Because people want cheap stuff, and they have to hire cheap labour to be able to sell cheap stuff. Very simple.
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Trying basses at guitar center sucks
- Thread starter Yup
- Start date
I agree with the OP. I go to my local music store
and every axe I try is in tune and properly set up.
Seems like the manager of the guitar dept at GC could easily do the same.
and every axe I try is in tune and properly set up.
Seems like the manager of the guitar dept at GC could easily do the same.
Typically new instruments do not come from the factory with tension on the trussrod which usually makes the action pretty high. GC usually doesn't do any sort of set up so many of them are just difficult to play at the store. However this has not deterred me from buying basses from GC.I go into the purchase knowing that I'll have to set it up when I get home. If I only took home basses that I could get the feel of at the store then I'd probably never bring a bass home. I have never found a bass that I couldn't set up to play comfortably with a few tweaks and at the most a neck shim as long as the trussrod and bridge are functional. After that I determine if a bass is what I'm looking for. GC has a 30 day return policy so if I don't like a bass I just return it.
I have no problem singing the failures of GC.
but in terms of solutions, I bring my wrenches and set the action up if I’m trying to really take a look at an instrument.
but in terms of solutions, I bring my wrenches and set the action up if I’m trying to really take a look at an instrument.
Where I live you have a choice of entry level Fender or Ibanez. I would love to have a GC close by.
+1
Fortunately all the basses I've tried at the GC near me have been set up pretty well. Sam Ash was hit or miss.
Half the stuff at my gc is completely unplayable or straight up broken. Everything on the wall in the bass section has to be returns and defects. Like, one expensive Yamaha was set up properly, probably just because Yamaha is good about shipping stuff with proper setups.
Bring your own allen wrenches, it's not like an employee will stray from the guitars/drums to check on you.
When I go into my local GC, a large percentage of the time the staff is standing around talking to one another or outside smoking.
I got the “can I help you,” but it took me tuning a Squire Mustang bass to fifths and plugging it into an overdriven guitar stack.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I'm surprised that GC doesn't train employees how to do it in their down time. If I worked there, I would be happy to do it to get better at this skill, and customers would be happier.
Went to guitar center yesterday and tried multiple basses. I was comparing p basses but I couldn't even tell which one I liked the feel of better because the strings were *no kidding* half an inch off the fretboard. It was like this for all the basses except for the vinterta series p basses because of their extra thick necks. How do they let this happen? It's really frustrating when you want to see how a bass feels and it is set up like that. Why can't guitar center maintain their demo basses? I feel like they would sell so much more if their instruments were set up halfway decent.
Usually, the used instrument are much nicer as they were set up at one point. It’s been years since I’ve played an instrument off the wall I was impressed with.
Well, coming from an old man that hasn't bought a new bass in 20 years...I play with extremely low action so I would want to know if the particular bass I am getting ready to shell out serious clams for will handle that.
BTW: The West Phoenix GC has a set up bench right out side of the Bass room where action can be set/changed. The only time I have ever seen one at a GC. Granted I haven't been there since earlier this year but it was there for several years before.
BTW: The West Phoenix GC has a set up bench right out side of the Bass room where action can be set/changed. The only time I have ever seen one at a GC. Granted I haven't been there since earlier this year but it was there for several years before.
I've told this story before. Once I was in the GC in Cincinnati and there was a Fender Custom Shop bass on the wall selling for $3000. Absurdly high action with the strings so far from the pickups, there was no way I could asses how well it played or how it might sound properly set up. If GC can't keep their high end instruments in shape, the more pedestrian stock is hopeless.
I get the arguments about the amount of instruments and setup preferences. But it’s pretty clear that a lot of stores have basses that are horribly out of whack. I know my local GC has a ton of guitars and that might be unrealistic to keep them all set up, but there aren’t that many basses. I bet if they had someone spend a few hours a week taking them off the wall and doing quick and simple tweaks, they’d be able to sell basses more frequently.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
If you do a quick set up on every instrument before you put it up on the wall, then do a quick check once a week, every instrument would be playable. You can't tell me there is an hour or so of free time per day per store between all the employees.
I worked sales at GC back when the salespeople still got commission. I tried my best to keep the basses set up correctly, but the store manager and assistant manager would get on my case about spending too much time on that as opposed to trying to push sales. It wasn't the right gig for me.
They’ve got 5-8 at any time at my store. The tech rarely sets up store gear as he’s swamped with customer repairs... this is the norm for MOST GCs.
They’re not paid to wank and set up guitars. They’re there to merch the gear and sell. There is little to NO maintaining going on.
