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Musiciansfriend.com

#21
I buy from MF as often as I need to. I've bought 1 bass (DeArmond Pilot Pro), mic's, stands, headphones, etc. I've never had a problem and shipping has always been faster than I expected it to be.

As far as I'm concerned, UPS simply lies about ALL of their shipping times except for cross town overnights. I've come to understand this and expect this and now that I do, I don't get to bent out of shape when they live up to that reputation. You guys shouldn't either.
 
#22
I've done plenty of business with MF, but usually not with instruments, unless the deal is unbeatable. I prefer to try before I buy, but have never been entirely disappointed with a purchase.

Their shipping is quick, their CS guys are knowledgable, but I still generally prefer mom and pop companies.
 
#23
I ordered a Bassman 25 combo amp from Musician's Friend, and it arrived quickly, but had a problem (plugging in headphones didn't cut off speaker, which is reason I bought that model -- can't wake up the baby! :D ).

They e-mailed me a postage-paid label to stick on the front. UPS picked it up, and in about a week to 10 days, I had a new one, at NO shipping cost to me. Not bad, considering it was only a $149 amp, and they spent at least an extra $40 or so shipping the broken one back and the new one to me. :)

Pretty good service. Better than Fender, which didn't even provide so much as a phone number with their product, and the Fender website is useless for customer service. :spit:
 
#25
I've ordered tons of stuff from MF. No problems. Shipping is always on time or sometimes even early (thanks partially to UPS though, and an apparently favorable shipping route due to where I live). I also like American Musical Supply a lot (been buying from them since the early '90s) though they don't have quite the sizeable inventory MF has (though they do have some brands/items MF doesn't stock). I've never had to utilize MF's customer service, but I do know that AMS's service is great. I got a DOA pedal from them once, and they were very quick in shipping out a replacement and a prepaid shipping label for sending the defective unit back.
 
#26
I am always pretty leary about responding to threads about MF, since I work there... As some of you may know, I have been with MF for some time now. If there are any questions, comments, concerns, or likewise, please let me know! I would rather set things strait then have differing, and possibly incorrect, information running about... pm's are fine by me!


P@
 
#27
pmkelly said:
I am always pretty leary about responding to threads about MF, since I work there... As some of you may know, I have been with MF for some time now. If there are any questions, comments, concerns, or likewise, please let me know! I would rather set things strait then have differing, and possibly incorrect, information running about... pm's are fine by me!


P@
Click to expand...

Sir, that would be "leery" and "straight"....you must have gotten fixated on Timothy Leary and George Strait...interesting combination: LSD and country music...says a lot about you...

:eek:

...Pat's a good egg, and if he works for MF, and they've promoted him to his present position, they must be a pretty OK company.

Hope all's well up there big guy!!!! :)
 
#28
Although I'm a relative new-comer to TalkBass, I'm finding quite a few good folks here. Pat, you can't help where you work and it's nice that you have a strong conviction in your gig. . After all, you could have a crumby job like working at Victoria's Secret or something. :hyper: And, if Gard says you're OK, that's good enough for me. :^>)

I know what you mean about feeling awkward "defending" your position or your employer. I was at Fender as a Northeast rep for 14 years and felt that it was damn near impossible to try to correct mis-information that tends to often run rampant in internet forums.

I often felt like Jack Nicholsen--"You want the truth--you can't handle the truth"! :eyebrow:

The Bottom Line--Sharing information is always a wonderful thing. We owe it to the players who are following in our footsteps and to the "geezers" who haven't quite kept up and are eager to learn. I sometimes include myself in that category by the way. While the "spam" line is a fine one, and easy to cross, the view from inside is always appreciated. Peace. :)
 
#29
I've bought a bass and some smaller accessories with no 'real' problems. The only aggravation was that it took about a week for them to ship my bass. But, it was packed well and arrived perfect. Just bought a drum machine from Zzounds and they were great as well.
Oh, and about "defending" your position as an employee... I know all about that too. I work for Ford and before that worked for Chrysler for a couple years. I know all about it :rolleyes: .
 
#31
I've bought a lot of gear from them, but never an actual instrument. MANY pedals, strings, etc...
I prefer to buy instruments form certified independent dealers.

Never a problem with any order. Always prompt & friendly. I do shop around a bit more now, as you can find better prices on some stuff elsewhere in the cyberswamp.
 
