Music Shops

[SLKBassist]

Is it just me or do most music shops seem to not care so much about bass. All the ones I've been to, have a bass selection maybe 1/6 that of the guitars. And then half of those basses are beginning bass packs sometimes of companies i've never heard of, and the rest are decent basses. Then the amp selection is even less than the bass selection. Mostly practice amps, then 1 or 2 100W-200W combos, and then 1 or 2 high end amps. Then there is only one person in the whole place who seems knowledgable about bass, although I went to one tiny shop once where the guys didnt even know which basses they were carrying.
Oh and for repair/setup questions/issues no one seems to really know what they are doing, and the prices seem like they are ripping me off.

I don't know what the point of this thread was, I think I wanted to see if others were in the same predicament

[Ozduck]

hmmm well if you think about.. there is a much bigger market for guitars isnt there... bass players are the minority

So if u were to open a music shop and wanted to make money... where would you focus yourself on?

But it is very annoying when there isnt any good bass sections... There used to be a shop in Brisbane, Australia called Guitar Central (closed down) that had like a whole room decidated to bass... very nice :D

[neatobassman]

Meh, we are an under appriciated breed...you get used to it.

[Machines]

2 miles from my house is SoundControl. They have about 30 Warwicks, 15 Spectors, 10 Schecters, 10 Yamahas, 20 Fenders... etc.. So no lack of choices when I go there :D.

[Urban Rhythm]

Guaranteed Music shops that sell both basses and guitars sell more guitars. They have to think about it from a business point of view, they cant just feel sorry for bassists, as harsh as that is.

[Nooduls]

I work in a music shop (Stothers Music and Hi-Fi in Sale, Victoria, Australia (go there :)))

Its not that they dont care less bout bass, its just with all the new kids coming in, they mostly wanna play guitar straight up, coz in the mainstream world, guitar is what most people like, its not later until their musical 'palette' develops that they wanna play bass, coz then people hear MAAAD bass stuff (wooten, primus, bla bla etc.) and then they wanna play bass.
Although not the same for all, its what i see mostly. Its what happened with me anyway.
But what can ya do??? its all about supply and demand.
But yeah, thats why..

[Az_Holl]

I work in a music shop (Stothers Music and Hi-Fi in Sale, Victoria, Australia (go there :)))

Its not that they dont care less bout bass, its just with all the new kids coming in, they mostly wanna play guitar straight up, coz in the mainstream world, guitar is what most people like, its not later until their musical 'palette' develops that they wanna play bass, coz then people hear MAAAD bass stuff (wooten, primus, bla bla etc.) and then they wanna play bass.
Although not the same for all, its what i see mostly. Its what happened with me anyway.
But what can ya do??? its all about supply and demand.
But yeah, thats why..
:eek: Another person from Feb 2004. Cool.

The music stores around me dont have lots of basses but the few basses they do have are pretty good.

[good rats]

My music shop has a huge bass section...

So ner.

[Nooduls]

wow, someone quoted me without criticising it :)
THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY FORUM POSTING CAREER

[good rats]

wow, someone quoted me without criticising it :)
THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY FORUM POSTING CAREER
Shut up n00b.


















Nah just kidding.

Welcome. Hope you enjoy your stay here. Please, make yourself at home. If you need anything just give us a call.

[Nooduls]

Why thankyou.
Shine my shoes?

[trumpeter]

The closest music shop to me has one bass....a Slammer by Hamer jazzbass ripoff :(

[Rollo47]

Yeah. Everybody hates us. :rolleyes:

[Midnight]

The closest music shop to me has one bass....a Slammer by Hamer jazzbass ripoff :(
Hamer are a good brand?

I wish they had a chapparal 12 string...

[trumpeter]

Hamer are a good brand?

I wish they had a chapparal 12 string...


Hamers are good....slammer by hamer is not.

[mastrrbasser]

one time i was buying strings at guitar center. It was a busy day and the guy at the register was obviously tired of all the little kids picking up strats and playing the same generic rock riffs over and over again. This kid starts playing layla by clapton(terribly i might add, But i give him some credit, he was like 10). While he's ringing me up i say "in less than five minutes he will play the intro to back in black." As i was walking out the kid started playing it. I turned around to the clerk and he was laughing his *** off.

