GC - duh.....

[Eggman]

So I went in to my local GC today to use a gift card I received for my birthday. The only thing I wanted was some Group III flat wounds. Assistant manager asks if I need any help - and I told him what I was looking for. "Nope - don't have any Ernie Ball Flats - don't carry them" Why I ask ''Cuz no one buys them" he said. I pointed to an empty slot next to the Slinkies that said Ernie Ball Flat Wounds above it and asked "then why do you have a slot for them"?

Duh............ he got all flustered and checked inventory and found that yes they had had some but gee, they must have sold all of them.

Went online - ordered from the GC site and will have my strings and an EB battery operated string winder thingy in a couple days.

 

[five7]

Same thing when I went in to buy some of the new coated bass strings. I ordered some from the guitar morgue for less than the cost off the GC website. GC should get with it and order everything Ernie Ball has to offer.

 

[TNT]

Bill, you "still" have that gift card??!! You're going to love the "thingy winder"!!!

Oh yeah, it's always fun "educating" the GC employees (no pun intended). Most of the "experienced and knowledgeble" employees consider EBMM gear highly venerated!!

 

[Eggman]

The GC had a few EBMM basses - including a SR5 Rosewood neck BFR. It was hanging so high on the wall you could hardly tell what it was.

 

[Big Poppa]

OK nice bash...gc has discontinued our flats. They just didnt pull the tag....ALl of the inventory was returned to us. See there are always two sides....Flatwounds sell like condoms in nuns bathrooms

 

[Eggman]

Who knew?

Still had them online.

 

[Big Poppa]

I know Eggie.....re are repackaging them and they will try them when they have the Slinky name on them.......

 

[beej]

... sell like condoms in nuns bathrooms

BP I'm gonna steal that line. Genius.

 

[Big Poppa]

its an original who else would be this stupid?

 

[alf cockle]

Most canucks.....

 

[silverburst]

I know Eggie.....re are repackaging them and they will try them when they have the Slinky name on them.......

How about offering them up to the knuckleheads instead of re-packaging? I'd buy 5 sets.

Just a thought...

 

[fly]

How about offering them up to the knuckleheads instead of re-packaging? I'd buy 5 sets.

Just a thought...

and how about a discount too.........

 

[Eggman]

and how about a discount too.........

I'd inventory a few sets here.

Must say that GC online was a very good experience. Since I used a gift card - I ordered over the phone - good service and very fast shipping.

 

[Big Poppa]

they have that down....

 

[DaddyFlip]

I went to a local (not chain) music store that has the full EB string display and asked for flats. The response was, "We don't carry them; nobody around here plays fretless." Now the store has one valid point; if something won't sell, there's no reason to carry it. But they pigeonholed flats as a 'fretless only' string. Education, on both sides of the register, is so important.

There is a big difference between an enthusiast and everybody else. Some of the best artists are NOT equipment enthusiasts; they consider their instrument a tool to serve the music- a means to the end, which is the music. Give a good musician any instrument, not their favorite color, with any strings and any number of cosmetic flaws and they can still make great music. Enthusiasts typically consider the equipment the ends, with the music the means to justify the constant GAS and parade of equipment relief.

Are you a musician or a GAS victim? Nothing wrong with either; just don't expect everyone to see equipment the same way an enthusiast does. If you are an enthusiast, and I assume that most on this forum are, you will educate yourself, by choice, to the point that no salesman will ever know as much as you. Most retailers use their store as a means to an end- the money, and can't afford to offer or know everything the enthusiast wants or knows. Somebody out there has what you want; go find it.

PS. I'm an enthusiast in everything I do, so I'm ranting from my personal experience. If I could really play the bass I just bought, I wouldn't have time and probably wouldn't care to think about all the stuff I could buy. In reality, I wish this were the case. It's all fun, tho!

 

[Lukesilo]

I agree Daddy FLip. I work at a small guitar store and we are an EBMM and Ernie Ball string dealer. I try to be as knowledgeable as I possibly can because I am an enthusiast myself. Its not just so I know what to tell the customer about an instrument or set of strings its for my knowledge as well. We don carry flatwounds either simply because no one has ever even asked for them. The area I am in just doesnt have a demand for them. But if someone asks you better believe we will be on the phone with Ernie Ball ASAP to get some in for them.

 

[Powman]

Maybe if a guitar store had a bass on the wall strung with some flats for people to try? That would give folks a chance to try them and see how nice they can be.

This is the reason I ordered another bass...I wanted one strung with flats! So it will be the Sterling strung with rounds (angry aggressive bass) and the Bongo will be strung with flats (smooth rich deep tone). Both tones are awesome.

 

[Thornton Davis]

I keep my two Stingray 5's strung with both types. One has Regular Slinky 2836 roundwounds and the other 2810 flatwounds.

Versatility baby!

TD