musicmaker rip off

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd like to see you get strings from Thomann for a gig the same night.

Any guitarist or bassist worth his salt, would (should) have at least one spare set put by for emergencies.

alphabeat wrote: »

fender flatwound bass strings -http://www.thomann.de/ie/fender_9050l.htm

thomann = 19.40

6 sets including shipping = 116.40


same in musicmaker = 29.99

6 sets off the shelf = 179.94

63.54 in the difference.

seriously ?

While I know it makes no difference to the point you are making about the price, I am curious as to why you'd need to buy six sets of flatwound strings at once, as a set can last for up to seven years.


One set on the bass, and one spare set is all I ever need.

alphabeat wrote: »

fender flatwound bass strings -http://www.thomann.de/ie/fender_9050l.htm

thomann = 19.40

6 sets including shipping = 116.40


same in musicmaker = 29.99

6 sets off the shelf = 179.94

63.54 in the difference.

seriously ?

You'll also find on the Thomann page that the RRP is €34.99 so Music Maker are just giving a smaller discount than Thomann rather than ripping anyone off. Obviously economy of scale occurs here same as going to a corner/convenience shop rather than a supermarket. Maybe you should go find the boards shop forum and start a thread about the local newsagents ripping people off as it's dearer than a supermarket?

Musicmaker 12 or so years ago, now there was a rip off. I find their prices much better these days.

alphabeat wrote: »

but it you play finger style rock ( in the steve harris vein ) ot looking for a specific tone
the strings die in about a month or two

im suprised at any bass player that would leave strings on a bass for more than 6 months max

Again, this has nothing to do with your main point about price, but I just want to comment on the above.


You are obviously not familiar with flatwound strings. They are meant to last a long time, hence their slightly dearer price tag. Usually when people talk about strings "dying" they mean that the string loses it's bright zingy tone. This would usually happen with stainless steel or roundwound strings, but flatwounds by their name and nature are dull to start with.

Think of flats in the same way as you would think of a fine vintage wine...they get better with age. I have had mine on my bass for five years, still sounding as good as when I put them on. They should be good for another couple of years yet. Granted, their tone is not for everyone, but if you happen to like them, you'll save a fortune in the long run. I have a set of roundwounds on my other bass and I change them about every 4-5 months.

A certain "Mr Jamerson" had flats (La Bella deep talking flats) on his bass until they almost fell asunder...after about twenty years. :eek:

Flatwound strings are probably one of them most obscure products you could have chosen in the shop, right?

I'm just towards the end of a relatively spendy buying spree (for me, anyway), having bought 5 cables, an A/B switch pedal and a pair of studio monitors, and in the next few weeks I'll be buying a new audio interface. All of that bought in Music Maker, on separate occasions.

Didn't check about the cables, but they were reasonably priced, I'm sure I wouldn't have spent more on cables online. The A/B switch was the same price as Thomann, the monitors were cheaper than they would have been on Thomann, and the interface that I was looking at today is the same price online.

So stop complaining. If there's something really obscure like that, it's always going to cost a bit more in a shop like MM, that much is obvious. If you don't put any value in having such a good music shop in your city, then fine, but for such a good place, I wouldn't mind spending a little extra for something difficult to get. It keeps the place going, and Music Maker is definitely somewhere we don't want to lose.

alphabeat wrote: »

and you are obviously too far up there on your high horse , that you think you know it all about bass playing ?

i use the flats like players such as steve harris , FOR the ZING , smooth tone , low finger noise under compression and speed / feel .
particularly in the studio.
guys like him are lucky enough to change them each gig , as they lose the zing fast .

we dont all just play country and western / jazz there sugarbeet.

try and open your mind a bit .

and carriage is inluded with that price for 6 sets.

fair enough , if you like getting ripped off, - be my guest .

the one thing i will say in their defence , they arent as bad as the other shop next to dunnes which had flats for 42 euro a pack

No need to get personal. I'll be the first to admit that I am no Jaco Pastorious. However I do know that flats are generally not known for their "zing". In fact generally the reason why most people prefer them is because they dont like a bright zingy sound.

It is for this reason that I assumed you were unfamiliar with flats.

Also, thanks for your concern, but I dont get ripped off. As I said, I have the same set of flats on for the last five years, and only change my roundwounds every now and then.

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd like to see you get strings from Thomann for a gig the same night.

Bricks and Mortar are always going to be more expensive (They do have higher overheads), but without them, it would be difficult when emergencies happen.

Ever hear of the expression "planning ahead" ???

I always have several spare packs of strings. Any gigging musician should do the same.

And yes OP - the prices are a rip off. But its the same in retail across the board.

Ravelleman wrote: »

People frequently justify paying higher prices in Ireland by thinking of these worst case scenarios. The fact is that they aren't that common. Regardless, even if I buy 6 packs of strings in Music Maker or the like, I seriously doubt that they'd fix a broken jack for me for free. They might do it for their pals or the real regulars in the shop but for the average player that kind of relationship just doesn't exist. I always buy bits and pieces in one particular shop in Dublin; it doesn't mean they know me or give me better treatment.

I appreciate the plight of the local business especially in a place like Ireland but I'm not a millionaire either. Money saved on gear is money that can be spent on other things that might also benefit the local and national economy.

I take your point, i suppose because i tend to have a community based clients I get to know them more because im the only one who works in the shop (most of the time). Im by no means a millionaire either but I know of loads of products which are stopping to deal with Bricks & Mortar stores because people will go online, which in fairness I have said it to clients to go on if I cant get them a better price.

Your right about saving money and it will go elsewhere in the economy and I too believe that. It just irks me that people go straight on here to complain before talking to the lads and seeing if they can sort them out on a deal (Im not sure the guy didnt do that but I assuming he didnt from whats being said).

Anyways, ill jump off my soap box but would encourage everyone to ask the shop assistant in any of the store you visit if they will do bulk deals ans we can keep more sales at home and make sure you all as players are looked after.

J

When it comes to talking to the shop attendants personally for some reason I have never felt welcome in Musicmaker might be just me,but one thing is certain that when it comes to bass if its not fender or a copy your 1 out of luck especially for the higher end purchases and 2 badly set up which can make the difference sometimes

hhhmmm will I buy the online with the factory setup or will I buy in a shop with a factory setup hhhhmmmm

Ravelleman wrote: »

II've let people use my guitars and found them to be filty - strings, tuners, body, fretboard - when they hand them back to me.

I hear you. My brother could play my guitar, and I'll pick it up after and it'll feel like it's been smeared with bacon fat and WD40...


On the other point, it's bizarre, but I always get sort of nervous in guitar shops when talking to the staff, even though I'm pretty sure I know more than them. So I overtalk:

Me: "I heard that the Dooby Buster Pro was supposed to be the closest thing you can get to the now discontinued Australopithecus 7, but I dunno, I'm happy enough with my Generica Fascist Basterd. But maybe not with my current amp..."

Sales guy: "Here's your pick; 30c please."


[Edit: Woo hoo! One post left till 1000, and only bang-on 6 years in the making! I'm going to try to make sure it's in Instruments, which is where I first posted. Better make it count; not just a "+1" or "^^^this" or an "lol". Eh, none of you care about this! ]