I've been trying to think of what kinds of questions I would have for someone trying to sell me gear, and I can't think of anything.
By the time I'm buying a bass, I've already done my research, and know what materials were used to construct it. I'll pick it up, hold it, and see how it feels in my hands. Action and strings don't matter, because those get changed as soon as the bass is back home. The only thing I always do after I've decided to purchase, is talk to the tech, and we pull the truss cover off to make sure the rod isn't seized. That action saved me once (bass was nice, but the action was too low for a change...rod was frozen. The tech kept it on his bench, and grabbed me another one - same model - still in a box from the warehouse).
As for amps - I'll have my bass with me, and the only question I might ask is "do you have a cord I can borrow?" Again, I know what I'm shopping for, and my research is done.
If I need a case, I'll have my bass, and I'll try whatever they have in stock.
For accessories like pedals, I'll grab a bass off the wall, a cord, and plug in. I don't need any of my gear to hear how it responds to bass frequencies - and since my basses are mass produced, it's pretty easy to find something equivalent to my own, but it's not really necessary.
My shopping for gear generally takes less than 20 minutes.
The toughest part for me when shopping for gear is strings. When I started, your choices consisted of rounds or rounds... Everything you could find was 0.45 - 1.05. You chose between Rotosounds, GHS or Dean Markley.
Like @JimmyM stated, it might matter if I was just starting, but I'm not.
Fortunately, because of the lack of good bass salesmen, we tend to be very self sufficient, and that's a good thing.
By the time I'm buying a bass, I've already done my research, and know what materials were used to construct it. I'll pick it up, hold it, and see how it feels in my hands. Action and strings don't matter, because those get changed as soon as the bass is back home. The only thing I always do after I've decided to purchase, is talk to the tech, and we pull the truss cover off to make sure the rod isn't seized. That action saved me once (bass was nice, but the action was too low for a change...rod was frozen. The tech kept it on his bench, and grabbed me another one - same model - still in a box from the warehouse).
As for amps - I'll have my bass with me, and the only question I might ask is "do you have a cord I can borrow?" Again, I know what I'm shopping for, and my research is done.
If I need a case, I'll have my bass, and I'll try whatever they have in stock.
For accessories like pedals, I'll grab a bass off the wall, a cord, and plug in. I don't need any of my gear to hear how it responds to bass frequencies - and since my basses are mass produced, it's pretty easy to find something equivalent to my own, but it's not really necessary.
My shopping for gear generally takes less than 20 minutes.
The toughest part for me when shopping for gear is strings. When I started, your choices consisted of rounds or rounds... Everything you could find was 0.45 - 1.05. You chose between Rotosounds, GHS or Dean Markley.
Like @JimmyM stated, it might matter if I was just starting, but I'm not.
Fortunately, because of the lack of good bass salesmen, we tend to be very self sufficient, and that's a good thing.
