If I dood it, I get a whippin'

[adouglas]

I dood it!

(Bugs Bunny fans will know the reference.)

Darn those guys at basscentral. I emailed them today asking after the price of a Bongo equipped, but not colored, the way I want, and was informed that the exact Bongo I'm GASing for just happens to be in the pipeline (fretted 5, HH w/piezo, Desert Gold...which is pretty rare, as it turns out...email exchanges with EBMM indicated that such a bass does not currently exist in inventory, anywhere).

I did a bit of dickering, and wound up dropping a deposit on it.

Gad, I feel like such a traitor. I really love my current bass, a 1997 Carvin LB75A that I've hotrodded with Bartolini pickups and an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp. It's a tone monster, and a great instrument. A bit pimpy and over the top for my tastes with gold hardware, quilt top and abalone block inlays, but what the heck...it plays and sounds great.

But I made the mistake of picking up a Bongo at GC some weeks ago and was mightily impressed. It really turned my head, and I've been GASing ever since.

An unfortunate fact of marital and financial life is that I can only have two basses, one fretted and one fretless. So if I'm really going to become a Bongoloid, I'll have to make a choice. I'll have to do a straight shootout between a Bongo and my Carvin, using my own rig. Winner stays in the bed, loser gets cab fare.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. My current inclination is to go to one of the local Guitar Centers and actually buy a HH Bongo 5, keep it for a few days to do the test, and return it. I'm mildly troubled by the ethics of that...buying an instrument knowing up front that I'm going to take it back...but it is Guitar Center, after all, and I'd never buy an instrument from them under any circumstances anyway.

And I still think it looks like a....um....never mind.



I promise not to post naked pictures of myself with it. I don't have the Nerve.

 

[Aussie Mark]

You could always order one through our resident good 'ole boy Lord Bongo.

 

[adouglas]

You could always order one through our resident good 'ole boy Lord Bongo.

True...but there's a three-month wait. I'll have it in about three weeks.

 

[bovinehost]

I think we (adouglas and I) tried to help each other out, but thank you kindly, sir Mark of The Kingdom of Ugly Shirts.

Now on the buy and return - I'm not very hard to get along with, and your morals are your own business, but I don't think I personally would feel comfortable doing the GC deal just to return it.

 

[adouglas]

Yeah, it's troubling me a bit too. The only redeeming factor is that while I do give GC my business when it comes to stuff like cords, strings, picks, etc., I have a real problem with the state they keep their instruments in...lousy setups without exception...and the qualifications of the sales staff (the last guy I encountered wasn't even aware that the expensive carbon-necked Zon I was looking at didn't have a trussrod).

I'll use GC for commodity items, but if I'm going to drop $1000-plus on an instrument, I'm going to go to a trusted retailer who knows his/her stuff, period. That kind of expenditure demands, at the very least, a knowledgable salesperson. I like to reward good customer service.

So GC loses the bass off the floor for a couple of days and has to do some paperwork...they're made whole within a week. They're not hurt, but I still don't like being dishonest in any way.

There are two alternatives.

One is to attempt to replicate my rig in the store (I have a pre/power/cabinet, coupled to a Bose PAS), but they always put the PAS out in the middle of the floor, and I'd have to compete with the wankers. Not the best situation.

The second is to take my rig, including the PAS, to a small store that has a Bongo and use one of their practice rooms. I do in fact know of such a store here in CT (the proprietor of which participates here), but I'd have a real problem...much worse than the ethics of the GC deal...imposing upon their time for a hour or more knowing that I've already done a deal elsewhere. GC is an impersonal corporate giant, not deserving of consideration unless they give me good service, which I've yet to get. The local store is more likely to give me good advice, expertise and service. Even though I would walk out of the store at the end of the day having only occupied some space, it would still be wrong.

How about this, from an ethical standpoint: What if I offered to rent the Bongo from GC or the local store for a couple of days?

 

[SteveB]

I don't think the GC concept is something I'd pursue, but you can make up your own mind.

