New All-Bass Store in Sacramento, CA

winston · #1 09-25-2004, 01:12 AM

Today I went to a "Basses-Electric and Acoustic" an all-bass store in Rancho Cordova, CA (a part of Sacramento). In a nondescript industrial park owner Juan Ortiz is bringing a much-needed selection of tasty bass gear to the area.

He had the full line of Aguilar equipment, almost all of the much-ballyhooed Schroeder cabs, a few big Accugrooves, a bunch of Bergantino stuff, EBS pedals. And then the basses...

He mainly has the less-expensive stuff hanging up (a bunch of Michael Kelly acoustics and Trabens, a Lakland Jerry Scheff Skyline). Hidden from view to prevent damage he has quite an assortment--Ritter (including an amazing blue/yellow sandwich finish), Benavente, Pedulla. He also let me play his own incredible Turner Renaissance fretted 5.He said he's planning to add a very well-respected Canadian brand and start selling some power amps in the near future. He also had really good prices on strings and accessories (he's closing out some stuff for a local music store that's getting out of the biz) and he's trying to get an in-house repair dept. going.

I tried both the Skyline Jerry Scheff (with lipstick-tube pickups) and Juan's Turner through the DB 750 into a Schroeder 1210 cabinet. The Scheff was very playable and had a great variety of vintagey tones. The Ag and Schroeder had a very full sound--the low end impact was most impressive.

Juan has a website at www.basses-electric-acoustic.com. Right now he said he's not really focusing on Internet sales. He also happens to run a printer/copier toner business out of the same space so it sounds like he's really busy. I don't have any connection to him, I just thought he was a nice guy with some stellar gear in a region that doesn't have too many options for high-quality bass equipment.

By-Tor · #2 09-25-2004, 03:51 AM

This is great.
Thanks for the info, I gotta go check this out.

Benjamin Strange · #3 09-25-2004, 08:34 AM

Only a two hour drive for me. Sweet!

Munjibunga · #4 09-25-2004, 09:57 AM

Cool. My company has an office in Rancho Cordova. I think it's time for a visit.

xyllion · #5 09-25-2004, 09:59 AM

Time for a road trip with other San Jose bassists.

Folmeister · #6 09-26-2004, 05:12 PM

If he's open, I am calling in sick and going on Monday, October 4. I was going to buy an Accugroove Tri 210 L from Gelb, but I think I will wait until I go there. Anyone else want to play hookey?

winston · #7 09-26-2004, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyllion

Time for a road trip with other San Jose bassists.

Hi Bob, this is Winston Berger (I was the guy with the sunburst F-Bass at the wonderful Steve Lawson clinic you hosted in January).

I can imagine HippieSandwich (Lowell) walking in to Juan's shop, looking around the place, and saying, "I'll take it!"

Folmeister--I'm not sure if he had a Tri 210 there--it looked like he mostly had some sortsa Whappos. Might be worth calling (the #'s on his site).

Juan also had (IIRCs) some Foderas and Nordstrands, and some small Orange amps. I'm gonna ask him if he'd consider getting in a Thunderfunk, or maybe some Acoustic Image.

It's funny, exotic bass gear has been hard to find in Sacto--for years I've been going to Gelb (outstanding products, the best customer service I've ever had); Guitar Showcase in San Jose (wide selection, unbelievable consignment shop); or More Music in Santa Cruz (though it looks like they've stopped carrying EA and Bergantino).

There are some good places in Sac, though--Northridge music has a big variety of Mesa Boogie, Godin and American Fender stuff; Skip's now carries Eden and Ashdown; GC has a bunch of expensive Warwick, EB/Music Man, Spector, Fender, and Pedulla basses with missing knobs, crackly jacks, backbowed necks, dead strings, drained batteries, loose nuts, and other woes.

Folmeister · #8 09-26-2004, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winston

Hi Bob, this is Winston Berger (I was the guy with the sunburst F-Bass at the wonderful Steve Lawson clinic you hosted in January).

I can imagine HippieSandwich (Lowell) walking in to Juan's shop, looking around the place, and saying, "I'll take it!"

Folmeister--I'm not sure if he had a Tri 210 there--it looked like he mostly had some sortsa Whappos. Might be worth calling (the #'s on his site).

Juan also had (IIRCs) some Foderas and Nordstrands, and some small Orange amps. I'm gonna ask him if he'd consider getting in a Thunderfunk, or maybe some Acoustic Image.

It's funny, exotic bass gear has been hard to find in Sacto--for years I've been going to Gelb (outstanding products, the best customer service I've ever had); Guitar Showcase in San Jose (wide selection, unbelievable consignment shop); or More Music in Santa Cruz (though it looks like they've stopped carrying EA and Bergantino).

There are some good places in Sac, though--Northridge music has a big variety of Mesa Boogie, Godin and American Fender stuff; Skip's now carries Eden and Ashdown; GC has a bunch of expensive Warwick, EB/Music Man, Spector, Fender, and Pedulla basses with missing knobs, crackly jacks, backbowed necks, dead strings, drained batteries, loose nuts, and other woes.

I can live with a Whappo if I really must.

Folmeister · #9 09-27-2004, 06:58 PM

I am getting a Whappo Jr. on Monday the 4th. Juan is holding one for me!

