Members z28talon Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 I really have no complaints about the lefty guitars that I have in my possession, but for a lefty, trying out a few examples of the same guitar is a real luxury. Most of mine were ordered. A lefty may find some basic Fender Strats/Teles or Epiphone LPs to try out, but that is the exception...not the norm. I'm very satisfied with the guitars that I've ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HELSTRUME Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Personally I would never shell my hard earned cash for a guitar without playing and inspecting first.Got that right. I played 10 Strats before I found "the one". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dcindc Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 No matter what the stripper tells you, there is no sex in the Champagne room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobberdig Posted January 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Guitars vary too much even in the same model. Sorry but IMHO they do... I was reading about epiphone the other day, they have factories in china korea japan and america. from what i gather say you are looking at an epiphone semi its a four way bet as to the country where its made. not to say there are not nice epiphones but from a perspective of buying online without playing it first i would be more weary of buying an epiphone in that way would prefer to play one first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 I was reading about epiphone the other day, they have factories in china korea japan and america. from what i gather say you are looking at an epiphone semi its a four way bet as to the country where its made. not to say there are not nice epiphones but from a perspective of buying online without playing it first i would be more weary of buying an epiphone in that way would prefer to play one first As to the 4 places with factories, it's more like only a two-way bet, between China and Korea. US or Japanese-made Epi's are going to be designated as such, with a minimum of research you can find which these are. As to MIK/MIC, we are soon getting to the point (if not already past it), where it can be a distinction with no difference. The first Fernandes Ravelles were made in China, then later production was moved to Korea. Fernandes was actually happier with the quality of the original Chinese-made ones and moved production back to China. I have one of the original MIC ones, and it's as nice as any of the Korean guitars I've owned (and I've owned a few). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mnewb1 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 I like to try the gear before I buy. There can be significant variation between guitars and I want to know how it feels and sounds. pedals, strings, whatever, I am happy to buy online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billythegoat Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Guitars I won't buy online, unless it's from a reputable forum member with good guitar knowledge. I have to be able to play it first, especially if it is new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FUBTAG Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 If I;m buying a $100-600 guitar, online is fine for me.. and I have never received a "dud".. oh I might not have liked a guitar as much as I thought I would, but EVERY guitar I have bought online (ebay and otherwise) has been a workable, playable guitar. Now if I am looking to buy a Fender that is in the $1000 and above range.. yeah --I might want to try before I buy. Even though any guitar can be set up to just my liking, I think I would want a more personal attachment to the instrument. That being said, if I saw a deal that I couldn't pass up without playing it.. yeah I would in a heartbeat buy it online (like the LP I bought last year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well I guess I must be a gambler because I don't try and I buy used so no return policies. Because I'm into japanese guitars, and I don't live in japan...I really don't have an option. But the brands I'm into have such good reputations that really all 6 of the guitars I've bought have all lived up to their hype and in a few cases blown away my expectations. I do a ton of research and there is a ton of GOOD information (and bad of course..so you have to be patient) on the net to make wise decisions. Combine that with photos of the guitar and I think it's pretty safe. At least in my situation it has been. Of course if I could play them first I obviously would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ryder35 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Online exchange policies have really turned me around on this issue. I used to be a play before I buy guy, but the last several guitar I bought I went online through big companies with a 45 day free return policy. Wow, Wish there was somewhere like that in the UK. Here we just have 7 days to return (standard distance selling rules) and, in theory it is supposed to not have been unboxed if you return it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slodge Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Here's my two cents. I've bought both used and new online. The one problem I had was new Daisy Rock reto-H with sharp frets. I returned it and got one that was acceptable. I got ragged on here for expecting usable frets on a guitar I paid $110 for new, but the bottom line is the return policy allowed me to get one that was acceptable to me. I've done pretty good with the used ones, (all ebay) and here's where I don't understand the "won't buy without trying" crowd. All of these were exceptional deals that I researched before buying. The one I eventually sold netted me about a 90% profit over what I paid. While I've only turned one over, my buying policy is to never bid more than what I'm pretty sure I could sell it for. The thing is, none of these deals could be had without internet buying. I think the folks who won't do that are missing out on some good deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dudemanperson Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Need to play it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burgess Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 If you know anything about setting up a guitar then you can be fairly confident about buying without trying first. The CNC machines the builders use make it a pretty good bet you won't get a defective guitar. If you're OK with the vendor's return policy then it's really not that much a leap of faith. It's not just the internet where you buy before you try. If you order a guitar from one of the top luthiers you're gonna pay a big deposit (if not all) up front and you will pay up full before you get your axe. If you custom order from one of the major custom shops it's gonna be similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RaVenCAD Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Considering my guitar brand of choice (Carvin) and my proximity to their showroom (LA vs. TN), I have no choice but to not try before I buy. Thankfully, it's a pretty safe bet that it'll be a great guitar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 I buy mostly used. I bought my two (used) Roman Quicksilvers having never played one and I really liked both of them. I couldn't find one to play in a shop but they were cheap on ebay. I bought my Ed Roman USA Mosrite new because it was built for me. Love it! Can't play a custom built guitar before it's made so you have to trust the builder. I just bought a Rickenbacker 12 String on ebay. I have played a bunch of them and this one felt just like I thought it would - GREAT! I bought a Squier 51 new. It was not as good as I expected, haing read rave reviews. It was $80.00 so I built a new body for it and refined the neck. Most of what I buy online I know what I'm getting or what I expect it to feel/sound like. Like I said, I mostly buy used so I half expect what I get to need a little TLC (I also try to buy cheap). