How not to sell EBMMM basses....

[spideyjg]

Went to GC up in San Marcos to take a shot if the new Sterling by MusicMan basses were on hand.

No such luck but I decided to try out a natural maple Sterling HS. Thing had been there a long time and was so dirty I'd ask for quite a knock off just to get the gray out of the maple neck. Thing seriously needs a clean up that will take about 2 hours.
Plugged in and no sound. Kid had just been using that amp and cord on a different bass so it must be working. Hmmm...... pop the battery cover and it is empty.

Ask the desk guy if they have one and was told they don't have any batteries and to see if another EBMM had one.

Pop open 4 other basses and no batteries. Nice salesmanship.

So kiddies if going to the San Marcos store to try any EBMM, bring your own battery.

Jim

 

[Dargin]

Thanks for the heads up. They should all have batteries by tomorrow.

 

[Baird]

That's funny.

Maybe they should attach cinderblocks to their batteries like gas stations do to thier bathroom keys to prevent them from being stolen.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Wow, people really steal 9Vs? What a pain in the ass that must be. Don't people have better things to do?

 

[iamcatwarrior]

People will steal anything given the opportunity.

Who knows? Maybe they needed the batteries for their tuner pedal.

 

[INMT]

Batteries????...hell I've been stuffing hampsters in that little rectangle in the back to power my basses.

 

[TheAntMan]

Hmmm...... pop the battery cover and it is empty.

Had same thing at the GC near me...

Luckily I had a friend who worked there -- she is gone from there now and she got me a battery.

I called the same GC this past Friday to see if they have any BIG-ALs in or when they might get one in. I asked for the Bass department sales rep. Guy on the phone said he was the Bass Guy...Ok!...I asked about time frame for them getting in a BIG-AL and he said that BIG-AL was not a EBMM model, he said he had Stingrays and Sterlings, which are EBMM models. I politely explained the New EBMM model called the BIG-AL. Anyway, he told me to try calling again to see if they get any in.

Is there any literature that goes out to introduce the new models? It might help get them informed. Well, I am at least glad to have a couple of music shops available.

-- Ant

 

[Bloodfist]

So does the EBMMM stand for Ernie Ball Musicman (may need batteries)
Sorry I had to, and I find it hard to believe that someone stole the batteries lol. People do make mistakes and leave simple things out like batteries when making something. Maybe the battery installer was on a bathroom break when those basses came down the line. My stingray came with screws missing from the pickguard, and I doubt they where stolen. It was the only time I ever dealt with customer service other than ordering something. Got more than enough screws and some cool stickers, and it didn't bother me a bit.

 

[Dargin]

I think our set up guys would notice if the battery was missing. You wouldn't believe how much stuff gets ganked from GC. GC has to re-order trem arms, knobs, and a bunch other parts all the time because of theft.

 

[MingusBASS]

...I find it hard to believe that someone stole the batteries lol. People do make mistakes and leave simple things out like batteries when making something. Maybe the battery installer was on a bathroom break when those basses came down the line. My stingray came with screws missing from the pickguard, and I doubt they where stolen. It was the only time I ever dealt with customer service other than ordering something. Got more than enough screws and some cool stickers, and it didn't bother me a bit.

So you're saying it's more likely that someone at EBMM forgot to put a battery in the bass? Yet the bass had been at the GC for sometime and had a dirty maple fingerboard. Seems like someone would have put a freak'n battery in the bass eventually.

 

[sloshep]

I think our set up guys would notice if the battery was missing. You wouldn't believe how much stuff gets ganked from GC. GC has to re-order trem arms, knobs, and a bunch other parts all the time because of theft.

I have seen a few basses at GC missing knobs etc...

Those things just don't fall off.

 

[Bloodfist]

I can definitely believe small parts missing from guitars like knobs, and tremolo bars, and I'm not saying batteries couldn't be stolen either. I would find it easier to believe that they might be taking the batteries out and putting them in other guitars that are played more often by the kiddies, especially if the bass hasn't moved in a while. And as far as the guys at GC putting a new battery in a bass or guitar, they don't know unless someone tells them. I've played a Bongo and a Stingray at the GC down here and both batteries were pretty much dead in them. I told them, and they pulled batteries out of other guitars to put in them.

