Bass Porn Live Peep Show

[cewillm]

I drove down there from NY to look at a singlecut 4 string with Aero pickups (might have been an Elrick but don't hold me to that). I got there and he spent the entire time on the phone with someone talking about a gig he had in Atlantic City. It was early December a few years ago because I was on my way to the Army/Navy Game. I always at least buy strings at a Bass store to help them out. After 30 minutes I just walked out.

Have not even looked at the site since.

I've found that in all high-end boutiques you won't get great service unless you (proverbially or literally) have the cash out and ready to spend.

 

[TRichardsbass]

i took the 45 minute ride out there once and the guy got mad when i played a couple basses, i think he said something about making the basses used. i dont remember slapping or anything like that, i think it was a fretless i was playing.
anyway i said bye and took my 2 grand over to guitar center.

Truthfully, I can't speak to your experience, but my experiences with Glenn have always been exceptional.

A boutique shop like Glenn's requires the patron to be different then if he is in the GC, like you said you went after. A high end dealer has more tied up in inventory then GC has in three or four stores. A high end dealer will not have several models around so he can put one out for people to bang on and take a new one out of stock.

In a shop like Glenn's, or Bass NW, or Bass Central, etc., you need to be a more careful patron. You need to take off all your jewelry, your belt, and anything that can remotely damage or blemish the bass. You need to play it but not bang, hard slap or grind your pick into the bass.

It is that way in most high end shops. Everytime someone tries the bass there is the chance it can get some damage, lowering the price and making the bass harder to sell. iTruthfully, I once saw a guy in a high end shop in the city bend strings on a fretless and mark up the previously pristine fingerboard. The owner was absolutely right to yell at that guy, as he damaged a bass. Anyone buying a bass that is high end, in a shop and not a custom built bass knows you will have some slight scratching at times but you don't expect a fingerboard to be marred or there to be significant play indications.

You could have approached him when you were ready and he would have most certainly helped you.

The other thing to remember is that in a shop like Bass Specialties, if you have cash, you WILL get the best deal. I saw two Fender Roadworns that were already marked at a decent price, and had I had some cash, I could have gotten a great price, I know. A much better price then I would have gotten at GC.

Tom

 

[TRichardsbass]

I drove down there from NY to look at a singlecut 4 string with Aero pickups (might have been an Elrick but don't hold me to that). I got there and he spent the entire time on the phone with someone talking about a gig he had in Atlantic City. It was early December a few years ago because I was on my way to the Army/Navy Game. I always at least buy strings at a Bass store to help them out. After 30 minutes I just walked out.

Have not even looked at the site since.

Glenn is a one man show, and if you have ever done significant business with a shop like this, you know that they are paying attention, but may need you to approach them when you are interested or ready to buy something.

My friend Jay at NJ Guitar and Bass is normally a one man show. He will say hello from the back when you enter the store, but he will not come up to you until it looks like you need help or he sees you mishandling stock. I have been in his shop many times, and he is on the phone. Most of the time, even when I hear what seems to be just chit chat, it is either a regular, frequent customer, or another dealer or salesmen he is doing business with and just continuing the conversation.

I never let the first time I visit a store sour my experience. If that were the case, I'd never set foot in a Sam Ash or GC. Most of the time I get what I consider less then stellar service, and often I know more about the product then they do, and when I ask a question they can't answer it. But I will still buy stuff there, because I went there for a particular reason or price.

Sorry you feel that way.

 

[DougBass]

I understand what you are saying. I was jazzed about going there but was really bummed. I grew up in retail, and have spent thousands of hours with customers. I just know how I like to be treated. I never touch instruments without asking(not even at guitar center).

I will be checking out the other place you mentioned.

I wish him all the success in the world. I have no beef with him. I just won't go 115 miles south to visit.

 

[iJazz]

Dad ran a custom drum business for 40+ years. He taught me the rules of business by example as I watched him serve customer after customer after customer.

Rule #1: Treat the customer the way you want to be treated yourself.

Rule #2: Under promise and over deliver.

Break these rules at your own peril. Follow them and you will never be short of customers.

Based on the accounts of some, it seems that Glenn could do better at Rule #1. No matter how great his business is, and how beautiful his inventory is, he could be doing better. His customers have told us so.

iJazz

 

[Nv_D_SlapnPop]

Truthfully, I can't speak to your experience, but my experiences with Glenn have always been exceptional.

