GC - did he really say that?

Jaycephas · #1 04-01-2013, 07:01 PM

So I'm in the market for a new fiver and I dropped by GC in Charlotte in hopes of them actually having a five-string Stingray. Against sll odds, they actually had one - blue with an abalone pickguard and gold hardware. Actually a nice looking bass. So they had to get it down from the rafters to try. Man, the action on this bass was beyond belief - bad, that is. The truss rod must have been maxed out, cause the action was non-existent and this thing buzzed up and down the neck. That, and the frets were noticeably felt when sliding your hand along the neck.

So I said something to the salesman and his comment was "yeah, Music man basses all come set up like that. They are only good basses when they are set up." So since you couldn't sell that bass (or any other one for that matter) like that for sure, you'd think that the GC folks would/could at least set it up so you could play the dang thing.

I guess they never plan on selling a high-end bass so why bother setting one up.

toomanyslurpees · #2 04-01-2013, 07:12 PM

I have four stingrays, the only one I bought new was setup great and I've never had any setup issues on any of them minus the very well played 85... I wouldn't bet on there being probems with that bass once it's set up right but yeh, always surprised to see mile high action on anything sitting in a guitar shop for the amount of time it usually takes to tweak a truss rod...

Bassbubble11 · #3 04-01-2013, 07:12 PM

It's Guitar Center. What did you expect?

lowendmafia · #4 04-01-2013, 07:13 PM

I was looking at P basses and the associate told me that P basses were "for old guys that have given up and beginners" then he showed me a Schecter.

dalkowski · #5 04-01-2013, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassbubble11

It's Guitar Center. What did you expect?

This. The shortest distance from shipping box to display wall is Guitar Center.

JimiLL · #6 04-01-2013, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendmafia

I was looking at P basses and the associate told me that P basses were "for old guys that have given up and beginners" then he showed me a Schecter.

For the win!

bass32 · #7 04-01-2013, 07:18 PM

I ran accross the same bass (color, pg & gold hardware) at a GC in OKC. It was easy to grab so I did and played it for a few minutes unplugged. It was set up pretty good and played very nice. If I had bought it I probably would have only had to make a few minor adjustments.
Overall I really liked the bass and had I not just recently purchased an Am Stnd P5 I would have seriously considered buying it. Definitely was a looker but since I didn't plugg it in I can't comment on the sound.

curbowkid · #8 04-01-2013, 07:22 PM

The frets popping out thing is actually due to wood shrinkage probably after being shipped from the factory and is actually something that takes some time and skill to fix. As for the action it was most likely an easy fix. Since the bass was up at the rafters it was A. Subject to hicher temps. B. Out of sight out of mind. It probably got set up once and then hung up way high.

VanillaThundah · #9 04-01-2013, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendmafia

I was looking at P basses and the associate told me that P basses were "for old guys that have given up and beginners" then he showed me a Schecter.

Please let Steve Harris know, I think he still plays one of those embarrassingly lame beginner basses to this day....poor old fool

gary m · #10 04-01-2013, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassbubble11

It's Guitar Center. What did you expect?

Sad but true...they're the Home Depot of the music world.

lowendmafia · #11 04-01-2013, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaThundah

Please let Steve Harris know, I think he still plays one of those embarrassingly lame beginner basses to this day....poor old fool

This kid wouldn't have known who Steve Harris is if he walked in and introduced himself as "Steve Harris from the popular metal band Iron Maiden"

FourBanger · #12 04-01-2013, 07:36 PM

Bennett at GC Roseville, MN is the man, plain and simple. Also highly recommend Joe at the Maple Grove store.

Anyone else and you are risking it.

f64 · #13 04-01-2013, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curbowkid

The frets popping out thing is actually due to wood shrinkage probably after being shipped from the factory and is actually something that takes some time and skill to fix. As for the action it was most likely an easy fix. Since the bass was up at the rafters it was A. Subject to hicher temps. B. Out of sight out of mind. It probably got set up once and then hung up way high.

