Good Bass Stores in Madison, WI?

jaywa · #1 06-17-2010, 11:41 AM

I will have a day to kill in the Madison WI area later this year. I'm wondering what music store(s) are worth my time to hit there? I've googled the area and the results look surprisingly unimpressive for a major college town. Plenty of stores w/ acoustic instruments it seems, but that's not my thing.

Thanks in advance.

MNAirHead · #2 06-17-2010, 11:45 AM

IF you had a long day you could get to Chicago.

jaywa · #3 06-17-2010, 11:49 AM

Chicago's out of range this time, anyway. The wife will be at an arts & crafts thingy during the day but there's a social event for both of us that evening... so I've only got a window of mid-morning through late afternoon. We're gonna be staying in Johnsons Creek which is about 45 mins from Madison near as I can tell.

MNAirHead · #4 06-17-2010, 11:50 AM

There isn't a ton of bass options down there.. Everytime I've needed gear, I've been couriering from Minneapolis or Chicago.

Phalex · #5 06-17-2010, 12:10 PM

Curds and beer are how I spent my time in Madtown. I stand by my decision.

Chucky · #6 06-17-2010, 12:20 PM

Used....Guitar Shop on Atwood

Greg is kind of eccentric, do not show up at 11:00, wait an hour or two. He has more electric basses than amps but I did see an Acoustic 361 bottom peeking out under a cover the other day. The place is so crowded w/ gear you can barely walk thru the store.

New...Good and Loud on University

Same old...Guitar Center on Whitney way

New and cut prices at the counter...Full Compass in Middleton

Double Bass sales and repair...Double Bass Workshop on Monona Dr

Hope you have a good time visiting

jaywa · #7 06-17-2010, 01:21 PM

Thanks Chucky. Good and Loud struck me as the best of the bunch based on my Internet research but a couple of those other ones look interesting too. That's why I ask the locals!

MNAirHead · #8 06-21-2010, 10:05 AM

Jay..

Thought of you this weekend..

I have a better suggestion..

Stop at Laccrosse.. there's a great old time store there..

Just thought of this as a guitar pal drove down to pick up a DrZ amp.

jaywa · #9 06-21-2010, 10:10 AM

Thanks, I'll keep the LaCrosse option in mind as well.

bohemond · #10 06-21-2010, 01:45 PM

There are better ones in Milw. But the one on Atwood is great, if you need repairs or upgrades in electronics. Guitar Center on Whitney and Odana stinks. Usually the stuff hanging up is beat to crap and Ive only found 2 staff knowledgable in bass . Thats if its not their day off. Cream City Music in MIL. Guitar center in Brookfield or Appleton are very decent IMO/ I just purchase a bass from Bass Club Chicago fwiw I have been to Good and Loud and they sell nice stuff too. I remember alot of Eden amps new and used

mrpackerguy · #11 06-21-2010, 03:51 PM

POSSSSSibly Good n Loud, but you'll be disappointed. Not much stuff and not very bas-knowledgable. GC is GC. Nuff said. Full compass is not a store, but a catalog order for most people, with an on-site warehouse. They will maybe have 1 or 2 basses for you to play. They are great to deal with for other gear though. Never been to the guitar shop on Atwood, always thought it was guitar oriented. You'll be 1/2 way between Madison and Milw at Johnson Creek. I'd head to Cream City on Bluemound. Lots of basses. Best closest option IMO. Madison is a bass wasteland.

8guy · #12 06-21-2010, 06:50 PM

Do Not waste time at Ward Brodt, and Our GC is sucky.
Good and loud is ok, My Hamer 4 string is from there and it was set up well, To bad Regenburg in middleton is gone..It was ok.

ElectraPhoenix · #13 06-21-2010, 06:53 PM

Good n Loud is great but not for basses... I go there for lessons and setups/repairs/wiring. They don't stock a lot of basses or bass amps however. I've only ever been to one other GC so,, I'm used to it, I didn't know that our GC was sucky though?

ElectraPhoenix · #14 06-21-2010, 06:55 PM

Yeah, no one at our GC knows very much about basses; one guy told me i could play a bass head through a guitar cab.

**peabody** · #15 06-22-2010, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

Jay..

Thought of you this weekend..

I have a better suggestion..

Stop at Laccrosse.. there's a great old time store there..

Just thought of this as a guitar pal drove down to pick up a DrZ amp.

Here's the place....Dave's Guitar Shop. Their bass section is not bad. Probably one of the top PRS, Gibson, Fender retailers in the U.S. In fact, Paul Reed Smith was in the store on Saturday for a clinic.

If you visit, ask to see it they will let you upstairs to see Dave's personal collection. One word...unbelievable.

No affiliation other than I spend a lot of money there...

http://davesguitar.com/

mrpackerguy · #16 06-22-2010, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peabody

Here's the place....Dave's Guitar Shop. Their bass section is not bad. Probably one of the top PRS, Gibson, Fender retailers in the U.S. In fact, Paul Reed Smith was in the store on Saturday for a clinic.

If you visit, ask to see it they will let you upstairs to see Dave's personal collection. One word...unbelievable.

No affiliation other than I spend a lot of money there...

http://davesguitar.com/

No doubt in my mind the best Guitar Shop in the state. Been there. Had Dave evaluate a Fender Fullerton 57 RI I had when a guy I sold to claimed I was cheating him with a fake and the guy ended up being the BS'er. But it might be further than you want to travel given your locale in Johnson Creek. From there it's at lest a 3 hour drive to LaCrosse, maybe more because Dave's is right downtown laCrosse. Lots of basses, actually a lot more than Daves, at Cream City and last I knew, lots of Laklands, Skyline and USA. No affiliation and never bought a bass there.

One of you Madison dudes ought to open "Madison Bass Place" with me

ElectraPhoenix · #17 06-22-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrpackerguy

One of you Madison dudes ought to open "Madison Bass Place" with me

i would!

8guy · #18 06-22-2010, 07:20 PM

Thats actualy a great idea ...a Bass place type store in Madison.