Why do basses look and feel better in the store?

I.M. Fletcher · #1 10-20-2004, 11:49 AM

When I see a bass on the rack at my local shop, it looks like a monster and the baddest bass I've ever seen. (yeah, I'm sure they polish them) But when I get home, it just doesn't look the same. Maybe it's the lighting... salesmen trickery...

It doesn't feel the same, either. Maybe I just need to clean my bass better. Also, the "new car smell" just doesn't last long enough.

Anyone else notice this?

NV43345 · #2 10-20-2004, 12:26 PM

I love the smell of a new Bass. They do look nice in the store
lighting. sometimes when I put one of my Basses away in the
case I throw in a couple of those little dessicant bags, and when Then the next time I open it, I get the new Bass smell.
I also use Martin Guitar polish to keep the shine.

Matthew Bryson · #3 10-20-2004, 12:31 PM

If I'm understanding you correctly, I think that what you're describing is called "buyers remorse"

How many basses are you buying and how often?

I.M. Fletcher · #4 10-20-2004, 12:45 PM

I hope it's not buyers remorse. I'm mainly talking about one bass in particular. My Fender Jazz looked and felt like magic in the store. After a few months of playing, the smell was gone, the immaculate finish seemed old hat, (what does 'old hat' mean anyway?)

I guess I really tip-toe around playing it in the store. I just play a couple of notes and feel satisfied. Then, I get home and really start beating it up, that's when it feels like it ages 5 years in 2 months. And I don't mean 'ages' in a cool, vintage way, either.

Jace The Bass · #5 10-20-2004, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I.M. Fletcher

When I see a bass on the rack at my local shop, it looks like a monster and the baddest bass I've ever seen. (yeah, I'm sure they polish them) But when I get home, it just doesn't look the same. Maybe it's the lighting... salesmen trickery...

It doesn't feel the same, either. Maybe I just need to clean my bass better. Also, the "new car smell" just doesn't last long enough.

Anyone else notice this?

Obviously it's there job use every trick in the book ( ie. polish,get the right angle of lighting to shine on the instrument or whatever ) to sell you their product
Even when you're trying out a bass without you looking at them they'll try and boost the effects on the amp ( chorus,Limiter,compression whatever )
And you wonder why the bass sounded good at the store and not at home
Anyway the bottom line is it doesn't matter what it looks like but how you play it is what counts

ADbassman · #6 10-20-2004, 11:34 PM

Same thing happened with my 5 string MIM fender jazz. The B string felt nice and tight in the store, but I swear the second I left the store the guy behind the counter pushed the "Turn to crap" button.

heath_the_great · #7 10-20-2004, 11:56 PM

because you dont own it and envy it

.....its like a placebo effect....although it didnt happen to me..i still get giddy when i play mine when i first played it

gazman_res · #8 10-21-2004, 12:00 AM

+1 with my spector heath.

Looked kick ass when i bought it.
Looks kick ass today.

As for playability. it sucked in the store, maybe thats why no one bought it? but new strings and a new setup fixed all that. plays like butter.

heath_the_great · #9 10-21-2004, 12:11 AM

mind you i rub mine down with my polish cloth every day.....that seems to always be damp from the polish....dunlop polish..anything else?

**IvanMike** · #10 10-21-2004, 12:13 AM

get your bass professionally set up
bet ya ten bucks you fall in love with it again

mz91 · #11 10-21-2004, 02:11 AM

For the same reason woman seem so appealing before you "have" 'em.

Steve · #12 10-21-2004, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I.M. Fletcher

When I see a bass on the rack at my local shop, it looks like a monster and the baddest bass I've ever seen. But when I get home, it just doesn't look the same. Maybe it's the lighting
Anyone else notice this?

I have the same problem with women

I.M. Fletcher · #13 10-21-2004, 05:38 AM

Hey ADbassman, that's exactly what I'm talking about. The strings feel so perfect and playability is excellent in the store. When I get home, I wonder what just happened??? This sucker played like a million bucks in the store. Now it plays like Fisher Price, My First Bass.

Hamzter · #14 10-21-2004, 08:37 AM

I don't know I'm kind of the opposite, I only really like a bass after I get it home and have a long time to play with it and adjust everything to my liking, at the store everything kind of feels sterile.

{OE} · #15 10-21-2004, 09:45 AM

Yup, just happened to me at the BPL con. and with the same bass I already own, except it was a 4 string.... doh!

I think IvanMike may be onto something though because it deff. was better after I put some new strings on her ( the Will Lee's that were being given away at the BPL, even though I got stiffed w/ a dead A string... not for me though, a little too "complex" in the mids) and did a "hack" set-up....lol

Philbiker · #16 10-21-2004, 10:20 AM

I've never noticed this. Most of the time the basses just get better and better as I get to know them over the years. Certainly better than when they were at the store!

secretdonkey · #17 10-21-2004, 12:17 PM

Yeah, I don't know how many times I've picked up a bass in a store and wondered what it might feel like properly set up (much less set up exactly to my tastes) and with a fresh set of strings. I'm definitely in the camp that says basses get better with ownership time!

ERIC31 · #18 10-21-2004, 05:02 PM

Sounds like another case of G.A.S.!!!!!

And we all have it to varying degrees!!!

gazman_res · #19 10-21-2004, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikertrash82

I have the same problem with women

"its like have ever noticed when your in a club right and you mackin on some girl, but the next day you go to pick her up and a f**king sea donkey steps into yo car!"

BootyCall.. awesome movie.

CamMcIntyre · #20 10-22-2004, 10:02 PM

I can still remember the "new bass" smell of my Ray5 when i opened up the case for maybe the 3rd-5th time of it's lifetime. [guessing-i special ordered it, guys at the shop said they took it out to do a setup, but it didn't need much-so they put it back in the case and then my dad brought it to me]. Now-that smell has been replaced w/the "well played" smell.....a mix of sweat, finger gunk, and wood.

With the Ray5, i'll play other basses i own, but it just feels like home. I can play other MM's whether it's a Bongo, other Ray5s, SUB5s etc. They feel like home to me, but *my* specific Ray5 feels best to me since i've played the heck outta it and have gotten used to it.

Better in store Vs. Better at home? I could understand, but i haven't bought enough basses off the rack to know for sure. Come to think of it-i've never bought a bass off the rack. Fender Jazz-dad bought for me as christmas present so they just got one off the rack and i didn't play it/know about it before hand. Pilot Plus5-ordered from Sam Ash during the Blow Out, Ashbory-ordered through Fender Dealer. Ray5-played several Ray5s over several months. All felt consistent/good, so i ordered one through a dealer since they didn't quite have the bass i wanted [only thing diff. on the 1 they had in ,was it was a rosewood board and i wanted maple].

That's all