Is Leland Sklar hard up for cash?

[air_leech]

Originally Posted by RAM

Well, considering the fact that he ordered it after playing it, but sent it back saying he wouldn't pay for it tells me he was cool with the quality, playability, and tone, but uncool with the price.

It's okay to be skeptical, but to call my logic flawed and completely inconclusive is a bit of a stretch, given that you don't know the full conversation I had with unnamed luthier.

am I the only one here who thinks this is really an uncool attitude?

so what, you're a big session bassist. if you ordered the bass just because you assumed that being famous would mean you'll probably get it for free and someone worked hard to build it for you and was expecting a payment for his work than you came out as an arrogant snob, mr. Sklar.

-1 in my book

[ALiP BoB]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

Give him a free Bass and you're guaranteed to sell more than one,plus Lee knows his worth.

+1.

[T-MOST]

If I had the rep of Leland or Marcus or Vic to name a few I would think a free bass is totally in order. These guys can buy and play anything they want. Why should they play yours?? especially if they don't already?? Putting "their" bass in his hands will only make "them" money. Thats why they are asking him to play it. So yes, it should be free.

[air_leech]

Originally Posted by T-MOST

If I had the rep of Leland or Marcus or Vic to name a few I would think a free bass is totally in order. These guys can buy and play anything they want. Why should I play yours?? especially if I don't already?? Putting "your" bass in my hands will only make "YOU" money. Thats why you are asking me to play it. So yes, want it for free.

thats totaly understandable and legitimate as long as he recives them from the luthier/manufacturer but if he ordered a bass and expected that it will come with a thank you note then he needs a more down to earth approach.

[Lonnybass]

About a month ago, Lee himself told me he found himself gravitating to the same 7 or 8 instruments all the time, even when he had three or four times that many in his collection. He ALSO said that he is approached by manufacturers all the time, but if he can't find "himself" after a few minutes playing on a new bass, he loses patience because he'd likely just going to go back to his old standbys anyway.

Lonnybass

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Originally Posted by air_leech

thats totaly understandable and legitimate as long as he recives them from the luthier/manufacturer but if he ordered a bass and expected that it will come with a thank you note then he needs a more down to earth approach.

There must have been a miscommunication or something there. You do not send a bill to the player for a bass he's ordered unless agreed to beforehand. If the player just assumed that he would get the instrument for free without prior arrangement, especially when placing the order, then he was wrong. There was probably more to it than that.

I can imagine a lot of high profile and professional musicians get free equipment from companies in hopes that they will play it publicly and bring some publicity to them. What I would hope would happen, especially with the high end gear, is that the company send the instrument to the player to evaluate and have the player return it if they do not like it or cannot play it because they have already have an agreement with XX company or are happy with the instruments they have. If they like the instrument, then the company can negotiate an agreement (free instrument, payed, etc...).

If the companies want to gift instruments, then that's up them as well.

[T-MOST]

Maybe they thought this would be a bass that Leland would like. They spoke to Lee at some trade show and told him about a bass they are developing and asked if he would like to try it out. He said sure. A few weeks later here comes UPS but inside the box is a bill to go along with the bass . No thanks!
Back it goes! Yeah, maybe thats what happened.

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by T-MOST

They spoke to Lee at some trade show and told him about a bass they are developing and asked if he would like to try it out. He said sure. A few weeks later here comes UPS but inside the box is a bill to go along with the bass . No thanks!
Back it goes! Yeah, maybe thats what happened.