I know a lot of us here (myself included) tend to hate GC yet we vote with our dollars and shop there anyway.. even if it's just for small items.

But one thing I'll give them... they're carrying EBMM instruments, in-stock. If it weren't for GC, some of us may have never had the opportunity to even *see* a Music Man, let alone try one.

I wish other retailers would stock 'em, but I understand it's a tough business and most shops can't afford to sit on less-than-cheap inventory without moving it quickly. But man, I shudder to think what might happen if GC didn't carry Music Man.

Sterling says that GC really wants to turn things around and improve their reputation. I respect that and I'm waiting to see if they can pull it off. Hopefully they will stock even more EBMM guitars in the future and learn how to sell them.
I'd love to walk into a GC one day and play a Luke, Silhouette, Axis, AL, and a Morse... one after the other. Hell, I'd be happy just to look at them.

There's no reason why half the Squires or Epiphones walking out those doors shouldn't be SUB1's.

 

[midopa]

Hopefully, they'll raise the bar for hiring employees, too. One time I was looking over some basses at a local GC and a staff member comes over and starts up a conversation.
"What bass do you play?" he eventually asks.
"An ESP B205" (this was before I got my Bongo, see).
"Oh, really? Leo Fender worked with ESP after he left Fender."
... Riiight. So I say, "I thought he worked with Music Man."
He says, "He also worked with ESP."

... Eugh?

Sorry for further derailing the thread. If you could, renting the bass sounds like a good way to go. I didn't know you could do that...

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

If GC has such a liberal return policy then that's their problem IMO....I have no problem with your ethics given that you're within their stated policy for returns.

Where I have an "ethical" issue is when GC takes all these 30 day returns then turns around and resells then as "new" to another customer.

 

[shlumkin]

"Bongoloid" - yeah, that's what I became when I first put my hands on a Bongo.
You will keep him when You play him for some time. That's my prophecy, It happend to me.
I barely didn't play my other Basses since, not kiddin'!
(awesomemindblowingwonderfulpieceofsoundmachineitisofcourseicantellyou)

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

awesomemindblowingwonderfulpieceofsoundmachineiti sofcourseicantellyou

 

[phatduckk]

personally i dunno ... which isnt much help.

i wouldnt feel bad for GC. youre within their policy like dude said and they will sell the bass for sure. since youre on thsi forum i assume youre a great guy, cuz we all are (and gals too), and wont beat the bass to death - then return it. i wouldnt feel "bad" for GC - just the next guy that "really" buys it @ new price w/o knowing that its kinda used.

personally, MAYBE if i knew i would keep the bass in perfect condition id PERSONALLY be maybe ok with that plan. but its your choice. alternatively, if GC has your rig, you can take your carvin there and do an A vs B. that could be easier too

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Yes, but those 30 day returns are the ones you see in GC's all over the country as in-store specials which they are allowed to do...may have a ding here or there but what bass doesn't after 30 days anyway?

They have a huge network and a huge market share...you ok with getting a bass with a ding or two with full warranty at $200 or $250 off "new, new" price then no problem..it's a great savings plus no 3 month wait to order one in "factory fresh" albeit "licked" condition...you can walk out of GC today and play it at a gig tonight with minor string change & setup which you should all know how to do if you're serious as a player anyway.

You just have to take what is there in stock and deal with it..you need to be savvy beyond your sales geek in a polo shirt...be informed...pick a good one. I assure you that BP will stand behind all of his basses purchased through an authorized EBMM dealer...that's a given.

As a new EBMM Dealer, I don't even consider myself competing for the same demographic as GC so they don't really take any customers away from me or visa versa...It's all good home chickens when you have a level playing field and a guy like Sterling with cajones and passion who holds his mud.

A man who stands behind his convictions is a rare thing most days...

