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....Just wow
- Thread starter Slaptapandpop
- Start date
Sweet! If they have any in stores I can run in and get razors, coffee beans, paper towels and a bass!
Seriously, Walmart is becominglike Amazon. They sell through third parties. I don't see anything that warrants a "wow" response unless you're just another Walmart hater.
Seriously, Walmart is becominglike Amazon. They sell through third parties. I don't see anything that warrants a "wow" response unless you're just another Walmart hater.
Just very very surprised to see it. When I go to look up a Lakland bass, Walmart is the last place I expect to see pop up in my shopping results. Even a high end Fender probably wouldn't have surprised me that much, but a Lakland? Definitely.
Also what's wrong with being a Wal-Mart hater?
Also what's wrong with being a Wal-Mart hater?
Not that unusual... just last year, I stopped by an H&R Block, had my taxes done, and while I waited, also had my lawn mower blade sharpened.
One of the early gay bars around here was named Mable's Tax Service and Chainsaw Repair
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It probably means that said company isn't selling as many as they used to through the direct route, and are now taking steps to occupy a bit of market space. Either that or they are growing beyond a point at which their vendors just can't pay for stock because nobody wants a +$3000 bass and the vendor doesn't want to sit on product. One in the same thing, I guess. It's like Fodera moving to Sweetwater, but on a weirder scale.
The bass is being sold by Music123, which is a "Marketplace Retailer" through Walmart. It's just like Amazon. Amazon itself doesn't have 10 different price options when you go to buy your hair nets. 10 DIFFERENT vendors are selling THROUGH Amazon. This is the same concept and Walmart has been doing it quite a long time by now.
Interesting how interconnected the world of commerce is now. Someone posted on here a while back about a Rickenbacker you could get through Sears.
"It was an H+R Block party, oh, yeah, H+R Block party, woo hoo. I said an H+R Block party, Everybody now, H+R Block party, yeah, yeah..."
Why would Lakland seem more surprising? They were ahead of the curve in 'higher priced imports' with the Skylines ...I assume that was an attempt to earn profit rather than any altruistic desire...this is not different...another way to earn. Seems silly to think they are anyless profit focused that any of the bigger brands...
Do they sell dem french fried potaters in there too? Mmmhmmm.
Always a cut above the rest...
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
More stores are doing this. But I would bet that these are not exactly the cream of the crop.
Sad state of affairs. I miss the mom and pops with people who actually knew the difference between a bass and a guitar. Much of the excitement and specialization is removed when your favorite axe hits a low balling box store.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
I bought my Schecter 8-string from Best Buy's website. I was not pleased with the experience.
It was listed at 20% less than what everyone else had it listed at, without any explanation. But it was Black Friday weekend, so I assumed it was a Black Friday deal, and pulled the trigger.
The instrument arrived with a slight backbow, which did not concern me. The fact that I couldn't get the truss rod to budge in either direction, however, did concern me. I contacted Schecter, and while helpful, they suggested I contact the retailer for an exchange first. When I contacted Best Buy, I spoke with a guy who had no idea what a truss rod even was. He told me that the bass was on indefinite backorder, and he didn't know when, or even if, they would have it in stock again. He told me I had to call all of my local Best Buys and see if they had one in stock I could exchange. I told him no, customer service is his job, not mine. Finally I got him to agree to e-mail me a call tag. I never did receive that call tag, but he did manage to put me on their mailing list for spam, so maybe he wasn't completely incompetent.
I ended up fixing the problem myself by putting a drop of WD40 on the end of a toothpick, putting that at the end of the truss rod, and letting it sit overnight.
Another interesting detail. Schecter builds this instrument overseas, and then sends it to an American plant for final setup. When the bass arrived at my doorstep, all of the bridge saddles were aligned straight across the bridge. Unsurprisingly, the intonation was way out. Now, this is conjecture, but it seems to me that one possible explanation was that the bass was shipped to someone else, who found the truss rod frozen and returned it. Then it was put on the website at a discount to lure some sucker like me. Before restocking it, some ignorant manager told an employee to straighten out all the bridge saddles to make the bass look untouched. Again, just conjecture, but it fits.
Anyway, it's just an anecdote, so make of it what you will. Me, I became convinced not to buy musical equipment from a department store again. If nothing else, they lack expertise.
And Best Buy lost my business for life.
It was listed at 20% less than what everyone else had it listed at, without any explanation. But it was Black Friday weekend, so I assumed it was a Black Friday deal, and pulled the trigger.
The instrument arrived with a slight backbow, which did not concern me. The fact that I couldn't get the truss rod to budge in either direction, however, did concern me. I contacted Schecter, and while helpful, they suggested I contact the retailer for an exchange first. When I contacted Best Buy, I spoke with a guy who had no idea what a truss rod even was. He told me that the bass was on indefinite backorder, and he didn't know when, or even if, they would have it in stock again. He told me I had to call all of my local Best Buys and see if they had one in stock I could exchange. I told him no, customer service is his job, not mine. Finally I got him to agree to e-mail me a call tag. I never did receive that call tag, but he did manage to put me on their mailing list for spam, so maybe he wasn't completely incompetent.
I ended up fixing the problem myself by putting a drop of WD40 on the end of a toothpick, putting that at the end of the truss rod, and letting it sit overnight.
Another interesting detail. Schecter builds this instrument overseas, and then sends it to an American plant for final setup. When the bass arrived at my doorstep, all of the bridge saddles were aligned straight across the bridge. Unsurprisingly, the intonation was way out. Now, this is conjecture, but it seems to me that one possible explanation was that the bass was shipped to someone else, who found the truss rod frozen and returned it. Then it was put on the website at a discount to lure some sucker like me. Before restocking it, some ignorant manager told an employee to straighten out all the bridge saddles to make the bass look untouched. Again, just conjecture, but it fits.
Anyway, it's just an anecdote, so make of it what you will. Me, I became convinced not to buy musical equipment from a department store again. If nothing else, they lack expertise.
And Best Buy lost my business for life.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Because of this
Lakland while of course motivated by profit like any other company built their name by building custom and high quality instruments. It seems like a lot of the draw must come from the exclusivity as well. By allowing Wal-Mart to sell them it seems like damaging their reputation on all of those fronts. Honestly the company could swear up and down that "these are the same instruments sold direct by the company" but I wouldn't want one, I'm sure you don't get nearly the same level of service even from Lakland themselves, not just Wal-Mart, after the sale. I would buy a Squier from them without hesitation but when you start getting into the thousands of dollars and what are really supposed to be hand built instruments (I actually don't know specifically if Lakland is hand built but many of the higher dollar from other companies are) I just wouldn't trust a big box retailer.
Exactly. I spent hours a day setting basses/guitars up in every price range to be sure they were ready for the public when I was in the business. Not seeing that level of commitment or profinciency in many places today. Those new to music are the ones missing out. "Gee, maybe there's an App to fix that..."
Um, no.
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