Members Bigskybound Posted August 24, 2016 Members Share Posted August 24, 2016 I am in the market for a boutique acoustic (Collings, Santa Cruz, H&D, Bourgeois, etc. plus the standard high-end Martin and Taylor). I have visited a number of premium retail outlets and have been thoroughly disappointed by the condition of some of the strings on 4 and 5K guitars. I am aware that selling high end acoustics is a difficult business (inventory cost) but it seems to me that getting a good sound out of a D-45 with strings that look like antique tarnished brass is not putting the guitar's best foot forward. I observed that a Taylor 414 with new strings made a Collings OM sound bad (dreadfully old stings). Any suggestions on how to do a apples to apples comparison with similar string ages? Am I the only one concerned about this source of bias? Any suggestions of high end boutique outlets that keep their inventory fresh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted August 24, 2016 Members Share Posted August 24, 2016 You're talking about forking over several thousand Samolians for a guitar. The cost for a decent set of strings is four or five bucks. If the strings on a prospect you're really jonesing for are really that bad, insist on trying it with a fresh set of strings. First, bug the dealer to put a fresh set on, then, if you have to, pay for them yourself, or furnish a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted August 24, 2016 Members Share Posted August 24, 2016 I used to could... If the playability is enough to spark some interest, have the store spring for a set of strings - cheap D'Addario .012s - and take it from there. I'd make a bit of a stink about it - politely with one eyebrow cocked - and get what I made an effort to go out and get. That last part about effort can be used in the "stink" part of your quest/request. I went so far once as to buy a set of strings and hand them and the guitar to the clerk telling him if he didn't change them I would, further explaining that I'm horribly careless in that job. But, I'm Mr. Rude; Mr. Very Rude to be completely honest. That was on a McPherson when I was A/B'ing it with a Goodall and a Collings some years back. The McP, even with new strings, lost to the Collings which lost to the Goodall in my one good ear. All were sporting new strings for the task. So, don't sweat the old strings. Have them changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted August 24, 2016 Members Share Posted August 24, 2016 Both sets of advice are sound, to my thinking at least. I don't know a seller that wouldn't commiserate with your way of thinking. BUT...if it sounds like crap with old strings, it probably won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted August 24, 2016 Members Share Posted August 24, 2016 Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 25, 2016 Members Share Posted August 25, 2016 Whatever you think of coated strings, they do last longer and that is one of the reasons Taylors tend to sound pretty good when hanging on the wall of a store. Good boutique stores tend to take care of their inventory - humidity, tuning, changing strings - but if there was a guitar that I was particularly interested in and it had obviously dead strings I wouldn't hesitate to ask them to change strings (to a gauge and composition that I wanted) - it would greatly increase their chance of making a sale and if nothing else, the guitar would get some attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 You're talking about forking over several thousand Samolians for a guitar. The cost for a decent set of strings is four or five bucks. If the strings on a prospect you're really jonesing for are really that bad, insist on trying it with a fresh set of strings. First, bug the dealer to put a fresh set on, then, if you have to, pay for them yourself, or furnish a set. I basically agree with this. I'd recommend narrowing down the field by inspecting and play-testing the models you're generally interested in to help narrow down the prospects. If you narrow it down to the three or so models you're most interested in purchasing and any of them have old strings, ask for them to be replaced so you can make an accurate assessment of which one is going to suit you best. If the dealer balks, walk. It's not an unreasonable request, and if they can't put a few bucks in new strings on there to make a $5k sale, they're probably not going to be very good with post-sale support either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Whatever you think of coated strings' date=' they do last longer and that is one of the reasons Taylors tend to sound pretty good when hanging on the wall of a store.[/quote'] Other brands are starting to ship their guitars with coated strings now too. I believe Gibson is now shipping their acoustics with Cleartones for similar reasons. It gives the prospective buyer a better chance at auditioning a guitar with strings that aren't totally dead, even if it's been in the store getting auditioned semi-regularly for a month or two. Good boutique stores tend to take care of their inventory - humidity, tuning, changing strings - but if there was a guitar that I was particularly interested in and it had obviously dead strings I wouldn't hesitate to ask them to change strings (to a gauge and composition that I wanted) - it would greatly increase their chance of making a sale and if nothing else, the guitar would get some attention. Couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted August 25, 2016 Members Share Posted August 25, 2016 Narrow it down to 2 guitars or so, have the dealer drop a new set of strings on em, do a lil set up and truss rod adjustment, and see if you still love the guitar. New strings are crisper, but you should be able to tell what the guitar sound like with an older set of string on it. I'm not an " oh my god" the guitar has got