Music stores and amps complaint

[Tim Schnautz]

Actually more of a disappointing observance.

I remember when music stores of all shapes and sizes also had a host of amps and cabs, from the mighty to the mini, for sale.
Yea, they’d let you hook up a bass to any of them but because of limited space a d usually a room full of other customers picking away on acoustics, and a kid D-tuning everything he picks up.
You know the drill

The bad thing about selecting a new amp is that everything must be at a controlled volume level.
The Acoustic B-200 gets the same treatment as the boulder crushing Ampeg 1000 on the 8x10 cabinet. No way to check anything for “headroom “ as to say, or run through a gambit of settings, volume, tone etc.
Sit in front of the speaker and listen to it whisper
so what do people do now, especially with most purchases being internet sales where you can’t try before you buy ?
Just curious.
Thanks…

 

[Parzival]

Buy and flip if you don’t like. See the TB classifieds.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

Buy and flip if you don’t like. See the TB classifieds.

That might be ok for some but I can’t see it being operable in the real world.

Like a car. You buy one, then you find out it’s not what you want so you flip it usually at a substantial loss???
I think it’s best to try it and give it a workout first

 

[Parzival]

That might be ok for some but I can’t see it being operable in the real world.

Like a car. You buy one, then you find out it’s not what you want so you flip it usually at a substantial loss???
I think it’s best to try it and give it a workout first

Yeah, not something you want to do a lot. I’ve done it a couple of times in the last 4 years so not awful. Only other thing you can do is read as much as you can on them. Video reviews are nice but aren’t always helpful and you have to take with a grain of salt because every amp they try is awesome.

Good thing is it is hard to go really wrong these days. Most newer amps out there sound really good.

 

[J Wilson]

Go work in a music store for a couple weeks, then we'll talk.

No store I ever worked in minded IF you wanted to rattle the walls for a minute or two. But too many cats wanted to just KEEP wailing and it's hard on the guy trying out Martins and Taylors, you can't hear the phone calls you try and answer etc.

And I've heard 'Eruption' 900 kinds of BAD. And bass guys? Take it from me, everybody CAN'T slap like Louis Johnson or Marcus Miller, sometimes you wonder if anyone plays bass with a pick or their fingers any more.

Strangely, guys that could really play, would plug in for just a few minutes, done. Bedroom Beginners or the Truly Half-Assed would wear out their welcome and get on everyone's last nerve (and they can't tune at gunpoint, so there's that to twist the knife a little more) and just keep going to where you'd eventually have to go stop them.

Like most situations in life, if you're reasonable, the people you're dealing with will be as well.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

Go work in a music store for a couple weeks, then we'll talk.

No store I ever worked in minded IF you wanted to rattle the walls for a minute or two. But too many cats wanted to just KEEP wailing and it's hard on the guy trying out Martins and Taylors, you can't hear the phone calls you try and answer etc.

And I've heard 'Eruption' 900 kinds of BAD. And bass guys? Take it from me, everybody CAN'T slap like Louis Johnson or Marcus Miller, sometimes you wonder if anyone plays bass with a pick or their fingers any more.

Strangely, guys that could really play, would plug in for just a few minutes, done. Bedroom Beginners or the Truly Half-Assed would wear out their welcome and get on everyone's last nerve (and they can't tune at gunpoint, so there's that to twist the knife a little more) and just keep going to where you'd eventually have to go stop them.

Like most situations in life, if you're reasonable, the people you're dealing with will be as well.

I have worked in a music store. Weekend part time at the now defunct Samuel’s in Effingham Illinois did that for about 5 years. And that was a looonnnng time ago. And what you say is very truthful and honest.
But like you’re saying it’s really hard to get a good evaluation when couped up indoors

 

[RVRSCO]

I was at a small shop yesterday and they had an actual amp room. One person at a time, but the doors closed and it was relatively well sound proofed, so you could really turn up the volume. It was small, but it was nice to really dig in.

 

[richardroquette]

Go at off times when there are few/no other customers there.

 

[rodl2005]

If yr gonna be using it for live work, imo, you HAVE to try it én situ
I don't think you can really tell how it sounds reliably until you've done this.

Thankfully most modern quality amps are pretty good, and the cab yr gonna use it with, of course, is equally important.

So for my last few purchases having TB here is fantastic for research

 

[VS]

Actually more of a disappointing observance.

I remember when music stores of all shapes and sizes also had a host of amps and cabs, from the mighty to the mini, for sale.
Yea, they’d let you hook up a bass to any of them but because of limited space a d usually a room full of other customers picking away on acoustics, and a kid D-tuning everything he picks up.
You know the drill

The bad thing about selecting a new amp is that everything must be at a controlled volume level.
The Acoustic B-200 gets the same treatment as the boulder crushing Ampeg 1000 on the 8x10 cabinet. No way to check anything for “headroom “ as to say, or run through a gambit of settings, volume, tone etc.
Sit in front of the speaker and listen to it whisper
so what do people do now, especially with most purchases being internet sales where you can’t try before you buy ?
Just curious.
Thanks…

My issue years ago was that I wanted to try amps and cabs that the majority of music stores didn't even carry like Trace Elliot, Aguilar, SWR, Eden, etc. All the music stores that I visited pretty much carried Ampeg, Hartke and maybe some Fender amps, even Guitar Center. So throughout the years, Talkbass was my tool for researching amps/cabs to get a better scope of the type of gear I was after, then I'd typically buy and sell used online to find what worked best for me. Over 20 years later, I'm still utilizing that method. The research is vital though and it's less buying and selling in the end.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Actually more of a disappointing observance.

