GC visit today

[Scott549]

Tried a bunch of basses and amps at GC today. Observations:

1. The VM Jaguars have a pretty good feel but I'm not sure about the tone and the hardware for the tone/volume/pickup controls is of questionable quality.

2. I prefer the brighter Fender sound but if you like a darker, driving sound the Thunderbird does that pretty well.

3. I have a Backline 600. I played around with the new Ampeg Portaflex 500W amp, GK 700RBii and BL600. I would need more time to mess around with the controls on the Ampeg, but it sounded OK. Through a Markbass 2x10, though, forget it. I am not impressed with Markbass for the price. Played both GK cabs through a GK 4x10 Neo cab. That thing can rock. The amps have similar sound. For my uses the BL 600 probably has more than enough volume. I need a lighter cabinet, though, to go with my Avatar SB112.

[Rockingbird]

I went in today as well, to follow up on an application. My observations:

1. It's ****ing loud in there.

2. If you wear black in there, everyone assumes you work there.

3. That damn MTD has been sittin on the wall for 2 years now.

[Adam Bomb]

I went to GC today too. Observations:

1. That one dude looks just like that dude in Metalocalypse.

2. Nobody in here has ever heard of a double gig bag.

3. I want one of everything in the bass dept.

--Bomb

[NecroticImbecil]

Funny. I learned a couple things there myself, from the knowledgeable staff:

1) You can't play guitar, even at low volumes, through a bass amp. It will blow the tweeter. Even if there isn't a tweeter to begin with.

2)When using a footpedal type effect, plug the instrument into the jack labelled "out" and connect the amp to the jack labelled "in." Anyone who tries to tell you different is an idiot. I know, because I was the idiot who plugged it in t'other way round. Good thing the associate caught my gaffe before the amp was turned on! Oddly enough after it was hooked up by the professional the amp made no sound.. must have been broken previously by some wanker trying to plug a guitar into it.

3)Ohms are a myth. Just plug any ol cab into the amp, it'll be fine. As long as you're not trying to plug a guitar into it...

[Scott549]

What do they do with those American Fenders that are on the racks, getting grabbed and played by people for six months? Maybe those are the ones that are listed as used on Musician's Friend.

[capnsandwich]

Originally Posted by Rockingbird

I went in today as well, to follow up on an application. My observations:

1. It's ****ing loud in there.

2. If you wear black in there, everyone assumes you work there.

3. That damn MTD has been sittin on the wall for 2 years now.

Exactly the same experience except there's a Bongo 6'er that's been there longer than the MTD and a Marcus Miller that's been there almost as long.

[BassDudeSA]

I am still under the impression that going into GC or any music store and trying out an amp to see how it sounds is practically worthless. You go into a store and turn an amp up to 2, and it seems quite loud. Take that amp to a rehearsal, put it at 2 and you can barely hear it. Crank it up to the volume you need to work with a drummer and some guitarists and then you can see what it can do. Not only that, but basses often need to be EQed differently to cut through a mix whereas that is not an issue when playinmg at low volume at a music store. I have learned through years of experience that A/B-ing amps at music stores is a waste ot time.

Why is it that when I go in, most bassists trying out gear are slapping?

I don't like it when salesmen bug me, and then agree with everything I say when commenting on various basses.

Though it is fun to look, I rarely ever by anything in a music store anyway as the prices and inventory are so much better online.

[rhopper]

Originally Posted by BassDudeSA

Why is it that when I go in, most bassists trying out gear are slapping?
online.

How true! The true measure of a good bass player is how one can slap it seems... Even for metal players.

[mpdd]

guitar center doesn't discount used gear, whereas musician's friend does...

[Bredian]

The local NorCA stores seem to be changing their "model" with more lower priced merchandise, the vault room hardly cracked $1K, the help looked like they could be working at Jamba Juice. A former GC guy assured me that SF and LA stores still had cool stuff.

