I'm interested in buying a Sterling ray34 but they are not selling them in canada anymore so they are out of stock in most store. I'd really want to try it out before it buying online. What should I do?.
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Or buy it from somewhere with a decent return policy. Sometimes the shipping return is less cost than driving somewhere.
Turnaround
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Problem is that if you want a rosewood board, you can't get it shipped into Canada.
I hear ya. I've also desired a particular bass or effect pedal that I couldn't find locally. I would recommend what I do.
I just make sure they have good return policies, and order said item to check it out. If it isn't really what I want then I send it back. It usually costs a little (obviously), but I consider this as "rental time". Most of the time I've liked what I purchased.
I just make sure they have good return policies, and order said item to check it out. If it isn't really what I want then I send it back. It usually costs a little (obviously), but I consider this as "rental time". Most of the time I've liked what I purchased.
my goodness, I just checked L&M & the prices for a simple Ray34 are over $1k CAD 
There's one here in the local pawn shop for $300 USD, but the Ibanez BTB300 that I compared it to creamed it.
If you want a bass with more highs & mids than the Ray34, see if you can find a used Ibanez SRX series. Not SR, but SRX.
There's one here in the local pawn shop for $300 USD, but the Ibanez BTB300 that I compared it to creamed it.
If you want a bass with more highs & mids than the Ray34, see if you can find a used Ibanez SRX series. Not SR, but SRX.
I've got an SRX 500. Great bass, but the neck is a little chunkier than I like now.my goodness, I just checked L&M & the prices for a simple Ray34 are over $1k CAD
There's one here in the local pawn shop for $300 USD, but the Ibanez BTB300 that I compared it to creamed it.
If you want a bass with more highs & mids than the Ray34, see if you can find a used Ibanez SRX series. Not SR, but SRX.
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The most noticeable thing about those basses, is how incredibly hot the pickup system is in them. You're forced to use the padded input of an amp, or you'll overdrive it immediately.
The easiest solution is that musical instruments need to be exempt, to just let them cross borders freely, no documentation required. The main culprits in the CITES "game" are MUCH BIGGER FISH than musical instruments, but musicians are the easiest target, proving to the world that something is being done regarding illegal trafficking.
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Try a stingray or an active bass with a MM style pickup in the bridge it should sound similar. When I was living in Canada I know I did find some basses in pawnshops as well, you might want to try that.
Pawn shops, old new stock, local classifieds, etc. That would be your best bet. And make sure any store you may order one from has a good return policy but that was mentioned.
Well the alternative is extinction of the species involved, so I'm all for it - it's a pain in the @$$ now, but necessary in the long run or there just won't be any more ever.Oh, they have! And it's working exactly the way "they" want it to . . .
I have one and it's a well built bass. The quality is very good, neck feels great, tone is obviously similar to a sting ray.
If you're buying new make sure the store has a good return policy. Sadly the exchange rate is so bad right now that the prices seem pretty inflated to us in the US.
If you're buying new make sure the store has a good return policy. Sadly the exchange rate is so bad right now that the prices seem pretty inflated to us in the US.
Quel ville ? À Québec il y a le Long&McQuade qui en a et aussi Musique Steve
Absolutely! I'm all for it too. But, considering that CITES has been in the works for sometime and it's only now that it seems the manufacturers are starting to move in a new direction, ya' gotta wonder... Add to that all the burocratic BS that comes into play and you have exactly pile o' shingles that you're seeing now. Just be glad that you don't live in country that's outside the EU or the States. Freakin' night mare to the max!
Yeah, even good ideas become PITAs in the hands of the bureaucrats...Absolutely! I'm all for it too. But, considering that CITES has been in the works for sometime and it's only now that it seems the manufacturers are starting to move in a new direction, ya' gotta wonder... Add to that all the burocratic BS that comes into play and you have exactly pile o' shingles that you're seeing now. Just be glad that you don't live in country that's outside the EU or the States. Freakin' night mare to the max!
I think you can, but it just adds to the cost to get the certification. But technically, I think you have to have that certification to travel across the border with a rosewood frettboard anyway. I am no legal expert, so if I'm wrong, someone correct me.
Turnaround
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I think that the point is that the manufacturers are not going to get a permit for each individual bass that needs to cross a border. As a consumer you cannot get a permit to import a piece containing rosewood - the manufacturer has to prove where and how the rosewood was sourced and that's the basis of the certificate.