A boutique shop like Glenn's requires the patron to be different then if he is in the GC, like you said you went after. A high end dealer has more tied up in inventory then GC has in three or four stores. A high end dealer will not have several models around so he can put one out for people to bang on and take a new one out of stock.

In a shop like Glenn's, or Bass NW, or Bass Central, etc., you need to be a more careful patron. You need to take off all your jewelry, your belt, and anything that can remotely damage or blemish the bass. You need to play it but not bang, hard slap or grind your pick into the bass.

It is that way in most high end shops. Everytime someone tries the bass there is the chance it can get some damage, lowering the price and making the bass harder to sell. iTruthfully, I once saw a guy in a high end shop in the city bend strings on a fretless and mark up the previously pristine fingerboard. The owner was absolutely right to yell at that guy, as he damaged a bass. Anyone buying a bass that is high end, in a shop and not a custom built bass knows you will have some slight scratching at times but you don't expect a fingerboard to be marred or there to be significant play indications.

You could have approached him when you were ready and he would have most certainly helped you.

The other thing to remember is that in a shop like Bass Specialties, if you have cash, you WILL get the best deal. I saw two Fender Roadworns that were already marked at a decent price, and had I had some cash, I could have gotten a great price, I know. A much better price then I would have gotten at GC.

Tom

My personal experience was I went into the shop very excited. A store with basses I've only read about in bass player magazine was kind of a dream one true. A friend told me about the place and we immediately headed down.
I don't know the owner but I guess it was him behind the counter. My friend and I tried to make conversation but we were immediately blown off, Perhaps I'm accustomed to the treatment at local stores that know me by name and are excited when something new comes in stock to offer a test drive.
After the initial non connection I proceeded to browse in excitement. I don't remember which or how many basses I pulled down that day but I know I don't wear jewelry, my belt buckle is always covered and I never play an instrument that isn't my own aggressively.
If I wanted to go to a museum I'd go to the museum of art. If I wanted to go the car show I would've waited till February. I rarely buy anything I can't test drive first.
The salesman at guitar center remembers the Warwick I bought in 2001 and always greets me with a smile so that day he got my hard earned cash and bass specialties got exactly what he expected. A goodbye.

 

[TRichardsbass]

Not that Glenn is that way, but there is a difference between retail and high end retail. Go into any Mercedes dealership and you will see what I mean.

There are a lot of quirky guys and gals in the biz. A shop by me carries only cheap stuff, his highest end being AXL. Anyone who even comes near an instrument he screams don't touch it. He has hissy fits if you ask to try but don't buy. I would rather have zero service then that.

Either way, I will always do business with Glenn.

 

[MyMusic]

I visit every couple of months and love the inventory. I've gotten a chance to experience the high end instruments that I had only seen in magazines or on forums. If you are local, put your name on his mailing list. This is a good way to get a heads-up on new gear coming in, specials and clinics.

 

[bassbenj]

Dad ran a custom drum business for 40+ years. He taught me the rules of business by example as I watched him serve customer after customer after customer.

Rule #1: Treat the customer the way you want to be treated yourself.

Rule #2: Under promise and over deliver.

Break these rules at your own peril. Follow them and you will never be short of customers.

Based on the accounts of some, it seems that Glenn could do better at Rule #1. No matter how great his business is, and how beautiful his inventory is, he could be doing better. His customers have told us so.

iJazz

When you have a high end instrument shop run by a musician who is actually knowledgeable it's a wondrous gift! Here we've got the drum shop (Columbus Percussion) but not the bass shop.

One of the big problems I've found with so many shops run by salesmen, is they have no idea what is good and what is bad. They figure sell it all and let the customers sort it out. So what happens is their stock seems to be determined by whatever the company reps are pushing that month! You'll go in and they'll have something new. "Hey, dig this!" they'll say and you look and it's really cool. So you buy one. (doesn't matter what "it" is) and then later you want another one. "Oh, we don't carry those anymore" is the reply. And then they try to pawn some piece of crap off on you that the factory rep is pushing this month!

