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Post subject: My visit to a couple music stores today.
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:05 pm
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*This is all just my opinions and observations.*

So today I visited a couple music store in my area, Sam Ash and Guitar Center, to play around on some basses. I pretty much played everything they had, and played them acoustically, running through some scales and miscellaneous riffs. The ones that I really liked were then played through an Ampeg BA115 combo. I just wanted to post some of the few that stuck out.

Fender Classic ‘60s Jazz Bass - Surprising bass. Great feeling neck. Nice construction. Great tone. Iffy price tag of $800 new though.
Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass ‘77 - Wow for $300. Great buy.
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass - Pretty simple, and nicely done.
Ibanez SRA500 - Thought this was a really nice bass until I played the SR700. Still do though.
Ibanez SR700 - Loved the Abalone oval inlays. Really lightweight. Great tone.
Ernie Ball Music Man Classic Stingray 4 - Classic White/Maple. Loved the birdseye neck, really beautiful. Smooth bass. Great tone. Kinda heavy. Other color combos were +/- weight.
Rickenbacker 4003 in Mapleglo - It was used, but was absolutely awesome. Perfect. I want one.

Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass - Just did not like it.
Fender Road Worn Jazz Bass - Meh.
Squier Classic Vibe Precision Bass - Fiesta Red. Really disappointing.
Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass - I tried 4 different ones in both the white and amber, all were dogs.

I saw the new American Deluxe basses, both the Precision and the Jazz. They looked really sharp, but were placed way up high, and not wanting to talk to anyone, I could not reach them.

Granted, basses that are sitting in a music store get handled and fiddled with by so many people. Lots of high action and dead strings. Dusty bodies and dry fretboards. It’s also funny and sad that basses that are 2, 3, and 4 years old are still being sold as new. 2007 MIM Jazz = $599. An unknown age Aerodyne, that has been there at least 2 years = $799. A used 2006 Highway One Jazz = $749, which is the new price now.

Another thing that I noticed is that all of the maple fretboard American Standards, either the P or J, had a much thinner gloss finishes on them than I do on my Jazz. Mine is really glossy and shiny, I like it like that.

*This is all just my opinions and observations.*


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Post subject: Re: My visit to a couple music stores today.
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:05 pm
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zod wrote:
*This is all just my opinions and observations.*

Fender Classic ‘60s Jazz Bass - Surprising bass. Great feeling neck. Nice construction. Great tone. Iffy price tag of $800 new though.
Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass ‘77 - Wow for $300. Great buy.
Rickenbacker 4003 in Mapleglo - It was used, but was absolutely awesome. Perfect. I want one.

Fender Deluxe Active Jazz Bass - Just did not like it.
Fender Road Worn Jazz Bass - Meh.
Squier Classic Vibe Precision Bass - Fiesta Red. Really disappointing.

I saw the new American Deluxe basses, both the Precision and the Jazz. They looked really sharp, but were placed way up high, and not wanting to talk to anyone, I could not reach them.


*This is all just my opinions and observations.*


Ha, we did the same thing yesterday! I did think of you Mike when I was playing the Hwy1 P yesterday at the music store buddy!
I played with the Kingman acoustic again, love the way that thing sounds, boomy for an acoustic (good) not like my BG29.
Then I messed with the '60, like the feel, not the price tho. I was hoping they had a '70 Jazz too, but no dice.
I also played with the '77 VM, I love how the price is $300, it has binding and the pearl in lay, action is nice, sounds good (not thru an amp).
I know everyone loves the Ric, I just can't go past the look - although everytime I play this dang bass thru an amp, I'm always amazed on how it sounds.
The Fender Deluxe Active J, not a fan, just couldn't get a good sound from it - via a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 :) Nice amp, used the single 15" cab.
The RW P sounded good for me thru the Genz Benz, sounded boomy, fat, perfect...for the money, I'd buy a Hwy1 P - used...selling yours yet Mike ;)
I also played the Squier CV in Fiesta Red, nice action, good set up, I'd say about as good as the VM, not sure why it's $50 more - I guess just from the way Squier lined 'em up.
I played with 2 American Standards too, both the P and the J. Liked them both, both rosewood. It be tough to spend that kind of change tho, with the lower end giving it all as far as sound and build quality. I guess the cache of 'the real thing' and the prestige of the MIA will always be there.

I went to the music store to ck up on my bass getting worked on for the EMGs.

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:17 pm
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another thing to add...the music store I go to is pretty good, they have all new Fender/Squier there, Peavey basses. Some nice used basses for sale/consignment.