to have a new set of string on it. My buddy was complaining about the strings on his D28 the other day, he put on a set of heavier gauge blue grass string, and then ended up taking them off a few days latter. I have used a lot of different brands,but keep coming back to these Look for the Pro pack and save a bit of money. Not a lot, but a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdelsolray Posted September 2, 2016 Members Share Posted September 2, 2016 Over the past 20 years or so, all acoustic guitars I have purchased (mostly used) were with the condition that I could return the guitar after a short trial period (between 3 and 14 days). That way, I have time to evaluate the guitar sonically, behaviorally, ergonomically and structurally to see how it fits with my own subjective needs and desires, the music I play, etc. One thing I can say about high end acoustic guitars is that it takes up to two years, at least for me, to fully come to appreciate the instrument, to learn how to use it and to discover its secrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bigskybound Posted September 2, 2016 Author Members Share Posted September 2, 2016 Many thanks for the advice on strings and the "etiquette" of asking for a string change on a guitar that I was serious about. I once asked for a string change at a boutique music store on a new Guild (with dreadfully old strings) and they would not do it. Several years later they went out of business - go figure! I will be trying out some more Santa Cruz, Bourgeois and Collings in two days and Furch next week. I am excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted September 2, 2016 Members Share Posted September 2, 2016 Many thanks for the advice on strings and the "etiquette" of asking for a string change on a guitar that I was serious about. I once asked for a string change at a boutique music store on a new Guild (with dreadfully old strings) and they would not do it. Several years later they went out of business - go figure! I will be trying out some more Santa Cruz, Bourgeois and Collings in two days and Furch next week. I am excited. There ya go, you try out a bunch and see what feels and sounds best to you. I have taken months to find the right guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted September 3, 2016 Members Share Posted September 3, 2016 Many thanks for the advice on strings and the "etiquette" of asking for a string change on a guitar that I was serious about. I once asked for a string change at a boutique music store on a new Guild (with dreadfully old strings) and they would not do it. Several years later they went out of business - go figure! I will be trying out some more Santa Cruz, Bourgeois and Collings in two days and Furch next week. I am excited. Bourgeois has been making guitars for many years and has a great rep but of all the so-called boutique builders products, I see his on the after-market much more than any other make. Could be because he has so much product out there it will proportionally represent the great number of used guitars. On the flip, I don't see a lot of the SCGC product on the used market. Collings has a bunch of used stuff floating around. Furch - not really up on the brand. Anyway, of the brands you're seeking the best of them in my opinion is SCGC. Never played a Collings I couldn't easily put down and I've never encountered a Bourgeois I'd be interested in trying. Good luck with your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted September 3, 2016 Members Share Posted September 3, 2016 One small point of concern is new versus aged strings. Neal mentioned it above regarding the sound of aged strings being a non-issue if the guitar still sounds bad with them. There are times when you can hear through aged strings and still get a good ear on the guitar.The opposite of that is a guitar that sounds good with aged strings. Will it sound better with new strings? Trebles are the first to go, IME. If a guitar sounds okay with aged strings you may not like it with fresh trebles on it. Or, changing the high E and B strings may be all you need to do. Crummy paradox to think about but it may have some legitimacy in your search. Anecdotal - I use my little finger to play the high E string. That finger doesn't have a lot of power, by contrast to the others, and I can't wear a fake nail or, similarly, my shoes on opposite feet. I'm strictly natural nails, though I'm addicted to a thumb pick. I need all the treble power I can get and a new string is the best I can do. Even with a set of .012s I'll swap out the high E to a .013. If I let strings go dead I really have to dig for the treble range and I don't like doing that. No fun there at all. With a steel string, which I recently re-acquired, they come off every 3 weeks or sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted September 4, 2016 Members Share Posted September 4, 2016 You can play old strings, some even find them desirable [Norman Blake]. If..and I'm going out on a "troll limb"..one cannot tell if a high price guitar is worth it's salt with whatever strings are upon it, you probably need to lower your cost-of-goods expectations. No, don't expect a store to bend to your whims regarding changing strings. You want to spend 3-4K, then you're in a different league from your earlier days. You SHOULD be able to discern, and if you can't, your budget is too high for your experience. But I rant... Edit: I really like Bougeioisieo.however you spell it. Had a great OM custom cutaway that sounded angels, but felt the cutaway was pretentious, so...wish I had it still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted September 4, 2016 Members Share Posted September 4, 2016 And here that Bourgeois is. Shamelessly put out there I have no idea how to embed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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