#32
I have heard no complaints about them, and wouldn't tell anyone that they provide bad service. But ponder this, every dollar you spend at a GC or MF (hey that could stand for something else!) is one less dollar in the pocket of a REAL dealer, my suggestion is, if at all possible direct your music dollars to Low Down Sound, Bass Central, Bass Northwest, etc. If as musiscians we don't make that stand we will soon be deprived of any place to purchase or check out QUALITY instruments with quality service. Most of these stores have good people that you can develop relationships with over the phone and get real advice and good service. For non bass items, PA, PRO SOUND check out www.sweetwater.com, If you call them you will get a salesman who usually has his own recording studio and a passion about gear! I'm lucky I live down the street from Low Down and about an hour from Elderly Music (one of the best independent gutiar stores in the world!)
 
#34
I use Rotosound FunkMaster strings on one of my basses.
They're generally not found in stock at stores, so I order them on-line, 2-3 sets at a time.
After some service issues with another supplier, whose name I
"Just" won't mention, I called MF-

They listed the strings for a few dollars more, but easily agreed to match the pricing, and that was that.
Worked for me.

I've also ordered accessories from them with no problems. As far as instruments, etc. they should be fine too- They have a good return policy as well if you're not happy.

More power to 'em.
 
#35
Gard said:
Sir, that would be "leery" and "straight"....you must have gotten fixated on Timothy Leary and George Strait...interesting combination: LSD and country music...says a lot about you...

:eek:

...Pat's a good egg, and if he works for MF, and they've promoted him to his present position, they must be a pretty OK company.

Hope all's well up there big guy!!!! :)
Click to expand...

jeeez.... speling lessons from a cajun.... how does that work? :D

All's good.... kid and wife well, but that is a phone call waiting to happen.... I should holler at you today...

thanks for the understanding, folks... I am just here to help with what I can!


P@
 
#36
i won't ever buy a bass online again. you are better off going to a music store and trying it out and getting one you like. every bass, even the same brand, is different. i had a horror story with one i got online.

now for amps, cabs, gear, and stuff (where every piece is exactly the same with no variation) it's a great way to shop.
 
#37
I played some new MusicMan basses at my local Guitar Center and none of them were setup properly. I find it hard to believe that MM would ship them setup this way from the factory - fret buzz with bridge hieght set to max. Maybe the tech guy just did not know what he was doing. I would be nice if the basses would be setup properly. Most reputable stores will set them up prior to the sale.
 
#38
I've never bought anything from MF, however, my wife regularly orders stuff from them when she is looking to surprise me with something that I don't have to examine first, like music stands (she got me a really cool collapsing one), bass stands (just got me a nice 3-bass stand) ... that kind of stuff. The thing that seems cool with MF is how nicely they treat her .... she tells them that she doesn't know anything about basses (more or less a lie ... we've been married for 23 years, she knows a lot more than she lets on) and lets them guide her to the right purchase decision. They haven't let her (or me) down so far :cool:

ps. Pat, if you're the returns guy, hopefully I'll never talk with you :D
 
#39
Bayou_Brawler said:
i won't ever buy a bass online again. you are better off going to a music store and trying it out and getting one you like. every bass, even the same brand, is different. i had a horror story with one i got online.
Click to expand...
Same here. Getting burned once on an expensive instrument was more than enough for me. I'd even have a tough time buying an axe from a fellow TBer unless I got the option to return it.

Musician's Friend's warehouse is here in KC, along with their outlet store. They sell all of their returned gear there and price it based on how damaged it is. It's fun to go in every month or so to see what they've got because a lot of the time it's easily dealt with if you are willing to shell out for $20 in parts or something. I've seen a couple Conklin GT7s in there in great condition for peanuts, but never had the money on me.
 
#40
OK, just my luck to confirm what I wrote earlier and nobody wanted to hear:

My shipment I mentioned earlier, which consisted of an acoustic guitar, several stomps, microphone stands and a lot of little stuff was just thrown loose into one big box and sent. UPS ripped a hole in it and the driver said stuff was falling out in the truck, so he did not attempt delivery.

The package didn't show up so I called and UPS said delivery had been attempted (it hadn't). They said they'd call the driver and find out what was what. He told them the above.

OK, so here's the kicker: UPS is going to examine the box and check the contents against the shipping list. If any of the little stuff which is only worth $0.50 - $1.99 is missing, the entire thing must go back to Musician's Friend.

Musician's Friend cannot just send me a replacement order because the guitar and one of the stomps were closeout items which are no longer stocked.

None of this would have happened if MF's packing apes would have at least bagged the little two-bit stuff so it wouldn't be rattling around loose and falling out of a ripped box corner.

I didn't buy anything fragile because I know better (see previous post) but I hadn't counted on this twist.

How will this mess work out?

I have no idea. :spit:
 

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