lot of research before hand and made sure I bought them at prices that I'd be able to sell them on for and recoup most, if not all of what I bought them for. Fortunately for me, every time I've bought a cab without hearing it I've been satisfied when it arrives and I hear it for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 apart from my first ever amp (a trace elliot comando 15), i've bought everything blind, basses included. Peavey, Sansamp, Glockenklang, Schroeder, Euphonic Audio, Hartke and Tecamp (overwater, shuker, mtd for basses) are makes i remember owning, all bought without trying... funnily enough i was thinking about this but half an hour ago and, on contemplation, have come to the conclusion that it is a factor i quite enjoy, and given the option (i started because of the difficulty getting to gear to try it) i think i would stick to it. people enjoy their GAS, i enjoy my blind buying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 most of my amps over the years,have been purchased without trying out first. This includes my latest fab Aguilar setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I bought my Shuttle combo without trying - can't say i regretted it - a brilliant piece of kit. Except that i traded it in for a MarkBass combo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 (edited) I don't always play gear before I buy but usually I have heard it live. Having said that, I bought my Lakland on Ebay and the Thunderfunk from Robbie at RIM without ever having heard either first! I did read a lot of reviews, reports and opinions first though, so I pretty well knew what I was getting. The only "bad" thing I brought was a Gibson EB0. That was crap and if I'd have done my homework I would have known!! Spelling edit: brought > bought. The spelling police made me do it!! Edited January 30, 2010 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazhowe Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Haven't done it much but it's worked out okay - Mesa Boogie 1x15 cab (owned for 15 years), SWR amp (owned for 3 years til it blew up) and Musicman Stingray (already had one so knew what I was getting). I only buy blind on smaller purchases now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey1-8 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 The only amp I've bought blind is my current Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout. Having said that I played through a Mesa M-Pulse 600 at a gig before hand and loved it, so I was quite confident in the purchase. I've only bought one bass blind and I didn't get on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I almost never buy anything blind. Most of the fun for me is researching and trying things. I keep going back to the music shops to check out and try new (and old) stuff. Sometimes i do actually buy what I tried, but usually after i've been back at least twice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 (edited) I would say that probably every amp and cab I've ever bought I've bought blind. In some cases that was because it just wasn't possible to try them out first e.g. Schroeder and Barefaced, but mostly because I've always found that playing through an amp or cab in a shop or in someone's house doesn't really prove anything without having the reference point of the rest of the band present. I don't think I've ever been disapointed with anything. A few times I've decided that the sound didn't really work in the band I was in, but playing in various different rooms and venues with different acoustics I've found that only trial and error will give any meaningful results. Basses OTOH I always try to try before buying. The only time I've bought blind, which was a 2008 Jazz from GAK, I couldn't have been happier with it when it turned up. Edited January 31, 2010 by AndyMartin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussFM Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 My first rig (Trace AH300, Peavey 410 and 115) I bought from my drummer's old bassist for the bargain price of £300, but after that, everything has been bought blind, but with reviews from people on here. GK 1001RB-II and GK Neo 212 were a great buy, always regret having to sell them, then I bought some second-hand gear blind, which served it's purpose, then the current TecAmp rig, based on people's praise of the old Tech gear. This one's definitely a keeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phaedrus Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Good question for these internet-dominated times. If by "blind", we mean not tried in the flesh, then most of my music purchases this time round have been blind - my three basses, the ME-50B, the VXL Bass Attack, the DT-10. But I did read up extensively on everything I bought, both on manufacturer's websites and review websites (& magazines), and I asked questions on forums (here (and back on BW) & TB). Don't regret a single thing. In fact the all three basses have been great surprises - this much money would have just about got me secondhand crap last time round (15 years or so ago). I was disappointed with the ME-50B's switching lag and have since sold it on. Seeing as this is in the amps section, I suppose I should mention my amp. I inherited my current amp from my dad, but two of my local dealers are prepared to price-match the big German & UK online stores for my next amp & cab, so I will be trying them. In truth, if this wasn't the case, I'd be buying blind/unheard from an online store. But again, I've read a lot, and asked a lot of questions. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antti Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Did it once. I ordered my Ampeg SVT-CL and Trace Elliot 1015H without ever seeing these in "live". I will never try anything bass-related beforehand any more. It went so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guybrush threepwood Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Nowadays, I think it's hard not to buy anything blind, regardless of what instrument or equipment it is, or what price bracket it falls into. Due to lower overheads, the prices of internet music shops tend to be lower than their 'real world' counterparts, and this is obviously very hard to ignore. Although it's great to try something out first, there is a certain amount of guilt accumulated by testing something in a shop, then going away and buying it online. However, as great as the internet is for music shopping, its resources of reviews, sound clips and flash videos of musical equipment is also indespensible. Except from Harmony Central; there are many reviews along the lines of "This is the best bass in the world because so-and-so uses one and now I do too..