Tym2cu_bass · #10 09-27-2004, 07:21 PM

10 hour drive for me

McMinnville Oregon to Sacramento CAl... 568 miles

ROAD TRIP! *of course... i could just go to the all bass store in seattle... 6 hour drive :P ... there is no, "all bass store" in oregon, biggest guitar store in oregon = Guitar Center

*

Josh Curry · #11 09-27-2004, 10:34 PM

I went there after he first opened. It was supossedly an extension of Bass Central in Florida. yeah, he had some lower end new gear. Most of the high end gear was all used stuff of his that he was trying to sell for more than it was worth. Some of it was actually more than what you could buy it online for brand new. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though and hope that he's changed that. His place is actually about a 5 minute drive from my office.

pierce · #12 09-27-2004, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassWhore

...hope that he's changed that...

let us know. i would hate to drive 2 hours to just be p.o'd. well, maybe we will get lucky, and they will carry some of the smaller builders gear. (ie dr.bass, lds, nahas, read).

you would think that oakland would have been a better choice for an all bass shop (more central to the area).

btw, apparently Starving Musician is opening a Branch in Berkeley in October.

Josh Curry · #13 09-28-2004, 08:21 AM

I will go check out what he's got during lunch today.

winston · #14 09-28-2004, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassWhore

I went there after he first opened. It was supossedly an extension of Bass Central in Florida. yeah, he had some lower end new gear. Most of the high end gear was all used stuff of his that he was trying to sell for more than it was worth. Some of it was actually more than what you could buy it online for brand new. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though and hope that he's changed that. His place is actually about a 5 minute drive from my office.

I called Juan about 6 months ago when he had an ad in the Sac News & Review. He said he was affiliated with Bass Central and when I asked about cabs in stock he said he had a few Ampegs. When I went to the shop (for the first time) last week he told me the Bass Central thing fell through--because of California law he'd have to charge sales tax for items bought thru BC, even for out of state sales. So it seems like he may have changed his focus since you went in there.

The lowest-end stuff he had out was Traben, Michael Kelly, and Lakland Skyline--definitely not junk. He said he keeps the gourmet basses out of sight so they won't get trashed buy tire kickers, but he's happy to show them to serious customers. All the fancy amps and cabs are sitting right out for all to see.

It sounded like he's gotten a lot of his boutique basses from the recent NAMM shows, and he'll sell/consign good quality stuff. Didn't ask for a price list, but the tags I saw on the exotic basses seemed in line with what other bass specialty stores are charging, though of course he won't be getting volume discounts like BC or BassNW.

Josh Curry · #15 09-28-2004, 02:10 PM

I first went there a year ago and he had a lot of Fender Squire, Cort Curbow, Ibanez, etc... I'm glad he's getting real. Probably because business has been good. He was still with Bass Central at the time I went. I actually spoke with Beaver Felton before I went over to see Jaun to make sure it was legit.

I didn't get to make it over there @ lunch today, got sucked into a meeting, lame. I will try to go tomorrow.

**smperry** · #16 09-28-2004, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierce

you would think that oakland would have been a better choice for an all bass shop (more central to the area).

yeah, you would! it's probably just as well for my bank account though.

Marshall

Don W · #17 09-28-2004, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassWhore

I didn't get to make it over there @ lunch today, got sucked into a meeting, lame. I will try to go tomorrow.

Please keep us posted if you make it there. Its about a two hour drive for me but I'd be willing to make the trip if its a nice store.

Folmeister · #18 09-28-2004, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierce

let us know. i would hate to drive 2 hours to just be p.o'd. well, maybe we will get lucky, and they will carry some of the smaller builders gear. (ie dr.bass, lds, nahas, read).

you would think that oakland would have been a better choice for an all bass shop (more central to the area).

btw, apparently Starving Musician is opening a Branch in Berkeley in October.

He has the Accugroove cab I wanted, and he said he had four Ritters in stock (drool). He is going to let me play them when I go on the 4th.

Oakland is nothing but a pathetic vestige of where the railroad met the sea. It couldn't even hold on to a Guitar Center (it went up San Pablo Avenue to El Cerrito). The only saving grace is Leo's Music. Oakland is a good place to see a major sporting event, try out the accuracy of your illegally acquired firearm, or take someone to the airport. I am convinced the Piedmont is going to put up a fence one day. Hayward too.

Starving Musician, huh? I'll say "good!" Anything to put that porcine, ADD-adled junk peddler named Fat Dog in Berkeley out of business.

Juan Ortiz Jr. · #19 09-28-2004, 09:42 PM

I hope to see all of you at my shop and you be the judge of
what you see. I do have 4 Ritter basses and the whappo
jr. is there. My high end basses were in cases so that they would stay in pristine condition for the person that purchased
the instrument. I have the full line of Bergantino cabinets and
the full line of Aguilar. I carry Demeter, Crest amps,Accu-
Groove. As a famous person once said( you can't believe
everything you read and here now can you)?J.H.
If you can stop by my shop or you can go to my site @
www.basses-electric-acoustic.com

Thanks

Juan Ortiz Jr.

Josh Curry · #20 09-29-2004, 09:08 AM

Hey Juan, Sorry I didn't make it over there yesterday, I was the guy who called wanting to look at singlecut Benevente's. I'm glad to see that things have really taken off for you. We've really needed a shop like your's in this area for a long time! I am going to try to come over today or tomorrow @ lunch.