I went to GC saturday to check out some SR5's, and a salesman tried to talk me out of one! He said that the 34" scale was horrible for a five string, and the string spacing was too narrow. He tried selling me a MTD import. In a few months when the time comes to actually buy one, i'll be buying elsewhere.
- Thread starter funkybass
- Start date
iamcatwarrior
Well-known member
You actually sat down and played the SR5, right? What did you think? That's what really matters.
I've never gone into a GC and had someone talk me out of buying anything or put down my interest in a certain brand. That sucks. I have to wonder if this guy has even played the bass you're interested in.
I've never gone into a GC and had someone talk me out of buying anything or put down my interest in a certain brand. That sucks. I have to wonder if this guy has even played the bass you're interested in.
Big Poppa
Well-known member
What Guitar Center?
thats insane!, so not only was he trying to talk you out of a product he should be pushing, but he thinks the SR5 isnt a great 5 string which tells me the kid knows dick about bass too....GC annoys the crap out of me. Infact the only reason i ever went to GC was to get to play EBMM basses before i was able to get one of my own. And even then they looked like theyve been hanging on the wall collecting dust and grime for the last 2 years (they still sound great somehow but they looked dirty as hell), is that normal? shouldnt they atleast wipe them down once a month or something?
bovinehost
Administrator
But! But! This is COMMON INTERNET BELIEF SYNDROME.
Did he also tell you he loved you and that your check was in the mail?
koogie2k
Well-known member
That doesn't seem to fit the bill. The EBMM product line is a top $$$ line. I have no idea why anyone would want to "not" sell it if they could. Something is not stirring the Kool Aid here. 
the unrepentant
Well-known member
why did he try to talk you out of buying an expensive MIA bass to buy a cheapy korean made MTD? is what i'm wondering, the fact that he was talking total ****e is something else entirely!
GreyDad
Well-known member
Make sure you play a bongo before you make up your mind
douglasspears
Well-known member
I'm a guitar player, but I stopped in the GC here in ATL Sat, and dropped into the special "bass room" they have. It's a tiny room with about 20 basses, 1/2 are EBMM, with quite a few amps that you can go get away to shut the door and play. I walked in and was just checking things out, but since no body was in there, I picked up a SR4. About a minute after plunking away on it, a worker came in and asked if I wanted to plug it in. I said "ok" and played for 10-15 minutes before he came back to see what I thought. It was really cool, fist time I've played a MM bass.
I saw 2 or 3 SBMM basses, and about 12 EBMM guitars throughout the store, in addition to the basses in the "bass room".
Kudos to the GC here in ATL. The one up in Marietta is pretty good too, and has a smaller but decent selection of EBMMs.
I saw 2 or 3 SBMM basses, and about 12 EBMM guitars throughout the store, in addition to the basses in the "bass room".
Kudos to the GC here in ATL. The one up in Marietta is pretty good too, and has a smaller but decent selection of EBMMs.
Kinda remindes me of my local music store (there being only one and all). I go into see if they have bongos or anything other than a few sr4's. Everytime I look or ask them the first thing they want to put in my hands is a Peavey cirrus...when I say no they try some peavey fender knockoff. After a round of polite "no's" then I get asked the same question....what about a B.C rich bass...
I think it has something to do with the the manager also working for some instrument wholesale company and wanting to push those throught the door first. Not sure, but it's what keeps me buying elsewhere.
I keep telling myself I'm going to expand my repair business and start selling EBMM products. The reality comes into view, I'm in the next town over from the other guys but it's only like 20 miles away.
Back to the topic, when I lived in so. cal. I was always being told (at GC) a P bass was a "better choice" all around and the same thing about the 34" scale 5's. Personally I like 34" 5's and 6's (bongos) in particular. Maybe the guy was just back from lunch and was still high from his pot smoking??? LOL
I think it has something to do with the the manager also working for some instrument wholesale company and wanting to push those throught the door first. Not sure, but it's what keeps me buying elsewhere.
I keep telling myself I'm going to expand my repair business and start selling EBMM products. The reality comes into view, I'm in the next town over from the other guys but it's only like 20 miles away.
Back to the topic, when I lived in so. cal. I was always being told (at GC) a P bass was a "better choice" all around and the same thing about the 34" scale 5's. Personally I like 34" 5's and 6's (bongos) in particular. Maybe the guy was just back from lunch and was still high from his pot smoking??? LOL
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the unrepentant
Well-known member
You guys are lucky if anything. A new guitar shop here in nottingham has 2 or 3 SR4s in stock, that's the first time i've seen one in a shop in this city for about 3 or 4 years! There's a shop in a city about 30 miles away that has a couple of stingrays and a bongo and a few other nice basses, that's about as good as we get it! First bongo i'd seen that wasn't in london.