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basshead56 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 [quote name='antti' post='729454' date='Jan 30 2010, 08:50 AM']Did it once. I ordered my Ampeg SVT-CL and Trace Elliot 1015H without ever seeing these in "live". I will never try anything bass-related beforehand any more. It went so well. [/quote] I bought my VBA400 without trying and am thinking the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlthebassist Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I brought my GS112 without trying it - and I've been SO happy with it. All my previous gear I had tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Sorry to be a pedantic bar-steward, but if you arrive with something you [b]brought[/b], if you purchased something you [b]bought[/b] it. again sorry, but it's one of my bigger pet peeves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 [quote name='wotnwhy' post='729869' date='Jan 30 2010, 04:58 PM']Sorry to be a pedantic bar-steward, but if you arrive with something you [b]brought[/b], if you purchased something you [b]bought[/b] it. again sorry, but it's one of my bigger pet peeves [/quote] Thanks for the correction My grammer is the product of an underpriviledged background, so like my bass playing, self taught and in need of constant help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 In my extremely limited experience I don't think that trying something in a shop before you buy is all that helpful. I tried an Ashdown rig in the shop, thought it sounded great, used it and was happy enough for a few months. Then one day, due to a back injury, I hired the rig at our rehearsal studio - a Trace Elliot AH300 - 12. You can see from my signature what happened. That's the trouble - you can't try everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='guybrush threepwood' post='729462' date='Jan 30 2010, 09:15 AM']Nowadays, I think it's hard not to buy anything blind, regardless of what instrument or equipment it is, or what price bracket it falls into. Due to lower overheads, the prices of internet music shops tend to be lower than their 'real world' counterparts, and this is obviously very hard to ignore. Although it's great to try something out first, there is a certain amount of guilt accumulated by testing something in a shop, then going away and buying it online. However, as great as the internet is for music shopping, its resources of reviews, sound clips and flash videos of musical equipment is also indespensible. Except from Harmony Central; there are many reviews along the lines of "This is the best bass in the world because so-and-so uses one and now I do too..."[/quote] I'm going to disagree here slightly. You can read every review of a product before purchasing it,and still be hugely disappointed when it arrives. 'One mans meat....' and all that. The same goes for trying something in a shop and then buying on line.The piece of gear that you loved in the shop is not the same one as you are going to own,so you are still buying 'blind'.If I try something in a shop that I want,chances are that that will be the one I buy. I've bought a couple of basses unseen and have been more than happy,but it could easily have gone the other way. The vast majority of my gear has been stuff that I've tried first-except for said basses (3 out of 21)and a few pedals. My amps were all tried before I bought,and the one's that I actually tried are the ones I took home.After I decided on the cabs,I tested them with a couple of heads with my Bass until I found a match that I liked. Edited January 30, 2010 by Doddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guybrush threepwood Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Yeah, I know what you mean - all gear comes down to personal taste ultimately! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I've bought everything I own unplayed, based on reviews and luck. As I've said before, I have no idea how a bass, amp or cab is going to perform at a gig until I've gigged it enough times to perform an opinion, so trying it in the shop helps me very little. Also, my penchant for old-ish basses means I have to ask the right questions amd grab 'em while I can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4-string-thing Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I bought an amp recently, could probably have bought it cheaper online (though I doubt it) but wanted to try it in person, even if just to check that it actually worked. I bought the one I tried, not a boxed one. It never sounds the same in the shop, so trying it to see if its suitable for you in your band, seems a bit pointless. Basses, on the other hand, I would always try. I Could have bought my Corvette £120 cheaper online, but was happy to pay that much more to try it first. Buying secondhand on ebay is different though, if its cheap enough, always worth a punt, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) Due to location i buy blind, doesn't mean i'm not careful though! i spend alot of time looking and researching. And i go to Glasgow and Edinburgh on A Music testing trip once every 11 months or so, and when i'm in europe i test stuff! Depends if your willing to take a risk, for example i'm looking to getting an Ampeg BA115T no where local or with in 100 miles has one so i can't test, so i'm not really sure since it has that tweeter hiss issue i don't have money to spare and can't drive so i'm probably not going to get it, thats an example of me, and how i think and my opinion, its all every man to his own of course EDIT: Just read through that and i sound like a fool Edited January 30, 2010 by AttitudeCastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardi100 Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I wouldn't buy a bass blind but I've bought amps. The Warwick ProFet 3.2 worked well for me and I was happy with my Roland DB500. I did extensive research which boils down to believing people you trust and disregarding the loonies and loosers. I do belive that testing in a shop has limited value, you'll never really know how it sounds with a band. Or in a particular room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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