I drive around the San Francisco Bay Area a lot for my job, and there are a few Guitar Centers within half an hour in any direction. As I am sure many of you are aware, there are some times when they have nothing that I would even bother to take off the wall to play, and there are other times when they have a bunch of interesting stuff. It's fun to take pictures too - my wife will even take some if I'm playing something.
I thought of you guys when I saw this (looked like a used Les Paul Double-Cut - at first I thought it was a Money Bass):
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7353/14079000795_52ee830019_o.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99859390@N00/14079000795/)
I also played a couple of Warwicks - one of the Rock Bass imports, not sure the model - Corvette maybe? Would've been a lot more impressive with fresh strings:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5105/13884328588_e807b9793f_o.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99859390@N00/13884328588/)
And a crazy $3000+ 6-string monstrosity that must have weighed at least 15 pounds:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2919/13884324439_97c7ce3ee9_o.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99859390@N00/13884324439/)
Unfortunately, the Alembic was too high up to just grab - $3300, I think it was a Europa 5-string:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/14079002125_1e09843af8_o.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99859390@N00/14079002125/)
I didn't plug anything in - there had been what I think was an Ampeg rep demoing a new combo amp that tilted back and had built-in distortion. Should have played the Alembic through that while he was there! 8) I was really surprised to see the Alembic. They had a brand new Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo and one of the new Gibson hollowbody basses (maybe a Midtown?) too.
Cool! I remember when the SG basses first came out and I went in asking for them... They told me those would probably only ever be special order. Now lookatcha, GC - Gibsons everywhere! :P
The coolest find (to me) that I can recall (and I seldom get to visit the GCs here), was a 60s Dano Longhorn. Also got to noodle around on a late-60s Hofner 500/1 there recently.
One of the local stores where my son was taking drum lessons had a strange little (...and I mean little!) Fender Precision bass - 25-something-inches scale! I think it was MIJ, but might be wrong about that. It was really nice quality, black w/rosewood board, and a previous owner had dropped in a set of barts. Almost bought it for the novelty, but they were asking $300 and I figured that the novelty would fade...
Forgot that I had a photo of the munchkin Fender:
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/fender/920ce302-2b67-4857-9b9e-0974ed4aa3b7.jpg) (http://s87.photobucket.com/user/0chromium0/media/forums/fender/920ce302-2b67-4857-9b9e-0974ed4aa3b7.jpg.html)
I have the equivalent (...but Indonesian; still decent and fun for the $$) Strat ;D
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/fender/1110132002c.jpg) (http://s87.photobucket.com/user/0chromium0/media/forums/fender/1110132002c.jpg.html)
I saw a munchkin Fender P years ago at a pawn shop :o. Although it looked very well done , I thought it was a fake. I was tempted to pick it up just because I thought it was cool and it was cheap. I had absolutely no use for it, and I thought it was a fake, but it still tempted me :P.
Rick
You sure that 4003 was new? Rickenbacker pulled out of GC again 2 or 3 years ago and AFAIK nothing has changed. The only Ricks on their website are used/vinatge.
Quote from: Dave W on May 01, 2014, 01:36:08 PM
You sure that 4003 was new? Rickenbacker pulled out of GC again 2 or 3 years ago and AFAIK nothing has changed. The only Ricks on their website are used/vinatge.
Apparently they are back on again - I thought I had heard that they were authorized dealers again, then doubted myself when I read your post. But I checked at the Rick Resource Forum and some stores seem to have them - maybe "Platinum Room" stores?
Quote from: chromium on May 01, 2014, 09:01:00 AM
Cool! I remember when the SG basses first came out and I went in asking for them... They told me those would probably only ever be special order. Now lookatcha, GC - Gibsons everywhere! :P
The coolest find (to me) that I can recall (and I seldom get to visit the GCs here), was a 60s Dano Longhorn. Also got to noodle around on a late-60s Hofner 500/1 there recently.
One of the local stores where my son was taking drum lessons had a strange little (...and I mean little!) Fender Precision bass - 25-something-inches scale! I think it was MIJ, but might be wrong about that. It was really nice quality, black w/rosewood board, and a previous owner had dropped in a set of barts. Almost bought it for the novelty, but they were asking $300 and I figured that the novelty would fade...
Yeah, it's kind of surprising how many Gibson basses they carry.
I think I remember seeing those mini-basses in Japan, or at least in Fender Japan catalogs.
I should also mention that I bought my Guild Starfire I bass (since sold) at the Sacramento Guitar Center.
Your GC is WAY nicer than the one near me!
There's actual very nice basses hanging on the wall - At my store it's pretty much cheap, detestable
shite.
