My Trip to a REAL Music Store Parkway Music

Hey All,
I went to a show the other night in Albany, NY so I was able to stop by one of my favorite music stores in the area. Parkway Music in Clifton Park, NY. I didn't have a ton of time but I was able to sit and plug into a nice Mesa Subway setup. I tried out a Fender American Vintage II 1954 Precision (Big Sting Fan! :)). What a great bass! I'm usually a Jazz Bass kind of guy but this bass was AWESOME! The neck was fat and round and I even liked the flatwounds it came with and I am a Rotosound Swing Bass devote! The bass was also setup perfectly!
Next I tried out a Nash PB63 in Burgundy Mist. I have been dying to try out a Nash for some time now and now I get it! This bass played and sounded incredible! I think it was one of their lighter relicing jobs but I was just floored. Again I'm not a P-Bass player but I really wanted to walk out the door with either of these Precisions. Yes they were that good! :)

I tried out a few geetars as well. Some nice Fenders and Gibsons and a lovely PRS. All played acoustically as to not emabarass myself! Why guitar players complain about PRS is beyond me? This thing played amazing! And I am the worst guitar player ever! ;)

With playtime running out I headed down to Albany but not before checking out the Guitar Center. Fellas what happened to all the basses? :( Well I guess its called Guitar Center for a reason, right?

Anywhoo there was one bass there that caught my eye. It was a Dingwall Afterburner 5 string. Now I have difficulties playing four strings so playing a five was a bit much. but I was more concerned with the fanned frets. Like many players and reviewers have mentioned is the ease in which you adjust to the fanned system. It's true! I couldn't believe it! Even with the added big ole B string! :) The bass was a bit banged up but if someone is looking for a deal I think it was listed at $499? Again I have no affiliation with GC.

Anyway, good show and good trip! The Parkway folks are very nice to deal with as always.

I hope you are all well, thank you for letting me share!

Brent
 
I bought way more basses than I should have at Parkway over the years. Their prices were always very good and sold most of them for what I paid. I liked the old store vibe crammed into the basement. Still have a great staff though.
Last time I checked out GC the basses were all on the wall at the far end of the store and not in the bass cave..
 
Parkway is a GREAT store! I moved back to Albany after 20+ years in Nashville & didn't expect to find a store that would come close to what was available to me previously. Parkway is world-class and and has been a welcome surprise! Sticker prices are basically on-par with the big online stores and their staff actually know what they're talking about.
 
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Hey All,
I went to a show the other night in Albany, NY so I was able to stop by one of my favorite music stores in the area. Parkway Music in Clifton Park, NY. I didn't have a ton of time but I was able to sit and plug into a nice Mesa Subway setup. I tried out a Fender American Vintage II 1954 Precision (Big Sting Fan! :)). What a great bass! I'm usually a Jazz Bass kind of guy but this bass was AWESOME! The neck was fat and round and I even liked the flatwounds it came with and I am a Rotosound Swing Bass devote! The bass was also setup perfectly!
Next I tried out a Nash PB63 in Burgundy Mist. I have been dying to try out a Nash for some time now and now I get it! This bass played and sounded incredible! I think it was one of their lighter relicing jobs but I was just floored. Again I'm not a P-Bass player but I really wanted to walk out the door with either of these Precisions. Yes they were that good! :)

I tried out a few geetars as well. Some nice Fenders and Gibsons and a lovely PRS. All played acoustically as to not emabarass myself! Why guitar players complain about PRS is beyond me? This thing played amazing! And I am the worst guitar player ever! ;)

With playtime running out I headed down to Albany but not before checking out the Guitar Center. Fellas what happened to all the basses? :( Well I guess its called Guitar Center for a reason, right?

Anywhoo there was one bass there that caught my eye. It was a Dingwall Afterburner 5 string. Now I have difficulties playing four strings so playing a five was a bit much. but I was more concerned with the fanned frets. Like many players and reviewers have mentioned is the ease in which you adjust to the fanned system. It's true! I couldn't believe it! Even with the added big ole B string! :) The bass was a bit banged up but if someone is looking for a deal I think it was listed at $499? Again I have no affiliation with GC.

Anyway, good show and good trip! The Parkway folks are very nice to deal with as always.

I hope you are all well, thank you for letting me share!

Brent
I think you may be more of a P-bass guy than you thought you were. I cannot believe that GC has a Dingwall Afterburner for $499! Whoever sold it must have been going through something terrible.
 
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I think you may be more of a P-bass guy than you thought you were. I cannot believe that GC has a Dingwall Afterburner for $499! Whoever sold it must have been going through something terrible.

Broken truss apparently, but may still be a good buy for someone inclined to do the work.
 
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"Why guitar players complain about PRS is beyond me? This thing played amazing!"

I needed a travel guitar for road trips and just dinking around with on vacation etc. I picked up a PRS P20 parlor guitar with some sort of Piezo system on it. Made in China, a blem so it was cheap - came with a gig bag... that parlor is really nice the neck is a standard type of PRS neck I've have noodled around on a friends electric PRS before, that nevk was the same... I'm real happy with it. It sounds good both plugged snd unplugged!

So... I don't have to cart around the baritone ukulele any longer, although I still do but I'm getting really used to having PRS parlor with me when I'm out and about visiting.

In my car, with my lady friends baggage... space is at a premium. Maybe I should date a Backpacker.
 
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I've been up to Parkway a few times in my travels. Great store. I always buy something when I go there, even if it's just strings or a new strap or something. Staff is super friendly. They usually stock Lakland and Fender Custom Shops.
 
Parkway is where I got my Euro 4 LX Doug. Love that place.

The Albany/Colonie Guitar Center is depressing.
It really is. :( I remember stopping there eons ago and they had MULTIPLE EBMM Bongos, Stingrays, Sterlings (USA), Spectors, Warwicks. I think I bought two or three basses there? A Spector Rebop 5 that I didn't bond with and a USA Sterling 4 in black which I wish I still had. I think they had it on sale for something silly like $799 or something? But yes. Truly a shame.
 
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