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No Ken Smith Design for me!

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#21
crhoton said:
Yes, I would consider someone drinking a beer at 10:30 in the morning to have a problem. You asked. That's my opinion.
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fair 'nuff. but still that's an opinion.

It's not like the guy was wearing a shirt that said "i'm a drunk" or "I love Good Charlotte" or something that would prevent any person with half a brain from letting him try the bass..... or maybe he was??? :D
 
#23
lucas vigor said:
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!
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No one is defending the guys behaviour - someone pointed out a possible explanation for it. It just seems you are getting a little worked up over one guy acting like a tool who we don't even know for sure is anything other than just another (more senior) employee at Brooklyn Gear.

Its not like the guy came up to you and said "Hi i'm Joe Brooklyn, owner of Brooklyn Gear and we don't allow your kind to purchase from our company".

If you want to boycott the product, although I think its an overreaction, thats fine. Buts lets keep this in perspective - it was a one off issue. What if they had a policy that said "no food or drink in the booth"?
 
#24
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.
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I've been on vacation....camping trips and the like where I've had a beer before noon. I also haven't done it for years. So am I an alcoholic,a time bomb,or recovered ? Man....your tough.

I'd let Ken Smith know about your experience. That's the best you can do.
 
#29
Having been in the retail business for over 20 years, I understand both sides of this fence and all I can say this...

1. You like the product and you want one.

2. The guy treated you wrongly in your estimation.

3. You don't really want to punish yourself or Ken for
this incident.

4. You do want to punish the offender.

5. SOLUTION........buy it from somewhere else so in case
the guy would have made a sales commision, you have
deprived him of that, but not deprived yourself or Ken
Smith who, in my opinion, should not be held to blame
for the guy's actions. As Tony Montana said..."He can't
be responsible for that anamal....could happen to
anyone". (Excerpt from "Scarface")

6. Wouldn't hurt to make Ken aware.
 
#30
I think it would be pretty lame of you to boycott KSD basses because some idiot who works for some store was rude to you. Now, I could understand if you were at the KSD booth and this happened, but I mean come on man! If some dude who works at my local music store is rude to me, should I boycott every brand of music gear they sell? Get over it. Let Ken Smith know what happened, I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate the person who treated you that way and I'm sure he would love for you to get an opportunity to give one of his basses a run. Just my opinion.
 
#32
Just to clarify IIRC:

1. KSD is designed and built (using an outsourced builder) by Brooklyn Gear with consulting from Ken Smith.

2. They ARE NOT a Ken Smith product.

3. Brooklyn Gear is the American Distributor for KSD basses.

4. The Ken Smith name on the basses is by agreement between Ken Smith and Brooklyn Gear to "bump" the perceived value of the basses by associating them with Ken Smith - however Ken Smith DOES NOT build them.

5. Ken Smith apparently does test and set up a few basses from every batch to ensure QC.

Ken may want to jump in and clarify anything I have said, but from his posts that is what I recall to be the case.
 
#34
Let's see if I can put this in another context:

I have GAS for two items. Both equally desireable. One company treats me like JVBVR and CRHOTON would if they were managers, the other, treats me with a little tiny bit of respect.

My money goes to the people that treated me like they wanted me to buy thier product, all things being equal.

Now, obviously I have touched a nerve with Ken Smith fans, but I hope in thier haste to berate me, they noticed that my beef was with Brooklyn gear, not Ken Smith.

Having been a retail manager, I learned that custormer service is one of the main keys to sales. Especially if you have products that are very similar to your competitor. (Like the Fender marcus miller jazz bass). The two basses are priced almost the same, and even look similar. Both are active electronics, and both are very good basses, made overseas.

Today, if I wanted a Asian-made active jazz bass for around 800, either one of those basses would be nice to own. But becuase I was treated like a lesser person, I would go with the Fender.

My bottom line is that it is sales. It's not me begging for a bass that's one of 25 made. They want to sell ME the bass, and they want to sell YOU the bass. In this situtation, the product does not speak for itself. This is a korean made bass by the way, not a 65,000 dollar Jaguar or BMW!

Look, I can defend my point till I am blue in the face, but I won't anymore. This is my opinion, and I was curious if any one else had a bad experience with these people that day (or any other day) and if it came off as anti-spam, I am sorry that pissed a few of you off...well, actually, I am not sorry at all. It's a free country!

So go ahead and shop at those copmpanies who really don't want your money bad enough to treat you as a valued customer. It's your perogative!

By the way, this is the music business we are in. All weekend, NAMM had conferences on how to sell, how to advertise, how to market....apparently, some people don't agree with those concepts.