 

[spideyjg]

So does the EBMMM stand for Ernie Ball Musicman (may need batteries)

Ernie Ball MusicMan Muted

Thieved batteries is one thing, but not having any for a test drive is pretty lame.

Hamsters can't run more than one pickup so the HS made them go on strike.

Jim

 

[bovinehost]

I think our set up guys would notice if the battery was missing. You wouldn't believe how much stuff gets ganked from GC. GC has to re-order trem arms, knobs, and a bunch other parts all the time because of theft.

And I've seen it happen at GC's that are really run well and in good shape. People....sometimes....disappoint me. Yes, they steal the batteries. I'm sure they steal other, more important things, too.

 

[laneline]

+1 Bloodfist, I think it's just a matter of convenience and no work ethic to ether return or replace it, their hands on policy of anyone plays anything doesn't promote respect for the instruments by some staff because of the volume of touches on each instrument. Tide and shoveling syndrome.

 

[bdgotoh]

Maddog visited Seattle awhile back and we went to the local GC. We played a nice Stingray and it sounded great. I fiddled with the knobs and only the volume worked - turned it over and no battery in it! Plenty of output and it still sounded just like a Stingray.

 

[bassmonkeee]

So does the EBMMM stand for Ernie Ball Musicman (may need batteries)
Sorry I had to, and I find it hard to believe that someone stole the batteries lol. People do make mistakes and leave simple things out like batteries when making something. Maybe the battery installer was on a bathroom break when those basses came down the line. My stingray came with screws missing from the pickguard, and I doubt they where stolen. It was the only time I ever dealt with customer service other than ordering something. Got more than enough screws and some cool stickers, and it didn't bother me a bit.

You are wrong. The screws were undoubtedly stolen. If you honestly think EBMM would let basses out of the factory missing screws and batteries, you have no idea how a modern production facility works. And, how, exactly, would someone test the bass to make sure it works without a battery in it before it leaves the factory? Do you honestly think they take the battery out after they test it?

 

[Slingy]

Typical retail environment, can't be stopped really. People steal all kinds of dumb stuff without any shame.

 

[bkrumme]

I see it all the time. Tremolo arms from guitars, switch caps, knobs from guitars, amps, basses, etc. Put something in reach of being stolen and inevitably it will get stolen.

And if screws were missing from a new bass...it's likely that a GC EMPLOYEE had something to do with it. It would be hard to get the screws out of a pickguard without someone noticing...

 

[Bloodfist]

You are wrong. The screws were undoubtedly stolen. If you honestly think EBMM would let basses out of the factory missing screws and batteries, you have no idea how a modern production facility works. And, how, exactly, would someone test the bass to make sure it works without a battery in it before it leaves the factory? Do you honestly think they take the battery out after they test it?

Ummmm...I waited 4 months for my bass which came directly to me. Who stole them UPS??? GET REAL PEOPLE!!! Look I'm not bashing EBMM for any mistakes, I am quite happy with my bass, my strings and all the other Ernie Ball products that I constantly use, but to sit here and say that they do not make any mistakes is just mind blowing. EVERY company that produces a product makes mistakes. It is why we say we are only human. My guitarist has a JP6 that on the nut at his high end E string, it's cut so low the string touches the fretboard and buzzes. Unfortunately for him, he bought it from the first buyer and there is no transferable warranty so he deals with it. Did someone steal some of the nut??? Does he complain, no, the JP6 model is the only model he will play, he owns several of them, and he chalks it up to human error. I can guarantee you EB makes mistakes, as does every other guitar manufacture in America, but as far as I can tell, they make very few mistakes and that's one of the reasons I use their basses, and my guitarist use their guitars. If their were serious flaws in the instruments, such as flaws in the finish, missing bolts in the neck, sloppy fret work, or any thing of that nature, I could understand complaining, but to bicker about simple things as batteries and screws is retarded. And as far as that comment about how could a bass get threw set up with out a battery, how could a guitar get through set up with the high end string touching the fretboard???