Picked up an Ibanez GVB36 from Sweetwater today. This is the latest version of the GVB36 (has the Aguilar OBP3 preamp).
Initial thoughts:
- I have tried finding a 6 string bass for years now and always find the necks/string spacing to be a little wide. Neck is still fairly wide/flat on this one, but the narrow string spacing (14mm) makes it work for me.
- I like the pickup/preamp setup better than I expected to. Some of the reviews on this bass complained about the preamp, but those reviews were prior to the switch to Aguilar. Prior to 2024, these used the Bartolini EQB-IIISB. I may eventually swap to US Bartolini pickups, but am happy enough with what is there that I may not. Extremely flexible setup as is. Nice full range sound with plenty of adjustment in the preamp.
- I typically use right angle cables or a Sennheiser XSW-D. Neither fit with the recessed jack. Need to find the extension cable that came with my XSW-D and pick up a straight-straight cable. Minor annoyance, but not something I thought about before purchasing.
- Sweetwater sales rep gave me a solid discount for picking up in store. I assume it was mostly money they saved not shipping, but still happy for the discount.
Somewhat related note, I traded some gear to Sweetwater’s used store. Since I could not find anything on others who have used their used gear trade in, I have a few notes below.
Pros:
- Easy to get a quote online before going into the store.
- No need to deal with shipping your guitar or having a difficult buyer.
- Transparent offers; they show you what they plan on selling your gear for.
Cons:
- Offers are not top dollar; they should not be given Sweetwater has to resell it. Just calling out selling yourself will net more money. On the plus side, Sweetwater did give me better offers than the time I tried MusicGoRound (granted these are franchised so probably vary by location).
- Trade in is in store only; fine for me, but probably does not work for anyone more than a few hours drive away.
- If you want a check instead of store credit, you have to have it mailed or pick it up the next day. As a general note, they pay check or store credit at the same rate (mentioning because Music Go Round pays more if you take store credit).
Overall:
I lost some money by not selling myself. Opted to go Sweetwater, so that I did not have to deal with listing/shipping gear. I have had a difficult buyer in the past. While it was only one bad experience out of many sales, I place some value on not dealing with buyers as a result. I am ultimately happy with what I was paid given the time savings/lack of risk. Bonus is that I was able to unload a good amount of gear in one day that likely would have taken weeks to sell online. Discount on my GVB36 purchase helped offset some of my losses.
Initial thoughts:
- I have tried finding a 6 string bass for years now and always find the necks/string spacing to be a little wide. Neck is still fairly wide/flat on this one, but the narrow string spacing (14mm) makes it work for me.
- I like the pickup/preamp setup better than I expected to. Some of the reviews on this bass complained about the preamp, but those reviews were prior to the switch to Aguilar. Prior to 2024, these used the Bartolini EQB-IIISB. I may eventually swap to US Bartolini pickups, but am happy enough with what is there that I may not. Extremely flexible setup as is. Nice full range sound with plenty of adjustment in the preamp.
- I typically use right angle cables or a Sennheiser XSW-D. Neither fit with the recessed jack. Need to find the extension cable that came with my XSW-D and pick up a straight-straight cable. Minor annoyance, but not something I thought about before purchasing.
- Sweetwater sales rep gave me a solid discount for picking up in store. I assume it was mostly money they saved not shipping, but still happy for the discount.
Somewhat related note, I traded some gear to Sweetwater’s used store. Since I could not find anything on others who have used their used gear trade in, I have a few notes below.
Pros:
- Easy to get a quote online before going into the store.
- No need to deal with shipping your guitar or having a difficult buyer.
- Transparent offers; they show you what they plan on selling your gear for.
Cons:
- Offers are not top dollar; they should not be given Sweetwater has to resell it. Just calling out selling yourself will net more money. On the plus side, Sweetwater did give me better offers than the time I tried MusicGoRound (granted these are franchised so probably vary by location).
- Trade in is in store only; fine for me, but probably does not work for anyone more than a few hours drive away.
- If you want a check instead of store credit, you have to have it mailed or pick it up the next day. As a general note, they pay check or store credit at the same rate (mentioning because Music Go Round pays more if you take store credit).
Overall:
I lost some money by not selling myself. Opted to go Sweetwater, so that I did not have to deal with listing/shipping gear. I have had a difficult buyer in the past. While it was only one bad experience out of many sales, I place some value on not dealing with buyers as a result. I am ultimately happy with what I was paid given the time savings/lack of risk. Bonus is that I was able to unload a good amount of gear in one day that likely would have taken weeks to sell online. Discount on my GVB36 purchase helped offset some of my losses.
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