Amazing, but not unheard of. Even thought the push is on to move merch in these economic times, disparaging a top-line item in favor of a second tier import makes zero sense, if the customer is interested in higher quality.
I've seen some remarkably silly behavior from guitar salespeople over time...ran security escort for a friend carrying a large sum of cash to a GC (won't mention the loc - hopefully they've changed their evil ways) back in the '80's, when he wished to purchase a somewhat pricey guitar.
After being totally rebuffed by some trendy pencil-necked clerk several times in his quest to get that ax off the wall and into his hands (to the tune of 'Do you have the money?' over and over again) we called out the manager, who emerged from his office wiping his snout clean of what appeared to be donut sugar.
I'm sure having several thousand dollars waved in his face and then placed back in a pocket walking out the door did wonders for his nasal congestion.
I've seen some remarkably silly behavior from guitar salespeople over time...ran security escort for a friend carrying a large sum of cash to a GC (won't mention the loc - hopefully they've changed their evil ways) back in the '80's, when he wished to purchase a somewhat pricey guitar.
After being totally rebuffed by some trendy pencil-necked clerk several times in his quest to get that ax off the wall and into his hands (to the tune of 'Do you have the money?' over and over again) we called out the manager, who emerged from his office wiping his snout clean of what appeared to be donut sugar.
I'm sure having several thousand dollars waved in his face and then placed back in a pocket walking out the door did wonders for his nasal congestion.
Slingy
Well-known member
You sure that guy was even an employee, or just some random guy hanging out?
iamcatwarrior
Well-known member
He can save his 35" scale, anti-narrow-string-spacing agenda for TalkBass.
Jack FFR1846
Well-known member
You sure that guy was even an employee, or just some random guy hanging out?
That's a reasonable question. Heck...I have people walk up to me and ask questions about a guitar all the time (usually the one I'm playing). I've actually helped sell a guitar a few times since it was one I happened to like.
jack
laneline
Well-known member
He can save his 35" scale, anti-narrow-string-spacing agenda for TalkBass.
+1 That's pretty funny, not to mention dead on. EB/MM's
B strings just flat out rule and put to rest the scale issue.
As far as the salesmen's approach, to me GC is a turnstile business with a high turnover rate, so product knowledge is a rarity in the volume stores, like here in NJ. If you can be left alone and play, the bass will do it's own sales job.
Noble
Active member
Funkybass,
As any good salesperson will say, don't ever bash any product to help sell another product for one may be bashing the product the customer loves. This sounds like the case here...poor salesmanship. Thanks for bringing this instance of poor salesmanship to light and allow me to apologize for this behavior. I called the store manager there and he's looking into it and he'll certainly use this as a training opportunity for the staff. I would invite you to visit the store again soon and say hello to the manager there, BJ Hoertz. In fact, he'd like to give you a call if that's not too much trouble. Please message me your info I'll pass it along to him.
Part of what we do is bring instruments to EVERYONE and sometimes that means that EVERYONE plays them in our stores. We work hard to get everything cleaned up but sometimes we miss the mark. Recently there has been a renewed focus and it's partially due to posts on these kinds of forums. Please - keep it coming. You are fueling change at GC and I really appreciate it. Change is never fast enough for some and too fast for others! Thanks again.
As any good salesperson will say, don't ever bash any product to help sell another product for one may be bashing the product the customer loves. This sounds like the case here...poor salesmanship. Thanks for bringing this instance of poor salesmanship to light and allow me to apologize for this behavior. I called the store manager there and he's looking into it and he'll certainly use this as a training opportunity for the staff. I would invite you to visit the store again soon and say hello to the manager there, BJ Hoertz. In fact, he'd like to give you a call if that's not too much trouble. Please message me your info I'll pass it along to him.
Part of what we do is bring instruments to EVERYONE and sometimes that means that EVERYONE plays them in our stores. We work hard to get everything cleaned up but sometimes we miss the mark. Recently there has been a renewed focus and it's partially due to posts on these kinds of forums. Please - keep it coming. You are fueling change at GC and I really appreciate it. Change is never fast enough for some and too fast for others! Thanks again.
MrMusashi
Well-known member
commission works in mysterious ways
i prefer to have a perspective reaching further than my own nose....
MrM
i prefer to have a perspective reaching further than my own nose....
MrM
