"Why throw good money after bad..."
I purchased a bass guitar years ago from the Guitar Center; a cheap one around $200. The sound was alright during the first few months, but then became progressively worse. I thought it was my cord, so replaced it. I thought it was my Crate amp, but that tested fine. The pick-ups; it was the frigg'n pick-ups on the bass that went the way of Mr. Hankey. Greg @ Sam Ash in Cerritos gave me some good advice. Considering mine was a cheap bass and replacing the pick-ups will run in the neighborhood of $150, "why throw good money after bad". The staff could have taken my money and been done with me and my sub-par bass guitar, but instead gave sound advice. Their frankness reflects a company philosophy to not only offer good products, but sound service that, in my case, positions them as the retailer I'll get a proper bass from.
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