Yes, I love this idea, and in many cases it does work, but I find this to be more on the used market, then in retail. Due to what is quoted next.
Yes, exactly.
It appears that the major retailers (GC and Sam Ash and then the online equivalents) are against this way of shopping. and they want to stock what they think will sell off the wall (mostly low priced budget basses) and some of what they think will sell eventually, and or are “Made” to stock based on distribution agreements with the major mfg of the instruments.
I can’t walk into a local GC and say, Hey, I want to check out a
Sterling by Music Man Stingray Ray34 black ash,
I can however,
proceed to Step A
-Walk into a local GC and say, Hey, I want to check out a
SBMM Stingray Ray34 black ash,
-"Sorry, we do not have them in stock, proceed directly to step C
-“sorry, none in stock, instead try SBMM Stingray 34 Natural Ash, or White, etc…” proceed to step B
Step B
-You play it, like it a lot, so you can
proceed to step C
-you play it, don’t like it and go back to the drawing board and look for a. new bass to buy!!!
Step C
-Order the SBMM Stingray 34 Black Ash, pay for it, wait for it to ship to the store, and then take it home and try it out, and if you like it, you get to keep it and you are done, if you don’t like it, you take it back to GC and get back in line, either at step B (play a different color, and if you like one they have and the color buy it) or go back into step C and just keep buying them over and over until you get one that plays like the one that was in the store, but was the wrong color.
THE PART THAT REALLY SUCKS IS THAT they won’t just bring the bass into the store for you to try out, even if it is in stock within 100 miles, if it if in stock within 100 miles and you want to make the trip, you are welcome to do so, but they won’t bring it in for you.
if you don’t want to make the trip, you option is to buy it, have it shipped etc…
I wish there were better options for a store that could do that for you, but they are not around anymore, and if they are, they are not around during Covid,
What has been fortunate for me thus far is that I have become good at setting up basses the way I like them, and have a pretty good chance to get a $300 to $900 bass set up the way I would like to play it, so that it talks to me, at least that has been the case this far.
But
I have not bought the bass I want, a couple times because I could not try it first, and because they won’t bring it in for me, and I will have to purchase it just to get it to the store to try it.