Fuego Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 wow i have to say the La Bella Company is really nice, i e-mailed them telling them that i got a defective E string (was dead and makin a werid sound fuzz) and they are sending out a new set of strings as soon as i mail back my old ones 2 them. I have to say this is nice of the company and makes me really happy as well The basses -'04 MIM Jazz bass black -'98 Fender American-Deluxe P-bass natural -Peavey FuryII blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Without looking it up, LaBella is located at (approx. street number) 260 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550. How do I know? Because their next door neighbor was (until last month when it closed) Zeger Paint & Hardware at 244-250 Broadway, my father's business for over 40 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zachg Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 hey mark, that's very cool. why did the business close? did it just run it's course- 40 years is no short amount of time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Don't mean to go OT... Originally posted by zachg: hey mark, that's very cool. why did the business close? did it just run it's course- 40 years is no short amount of time! The store is practically in the center of Newburgh. Even though urban blight set in decades ago, the store remained successful. People used to drive from the suburbs for paint, window repairs (sometimes done while you wait), plumbing supplies, etc. Contractors would be waiting for the store to open at 7:30am. It was an old fashioned store where you bought nails weighed by the pound from steel bins, and screws and bolts were sold by the piece. The business climate changed. My dad passed away in '98 and my sister has been running it since. Home Depot and Lowe's came to the suburbs. The store had been a big supplier to West Point, but changes in governmental spending killed that part of the business (no, my dad didn't sell $600 hammers to the Army). She closed the store in December and is selling the building. BTW, when the LaBella people moved next door, my dad told them "Oh, my son plays guitar". They came over with plenty of strings for me. I think I still have a few sets left. Incidentally, Newburgh was also home to Steinberger in the '80s. Though I used to work in my dad's store during summers home from college, once I interviewed with Ned Steinberger for a summer job in his plant. His was an ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 In my hometown (Toms River, NJ), there is still one hold-out hardware store that sounds a lot like your dad/sister's store. Ted's Hardware. They've survived the Wal*Mart/Target/Home Depot/Lowes moves mainly by stocking items you can't find at those stores. You'd be surprised at how many things the bigs store actually don't stock. I remember they were the only place to find a Torx driven tapered machine bolt in the county. In the urban areas, those types of stores still thrive. We have three small hardware stores in Hoboken; they survive because 75% of the population do not have cars and can't get to a big chain. However, they did just open a Home Depot in Manhattan in the Flat Iron district. It's on 23rd between 5th and 6th Ave. Imagine that - a Home Depot in Manhattan! [edit - I actually had a point!] I think the reason that Ted's Hardware in Toms River, NJ survives is the same reason a shop like Bass Northwest survives; great customer service and hard-to-find items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 Originally posted by getz76: I think the reason that Ted's Hardware in Toms River, NJ survives is the same reason a shop like Bass Northwest survives; great customer service and hard-to-find items. Ah, but Bass Northwest has some other things going for it. They not only have hard-to-find items, but also have a comprehensive stock of a really wide range of items. Extremely competitive pricing -- they usually have the lowest price on any item, at least as far as basses, amps, effects go; I'm not sure about stuff like strings, straps, etc. Usually Home Depot et al can sell at a price lower than the smaller hardware stores. Their website is updated weekly, and although not the prettiest of sites, it is very easy to navigate and find what you want. Function above form there, and access to a worldwide customer base. (And they pretty much ship anywhere.) Also, FishNW has the benefit of an addict w/ a regular paycheck (i.e., Bumpcity) living within spittin' distance. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbn Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 BassNW definitely has some good prices. I bought my SansAmp BDDI from there for $169 + a few bucks shipping. Cheaper than MF by about $20 and I got a cool sticker! As for the big chain stores... BOOOO. Give me Ace Hardware (locally owned franchises usually) any day of the week over Home Depot or Lowes. If they don't have what I want they'll get it for me w/in a few days. That goes 10X for music stores. I don't mind paying a little bit more knowing that I'll get good service (sales and tech) and someone will know my name when I walk in the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted February 9, 2005 Share Posted February 9, 2005 The reason most Mom&Pop shops can be better is: * When you go in you have someone to talk to about why you're there * They usually know what they are talking about. * They stand behind what they sell. * You can talk to the same person next time you go there. These apply to many types of stores. Unfortunatly my personal review of La Bella strings was not so shining. It's good to here someone had a good customer service experience. As much as Hoboken is holding on to it's small town roots, it's not the same as it was since the mid 80's (not that anything really is). It seems that it momentum for change is rapidly increasing. I still love it though. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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