| Author | Message | ||
| frank
Junior Username: frank Post Number: 42 Registered: 12-2005 |
I live in Toronto and there is a store called club bass ( clubbass.ca ). any Canadians/Torontonians or anyone familiar with this store? I was going to have my Orion 5 set-up there because my summer schedule is insanely hectic and I can hardly find the time to play let alone do any work on it. I politely e-mailed the owner/clerk of club bass and asked him what his technicians credentials/experience were. is this a reasonable question? because he refused to answer and was a little rude. Nick | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 758 Registered: 11-2004 |
I've never been to Toronto, so I don't have a clue about the quality of the store, but the rude response by the owner would be enough to make me take my business elsewhere. I don't think your question was unreasonable at all. | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1025 Registered: 2-2005 |
I think it is perfectly reasonable to ask for someones qualifications before having them work on something of mine. I would also go so far as to ask for references if the work warranted it. I don't know how much work you need done on your bass but I find it doesn't take more than 10 minutes to adjust my bass's neck relief and usually less than a half hour to do a full setup. It might be worth your while to do it yourself. Keith | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 808 Registered: 6-2002 |
I personally wouldn't trust a stranger to work on or even touch any of my instruments. They're all very personal to me on many levels. If the work you need done is a simple set-up and you know how to do it, I agree with Keith and suggest you do it yourself. I've found that someone else's idea of a set-up rarely matched with mine. If it's something more serious like a fret job or refinishing, then I'd recommend taking it to a prefessional or even sending it to the manufacturer. At least you don't have to ask about the manufacturer's experience. I think that guy's refusal to answer was in itself an answer. Either he has something to hide or he doesn't care about his business. I wouldn't go there to buy a set of strings. | ||
| hankster
Intermediate Member Username: hankster Post Number: 175 Registered: 6-2004 |
I live in Toronto, and have for 24 years, and have never heard of it. In terms of setting up a bass, I agree with Keith and Rami - read Joey's post on that subject (I can't recall how to link to it, but I am sure someone will jump in here) and do it yourself. If repair is what you need, then Capsule on Queen St. is the place, and did fantastic work on my old Martin acoustic, although I am not sure I would take an Alembic anywhere except Alembic. Rick | ||
| frank
Junior Username: frank Post Number: 44 Registered: 12-2005 |
I found some time last night do some neck adjustments and I'm excited to play it tonight. The guy from the club bass store seemed alright at first when I went to the store, but I think he might be an ageist (not sure if thats the proper spelling but I mean rascist but towards age). I say that because I'm 19 and I think he thought I was an idiot or something and was pretty rude, but was really nice to an older guy there. It's hard to explain but it was just the impression i got. he was also a bit of a snobby know-it-all. Nick oh, Hankster, if you get a chance check out his website www.clubbass.ca or check out his place on the queensway. See if you get the same impression. | ||
| lowlife
Advanced Member Username: lowlife Post Number: 336 Registered: 12-2003 |
I communicated with someone through email at Club Bass over a year ago about trying out a Phil Jones combo. I was going to be passing through Toronto and wanted to get directions to stop in their store. They suggested an alternative, that they had someone local (in Montreal) where I could do the demo, but after three or four of my emails going unanswered, I scratched their name off of my personal list of stores to visit. Ellery (Lowlife) | ||
| malthumb
Senior Member Username: malthumb Post Number: 433 Registered: 5-2002 |
I've heard of Club Bass but have never been there. Until this thread I had only heard good things about the store. Well, other than prices maybe being high, but that's all relative. Frank, unfortunately a lot of stores are skeptical of younger peoples' ability and willingness to pay for high end gear. I'm guessing that this is what you experienced. On the other hand, some of us old f@rt$ are willing to spend a bit here and a bit there. Now, that is not always true, but in the retail environment, that's what people believe and they react accordingly. Peace, James | ||
| jbybj
Intermediate Member Username: jbybj Post Number: 166 Registered: 6-2006 |
I don't know about Toronto, but I live in L.A., and you would be foolish to assume anything about one's disposable income based on age or general appearance. Anyone in retail who prejudges a potential customer will make a lot less than someone is open and helpful to all. | ||
| eos35mm
Junior Username: eos35mm Post Number: 39 Registered: 2-2006 |
hi frank, try "12th fret of "the twelth fret" as thy are also called @ 2132 Danforth...near Woodbine. They have been making and servicing guitars for over 20 yrs. They may have a wait time. Go there or call and speak to Brian, he is one of the owners. You could also try the technician at Long and Mcquade - west of Bloor and Ossington, they stocked Alembics some year ago. Steve's Music (on Queen near Spadina) technician might also be of some help. | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 52 Registered: 12-2005 |
