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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
 Posted - 12/29/2008 : 19:03:05
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Sweetwater has exhibited phenomenal service to me for over 3 years.
You're assigned one sales rep to cater to your every need.
I've given accolades to the president on a few occasions.
FREE shipping & NO TAX.
Music123, Musician's Friend, & Guitar Center are all the same deal.
If you have a GC in your state, all three will charge sales tax.
After being a customer for a while, I bought a Mackie sub, which of course heavy items is about the only thing that incurs shipping costs. Sweetwater split the costs down the middle with me.
My last order was for 2 MoogerFoogers which I received in only 17 hours instead of the usual 5 days.
I'm tellin' you guys, save money & be happy.
My rep acts as liason between me & the manufacturers during special orders.
I wanted specific configurations of Monster Cable patches & my rep handles everything.
When Peterson drop-shipped the wrong model, my rep had it sorted within three days.
Also try http://www.zzounds.com as necessary; Sweetwater doesn't carry a few brands like Crate.
I'll do a Google search for an item if I can't find it at SW or ZZ. ANYTHING but M123, MF, or GC!
Last point: GC has a policy that they'll price-match the internet.
So if they have it on the floor or in stock, give 'em SW or ZZ's price & walk out without paying sales tax!
GC is decent enough for "touching" gear before you lay your hard-earned down.
Just be smarter with your purchases -- at least until they pass global internet sales tax.  |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2008 : 21:42:04
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MF is pretty much like Wal-Mart...evil, yet people still go there.
I like American Music Supply:
http://www.americanmusical.com/
Them and Zzounds have the same warehouse, yet they are 2 different companies. I don't really like MF, but at times its hard to turn down some of the deals they can offer, like when I got a Squier Standard Fat Tele a few years bacon Closeout for $129... |
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dcross02
Copper Member
USA
47 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 00:32:56
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| Buying used is always the best way to go. So many kids get awesome guitar equipment and never learn to play. After the equipment spends months in their closet, it eventually gets out on Craigslist or eBay. I don't think I've ever bought anything new except strings and cables. |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 00:45:00
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| i am looking to buy a new guitar but i hate the idea of ordering.Like i say a guitar in made out of. well WOOD. you can have two right next to each other they will play and sound diffrently |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 01:40:16
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There's only one thing I'm hesitant to buy over the internet, instruments.
They just have to feeel right in my hands.
I suppose I could return ones that weren't up to par but there's enough selection around me.
I'm sure I miss out on some great deals with this attitude though. |
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verivorax
Platinum Member
Canada
1185 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 18:53:03
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worst case scenario.. an amazing instrument is broken in shipping.. I think guitars need to be played first to really know - a return policy helps, but if I'm GASsing then I don't want to fiddle with shipping back etc.
I've owned only two new guitars in my life.. sometimes, they're the right choice (depending on the deal, the spec, etc) but used is the way I usually roll. |
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zentropa
Gold Member
USA
837 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 19:58:35
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i tend to only buy used when it comes to instruments/amps unless i find some super duper clearance sale.
as for buying an instrument you've never played before, i believe a lot of it rests upon how good of a deal you get.
as long as you buy wisely (in terms of price) duds balance out and don't make much of a difference.
unless you are absolutely set on a particular instrument (which is usually the #1 reason people end up overpaying), being patient enough to find a great deal usually pays off, even if you end up hating the instrument. e.g. if you can grab an american standard strat used for $350, assuming everything works and is in passable condition, if it ends up playing/sounding like crap you should be able to still flip it for at least what you paid for it within a matter of hours.
i find the less set you are on what you are going for, the easier it is to jump on such deals. my last 2 guitars were blind purchases (bought them from craigslist in different states and had friends pick the guitars up from the seller and ship them to me). ended up paying well below market value and ended up with the 2 best playing guitars on my herd. i have gotten stuff that played/sounded like crap before though too.
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 21:53:36
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i think anyone whose been playing for a few years and have gone through a few guitars would agree.. i know i certainly do...i've been lucky with new and some secondhand stuff and also got some planks as well over the years but as Zen said if it has fender etc on the headstock you nearly always get your money back or near enough....the last new guitars i bought was in a shop in the city,during a 1/2 price sale week where i was able to sit down and try them out,i bought a couple of walden acoustics a 6 and a 12 string,the 6 is one of their top of the range acoustics a G3000 all solid woods,bone nut and saddle,ebony fingerboard etc.....i bought this after playing it and reading some good reviews on the net,the 12 sounded great and was only 150 euro so i reckoned i couldn't go wrong... everyone that hears it says it's a great sounding guitar..i know i would lose out to sell them on but i can't see that happening as for the little bit of acoustic stuff i do these are well good enough,in fact if we ever decide to get serious on a acoustic set i would spring for a couple of LR Baggs M1 pickups or Fishman rare earths for them.....by a strange coincidence i bought my main NO 1 strat in the same shop 20 years ago in a 1/2 price sale......for other stuff i normally go on the web,up till the recent credit crunch the best deals i got were in the shops in Germany(plus they have a better selection of stuff especially for valves,caps etc for the amps),most do free shipping over 199 euro but since sterling is nearly one for one with the euro the U.K. is starting to look great for stuff if i had some serious money to spend....at the moment i think it's time to 'batten down the hatchs' for a while on the guitar front......... my next major outlay if they come up is for possibly a couple of 1x12 combos or head and cabs for the smaller gigs.... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 12/30/2008 22:02:05 |
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zentropa
Gold Member
USA
837 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 22:33:03
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i try to support local shops as much as possible when i can unless it's going to be a big price difference. most local shops that you are loyal to will do their best to at least be competitive if you get to know them.
with most of my hobbies i try to stay local as much as possible as it's a bummer to watch specialty shops close down. we had 96 music stores in 1998. now we have 21.
since i rarely buy anything new it's often difficult to find what i am looking for and that's when i start looking outwards. i always look at it this way though, if it's a matter of paying sales tax or not when it comes to a price decision, i generally decide to buy locally. even though i hate conglomerate big box stores, we're actually at risk of having 2 of the 4 guitar centers closing... and while i have mixed feelings about them competing with mom & pop stores, if they close, it's just 2 less places for me to conveniently get strings, picks, etc. or whatever random crap i need at the moment. |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2008 : 22:59:23
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good points zen  |
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Big Boss Man
Gold Member
USA
564 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 16:58:32
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| MF has been having a lot of 20% off sales lately. They were even offering 20% Fender and Gibson Custom Shop guitars. It is kind of hard to turn down that kind of a discount. |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 22:49:56
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Sweetwater may match. I'm sure my SW rep would do it for me.
SW sure has their great service to consider. |
Edited by - DeFrag on 01/01/2009 22:55:31 |
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Pedalhead
Silver Member
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 06:14:40
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| I wont shop at any of those stores, online or otherwise, but then again I am really over brand new gear. BTW I did get to stick it to them with the price matching thing at my local GC years ago. They were going to sell me a Martin HD-28 for $2300(there price) I found one online on the east coast for $1650. They had to match it. I think I paid around $1800 for it after tax with the deluxe Martin Hard-shell case(minty-emerald-green-velvet lining, uuuuhhhh). I remember the sales rep wined it was below there cost. |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 08:44:12
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Hehe, right on!
I bought my Martin (OMC-15E) before they would match. |
Edited by - DeFrag on 01/03/2009 08:44:40 |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 21:39:45
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| i just got a sd-1 for 49 usd when there store said it was 59 at GC |
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Why does everyone seem to gravitate to MF?