This is not like I was buying an exclusive print directly from pablo Picasso himself, you know? In that situtaion, you more or less expect to be treated like crap.

This is a distribution company who better screen thier employees better, or they will only sell to a few people like JVBVR and others, who don't care how they are treated, don't drink, and don't like those who do!

And for the last time, NAMM is a special event for me. Something I look forward to all year. Nornally, I don't even drink a whole lot of beer. Having a full time job, three bands and a wife don't give me much time to have a few beers at all.

NAMM is like a holiday, a holiday spent in the temple of GAS, and if I feel like having a nice Newcastle beer at 10:30 in the morning, once in a great while, I don't think I should be judged too harshly. Besides, after walking about 3 miles from the strawberry field parking lot, I was damn thirsty!
 
#35
If I really liked the bass and wanted to buy it, I would do this:

Go into the store where the young, enthusiastic salesman is, get him to sell you the bass so it goes on his sales record, make sure all of this is done in the presence of the old, rude salesman. If need be, as you are leaving the store, remind the old guy of how he treated you and that everytime you go in the store you'll buy from another salesperson.

That's about the sweetest revenge. I still go to the same stores where I've been treated like crap & treated like Jaco himself by various salespeople. They want the sale to go on their record, and if they miss out, reminding them of why it did'nt might make them treat the next customer with a bit more respect.
 
#37
jvbjr said:
Seems like your treatment was fitting...Rosa Parks? Give it a break, what kind of idiot would bring up racism? Ohh yeah, you.
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This from the guy who mentioned "the Jews" buying Mercedes. :eyebrow:

Mr Kettle, may I introduce Mr Pot? :rollno:

FWIW, a beer at 10:30 at a CONVENTION FOR MUSICIANS is not a big deal. To suggest otherwise shows a teeny tiny little worldview.

And, to show such obvious disdain for someone in a forum DESIGNED TO SELL GEAR, seems like poor judgement to me.

While LV might be shooting himself in the foot by not getting KSD if that's what he really wants, I certainly understand not wanting to give money to an a$$. I have, on more than one occassion, spent more for a piece of gear as opposed to giving money to a company I didn't want to deal with.

Did I put them under by doing so? Of course not. But, I could look at myself in the mirror for having a limit. How much is that worth?
 
#38
bassmonkeee said:
This from the guy who mentioned "the Jews" buying Mercedes. :eyebrow:

Mr Kettle, may I introduce Mr Pot? :rollno:

FWIW, a beer at 10:30 at a CONVENTION FOR MUSICIANS is not a big deal. To suggest otherwise shows a teeny tiny little worldview.

And, to show such obvious disdain for someone in a forum DESIGNED TO SELL GEAR, seems like poor judgement to me.
Click to expand...

3 highly valid and excellent points. once again the monkee comes through... :D
 
#40
I never compared myself to Rosa parks at all. I compared my situation to being judged on my appearance and my status (My badge gave away the fact that I was not a big-wig).

In the earlier part of this century, people were judged based on how they looked.

In places like England, it is said that "if you don't know your place, there is always someone who will show you"

Discrimination does not always go hand in hand with Racism. It could be based on your political beliefs, religion, handicapped, whether or not you like Bongo's or not, etc..a few things other then racism.

Look, this guy was obviously one of the big wigs with Brooklyn gear. He was not just an employee. he was in charge.

There are a lot of filthy rich rock stars walking around with beers in thier hands, and odd atttire (anyone see the pink- haired all clown band?) and how does this guy know I am not the most insane, sick bass player on the planet? (I am not, of course)

So for this guy to act like his precious 800 dollar bass was somehow in jeapordy, is ridiculous, considering the Warrior people with thier 8000 dollar basses were very nice to me, beer and all!

The thing is this: You were not there, those of you who think I am wrong to publically complain on this board. That guy looked me up and down the same way a ice-cold supermodel would if you asked her for a date. You know what I am saying? That quick once-over with the eyes, were someone is evaluating you in a totally shallow and materialistic way.

It does not feel good. It made me feel upset. Upset enough to write about it today.

having said that, I really did have a good time. The rest of the day was great!

I passed by Jill and Steve Azolas booth. I had been talking to Steve, when some rock star walked up. Steve immediatley ackowldeged him, and then when I realized my part of the conversation was over, I walked away. Steve called me by my name, "hey ______ did you have any more questions?"

Ok? the guy remembered my name!

I walked by the chapmann stick booth. Emmett himself put the thing around my neck. He adjusted the strap, gave me a quick lesson. Me. A nobody!!

Thats how you run a business!

You don't ask how many beers a guy has had, while wearing a smug, arrogant expression on your face!
 
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