I bought my alembic used at long and mcquade and I'm going to 12fret after work today for a lesson. 12fret is a wicked store. Long and mcquade stocks some pretty nice stuff but it's another chain music store and the salepeople are a little pushy and not that knowledgable. Not sure about their service staff, I've never dealt with them. | ||
| spliffy
Intermediate Member Username: spliffy Post Number: 105 Registered: 3-2003 |
I have heard from other forums that club bass is a little snobby, but they do have some nice high end gear that is hard to find elsewhere in Toronto. I took my Distillate to Steve's Music store and did not have a problem with them, however it was strictly out of convenience. When I have the time, I take my basses to Ring Music or 12th Fret. 95% of the time it's Ring Music. John is a good guy and so are his staff. They have been doing set ups for the pros for years! Tell em Albert sent ya. They have no idea who I am though  | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 53 Registered: 12-2005 |
haha, I'll check it out. Ya, dave freeman, the club bass guy has a serious chip on his shoulder. it's too bad for me and him too. I was looking at buying a new rig there. I marbass little mark II and a bergantino AE 1x12. I think I'll buy the head at 12th fret now. He's the only canadian dealer for bergantino though so it looks like I'm stuck with him as a middle man on the cab purchase. Anyone have an opinion on this rig...I'd love to hear it. I really liked the way it sounded. I was looking at the Markbass SA450 but it didn't punch like the little mark II. | ||
| bassbro
New Username: bassbro Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2008 |
Hi Guys, I've been a lurker here for a while (researching an alembic pre) but this is my first post. I finally feel as though I have something to contribute! Firstly Club Bass: I've shopped at CB for over ten years. Dave Freeman is a highly qualified guy. I don't know if he has any "paper credentials" for set up, but I don't think that exists anyhow! To get an idea of Dave's set up work just play the basses in his shop. I believe Dave sets them up personally. (they all play like butter!) I know a few years back Dave convinced me to lower my action considerably. (He didn't do the set up as I was in town for only a day and couldn't leave my bass there) It really helped to open up my bass (a Lull at the time). As far as attitude goes, let me put it this way. Dave is well known in the industry. He has alot of experience behind him. Many of Dave's clients are (for lack a of a better term) A-list industry pros. They go to CB and Dave because of his reputation and his experience. He also has a no BS policy. Most guys know what Daves reputation is and as a result don't question/ask for credentials. I know I would probably get a little gruff if a kid half my age called me and demanded my credentials! It's happened to me before as well: Many moons ago when I was a young teenager I wanted to learn the double bass. I bought one and made some calls looking for a good teacher. I was given the name of a teacher. (this teacher just happened to be one of the best DBs in the country/world) Being younger and new to this area I had no idea who I was speaking with. After asking about experience, qualifications etc for about twenty minutes he got less friendly and directed me to another teacher. About three years later I realized who I had been speaking with and was VERY embarrassed! Now I know him and we get along quite well- still haven't had a lesson with him though  . Anyways, the point to this story is that sometimes people who have acheived a certain reputation in the industry can get a little annoyed when a "kid" (not meant as a slam, just the way you start to see people in their teens when you get towards your 40s!) starts asking for qualifications. I'd give CB another chance. I'm sure it was just an unlucky first experience. I've never had a problem at CB and I wouldn't call them snobby. It's a very different enviroment than a Steves or L&McQuade. Kinda like the difference between buying a car at Joe's Megalot and buying one at a Jaguar dealership. Now regarding the LM2 and Berg. Go for it! I have a LM2 and am saving my pennies for the berg neo 410. Tonal bliss. I can only imagine how amazing the alembic will sound through it. Let us know how you like the rig when you get it. (BTW, what kind of music do you play?) | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1039 Registered: 2-2005 |
Randall, Over the years I have used a couple of luthiers that were quite well known and have/had A-list clients. Neither of these folks got upset when a 19-20 year old asked them about their background and references. In both cases the references were happily provided and their backgrounds were discussed. This was just considered part of the customer service process when dealing with new/potential clients. I still recommend them to folks that live in their area. The point is you need to treat all of your customers like they are A-list if you want to stay in business. I wasn't part of the conversation that started this thread so I cannot say whether this Dave person was just having a bad day or if he really is a snob. It could also be, nothing personal meant by this, Franks demeanor rubbed Dave the wrong way. I also recognize that not all people are sociable and can appear standoffish. For any of these cases I still put the responsibility on the business, as it is they who need to be more understanding of the various customers that enter their establishment. Keith | ||
| bassbro
New Username: bassbro Post Number: 2 Registered: 6-2008 |