I remember when music stores of all shapes and sizes also had a host of amps and cabs, from the mighty to the mini, for sale.
Yea, they’d let you hook up a bass to any of them but because of limited space a d usually a room full of other customers picking away on acoustics, and a kid D-tuning everything he picks up.
You know the drill

The bad thing about selecting a new amp is that everything must be at a controlled volume level.
The Acoustic B-200 gets the same treatment as the boulder crushing Ampeg 1000 on the 8x10 cabinet. No way to check anything for “headroom “ as to say, or run through a gambit of settings, volume, tone etc.
Sit in front of the speaker and listen to it whisper
so what do people do now, especially with most purchases being internet sales where you can’t try before you buy ?
Just curious.
Thanks…

I think a headroom test is reasonable when you let the salespeople know you'd like to really turn it up to see what headroom whatever it is. And then how long does it take to get a sense of headroom? Thirty seconds? A minute? Two minutes? That's fair. Anything more than that, it would seem like the headroom question has been satisfactorily answered, and any further time at whatever those volumes is not about assessing headroom any more.

Also, if you have played a long time, you're going to have some ballpark baseline knowledge of what a 200 watt bass amp volume is going to be in terms of headroom, and it's why you're not thinking about the 100 watt one, or the 50 watt one, so headroom tests in that case are quick verifications on what you largely already know and suspect.

I don't know when I'll buy another bass amp, but I hope I can try before I buy, but even if I can't, I've spent enough time in music stores playing whatever, to make some reasonable, informed assumptions regarding product specs, that hopefully more often than not, be affirmed instead of refuted. And if not... then that return policy. BTW, if your benchmark is how it performs at a gig, which is a reasonable reason to have a benchmark, then buy the whatever around the time of the gigs so you can practically use it as intended, and still stay within the return period!

 

[jerry]

Out here almost nobody stocks decent bass gear, so I stick with proven builders like Bergantino, Mesa etc. Because they have never let me down.

 

[Gearhead17]

Guitar Center used section. Order some gear, get it shipped to the store, try it there and/or take it home with you. 45 days to test it out and you can likely use it at band practice a few times. That is how I have done it with a lot of gear. Fewer and fewer places are carrying the stuff I want to try out. So this is the path I go.

2nd option - road trip to the store that carries what you want to try

3rd option - make a new friend from a local band or TB member and ask to try out their gear. Bass players are usually nice people.

 

[elgranluis]

When I bought my SVT , I hadn’t even been in the same room with an svt before. I liked it , it turned on and worked so bought it.

I guess that’s how I buy stuff. I don’t really try new stuff , I just buy it.

 

[jnewmark]

Guitar Center used section. Order some gear, get it shipped to the store, try it there and/or take it home with you. 45 days to test it out and you can likely use it at band practice a few times. That is how I have done it with a lot of gear. Fewer and fewer places are carrying the stuff I want to try out. So this is the path I go.

2nd option - road trip to the store that carries what you want to try

3rd option - make a new friend from a local band or TB member and ask to try out their gear. Bass players are usually nice people.

Good idea. I remember going to my local GC many years ago. All they had were Ampeg, GK, and Acoustic. I asked about Genz Benz amps, guy said he never heard of them. Then asked about Mesa Subways, the guy said they were guitar amps. Thank God for TB Classifieds.

 

[pcake]

some stores rent or lease. or you could go see bands where the bass player uses the gear you're interested in.

and sam ash had and may still have a "no questions asked" return policy. they lived up to that for me on a couple cabs i returned. they didn't even ask if they had actual issues or if i just didn't like them.

 

[Sid the Kid]

If you were serious about your desire to purchase the 1000w Ampeg and 8x10 the music store would let you demo to your hearts content. If you tell them your intentions prior to plugging into everything available they will take you more seriously. If you aren’t serious and just desire to demo their products with no financial risk what do you expect? I wouldn’t let you into my jam room to stress test all my gear unless you made a deposit.

To answer your question, I would purchase the items I believe would work and return them if they didn’t. The old music stores were amazing but those boys would give you absolute hell if you came in every week wanting to return or trade in your gear. You either have the luxury to try everything in person and choose the best or to buy anything and return with no consequence. Sadly the latter won.

 

[elgranluis]

Good idea. I remember going to my local GC many years ago. All they had were Ampeg, GK, and Acoustic. I asked about Genz Benz amps, guy said he never heard of them. Then asked about Mesa Subways, the guy said they were guitar amps. Thank God for TB Classifieds.

retailers chose their inventory based on what sells on their specific location.

I can’t imagine not being able to get a decent tone from Ampeg ,GK, or acoustic, so i understand the store’s viewpoint.

It does seem like the thread is derailing though

 

[sokolasty]

Yea, they’d let you hook up a bass to any of them but because of limited space a d usually a room full of other customers picking away on acoustics

If you go to a small shop, it might be a problem
Big stores have amps rooms, at least some of them. Some have even bass amp rooms and guitar amp rooms

so what do people do now, especially with most purchases being internet sales where you can’t try before you buy ?

Don't you have a 30 (or 14) day money back guarantee when buying new gear?

 

[Mastiff_5]

Guitar Center has a 45 day return policy, and that includes used gear. Of course, the gear has to come back in mint condition (or the same used condition it was purchased in). So if one were to purchase a used, say, Genz Benz amp and didn’t like it, one could return it, and select, say, a used Mesa amp. You would be out the shipping fee, but that’s a small price to pay for a month+ of time to put a unit thru its paces. Or a bass, or pedal, etc. for that matter.
A couple side effects: new gear doesn’t cost you the shipping fee to try out, but you are limited to new gear - in store OR special order!
However, this is one of the issues people get with GC: a new purchase that is returned is often put back on the shelf as a new item. That’s where we sometimes get issues when we order online. The item doesn’t always come from a warehouse, it can come from a store, off the shelf (or wall hanger).