My locval GC and a damaged Sterling

[corrosiontrav]

I went to my local GC on Sunday to check out some EB's, mainly to see if they still have a carbon blue Bongo HH and a Sterling H/S. Well they still had both. I need another road going bass as I recently landed a gig with Mojo Perry, who is a moderately sized name here and is gearing up for a tour with the Chris Duarte Band.

Anywho, back to the story. The bongo was set up terrible, but I don't blame GC for that as much as the Wisconsin weather, but the Sterling, which is natural with a maple neck and a tort guard, was beyond bad, and again I don't blame GC or EBMM, because I played it when it came in about 5 months ago, but now the frets ends woudl cut your hand, and someone had dropped the bass and and the back of the body was about a 1 inch by 3 inch gouge through to the wood and including some of the wood.


I liked the bass and would consider buyiing it as it is just hitting the road anyhow, but the price they offered I felt didn't justify it for such a damaged bass.

Again I in no way mean to start a flame war. I love EBMM and I play their stuff becuase I love it, and have nothign but good experience with them.

I wish I could say the same for GC, but this could have happened at any store.

Any advice on negotiating, or is this some sort of lost cause, or shoudl I just move on and get an EBMM that isn't beat up?

 

[SteveB]

Buy Bovine's sparkle Sterling for $850 in the "Music Man basses for sale" sticky thread.

 

[tiffles]

yeah agreed.

 

[corrosiontrav]

Buy Bovine's sparkle Sterling for $850 in the "Music Man basses for sale" sticky thread.

That is waying HEAVY on my mind!!

 

[Big Poppa]

If gc has a bass with fret ends sticking out it shouldnt be offered for sale until cleaned up

 

[brooklynfall]

If gc has a bass with fret ends sticking out it shouldnt be offered for sale until cleaned up

Question for you BP: is the procedure in that case they send it back to EB, or they take responsibility for the repair? Just curious.

 

[bovinehost]

Buy Bovine's sparkle Sterling for $850 in the "Music Man basses for sale" sticky thread.

Too late. Musicman Nut swooped in, to no one's surprise. (How many sparkles does he really have, anyway?)

Jack

 

[robobass13]

bp is right it should not be out for sale if it has those kind of problems, but you also can't walk in and offer an amount that is probably below dealer cost and think there are going to cave when you threaten to walk. when I hear people make statements like that it makes me mad, have you ever worked in a commison sales type of job, and had to rely on making your living off of trying to hold onto a fairly small profit margin. I hear you guys and people all over the net complain about how bad GC and how the employees never are the same ones that were there the week before and they don't know what there are talking about when it comes to the gear. you should try going into a GC and payimg the price on the tag every once in awhile and letting these poor people make a decent living, instead of demanding what you think the price should and then walking when they don't cave to it. shame on you, give these people a chance.

 

[midopa]

That's interesting cuz I had a similar experience a few days ago regarding the fret ends on a maple fingerboard StingRay and likewise Sterling. The action on the basses I played was really high but I came prepared and did a little setup job on them all (didn't/couldn't fix the fret ends issue tho). I hope I dont get in trouble.

 

[cat_empire]

robobass i agree with you on the point that you shouldnt always try and drill the price down, but from the sounds of it, these basses aren't fit to be sold, if they have massive dents in them, are poorly set up and have frets sticking out of the wood then i think its reasonable to not want to pay full price.

I know if a car salesman tried to sell me a car when the wheels were flat or punctured and there were large dents in the car i wouldnt want to pay full price.

 

[robobass13]

and like I said, I agree they should not be out on the floor for sale until they are repaired, my point is the other poster on hear made the statment of offer them $xxxx and if they don't take it just walk. that is an unreasonable offer for a bass that sells for $xxxx.

 

[bovinehost]

Well now, we aren't really talking prices here, are we?

Listen, let's take the brand out of the equation. You walk in, see a bass that has some problems and make a low-ball offer. The salesman has two options:

1. "Hah, hah.....NO."
2. "Hmm, something is better than nothing....okay, cash only."

Saying, "Nope, can't do it" takes about two seconds and is nothing to get wrapped around the axle about, is it?

 

[koogie2k]

Damaged instruments happen in places that let you play them.....

I would suggest what Lord Bovine said....

 

[tadawson]

and like I said, I agree they should not be out on the floor for sale until they are repaired, my point is the other poster on hear made the statment of offer them $xxxx and if they don't take it just walk. that is an unreasonable offer for a bass that sells for $xxxx.

As soon as it takes damage, the undamaged price is no longer valid - it is used (and abused) gear . . . . . . . . and should be repaired or sold for what it is . . . .

- Tim

 

[robobass13]

right, sold for what it is SHOP WORN, not used, and not sold below dealer cost, everything has an inherent value. no matter what, a store/company cannot stay in business selling gear at or below cost. I mean what kind of profit margin do you think these basses or any other musical instrument for that matter brings?

 

[silverburst]

I do not understand why you are getting so chapped off about this. They will sell it or they won't. This is not Russia, and nobody is twisting the buyer's or seller's arm to move this damaged and possibly unplayable bass off the wall. I am sure that Guitar Center is making plenty of money and they know what they are doing.

Also, nobody is forcing people to work at GC. If it is a rotten place to work, then good and motivated people will not want to work there. The others will stay. The staff at my local GC is constantly turning over. There are a couple of good guys I look for when I go in, and they get my business. One of them will actually call me when they get in something new that they think I would like. The new guys have the typical apathethic and entitled attitude that is becoming more commonplace in the youth of American society. They don't know the equipment and don't show any interest in figuring it out.

Guitar Center has changed alot through the years, and they are becoming better about having actual prices on the gear. I remember 20 years ago when everything they had was tagged at list price. You would have to negotiate with the salesman, and he would keep having to go back to the office to "talk to my manager". It took hours and it was like buying something at a frickin used car lot. I think this has caused alot of festering ill will for GC over the years.


BTW, Festering Ill Will would make a good band name.

 

[bovinehost]

Okay, too much talk about street prices means I have to go back and clean up the thread.

Come on, guys.

And let's not turn this into yet another "What I Hate/What I Love" about Guitar Center, shall we?

It's been done and overdone.

Thanks.

 

[jongitarz]

I have to add one thing here....I have seen this MANY times. An instrument that has been hanging around a store(doesn't have to be GC) dropped, parts missing etc. It is sold at a huge discount because of said abuse, and the buyer calls us and wants the damage fixed under warranty.

 

[corrosiontrav]

I have to add one thing here....I have seen this MANY times. An instrument that has been hanging around a store(doesn't have to be GC) dropped, parts missing etc. It is sold at a huge discount because of said abuse, and the buyer calls us and wants the damage fixed under warranty.

I NO WAY wanted this fixed under a warranty if I got it at a discount.

However, the price they where offering it to me for was beyond what I was willing to pay for this damaged insturment, and that's really the bottom line. If I was willing to pay the price they offered, I would want it fixed


But thats just me.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Kids, DON'T try this at home!

$6.99 at a hardware store near you


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