Online or in a physical store?

[socialleper]

The idea of buying an instrument without playing THAT instrument scares me to no end.

 

[Bongolation]

I have purchased three identical basses on-line, picked the one that met my standards, and returned the other two. You can only do this with a retailer providing a 30-day return guarantee. And if you have a Guitar Center nearby, you don't have to bother with return shipping, you just take it back to the store and try again.

Not 45-day?

If you can make that work for you, great, but what local stores will accommodate in terms of free shipping and returns policies between other stores and online varies very widely. I was surprised. I couldn't get anywhere with my local GC on this -- yet another reason to blow them off.

My experience is that anything I get is going to require bench time -- and probably a lot of it -- but if it's something that I can't handle, then it falls into the category of seriously defective product that goes back at no cost to me. Corporate builders don't ship the best instruments they can, but rather the worst instruments they can get away with. Based on these grim assumptions gained over decades of working on instruments, I never pay anything remotely close to retail for gear on the front end, keep my expectations low, resign myself to doing the work they couldn't be bothered to do at the factory and it all usually works out...eventually.

 

[electracoyote]

Not 45-day?

Got me! 1 point for you.

It's been awhile, I couldn't remember.

 

[lbbc]

The last 4 basses I bought (and still have) were bought online....MF, Pushic custom, ebay (x2). I never tried either one out, but all came with a return/money back guarantee. I love them all....1986 Alembic Persuader med scale, 2013 Dave Pushic med scale, 1970's Aria Scroll Top "Beatle Bass" short scale, and New Fender Deluxe Dimension IV (natural) 34" scale. I have bought many basses at local "mom and pop" shops, but the 4 previously mentioned are the only ones in my arsenal at this time!

 

[Goatrope]

My current opinion is that "corporate builders" are selling online the best quality the can at the price point because they see the fall of the big box retailers coming. I think it's easier to sell a marginal bass to a walk-in customer.

Set up is a crap shoot no matter where you buy. If you can't do a good set up yourself, you need to learn to do it.

I've had two great experiences in the last year. One with Warwick and one with Fender. Standard American P Bass needed adjustment but I was able to get it right in a couple of tweaks. Build quality is very high. Frets were surprisingly well done. Warwick Thumb NT near perfect set up. Build quality like I've never seen in my life. Amazing.

 

[lmfreeman9]

buy used

 

[gumbynotpokey]

I would check things out in a store and online (researching) before deciding.

Then, I would do neither and call Carvin. They build what you want and if you don't want it, it goes back. What's to be afraid of? The four of us own 9 total, I believe, and none have gone back.

But sticking to your question? If we buy an instrument that is not a Carvin (and we do) we buy in a local store almost all of the time. It helps the local merchants.

We have bought instruments (not Carvin) online and have been satisfied - but that was from Sweetwater.

 

[FretNoMore]

I seldom buy anything in a store, the brands and/or models I want are usually not available locally.

 

[zontar]

buy used

But you can do that online and you can do that in a physical store.
Both online & physical can be done with a company or a reseller or a the actual owner.

So which is it?
Online or Physical store?
Or both? or neither?