i had a salesman try to talk me out of a stingray

[Davecg2]

It was the one in Indianapolis,Indiana. I've played a ton of five strings and personally, the stingray is the only one that I acutally liked( I didn't get a chance to play any bongo or sterling fivers out yet though)

really if its the one in castleton, thats the same one i used to go to, i had one great experience there with a salesman that was very helpfull and they've been better about leaving you to your shopping lately. They definitely need to clean and tune their basses more often though.

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.

And this post may change my attitude towards GC. If GC is really paying attention to customer concerns as this post says, and follows through with addressing some of those issues, i might have to start hitting GC up again for my gear fetishes.

 

[bovinehost]

Guys, the execs at Guitar Center read this forum on a fairly regular basis. As long as it stays constructive and adult, only good can come from this.

Jack

 

[Big Poppa]

Phil Thanks so much..

Guys lets try to not paint a picture of your perception of Guitar Center in the 80's ....Do so only if you want photos of what you looked like back then too!

Also lets not take an issue that was totally valid and expand it to alleging illegal behavior etc.

Guitar Center is one of a kind in the world...weve beat that to death..Lots of good and some bad. The important thing is that you got a honest and intelligent response and the store manager wants to help out.

I dont know where you can find a better solution

 

[backagain1]

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.

The markup on the cheap import is probably much more than on the quality SR5. Plus, the cheap ones are often much more difficult to get rid of than the quality musical instruments.

As far as the string spacing, the neck on my SR5 is my favorite neck of all of my instruments.

backagain1

 

[barginkov]

i used to have a early mtd, right from michael t***s, not the import, it was the $4500. i compared the sound many times, with other bass players, that was at least 6 years ago, i still have my teal sr 5, the mtd is long long gone, the MM sr 5 blew it away, wasnt even close... my 2 cents worth.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

I have sat on the wall here for the entire lenght of this thread and I did the same for other similar threads where you guys from the US have been giving Guitar Centre a real hard time at every chance you can get. It must be hard for the company, when you have so many outlets in so many states to keep control of them all, at a flagship level.

I have refrained from commenting on this so far simply because:
(perhaps my UK bretherens should do the same on the subject, tut tut, read on...)

a) because I am in London UK and not the US
b) because we don't have GC here or any other big chain of guitar stores for that matter.

BUT I have to tell you guys are lucky in so many ways.

Here in England we don't have any music chain stores such as GC, it's all down to a few indipendent stores and we are lucky if we get 2 or 3 EBMM stockist per each town. In London for instance we have the Bass Centre and the Bass Cellar and another couple of stores 30 miles outside of London in the Kent and Essex counties. That's it! No one else would stock them but you get plenty of Ibanez, Fenders, Gibson, PRS and the rest of it

We would love to be able to walk to as many GC as we could, just like you guys are able to, even to find basses without batteries and mucky with sweath, dead strings etc.

One thing is for sure we would be thankful to have that much more choice.

Oh and... we wouldn't stand for some demented salesman trying to convince us that a Korean unknown instrument is better choice than a Stingray, we would simply tell him where to get off, or to go and put the kettle on while we get on trying the instruments we are interested in.

Think about it.

 

[Davecg2]

I have sat on the wall here for the entire lenght of this thread and I did the same for other similar threads where you guys from the US have been giving Guitar Centre a real hard time at every chance you can get. It must be hard for the company, when you have so many outlets in so many states to keep control of them all, at a flagship level.

I have refrained from commenting on this so far simply because:
(perhaps my UK bretherens should do the same on the subject, tut tut, read on...)

a) because I am in London UK and not the US
b) because we don't have GC here or any other big chain of guitar stores for that matter.

BUT I have to tell you guys are lucky in so many ways.

Here in England we don't have any music chain stores such as GC, it's all down to a few indipendent stores and we are lucky if we get 2 or 3 EBMM stockist per each town. In London for instance we have the Bass Centre and the Bass Cellar and another couple of stores 30 miles outside of London in the Kent and Essex counties. That's it! No one else would stock them but you get plenty of Ibanez, Fenders, Gibson, PRS and the rest of it

We would love to be able to walk to as many GC as we could, just like you guys are able to, even to find basses without batteries and mucky with sweath, dead strings etc.

One thing is for sure we would be thankful to have that much more choice.

Oh and... we wouldn't stand for some demented salesman trying to convince us that a Korean unknown instrument is better choice than a Stingray, we would simply tell him where to get off, or to go and put the kettle on while we get on trying the instruments we are interested in.

Think about it.

good points and very valid, GC is the only place close i could actually play a MM so that is very nice.

 

[strummer]

but i have to tell you guys are lucky in so many ways.

+1000

 

[Lynottfan]

Spot on with grand wazoo, even the "world famous Bass centre" is a tad lacking at times, especially ebmm wise, so +loads to you here to

 

[Smakbass]

I dunno who cares what the sales guy says anyways its your opinion that counts...He obviously doesnt really know that much about basses. The string spacing thing is totally what your used too....im a 19mm guy cause im used to it..not cause its better if a guy is just starting on a 5 spacing shouldnt matter one bit...and if he plays pick its probably an advantage.