[Coop Soup]

Originally Posted by NecroticImbecil

Funny. I learned a couple things there myself, from the knowledgeable staff:

1) You can't play guitar, even at low volumes, through a bass amp. It will blow the tweeter. Even if there isn't a tweeter to begin with.

2)When using a footpedal type effect, plug the instrument into the jack labelled "out" and connect the amp to the jack labelled "in." Anyone who tries to tell you different is an idiot. I know, because I was the idiot who plugged it in t'other way round. Good thing the associate caught my gaffe before the amp was turned on! Oddly enough after it was hooked up by the professional the amp made no sound.. must have been broken previously by some wanker trying to plug a guitar into it.

3)Ohms are a myth. Just plug any ol cab into the amp, it'll be fine. As long as you're not trying to plug a guitar into it...

[chadds]

Originally Posted by rhopper

How true! The true measure of a good bass player is how one can slap it seems... Even for metal players.

"Does this metal, work for slap?"

[cheezewiz]

Even worse are the sales tards (and NOT all GC employees are sales tards), who grab you a bass down, then plug it in themselves and do their most ambitious slap wank before they hand you the bass. Last tard that did that I walked away while he was trying to impress me with his slaptastic chops.

[rhopper]

Originally Posted by cheezewiz

Even worse are the sales tards (and NOT all GC employees are sales tards), who grab you a bass down, then plug it in themselves and do their most ambitious slap wank before they hand you the bass. Last tard that did that I walked away while he was trying to impress me with his slaptastic chops.

The same exact thing happened to me... I also just walked away.

[pacojas]

the bass area at GC in SF resembles a dirty alley! i was afraid i was going to injure myself trying to look around. you look up and go flying across the room after tripping over the crappy floor models. dirt and grime everywhere! i left immediately.

i am not blaming GC as much as i am blaming the week-end. i've been there during the weekdays while no one is there and it's obviously much nicer. GC needs to hire a floor instrument janitor because people are sloppy. they play a guitar and just leave it anywhere! <grrrrr>

[bass rocks]

i walk into gc some dudes like whatsup littleman he works there and i never him again all the basses are crap found the dude i said hey do you have the 499 laguna bass not just the cheapy 199 one he says ill check that out and i never hear from him again theres no service its frickin loud no cables or plugins i got kicked off the ladder and they dont have eny bass strings that is so terrible

[cheezewiz]

Originally Posted by bass rocks

i walk into gc some dudes like whatsup littleman he works there and i never him again all the basses are crap found the dude i said hey do you have the 499 laguna bass not just the cheapy 199 one he says ill check that out and i never hear from him again theres no service its frickin loud no cables or plugins i got kicked off the ladder and they dont have eny bass strings that is so terrible

Punctuation is your friend.

[gjbassist]

Originally Posted by bass rocks

i walk into gc some dudes like whatsup littleman he works there and i never him again all the basses are crap found the dude i said hey do you have the 499 laguna bass not just the cheapy 199 one he says ill check that out and i never hear from him again theres no service its frickin loud no cables or plugins i got kicked off the ladder and they dont have eny bass strings that is so terrible

There is this thing called punctuation. You should give it a try some time!

Darn cheezewiz you beat me to it!

[MarTONEbass]

Originally Posted by bass rocks

i walk into gc some dudes like whatsup littleman he works there and i never him again all the basses are crap found the dude i said hey do you have the 499 laguna bass not just the cheapy 199 one he says ill check that out and i never hear from him again theres no service its frickin loud no cables or plugins i got kicked off the ladder and they dont have eny bass strings that is so terrible

Are you an employee?

[ButtUglyJeff]

Originally Posted by bass rocks

i walk into gc some dudes like whatsup littleman he works there and i never him again all the basses are crap found the dude i said hey do you have the 499 laguna bass not just the cheapy 199 one he says ill check that out and i never hear from him again theres no service its frickin loud no cables or plugins i got kicked off the ladder and they dont have eny bass strings that is so terrible

....I think he passed out, from not taking a breath.