Almost any bass hung up high in a big heated building in winter is going to experience to some degree the neck drying out over time. The first clue should be the fret ends. The longer it's there the more chance it has of happening. It's a catch 22 for retailers. Put it up high where you keep the general publics hands off of it to prevent damage vs. risking shrinkage/warping. If it were me I'd pass and not buy into the problems with that particular bass.

curbowkid · #14 04-01-2013, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f64

Almost any bass hung up high in a big heated building in winter is going to experience to some degree the neck drying out over time. The first clue should be the fret ends. The longer it's there the more chance it has of happening. It's a catch 22 for retailers. Put it up high where you keep the general publics hands off of it to prevent damage vs. risking shrinkage/warping. If it were me I'd pass and not buy into the problems with that particular bass.

Exactly. That and its a game of getting as much product in a small space as you possibly can. The unfortunate thing is even with those issues these instruments get sold. And in turn some otherwise excellent instruments arent preforming to spec. In turn putting a bad name on the manufacturer. One thing i have noticed though over all other instruments is ibanez basses and guitars take a lickin and keep on tickin. Ive had about 4-5 ibanez instruments and not one has failed in any way. Even under less than desirable conditions.

verycoolname · #15 04-01-2013, 07:54 PM

Guitar Center employees are (generally) clueless...and their instruments are usually pretty poorly setup. I feel bad for the Stingray...

Overheard one employee last week say that the only difference between an Ibanez SR400 and SR700 were the finishes (they have different pickups) and he said since the SR400 had a maple top it'd have a "better" sound. Same guy told someone else that all Fenders were made in America, and that Squiers were made in Japan/Mexico...

smcd · #16 04-01-2013, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassbubble11

It's Guitar Center. What did you expect?

I brought a bass I was selling into a GC in western MA. The prospective buyer was unhappy about the action. A GC tech adjusted the action on my bass at no charge. Again, this was a bass I brought into GC so a buyer could use the store amps to check it out.

M.R. Ogle · #17 04-01-2013, 07:59 PM

It's amazing to me that with all the info available on the internet these days, people who's LIVING depends on being knowledgeable about the products they're selling can still be so ignorant. Or opinionated, or ignorantly opinionated.

gurensan · #18 04-01-2013, 08:02 PM

I've been to the Roseville and Maple Grove stores. Roseville's bass dept is the used wall. I'm not kidding. They moved used into the old "bass cave."

The Maple Grove store has the biggest bass section in any GC around the Twin Cities. Not bad for a GC, but they STILL need to do at least a cursory setup before they stick 'em on the wall. Likely sell a lot more basses.

I probably know the guys you're talking about but I don't know their names!

Bassbubble11 · #19 04-01-2013, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curbowkid

The frets popping out thing is actually due to wood shrinkage probably after being shipped from the factory and is actually something that takes some time and skill to fix. As for the action it was most likely an easy fix. Since the bass was up at the rafters it was A. Subject to hicher temps. B. Out of sight out of mind. It probably got set up once and then hung up way high.

It has far less to do with tempature. It is humidity and a long time of consistent humidity or in this case lack there of that affect the neck and causes fret sprout. Guaranteed the humidity in that guitar center was at like 20% (air conditioning) and that poor Stingray has been on the wall for months.

FourBanger · #20 04-01-2013, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.R. Ogle

It's amazing to me that with all the info available on the internet these days, people who's LIVING depends on being knowledgeable about the products they're selling can still be so ignorant. Or opinionated, or ignorantly opinionated.

Some of the employees care about their jobs, some of them don't, so let's not blanket all of GC's staff because of those who don't.

Some of them seem to want to work in a guitar shop because it is cool, some because the alternative is McDonald's. yes, it is unfortunate that they got hired with that kind of knowledge, but I am guessing somebody thought they would learn, but once they got the job they just packed it in and take home the checks.

Retail is like that, especially big box. Take a store like Home Depot, one day you might get electrical help from a retired electrician unable to practice his trade any longer but still needing to earn income, the next day from a kid who previously worked at Sears if anywhere at all.