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No Ken Smith Design for me!

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L

lucas vigor

Inactive
Sep 2, 2004
2,209
22
Orange County, Ca,
#1
I had been thinking of purchasing a KSD Jazz bass from Brooklyn Gear, but no more!

The basses are awesome sounding, that's for sure..BUT.....

As I walked into thier booth at NAMM, a nice young man working there offered to let me try one out. This kid was full of enthusiasm, and proud of the product.

It was about 10:30, and since it was my day off, I had a beer with me. Some older guy at brooklyn Gear saw the younger guy setting up an amp for me, and developed a scowl on his face. He asked me rudely,"how many beers have you had?"

Then, while the young man was still trying to set up an amp and cord for me, this older guy took him aside and although it was pretty loud in there, I could tell he was dressing down this young employee for letting me try out the bass!

well, the bass was excellent, but I won't ever buy one from a company that employs people like this guy. he looked at me as though I was a homeless guy asking for a hand-out...you know, one of those looks from shoes to shirt...

In my opinion, the company should let that sour-puss go, and keep the young guy instead...I won't ever buy from them if they keep jerks like that employed. I am a bass player with 25 years experience, and I don't need to be treated like an idiot.

How refreshing to deal with people like Jill and Bill Azola, the guys from King doublebass, and Emmett Chapmann..who treated me with respect, dignity and enthusiasm. That's why they are who they are! :mad:
 
#2
That was just stupid if it went down like you said. The some of the most famous people at the NAMM show looked ragged and I'm sure a few had taken a social beverage or two, if not more. I've been judged unworthy when on occassion when I went into a store, so I know how offensive that whole situation can be. I hope Ken Smith responds to this.
 
#6
Well, keep in mind that this was the Brooklyn Gear booth, not the actual Smith booth..I should have made that clear...but Ken should know the type of people who are selling his product!

I think Ken Smith would have been proud of the young man. That guy had true salesmanship and fire and motivation, and it sucks to see this older guy possibly try to get the kid to be old, jaded and rude like he was.
 
#7
Why you would allow one person to sway your decision is troubling to me. You going to boycott Wal-Mart if someone working there slights you? The Jews buy Mercedes, move on. So you did not like that one individual, BFD.
 
#9
What really bothered me was that the guy had this expression on his face like It was a waste of time for the younger man to set up the amp for a mope like me....

first, his eyes went to my beer, then to my name tag, (which showed me as being a recording studio employee, and not a buyer) then he looked at my shoes and clothing.

Point being, I don't like to feel uncomfortable.

Later, I went to the King Doublebass booth where after chatting with Lee Rocker and Jason Burns, the owner, received some nice free passes to an after-show party.
Those guys made me feel even more then welcome!

So, the money I was saving to quench my GAS will go to a KING doublebass, and not the KSD jazz bass which I also had GAS for.!! :hyper:
 
#12
Firstly, I was not wasted at all. Clear eyed and bushy tailed!

That was the first of 3 beers I had that day. Three.

second, JVBJR, yes, if someone at a company treats me badly, I do boycott.

Because I was a retail manager for years, and had to kiss butts ALL the time to customers, despite thier appearance.

Did I mention this was not Ken Smith himself?
 
#13
AND....the beer booths were open and doing a brisk business, I should say! I was not the lone conventioneer with a beer in my hand.


I would agree if someone comes near my product, staggering, foul mouthed and rude/drunk..I might be a little concerned..however, I was as polite as can be. And not staggering. After all, I had just bought the beer and had a few sips...

regardless, this post was about treating people like a janitor, and not like a potential customer..not about my beer drinking.
 
#14
Good for you, boycott everyone, because eventually you will run into someone you do not like at EVERY retail store if you shop there enough.

So you were a retail manager, did you appreciate customer boycotting your store if one of your employees did not treat a customer to their satisfaction?

Sounds like you've become what you hate to me.
 
#16
Seems like a poor reason to boycott a bass that you otherwise thought was "excellent" to me. But you are entitled to your opinion.

However, consider long after those two salespeople and you have forgotten about and moved on past what happened that day, you could still be enjoying this excellent bass.
 
#17
you should not judge KS because this guy was an idiot.

They make great basses. If you really want to buy one, buy it to a guy you threat you well with respect and give you good advice for your tone. Everywhere you 'll find such idiot.
 
#18
crhoton said:
I can't believe nobody has seen this the other way. If I saw someone with a beer at 10:30 in the morning, I wouldn't want them toying with my property either. A beer that early would indicate to me that someone has a problem, and I would be uneasy as well. Sounds like a guy looking after his investments.
Click to expand...

aer you stating this as a fact? that everyone that has a beer at 10:30 is an alcoholic with a problem? go back under your rock. i wouldn't want a wastoid messing with my new gear either, but to pass judgement on someone for doing something COMPLETELY LEGAL is wrong. did he smell like alcohol? was he thrown out of another booth? was he stumbling, being loud? did this guy have any reason to suspect any of this? NO. who's to say that this was, as he said 1 of 3 beers total. Does that imply that he's a careless drunk that might break something? (based on lucas vigor's depiction of the event) NO. it does not. and there is no reason to assume that, unless you are in someway biased against people who care to partake in having an adult beverage on a weekend before noon. i'm all for protecting your stuff, but this is a show for MUSICIANS. i'll bet more than one person there had a drink before noon.. prove me wrong. :p
 
#19
JVBVR, you are so right!

Just let everyone treat you like crap! Tell Rosa Parks to just give up her bus seat to the white guy and quit complaining. Go ahead and buy those Monster cables!

You know something, I had a great time at NAMM. 99% of the booths were filled with cool and friendly people...all except brookyn gear...who are employing your dear friend obviously, since you feel the need to defend him!

The only power we really have in life is the power to boycott and protest. I usually don't, unless I am treated like an idiot. This does not happen usually, but when It does, I want to point it out. Who knows? perhaps someone else had a problem with this guy as well? Perhaps ken Smith needs to know that one of his distributors has a bit of an attitude problem?

Personally, I love Smith basses. The woods, the pioneering innovations...and KSD Jazz intrigued me and I wanted to try it out. Nothing more, nothing less.

The bass is good, but for now, I will pass on it. When they start selling them thru a different distributor, then I will change my mind.
 
#20
Reverend G-Money said:
aer you stating this as a fact? that everyone that has a beer at 10:30 is an alcoholic with a problem? go back under your rock. i wouldn't want a wastoid messing with my new gear either, but to pass judgement on someone for doing something COMPLETELY LEGAL is wrong. did he smell like alcohol? was he thrown out of another booth? was he stumbling, being loud? did this guy have any reason to suspect any of this? NO. who's to say that this was, as he said 1 of 3 beers total. Does that imply that he's a careless drunk that might break something? (based on lucas vigor's depiction of the event) NO. it does not. and there is no reason to assume that, unless you are in someway biased against people who care to partake in having an adult beverage on a weekend before noon. i'm all for protecting your stuff, but this is a show for MUSICIANS. i'll bet more than one person there had a drink before noon.. prove me wrong. :p
Click to expand...

Yes, I would consider someone drinking a beer at 10:30 in the morning to have a problem. You asked. That's my opinion. I feel bad for Ken Smith in all of this. I think we have all probably run into a jerk or two in a music store, but it doesn't bias me from buying a brand that the store carries. Boycott the store, buy a KSD somewhere else.
 
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