 

[Disquieter]

listening to everyone talk about gc, it's no wonder so many of their products are damaged.

no saying anyone here would damage a bass on purpose, and im sure you would all try your damndest not to damage it for any reason at all.

but people who buy a bass at gc, just to try it out, then return it and order it from someone else. it's dusgusting. shame on you, the sales guys at gc are just guys trying to get by just like the people at your local podunk shop.


If you want to buy a bass, and don't like gc, buy it from dude or doug, it's a musicman, it will be 100000% no matter what you get, but if you want a bass, and can't wait, buy it either off jacks no available list (see dudepit), or from BC, Bassnw, or gc. any of those fine establishments are more than happy to take your money away from you.

I personally, have no money, but if I did, i'd order a bass from jack, even though i get obnoxious deals at GC, I choose to support the dude... okay?

does this make sense? i donno, im a little wastey...


joel

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Just remember I lick all of mine...

 

[adouglas]

Just remember I lick all of mine...

And Joe does something else to his.....

If I were to do the buy and return thing, it would DEFINITELY be on condition that the bass get returned in the same condition I got it. You break it (or scratch it), you buy it. If I'm worrying about a mild ethical point like this, do you really think I'd trash the thing and then take it back?

GCs only carry one or two Bongos at a time anyway...at least all of those near here do (there are a half dozen GCs within an hour and a half of me). The one I'd go to has the Bongo in question on the floor. For all I know it's been bought and returned already. It has for sure been handled by God knows who in the store. I can guarantee that I'd be taking as good or better care of it than those who have already been handling it.

Still thinking all this over. It's interesting that the responses to this are so strong in both directions.

Perhaps I'll try to replicate my rig in the store and give it a shot under those circumstances. If I can't get enough information to satisfy myself that way, I'll do the buy-and-return thing, telling them up front that I very well may return it. If they're okay with that, I'll stop worrying about it.

What in your opinion is the best time to hit GC outside of normal business hours?

 

[Jazzbassman23]

I suppose one way to look at it is that if it stayed on a hook at GC, it would get pulled down and tried out several times. You would simply be trying it out in the comfort of your home. A tryout is a tryout. In the long run, wear and tear on the bass would be the same. How many times have I read that guys hear take gear home and on gigs "on approval" to see whether it meets their needs. I know you said you have no intention of buying, so there is that, but in the end, the bass is no worse off. And my guess is, you'll probably tidy it up before returning it. Tough call.

 

[MingusBASS]

...Perhaps I'll try to replicate my rig in the store and give it a shot under those circumstances. If I can't get enough information to satisfy myself that way, I'll do the buy-and-return thing, telling them up front that I very well may return it. If they're okay with that, I'll stop worrying about it...

I think the first part of this quote is a good idea. If it's possible to assemble your rig (or something close to it) in Guitar Center-then great. However, I think if you are honest with yourself the second part is simply a flat out lie. You have no intentions of actually buying the bass from Guitar Center, you are buying the piezo equipped Bongo from Bass Central. Why be dishonest to the sales person? Do what you want my friend, but GC was not made to be your bass rental superstore. I'm not here to judge-just offering you my .02- Ask the wife, see what she says- women are usually pretty good at this stuff. Or have I been brainwashed by my girl?

Andrew

 

[MingusBASS]

Øne more thing-


The fine folks at Guitar Center make most of their money through what they sell-Commission. If you buy a bass and then bring it back you are taking money from their paycheck. Don't waste some poor guy/girls time if you plan on doing this.

Andrew

 

[AnthonyD]

I have a problem with the "buy with the intent to return" idea... For most of the same reasons already stated.

 

[adouglas]

However, I think if you are honest with yourself the second part is simply a flat out lie. You have no intentions of actually buying the bass from Guitar Center, you are buying the piezo equipped Bongo from Bass Central. Why be dishonest to the sales person?

This is exactly why I raised the question in the first place. I don't like the idea either, but I can't think of another way to try this comparison in a wanker-free zone.

Perhaps I could ask if they'd rent it to me. That would solve the problem nicely.