FMI is where I got my Shen-100. Very knowledgable and talked me out of spending more money on a hybrid after talking with me about what I was going to be using the bass for. Also did a pretty nice setup job for me on an EUB I built. I'm fairly local so didn't have to deal with shipping but I can say dealing with them face to face makes it worth it for me to sit in downtown LA traffic to get up to Pasadena to see them. Just my 2cents.
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Double Bass Anyone ever purchased from FMI in CA.
- Thread starter Roadking
- Start date
Fat Steve
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
I recently purchased a Shen SB80 from FMI. The young lady working there was very knowledgeable, the bass was set up exactly how I wanted it, and I got it plus a bag for a very reasonable price. I know if I have any issues, they are more than capable of repairing it. Would definitely recommend this shop to others.
/never did get any religious pamphlets.
/never did get any religious pamphlets.
Just discovered this thread after reading Kung Fu Sheriff’s mysteriously dismissive comment in the Shen Owners section.
I’ve since learned a little bit about that unfortunate dispute.
All I can say:
My Shen 88 purchase last week represented roughly my 30th visit to Tom’s shop. I always found the name Fantastic Musical Instruments to be whimsical or ironic: yes, to a dedicated upright player, our axes, however humble or grand, ARE fantastic; but clearly Tom knows and admits that his mostly low-end Chinese inventory can’t hold the bow quiver of the $240,000 Italian bass I once saw at LA Bass Works (spirited away by the LA Phil’s Peter Rofe).
Now - That was a fantastic musical instrument.
I’ve gone through any number of laminated basses - owning then unloading several Kays, a King Moretone, a Chadwick, a middle-aged Juzek - each with minor but irritating issues that would mean spending more than I cared to spend on a ‘utility’ instrument.
Over the years I’d make the hour’s drive to visit the crop at FMI, usually more interested in the handful of consignment carved basses, but increasingly impressed by the Eastmans and Shens.
There was never any pressure from Tom; he’d patiently describe each consigned bass and candidly mention a flaw here and there - this one has a thin neck, that one is overpriced because the seller is getting a divorce - and he did praise the Shens, but reasonably and without without misrepresentation.
Several times I paid Tom to pack and ship basses, and those transactions were always reasonable and the deliveries efficient.
I came to see Tom’s store as occupying a niche. Not every restaurant serves 5-star meals; those are served by Lisa at LA Bass Works. (She actually does have several laminated basses in stock, all in good condition, but none that spoke to me.)
So, look at FMI realistically. Scroll through its inventory, make note of the prices and notice how much space its website devotes to Shipping. If you can’t afford a higher-end bass, don’t blame FMI.
I dare not praise Tom too much, lest I be accused of proselytizing. I didn’t receive any religious dogma with the purchase of this doghouse; I’ll just pray that the bass won’t come apart - because few things are as painful as Shen splints…
I’ve since learned a little bit about that unfortunate dispute.
All I can say:
My Shen 88 purchase last week represented roughly my 30th visit to Tom’s shop. I always found the name Fantastic Musical Instruments to be whimsical or ironic: yes, to a dedicated upright player, our axes, however humble or grand, ARE fantastic; but clearly Tom knows and admits that his mostly low-end Chinese inventory can’t hold the bow quiver of the $240,000 Italian bass I once saw at LA Bass Works (spirited away by the LA Phil’s Peter Rofe).
Now - That was a fantastic musical instrument.
I’ve gone through any number of laminated basses - owning then unloading several Kays, a King Moretone, a Chadwick, a middle-aged Juzek - each with minor but irritating issues that would mean spending more than I cared to spend on a ‘utility’ instrument.
Over the years I’d make the hour’s drive to visit the crop at FMI, usually more interested in the handful of consignment carved basses, but increasingly impressed by the Eastmans and Shens.
There was never any pressure from Tom; he’d patiently describe each consigned bass and candidly mention a flaw here and there - this one has a thin neck, that one is overpriced because the seller is getting a divorce - and he did praise the Shens, but reasonably and without without misrepresentation.
Several times I paid Tom to pack and ship basses, and those transactions were always reasonable and the deliveries efficient.
I came to see Tom’s store as occupying a niche. Not every restaurant serves 5-star meals; those are served by Lisa at LA Bass Works. (She actually does have several laminated basses in stock, all in good condition, but none that spoke to me.)
So, look at FMI realistically. Scroll through its inventory, make note of the prices and notice how much space its website devotes to Shipping. If you can’t afford a higher-end bass, don’t blame FMI.
I dare not praise Tom too much, lest I be accused of proselytizing. I didn’t receive any religious dogma with the purchase of this doghouse; I’ll just pray that the bass won’t come apart - because few things are as painful as Shen splints…
Attachments
I'll say exactly what I said in 2012:
"I'm glad to hear it. Tom does try hard to deliver a good product."
Louis
"I'm glad to hear it. Tom does try hard to deliver a good product."
Louis
