getting lucky at Guitar Center

hieronymous · May 01, 2014, 12:40:25 AM

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):

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:

And a crazy $3000+ 6-string monstrosity that must have weighed at least 15 pounds:

Unfortunately, the Alembic was too high up to just grab - $3300, I think it was a Europa 5-string:

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!

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.

chromium · 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!

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...

chromium · May 01, 2014, 09:03:42 AM

Forgot that I had a photo of the munchkin Fender:

I have the equivalent (...but Indonesian; still decent and fun for the $$) Strat

rahock · May 01, 2014, 10:32:56 AM

I saw a munchkin Fender P years ago at a pawn shop

. 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

.
Rick

Dave W · 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.

hieronymous · May 01, 2014, 03:24:15 PM

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?

hieronymous · May 01, 2014, 03:29:48 PM

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!

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.

TBird1958 · May 01, 2014, 04:16:57 PM

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.

Nocturnal · May 01, 2014, 06:20:00 PM

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.

chromium · May 01, 2014, 07:48:22 PM

Quote from: rahock on May 01, 2014, 10:32:56 AM
I saw a munchkin Fender P years ago at a pawn shop . 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 .
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"

gearHed289 · May 02, 2014, 08:45:27 AM

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.

chromium · May 02, 2014, 08:51:38 AM

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...

Highlander · May 02, 2014, 04:07:18 PM

I have a shed-full of regrets... and then there's the loft-space...

hieronymous · May 02, 2014, 08:06:40 PM

Quote from: chromium on May 02, 2014, 08:51:38 AM
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 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...

Wilbur88 · May 04, 2014, 09:16:19 PM

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.