/pointless.

My guitar center has a pretty good bass selectionn. Tons of schecters, good ibanez's, warwicks, musicman, fender, spector, and on top of that they have a bunch of beginner stuff. there are no six strings and fretless basses don't last too long. Daddy's junky music on the other hand, lost my business. They just have used mexi fenders, epiphones, and some squires. When you ask why the ghs boomers are over 25 bucks they give you comments like "Hey kid, bass strings are expensive," like you're completely new to bass or something. And i reply with "they're cheaper at guitar center," and walk out. I wasn't even going to buy the boomers, i don't like them. But they're 17 bucks at guitar center and the price at daddy's threw me off. Daddy's is good for used gear, but the new stuff sucks.

[muthafunkabass]

music shops here dont even have guitars.

[Pastorius]

Sound Control has lots of basses, but not a single 6 string in Bristol's one.

I asked if they had 6 stringers, he said "I thinkwe had one in a while ago, but it went really quickly."

[muthafunkabass]

a shop around here has 697-string uke.

[Hardinge]

my guitar shop is good but they never have the stuff on there site in the store! its really annoying.

id make a point that shops that sell more that guitars dont have very good selction and are more expensive than all out guitar shops

[muthafunkabass]

music shop across the street has a mike dirnt signature straw.

[SLKBassist]

The closest music shop to me has one bass....a Slammer by Hamer jazzbass ripoff :(

Haha yeah one of the ones I used to go to back in my hometown for the longest time only had Black Slammers by Hamer. But later on it improved slightly got some Peaveys (the only peavey dealer in the area), a couple Ibanez, and a couple MIA Fenders.

[hartke20g]

the sam ash here has a 20x8ft bass section comprised 60% of fender/squier p's and j's, 30% calor robelli (bad), and 10% ibanez. the really sad thing is that you cant reach half of em. the employees also don't care about quality. the same squier bronco missing an input jack has been there for 2 months now.:angry:
the guitar center isn't as bad. 40% fender, 10% schecter, 15% ibanez, 10% olp, 15% ernie ball, and 10% used/vintage gear. however, that's all they ever have in 2 6x6ft areas. they never get any other shipments and they lie to you saying "the bass is already set up and ready to play" and they don't even take it out of the cardboard box. plus they always try to show off to veterans i see there.:rolleyes: plus, they dont give cables to plug in an instrument and 95% of the amps aren't plugged in.

[The_Red_Death]

2 miles from my house is SoundControl. They have about 30 Warwicks, 15 Spectors, 10 Schecters, 10 Yamahas, 20 Fenders... etc.. So no lack of choices when I go there :D.

...:upset:

The best shop near me is about 45 minutes away. They have a few G&L's, a crapload of Yamahas, and one crazy hot Spector that I would kill for.

[Khanzo]

2 miles from my house is SoundControl. They have about 30 Warwicks, 15 Spectors, 10 Schecters, 10 Yamahas, 20 Fenders... etc.. So no lack of choices when I go there :D.


where as i live in the sticks and have to travel to manchester for any decent stores lol. a good 75+ miles there and back

[PaulR]

My music shops are fine, they just don't care about you guys.

[Left Shoe]

i have yet to see any guitar carrying music shop carry a 6 string fretless....and thats what im in the market for

[Liebensaft]

The music store clostest to me (Guitar Villa) has a limited selection. Lots of Squiers, and Fenders, a Hamer, a couple Ricks, and as of the last time I was there, a few Musicmans (Musicmen?), but they don't carry anything by Peavey, Ibanez, Schecter, Warwick, Cort, among others.

Oh, that shop has a fretless MIM Jazz, and an unidentified brand 7-stringer. They have some scattered 5-strings and Deluxe/MIA Fenders too.

[FU.CKY.OU]

My closest store has about ..16 basses. It's not a huge business, the guy who owns it lives in town. But he knows how to play just about everything proficiently. And If you buy your bass from him, any upgrades to it he'll do for free (new tuners, pups, ect.). But yah then hes got about 80 electrics.

[bassistuvdoom731]

music shops here dont even have guitars.

*starts considering college in philly*

[muthafunkabass]

whch one?

[bassistuvdoom731]

meh, ill figure it out.