Hi Keith, I was just pointing out my experiences at Club Bass. There are only two people who really know what went down. (And I'm not calling Dave up for the details!) I just wanted to offer a perspective on the situation. I was won over because of the great service there. Dave's been in business for over 20 years so he must be doing something right. I absolutely can't stand dealing with the salespeople at Steve's and L&McQuade (basically like Canadian guitar centers.) I usually get attitude from those guys! Anyhow, it looks like they had a bad first experience. Sometimes people just don't gel. I just wanted to offer my experiences dealing with them and let the OP know that it isn't worth writing off CB just yet. There's too much great gear there! | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 54 Registered: 12-2005 |
I have lived in Toronto my whole life and have played bass for 9 years and had never heard of club bass until this summer. I do a lot of research, as probably many of you do, or at least those who sits in front of a computer frequently. Not to say that I know all the music stores in Toronto, because that’s not true and it would be a pretentious assumption, cause it's a big city. But I had never even heard a whisper about club bass. I feel that my question about his technician’s credentials/experience was warranted because I was not aware of his reputation having not even heard about him or his store. In my defence I wasn't standoffish at all. In fact I was EXTREMELY polite! I was sociable and excited to start a friendly relationship with him. I thought we would get along really well as we both appreciate fine instruments and all things relating. I was also really excited to find a boutique bass guitar store in my hometown with ots of sweet equipment. The last thing I expected was to get into an argument about his technician’s credentials/experience. I assumed he would be more than happy to share this information, as most people would be. I mean everyone likes to boast to an extent. I simply wrote to him in an e-mail: “I hope this doesn’t come off the wrong way, but I was wondering what the technicians credentials/experience are who will be doing the set-up on my bass. I’m sure you understand. Thanks, Frank” His response was: “he has my approval”. I found this to be an arrogant and pretentious response. I’m not saying he doesn’t know his stuff, but how am I to know if he does or not. Also the fact that I’m 19 and am not an “A-List Industry Pro” should have no bearing on how he treats me as a customer. As for what kind of music I play: jazz, funk, blues etc. Wow, I wrote more in this blog than in my final history paper last semester. At least this isn’t plagiarized. Haha just kidding…this is plagiarized. Haha. Do I need to say “just kidding” again? (Message edited by frank on June 20, 2008) | ||
| dwmark
Advanced Member Username: dwmark Post Number: 204 Registered: 1-2005 |
Haven't been to Toronto in a while but read this whole thread with interest. Also liking the civil exchange despite differences of opinion. But, where are our manners? Welcome to the Club, Randall. dw | ||
| bassbro
New Username: bassbro Post Number: 3 Registered: 6-2008 |
Thanks David. I'm not a true club member yet till I get my Alembic pre. I've enjoyed reading the posts though! (I posted here on this thread as I felt I could add a different perspective- hey us Canadians don't get many chances on bass boards!) Ya, civil is nice. The bass board I normally post at can get a little testy at times! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6679 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi Randall; welcome to the board! You don't have to own an Alembic to be a member of the club; an appreciation for the beautiful work Alembic does is the primary qualification for membership! And thanks for your input on the discussion at hand. | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 55 Registered: 12-2005 |
randall, welcome! You catching any of the toronto jazz fest? I saw Dr. John last night. Susan Tedeschi is playing tonight. Also it's $30 to go see The John Scofield Trio, the Mike Stern Trio and John Abercrombie and organ trio on friday the 27th at Nathan Phillip Square. | ||
| pauldo
Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 57 Registered: 6-2006 |
I can say that all of the Canadians I know seem to have more respect for others when engaged in conversation. This may very well just be a statistical anomaly, as I know more Americans than Canadians. :-\ | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 56 Registered: 12-2005 |
statistical anomaly. | ||
| spliffy
Intermediate Member Username: spliffy Post Number: 107 Registered: 3-2003 |
I think the bottom line for me is that if I want to buy a bass cheap, I will go to L&M or Steves. If I want to pay more, but get better service and a bass that is set up to my liking, I would go to 12th fret or Ring, or Club. If I wanted a boutique bass like a Sadowsky or Lakland, I would go to Club.. just my 2cents. Besides Club Bass will not close because a few people do not buy gear from him. | ||
| frank
Member Username: frank Post Number: 63 Registered: 12-2005 |
I'll probobly end up buying a bergantino cab off him. I just felt he could have been a lot more accomadating in the customer service department. I would buy my whole rig off him if he wasn't as rude as he was. I didn;t post our whole e-mail conversation but he was rude enough to make me want to buy off another dealer. plus musicians friend has a good deal on the Little Mark II head, so why not buy it off them. |
