I've Lost all Faith in Long-Mcquade

CFNickB · #1 11-06-2009, 02:52 PM

So my dad dropped off my bass today at Long-Mcquade for me for a set up / string change / to have the input looked at.. When my dad asked to have D'Addairo Chrome flats put on the guy told him that there are "No good flats for the Precision." C'mon now...

lug · #2 11-06-2009, 03:11 PM

Translation: We're out/don't carry of D'Addario Chrome Flats.

bass12 · #3 11-06-2009, 03:12 PM

Just one question - what are you doing taking your bass to Long & McQuade for a set-up?

CFNickB · #4 11-06-2009, 03:46 PM

They had them, but buddy told my dad that they where only good for Hollow body basses...

humpy thumb · #5 11-06-2009, 10:32 PM

El Beardo · #6 11-06-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFNickB

They had them, but buddy told my dad that they where only good for Hollow body basses...

Sounds like a guitard response to me.

CPplaysBASS · #7 11-06-2009, 10:41 PM

Long & McQuade has done very well by me, accepting various returns on pedals no questions asked, and great customer service.

But I no longer take my basses there for setups ... 2 weeks of waiting and always had to tweak it myself afterwards. Like El Beardo says ... guitards that don't understand bass.

I finally learned to do my own setups, but before that I found the "smaller" stores did far better setups in a much shorter period of time (specifically The Guitar Shop in Milton or Guitar World in Mississauga).

I just bought Chromes myself for my P-Bass for the first time tonight ... amazing!

JustDavid · #8 11-07-2009, 02:25 PM

I've generally gotten MUCH better advice from L&M, though I've kinda learned who to ask &, more importantly, who NOT to ask.

As far as setups, that's a factor of the tech. We have some pretty good local techs, one of which works for L&M. I'd take a bass to him & likely not to any other unknown tech no matter where they work.

mongo2 · #9 11-07-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFNickB

They had them, but buddy told my dad that they where only good for Hollow body basses...

Oyyy....

Jefenator · #10 11-07-2009, 04:58 PM

I try to deal with a brick & mortar store when I need a thing here & now & don't feel like dealing with shipping. But I could really do without the BS misdirection they throw my way, sometimes.

I mean, seriously: if a person doesn't know what they're dealing with, he/she could just say "I don't know". How hard is that?? Really - it's okay - nobody knows everything about everything.

What is NOT okay is when they just make crap up and waste my time & energy on it. A cashier once tried to tell me you can't even play out anymore unless you have a 7-string bass. (Really?? That's interesting, no one ever mentioned that on any of the 37 "calls" I did last month with my 4s & 5s.) I didn't set foot in there again for years.

Just the other day I went in for a "universal" foot switch for an amp and the [GC] greeter dude was all saying "we probably don't have anything like that". Since it is a very simple, common type of switch used with dozens of different amp designs, I reckoned they "probably" would, and what do you know? There it is - thanks for the "help", genius.

I really try to throw the locals a bone, but when I have to spend 5 minutes convincing some ignorant jerk that the thing I want does in fact exist, I might as well just hop on the web and get it myself.

Seems to be more & more truth to that common expression: good help is hard to find, these days.

[/RANT]

martyman5000 · #11 11-07-2009, 05:06 PM

Why do you take your bass to a store to have it adjusted and strings put on? If you lost faith in something take the time to learn how to do it yourself

bertbassplayer · #12 11-08-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jefenator

I really try to throw the locals a bone, but when I have to spend 5 minutes convincing some ignorant jerk that the thing I want does in fact exist, I might as well just hop on the web and get it myself.

Seems to be more & more truth to that common expression: good help is hard to find, these days.

+1, even worse when you get a 5 minute lecture on why your an idiot for even wanting the thing in the first place... while trying to convince you to buy something you don't want.

bassCanadabass · #13 11-08-2009, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass12

Just one question - what are you doing taking your bass to Long & McQuade for a set-up?

After a number of bad experiences there, I have moved to higher ground. You got to check out Club Bass. The best gear, and Dave (owner/sales person) is the man!

Jefenator · #14 11-08-2009, 09:36 PM

The store here used to have some reasonably knowledgeable folks who could support their families on their commissions. Apparently they changed all that a few years ago, made "sales" more like a dead-end bottom-feeder job. Now I never recognize a face when I go in (nor they me).

A friend of mine took her new Eon in with a question about the line/mic switching on the input and the guy kept insisting "ma'am it's just a speaker". Guy works in a music store and doesn't realize they make powered speakers. Wow...

Big Daddy Mac · #15 11-09-2009, 04:58 PM

About 10 years ago, I thought a acoustic bass was just what I was looking for. I checked out L&M and found an Ovation. I pulled the trigger and go to buy it and a case. I take it up to the counter to complete the sale. The cashier guy starts looking thru the rack of strings behind the counter. I ask if he is going to throw in an extra set. He tells me that he has to add the price of the strings to the price of the guitar !! I ask him - rather forcefully - if he is joking ?? Another guitar sales guy comes over to calm me down. I go thru the whole thing again and this guy says OK, we won't charge ya for the strings that are on it and would I like a half a dozen picks, for free? I look at both of them and ask if they were selling a car, how would one test drive it if there were no tires on it? As I am storming out the door, vowing never to return, the manager comes up to me. I go thru the whole deal again. The manager and I go into his office and settle the deal. I get the Ovation for half the price on the sticker, the case for free and an extra set of strings. I did not go back to the store for over a year. The two guys that were there, were long gone.
The ironic part of all this is that I found the Ovation to be a complete waste of time, money and energy and I never play the thing. You can't play it sitting down or standing up. I still have it and it looks pretty hanging in my studio.