The thing that bothers me are the online stores like GC, SA, and MF selling old Aerodynes and Geddy Lees all the while charging Fender's new pricing, and some are from '07... a friend paid $999 for a GL, it's an '07, it should've been the $799 price. The sad part he asked them to make sure to send a new one not the one that has been in a box forever...oh well, hence my point to always buy local ;)

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 7:57 pm
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I think we're seeing a sign of the times. Since I've been shopping three Guitar Centers foe the past two years, it's always amazed me that every bass in stock was on display. It was really surprising when I started to walk out and suddenly three new basses magically appeared!

They're only in it for the money now, after running out most of the local shops, they feel they're invincible.

Good reviews, Zod, I won't even touch a Road Worn (Don't get me started on that one again), Hey Rez!


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Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:58 pm
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Hey Ox!! Yeah, glad the closest GC is 27 miles away. I go local most of the time. This one just came to town after the other local went under...sad really, most of the workers are working at this store now :) Awesome, considering the times. The chains work to push out the little guys, sad really, Green Bay has a 110k population. Yet we have 2 Walmart super center and a 3rd the town south of Green Bay, next town over, which is still within Green Bay city limits from one of the highways :roll: I still go to the local stores tho.

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 3:22 am
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I'm about 30 miles from Pittsburgh. We have a real good store about 40 miles south, it's a major hassle to get to. The town right next to me has two stores. They're mainly there to sell to their students. No selection and no better equipment, the bigger store is selling Jay Turser guitars now as their main line. They didn't have any basses.

It's more than sad, it's a damn shame. Glad you still have some viable options out there.

Considering the time of year, keep warm.


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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 11:17 am
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Yeah, PA is weird man, some of my family lives in the Poconos...now they have a GC Scranton, but before they had a music store in Stroudsburg, small, nothing in it. In Scranton they had another music store but it wasn't in downtown or by the shopping district. I actually graduated HS in PA after we moved from NYC. Steelers fan here tho Ox :D

I'm just glad Green Bay has a few - 3 music stores on the West side and 2 in the East. GC is in Appleton - about +/- 30 miles give or take.

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:09 pm
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Pa. has always been home. I've roamed and traveled a lot but, always came back. Back to topic before we get yelled at again :lol:

The situation with music stores just sucks, keeping inventory is impossible for them because of the cas involved, they can't guarantee X amount of sales each month. No one has strings. Sad, really sad.

I happened on your reply, I'm not getting all the notifications to my e-mail all the time.

Anybody listening?


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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:24 am
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What I like about these huge guitar stores is the variety. These stores are also great for the used market.


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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 12:58 pm
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Dude I'm glad to be in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Only 2 Guitar Centers I have to get on a train to go to and I avoid them like the plague. I kind of grew up with the Hippie mentality of support your small independent local store.

There is a shop in an alleyway in SF called Real Guitars. I'll go over if I need anything fixed. I had a wiring problem and the guitar in line in front of mine was Kirk Hammet from Metallicas. Satriani get his guitars fixed there too. And the rates are reasonable.

Peace Out,
Rev J


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Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:53 pm
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Always cking Ox, always cking back ;)

Rev, I'm from NYC, I know what you mean about mom&pop music store. Manny's anyone - although Manny's grown so big now.

Dan, I agree, but most of the big stores destroy the local music stores. They are not local, the don't add to your local community, the bring minimum wage jobs, something most adults can make a living on. Some have the sales person live on commission which is fine. Most music stores make money on little things btw, not the guitar sales, more on accessories - cuz we all need strings, pick(maybe), straps, etc :)

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:21 am
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It's really too bad I just went to check out Mannies on line and they went out of business. I grew up in a small town in Maine that had 2 guitar shops. One "Band" instrument shop and one string instrument shop. You had to go to Portland to get to the chain store and it was a New England chain called Daddies Junky Music. Last time I was there they were worse than Guitar Center. I was inquiring about the price of a Modulus Graphite 6 string bass and they tried to sell me a Danelectro instead.

Peace Out,
Rev J


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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:58 am
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Didn't Sam Ash bought Manny's? I thought they did? That's why I referenced them being so big now...I think Hartke's NYC store is there.

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Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:47 pm
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I looked online and it said they went out of business in July 2009. Actually it was converted into a giant Sam Ash according to the article I read.

Peace Out,
Rev J


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Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:34 pm
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The "local" shops usually don't have a Fender dealership. :shock:


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