It bothers me when ppl tell others what they should be playing with out asking first what their style is.

I dont think this is really what id call a problem with GC its just one dude...and every music store gets guys like these at some point.

 

[iamcatwarrior]

It bothers me when ppl tell others what they should be playing with out asking first what their style is.

If that's the case, maybe you should stay as far away from TalkBass as humanly possible.

Yeah, you make the right point, though. This was really what my first reply was about, because only the person holding the instrument in question can fully judge for himself if it's best for him.

 

[petch]

It's unfortunate that the OP had a negative experience while looking at EBMM's at GC. On the flip side, when I was staring at the EBMM's up on the wall at the closest GC (Akron, Ohio), the salesperson said "MusicMans are awesome; would you like to play one?"... so I did.
I bought my Sterling the next day from them.

 

[TheAntMan]

It is a double edged sword. GC are a good place to get instruments and are a large enough chain to get just about whatever you need or want. At the same time they can have a huge influence on new musicians. If a sales person tries to redirect an experience musician then the musician can use their experience to make an informed judgment call. But a newbie can easily be moved away from an EBMM or what ever other instrument they were originally interested in by deferring to the implied expertise of the sales rep.

Not looking to knock GC again, but just my $0.02

-- Ant

 

[bovinehost]

It's unfortunate that the OP had a negative experience while looking at EBMM's at GC. On the flip side, when I was staring at the EBMM's up on the wall at the closest GC (Akron, Ohio), the salesperson said "MusicMans are awesome; would you like to play one?"... so I did.
I bought my Sterling the next day from them.

It's nice to have some good news, too.

 

[RaginRog]

It was the one in Indianapolis,Indiana. I've played a ton of five strings and personally, the stingray is the only one that I acutally liked( I didn't get a chance to play any bongo or sterling fivers out yet though)

Amen Brother!

I HATE 5 Strings.....yet, I thought I should have one.

I've owned the following 5 Strings, Warwick Corvette Rockbass 5, Warwick Corvette Standard 5, SUB SR5 (missed the mids), Spector Legend 5, Ibanez SR530, Fender American Jazz 5, and none held up to the comfort and tone. The SR5 neck is also the best I've played. The only other bass I though had a nice 5 String, and felt similar was the Pedulla Rapture 5, but it had a funky appearence.

 

[RaginRog]

It is a double edged sword. GC are a good place to get instruments and are a large enough chain to get just about whatever you need or want. At the same time they can have a huge influence on new musicians. If a sales person tries to redirect an experience musician then the musician can use their experience to make an informed judgment call. But a newbie can easily be moved away from an EBMM or what ever other instrument they were originally interested in by deferring to the implied expertise of the sales rep.

Not looking to knock GC again, but just my $0.02

-- Ant

One of the things that has hurt GC in the past few months is that they have fixed pricing, and The Sales team generally doesn't get to offer up any better deals. It's kind of hurt morale in some locations. Another thing is that most GC's are stocked with very plain looking instruments. They always seem to have the standard Black, and Sunburst colors in every model, and or Brand imaginable.

Another issue is the lack of expertise in each sales department. Many times, a new musician may encounter a sales rep working in "bass guitars", who happens to be nothing more than a guitarist covering that area of the floor.

Sales is really where it's at. This same issue actually affects the auto industry, especially when you have some Jack-- dealerships selling both American and Foreign brands at the same location. With so much to choose from, and the recession, a sales person at any GC or music store for that matter will quickly validate a cheaper bass as the "Greatest Bass" in order to make the sale, and earn some commission.

This may be the reason why a salesperson would have tried to convince OP to buy a cheaper bass. It's all perception.....if I go into GC after work, while wearing my Shirt and Tie, I have everyone coming up to me and pointing out nice basses; however, if I go in after a gym workout, while wearing workout clothes...nobody pays me any mind.... go figure


What a rant....sorry

 

[bovinehost]

Another thing is that most GC's are stocked with very plain looking instruments. They always seem to have the standard Black, and Sunburst colors in every model, and or Brand imaginable.

Ask BP what sells. EBMM could make black/maple Stingrays week in and week out, churn 'em out like flapjacks and just be done with all the new colors and stuff. We are not a representative sampling of the general bass-buying public.

Sad but true.

 

[oddjob]

You mean "Green" doesn't sell?!?!?!??!?!?!?

 

[douglasspears]

Ask BP what sells. EBMM could make black/maple Stingrays week in and week out, churn 'em out like flapjacks and just be done with all the new colors and stuff. We are not a representative sampling of the general bass-buying public.

Sad but true.

says the dude playing a black bass in his avatar. haha, just kidding.

Seriously, you southeast guys should check out the ATL GC, it's got a LOT of great inventory, and I've had great service in every dept. (drums, guitar, acoustic guitar, pro aud, and this past weekend, bass). The Marietta location aint' bad either.

 

[oli@bass]

Ask BP what sells. EBMM could make black/maple Stingrays week in and week out, churn 'em out like flapjacks and just be done with all the new colors and stuff. We are not a representative sampling of the general bass-buying public.

Sad but true.

And again I have to chime in and say:

If people don't get a chance to see any of those great colours, they won't ever buy any. And that is also part of a distrubtor's business.