There have been a LOT more Gibson basses turning up at the local GC's. I was surprised to see so many models hanging on the walls there. I like to drop in to them randomly to see whats new, but it's usually just a sea of the typical import guitars and basses.
Quote from: rahock on May 01, 2014, 10:32:56 AM
I saw a munchkin Fender P years ago at a pawn shop :o. Although it looked very well done , I thought it was a fake. I was tempted to pick it up just because I thought it was cool and it was cheap. I had absolutely no use for it, and I thought it was a fake, but it still tempted me :P.
Rick
Actually, now that I think more about it... I believe the owner there was telling me that these were MIA. Can't remember if he said it was a late-90s or early-00s endeavor, but he had told me that there was only a small number of them built - 60? 75? Can't remember exactly. Neat little bass, and fun to fly around on it. Wish I could have bought it, but I gotta draw the line somewhere or else I have a "problem" :P
My Samick munchkin bass. Was my daughter's, but she's got a Spector NS-2A now, so I bought it from her. I bring it out to play the intro to Hot For Teacher in unison with our guitarist on occasion. 24-3/4'' scale length.
(https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/942831_630222833656547_1831617501_n.jpg)
;D Right on!
Jeez, kinda wish I woulda bought that thing.
See Harry, this is why I stay out of music stores... impulse purchase trauma, regrets, etc...
I have a shed-full of regrets... and then there's the loft-space... :o
Quote from: chromium on May 02, 2014, 08:51:38 AM
;D Right on!
Jeez, kinda wish I woulda bought that thing.
See Harry, this is why I stay out of music stores... impulse purchase trauma, regrets, etc...
I foolishly thought I was immune and was even ready to give you encouraging words - then an Ampeg B-1 (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=5561.0) appeared - single-space tube-pre/solid state-power amp - has my head spinning! Saw it online, but a local store (NOT GC) - already thinking about what cab I could use - would probably have to sell or trade something - the struggle continues...
Quote from: hieronymous on May 01, 2014, 03:24:15 PM
Apparently they are back on again - I thought I had heard that they were authorized dealers again, then doubted myself when I read your post. But I checked at the Rick Resource Forum and some stores seem to have them - maybe "Platinum Room" stores?
Yes I saw a couple of new ones on the wall at the GC on Van Ness when I was in San Francisco a few weeks back.
Quote from: Dave W on May 01, 2014, 01:36:08 PM
You sure that 4003 was new? Rickenbacker pulled out of GC again 2 or 3 years ago and AFAIK nothing has changed. The only Ricks on their website are used/vinatge.
When I was in Reston VA in March, there were two 4003's there brand new up on the wall - with the new style sticker on the front.
Saw 2 brand new ones in GC San Francisco several months ago. Was down in LA in early march and they had a Jetglo and Maple Glo brand new as well.
The main problem was GC's return policy. Apparently they were selling returned items as new, which RIC doesn't allow under their warranty policy. Maybe they worked it out.
Thought I would add to the adventures! :mrgreen:
On Friday I went to one of the more interesting - and independent - retailers local to me (Bananas at Large in San Rafael, north of San Francisco). Memorial Weekend sale and all of that, the only thing that caught my eye caught it pretty good - 5-string Yamaha BB425X. I was never a big Yamaha fan, even though one of my favorite players when I was playing a lot used to play one early on (Oteil Burbridge in the Aquarium Rescue Unit, before he switched to a 6-string Modulus). Something caught my attention, though I neglected to grab a photo so I didn't know any details (model #, active/passive, etc.). So I went back today and checked it out:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3723/14093730599_41528c4f4a_o.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/99859390@N00/14093730599/)
It was hard to nail down info on it - Yamaha apparently likes to revamp their line every few years so I was pulling up older threads on TB, etc. Finally figured out the "X" is very helpful to find info on it.
Sounded good through one of the new Fender Rumble amps (the 500). This one is passive, vol/tone/selector switch, so not a lot of tonal options but fitting for me - I never mess with blending pickups beyond both full-on if I can help it. I'm not really a low-B player so I'm not sure what constitutes a "good" one - this wasn't bad but the low B was a little buzzy - setup looks pretty easy with the functional bridge & easy truss rod accessibility at the heel.
I played it a while, walked around the store a while, finally couldn't justify it, even though it was a really good deal (online they are selling for $600, this was $400).
I got home and played what I have (focusing on the Duck Dunn P for the time being) and enjoyed it - felt a bit of remorse for not buying it - would have liked to support the store, maybe I could flip it without losing too much, but in the end I think I made the right choice.