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C-4 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 There are times when you might be able to try before you buy, but that depends on the availablity of what you are buying and the proximity to your home...i.e., how far are you willing to travel to try it first. In the case of Japanese made guitars, they are very consistant, more so to me then american guitars, so you may have better luck buying without playing first. I just bought and am waiting for a guitar built in Europe, so I have no chance to try it first. However, the company offers a time trial period, so I am not going to be out anything if I don't like the guitar. It is good to be able to try a specific guitar prior to buying it, but you may not get the best deal on that model if you happen to like the very guitar you are trying and the store does not offer a great deal on it. That is when you need to decide that you either like the specific guitar you are trying enough to cough up the extra money for that guitar, or decide to send away for it and take your chance on getting one that might be as good from a dealer out of your immediate area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 ^ I don't know if that's fair to the builder! Imagine spending the time to build something for someone and then have them say they don't like it. Is there any sort of fee involved? IMHO most people don't really know what they want when they order a guitar or they change their minds halfway through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobberdig Posted January 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 As to MIK/MIC, we are soon getting to the point (if not already past it), where it can be a distinction with no difference. The first Fernandes Ravelles were made in China, then later production was moved to Korea. Fernandes was actually happier with the quality of the original Chinese-made ones and moved production back to China. I have one of the original MIC ones, and it's as nice as any of the Korean guitars I've owned (and I've owned a few). yeah you'd think they be using the same machines in china & korea so they should theoretically be the same. but depends on the timber, the workmanship, QC and what they let out the door. the point i was trying to make with epiphone is similar with the ravelles where u got same model being produced in different places which creates variation in quality. so if i were to buy that instrument without playing it would be a greater risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 To Brian's point I owned a Chinese made Fernandes Jazz Bass about 10 years ago that was fantastic. I bought it used thinking it was Japanese. I will admit to being a harsh critic of a lot of the Asian made product but that bass was very nice. Not as nice as a USA Reissue, but certainly as nice as a Japanese made bass (IMHO better). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobberdig Posted January 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well I guess I must be a gambler because I don't try and I buy used so no return policies. Because I'm into japanese guitars, and I don't live in japan...I really don't have an option. But the brands I'm into have such good reputations that really all 6 of the guitars I've bought have all lived up to their hype and in a few cases blown away my expectations. I do a ton of research and there is a ton of GOOD information (and bad of course..so you have to be patient) on the net to make wise decisions. Combine that with photos of the guitar and I think it's pretty safe. At least in my situation it has been.Of course if I could play them first I obviously would. ha! i am in a very similar boat. I seen tonight theres a yamaha SA2000 in the ishibashi ubox but i dont reckon i would trust a guitar like that in the freight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ferdinandstrat Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 All of the gear I bought I tried, except for the Dimarzio Fred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 1) While most online retailers will give you 30 day satisfaction guarantee, you will have to pay postage on the return, and that could cut any savings you might have gotten -- my local ma and pa store will let me take it home, try it out on my gear, even gig with it as long as I return it in the same condition I found it it, it's no problem. And with stores that I have dealt with for years, they don't even ask for a deposit. 2) Two identical model instruments made in the same factory with sequential serial numbers can be very different instruments. Besides for the hand-made part of assembly, there is the wood used to make the guitar and quite a few other variables. 3) By buying locally, you help the local economy (the music store buys gas, groceries, restaurant meals, etc. in the local economy which helps the people in the local area enjoy live music). So here are my choices Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 Many of the things I like to buy are not your common stuff that is easily found. There's pretty much no chance of rounding up a bunch of boutique pedals to try out in one place, so I've had to go blind for many but have had great results. Same with guitars. I knew I wanted a G&L, but couldn't find one in a color I liked, so I had to order through a dealer. Luckily in that transaction I could have faith in ordering a high-end guitar through an authorized dealer and feel pretty safe that I would't get a dud. When I was looking for Heritages, I was about to pull the trigger on a beautiful one on eBay. I just couldn't do it. I ended up buying one used in person - I knew I liked it the second I plugged it, moreso than some other Heritages I tried. There is variation within a brand and model of guitar and it's nice to try things out if you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JC777 Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 1) While most online retailers will give you 30 day satisfaction guarantee, you will have to pay postage on the return, and that could cut any savings you might have gotten -- my local ma and pa store will let me take it home, try it out on my gear, even gig with it as long as I return it in the same condition I found it it, it's no problem. And with stores that I have dealt with for years, they don't even ask for a deposit. 2) Two identical model instruments made in the same factory with sequential serial numbers can be very different instruments. Besides for the hand-made part of assembly, there is the wood used to make the guitar and quite a few other variables. 3) By buying locally, you help the local economy (the music store buys gas, groceries, restaurant meals, etc. in the local economy which helps the people in the local area enjoy live music). So here are my choices I agree. Most of the local shops sell for the same price that MF has anyway. Plus I normally get a couple set of strings thrown in with a new guitar. If I have any issuse I take it back. I would rather have the instant gratification. I'll order online occasionally, but there have been many online purchases where I change my mind and cancelled the order. Normally if it's in front of me, I'll buy it. As far as the argument that you can save sales tax. That's true for now. Eventually that will change. Personally I would rather help businesses where I live. The job you save may eventually be your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Blues Posted January 27, 2009 Members Share Posted January 27, 2009 I live out of the USA so there is no return for something I buy online. A guitar under $800, I will order online. If I don't like it, I'll sell it for or loss or sometimes break even. That's what it costs me to try out a new guitar I'm curious about. Over $800? I will NOT buy without trying first so that implies I'll only buy it while on vacation or business trip. I'm not willing to gamble over $800. I guess for others that price point can be higher or lower. Also, I'll usually try to buy a guitar only if there are other examples of the same model to compare to. I will NOT buy an amp unless I can try it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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