Not my idea of a good store. Hey if the owner knows what he's doing, then I'd expect him to make an effort to keep COOL things in the store and keep the junky fad stuff to a minimum. In other words I want him to use some musical judgement as to what is being sold. That means he's looking out for me, and my purchase then looks out for him. Unfortunately this is often not the case. Hey if I just want to blindly try crap, I'll just go buy it from Amazon on the internet! They often don't even give you a description of the product.

 

[afzoomie67]

My friend got his Sadowsky through there. He said Glen set him up real well...

 

[LutherHeggs00]

Bought a Genz-Benz rig there a few years ago. Quick, fast, friendly. Couldn't ask for any more than that. I'd go back.

 

[dagovna659]

wasn't too nice to me when i went in there a few weeks ago with $4500 i just won in parx
(casino). Wanted to try Sadowsky ny or metro, but unfortunately as I opened the door there was a doberman pincher at the door believe i scared the dog more than he scared me (my left thigh was mauled by a doberman when i was 17) he didnt move the dog just came from behind the counter n looked at me like I had a arm growing out my azz. I closed the door and said to hell with him n his store drove to nyc 48th and broadway got what I wanted. This guy had no idea who i was or who i played for and seems he really didn't care. So I wont ever go back to his shop (believe me i really want to go back as i saw all the high-end basses on the left wall and spotted bergantino cabs genze-benze) but if you dont care enough about your customers than to heck with you my$$$ spends everywhere else. Granted he couldn't know I was mauled by a doberman but his concern was none. But i did like what i saw in his shop only takes me 10 mins to get there.

 

[dagovna659]

Jay @NJ Guitar is a completely different kind of person I've bought 2 stingray5's from Jay, He's kind and knowledgeable, he had a dog back then (deaf and blind cocker spaniel), however, Jay's customer service kicks Glen's in da butt. Would spend my last $$$ with Jay but wouldn't buy a book of matched from Glen and thats all i have to say. Trichards maybe you could teach Glen how to treat customers since he's been great to you, but I see lost customers on this thread for Glen because of his arrogance. Just my opinion.

 

[TRichardsbass]

I guess many of you here never had the "pleasure" of doing business with the late Roman. Ed certainly knew his stuff, but many of your buying experiences were adventures to say the least. But I'd buy from Ed and have, even with an uneven experience.

I've bought lots of stuff from Jay, and Jay always has interesting stuff on the wall.

Hey, my post was mostly about all the bass porn in the shop. And Glen will give you a great deal.

Oh, and if you win $4500 at PARX next time, just send me the dough....

 

[f64]

This is funny...
I was there on Thursday buying flats for my new 72' P. Glenn was busy shooting pics of new basses he'd just gotten in.
Aside from basses, he has the best selection of bass strings between Boston and DC. I always check his inventory before I purchase anything. He is definitely a gentleman and a working bassist in the evenings so his advice is always dead on.
Over the years I've seen a host of working musicians come through his door. Places like his, Central Jersey Bass and Mandolin Brothers keep my wallet empty.

 

[Fletz]

Funny this shows up today. I discovered this place yesterday. I emailed them to see if they carried an aggy 500 tone hammer. He said yes so asked if he would price match and he promptly said "go buy it at musiciansfriend". I expressed my displeasure with his "customer service" he said he was a little biz and and can't compete and I told him I don't mind paying a little more to support local guys.

Long and the short: I went in today, he wasn't there but someone else working for hm was. A cool guy. I played5 different heads through my own cabs and with my bass (I brought them with me). I decided on a Genz Benz 12 - and love it. I never should've checked the price elsewhere though. I paid Bass Specialties $875 - which I see now was too much. But ... I got to play a full range of top notch heads for 2 hours and made a choice I am very happy about. So, I overpaid, but it may be worth it to keep,this kind of a place in business.

 

[DougBass]

See that is what I don't get. Why not say "I don't price match but I offer...." Don't dismiss the customer, explain why you are worth a premium. Size does not justify a consumer paying more, value does. I price for a living at a major travel corporation, and most customers will pay more if there is a benefit that is clear (yes there are always customers who buy the lowest price who are not brand or value loyal...they are only interested in price).

My local music shop doesn't sell many basses I am interested in, but they sell cables, pickups, and straps that I use. I always buy those things there because it establishes a relationship that benefits me. If something in my rig breaks...they take care of me and fast. Well worth the 5% premium.