[Liebensaft]

You should come here. There's a pretty good music scene for anything you could possibly be interested. That and if you lived in the University City area, you'd be able to buy used stuff all over the place.

[ignignok]

The Axes Music by me has about 50 guitars, and 2 Tbirds. Thats it.

[bassistuvdoom731]

ive never seen a bass in my local music shop...

which is why i only buy strings there.

[godzillarator]

I go to bass Northwest here in Seattle and they have jstu about every kind of bass i could want, also they have the hookups to order things(From any brand).

And they give good advice

[I play that funky music]

Exactly the same deal at my music shop. It makes me hurt on the inside.

[thelowsoundofbass]

my local shop in small, but for the size of it they have a good selection ( i got my ibanez there). but the shop that i like to go to is about 45 mins from here (shirwood, mxer sammy_L_D works there)

lowsound

[RJDBass]

The Axes Music by me has about 50 guitars, and 2 Tbirds. Thats it.
Would you happen to live near Frankfort?

[Jimbobntnr]

we have one shop in town that is owned/operated by a bassist. He carries an ok selection. The other shops in town act like I am a big F'in waste of time. But to be quite honest, if I were to open a shop here I would have one Jbass, one Pbass both in Tobacco Burst and a color pallette that they could order from.

[nicatterberry]

we have one shop in town that is owned/operated by a bassist. He carries an ok selection. The other shops in town act like I am a big F'in waste of time. But to be quite honest, if I were to open a shop here I would have one Jbass, one Pbass both in Tobacco Burst and a color pallette that they could order from.

DaddyO's? House of music had some decent basses, but a nice amp selection. Trace Elliot stack, couple ampeg heads and cabs(used), and some Peavey Mark heads hidden behind some stuff. Samuel's past Lowes has gotten some more decent basses.

[Jimbobntnr]

DaddyO's? House of music had some decent basses, but a nice amp selection. Trace Elliot stack, couple ampeg heads and cabs(used), and some Peavey Mark heads hidden behind some stuff. Samuel's past Lowes has gotten some more decent basses.
daddyOs.
I don't consider House of Music a music shop, :lol: :lol: I looked at the cabs that they had and they were fitted with guitar drivers. 16 ohm cabs.

Walko's has a 40 watt bass amp in stock, and 2 yamaha basses.

[nicatterberry]

That guy that owns House of Music is nuts. He seriously scares me.

[Jimbobntnr]

That guy that owns House of Music is nuts. He seriously scares me.
yes. when I told him my name he asked how my jazz bass was, and if my phone number was still xxxxxxxx. that was 14 years ago. I refused to give him my new number 3 times. why the hell does a guitar store need ytour phone number?

[nicatterberry]

It's so crowded in there also. I mean, if I wanted to look at a bass, I woulda had to take down at least 10 guitars to get to them.

[Alma]

My local store has a few basses, but i go to the bass centre. Its 2 hours away, but its worth the trip.

[mikethecoug]

2 miles from my house is SoundControl. They have about 30 Warwicks, 15 Spectors, 10 Schecters, 10 Yamahas, 20 Fenders... etc.. So no lack of choices when I go there :D.

Hey sound control is cool! I live in manc too :wave:

You heard of sounds great thats like a mile away from me, they have warwicks and musicmans and fenders, but only a small corner of the shop. But atleast they are very knowledgable about everything they do.

[funkyhoney]

ok well get this, ive never seen a 6 string bass.
hows that for **** music shops.

thats right ive never SEEN one

[Led_Zeppelin678]

I've seen two sixers locally, one fretless, and nothing else interesting. I had to go to House of Guitars in Rochester to find anything interesting, which includes an ESP 8 string, a Spector Rex Brown sig, and a Kinal fretless that's amazing. I know two other bassists that have gone there, and they came back and they start talking about this sweet fretless with a dark wood top, and I go "Was it a Kinal?", and they said yes. Two seperate occasions, by the way. Very nice bass. They also had more amps than I could try if I had a week, including a couple old Acoustics (like JPJ and Jaco). All the gear was fairly dented, though. The instruments are all in display cases, and they're pretty much jammed in. Dents and dings galore, I'd never buy a bass from them unless it just came in.