online stores, was your guitar an ex display model?

fguihen

I remember a few years ago I was in one of the music stores in the city center and was buying a guitar. I liked one in particular on display, and when i said i wanted to purchase it, but didnt want the display model, they laughed and said they only set up one at a time so it was that or nothing.

I was obviously fobbed off, but im wondering, if you order off a site that has a bricks and mortar store, like GAK or xMusic, is there a chance you'l get a guitar thats effectively used?

I mean, many display guitars have some belt rash or little scratches, nothing awful, but if you pay for a new guitar, you expect a "new" guitar. anyone know what store's policies are on this?

Dord

Xmusic have a section on their site for used/demo models with cheaper prices. There's only one or two things there but I guess they'll be adding stuff in.

darrenw5094

A lot of guitars that are for sale in a shop, are hanging up on the wall with the price tag on it. Anyone can and do, take it down to have a look or shred a few thousand notes. But when she is eventually sold, the price on the tag still counts. The feckers.

-=al=-

ive gotten new each time i got one... or they cleaned it up well and put the stickers back on perfect

if theres a display model they usualy knock a little off

darrenw5094

My first Ibanez J Custom RG8420 was brand new from Japan. The second J Custom RG8470 was display and was a bit cheaper again. Both were great prices. Both with vine inlays....:)

Patricide

Freind of mine got an ex display bass off thomann before, even though he ordered a brand new one. I cant remember but i think they just offered him new strings even though there was a chip to the paint. Thought it was baaad form.

road_2_damascus

fguihen wrote: »

I remember a few years ago I was in one of the music stores in the city center and was buying a guitar. I liked one in particular on display, and when i said i wanted to purchase it, but didnt want the display model, they laughed and said they only set up one at a time so it was that or nothing.

I was obviously fobbed off, but im wondering, if you order off a site that has a bricks and mortar store, like GAK or xMusic, is there a chance you'l get a guitar thats effectively used?

I mean, many display guitars have some belt rash or little scratches, nothing awful, but if you pay for a new guitar, you expect a "new" guitar. anyone know what store's policies are on this?

Just play the damn thing and get over it! I bought a display model 19 years ago, I still use that guitar as my main instrument today. One of the best guitar players Ive heard lately, bought his bashed up strat fro 80 quid sterling in Derry, and put an active pickup on it. If your looking for an ornament, get some Waterford glass, they could do with the $$

fguihen

road_2_damascus wrote: »

Just play the damn thing and get over it! I bought a display model 19 years ago, I still use that guitar as my main instrument today. One of the best guitar players Ive heard lately, bought his bashed up strat fro 80 quid sterling in Derry, and put an active pickup on it. If your looking for an ornament, get some Waterford glass, they could do with the $$

would you buy a new car with a dent?
Get over it, just drive it...

would you buy a flatscreen tv with a scratch in the screen?
Get over it, just watch it...

would you buy an apple with a bite gone out of it?
Get over it, just eat it.. ( te hee hee!!)

seriously, i dont see your point. you pay top dollar for a new guitar, dont you expect a new guitar? if not, i have a bashed up old epiphone, it looks like crap, but plays awesome. yours for only 500 bucks!!! sounds right up your alley!

eoin5

The general run of things in the shop is if its an expensive guitar then the customer will take the exact one they try whereas for budget guitars they take a new one from a box.

fguihen

eoin5 wrote: »

The general run of things in the shop is if its an expensive guitar then the customer will take the exact one they try whereas for budget guitars they take a new one from a box.

even if it has chips and is covered in buckle rash?

Johnny Storm

IMHO the key thing with buying online is to ask all the questions before you buy. Just flatly ask them what they will do if the guitar they send you is ex-demo, has a flaw, is damaged, doesn't match the colour of your nail varnish etc. They are happy to answer your emails in the hope of getting a sale, it's much harder to get their attention after they have your hard-earned.
I know that when you get a new guitar online you just want to enjoy playing it and are willing maybe to accept a few "rough edges". I've done that myself and believe me if it ever happens again I will be sending it back immediately.

they laughed and said they only set up one at a time so it was that or nothing.

It's easy to be wise after the event but the correct thing for you to do then was to laugh and say as you leave: "**** you loser, me and my money are off to Waltons/Music Maker/Muscians Inc etc".

Dord

If it's not in good condition then don't buy it. You could try ask them for a small discount if you're buying a display model. This might only work in larger stores though.

-=al=-

i ordered a guitar last week form gak its shippin 18th march

i ordered the same one 1 month ago, but wasnt in stock so i canceled it and said ill check elsewhere... so cudnt find it.. they said they were getting a new batch in at the start of march...


I emailed last week saying is there any in stock, got a reply saying yeah, theres 1 in stock at the moment so i replied saying ok thats great cause the last time i tried to order it there was only one in a different finish... i was told march for a re stock, they have the same guitar in stock but it was a different colour, so i confirmed they had 1 guitar in the colour i wanted in stock... so i ordered it then was told to wait till march the 18th....

not a happy al here at all


funny enough xmusic's picture for left handed guitars is the guitar i want, but they dont have it... ironic eh

68 lost souls

The way I see it is every guitar sounds different, even if it is the same model the wood is different, the neck is different, the finish is slightly different. If you like the guitar there you buy the guitar there, thats the way it works.

Also, the amount of limited run models that exist, I would not expect most shops to stock several 20th anniversary jems, or fender customs shops or anything of the like.

adox

Mine that arrived from GAK before Christmas was brand new and in prestine condition.


Also note that in the likes of X Music, the mid to higher end guitars arent usually available to be taken down by any Joe Soap. They usually have a lock of some sort and you would have to request to try it out.

-=al=-

I'd love to go into a shop and just try anything and find whats best, but well being lefty i dont have a choice! f it... my strat that i customised feels the best thing in my hands and looks nice too

Squirrel

I got an Epiphone Les Paul Custom in Belfast, and I played their display model, which admittedly had a small mark in the finish. They got me a new one but it didn't feel as nice in my hands, so I bought the display model. Sometimes it's better.

rgjmce

omg all guitars are used, they are swapped around as display, the guitar i bought was a 'display model' and their was nothing wrong with it, including apperance and i got a discount, your better finding one that suits your feel, two guitar may be are the very same guitar but they might be set up slightly different.

eoin5

fguihen wrote: »

even if it has chips and is covered in buckle rash?

Its pretty rare that well have a marked guitar on display. If a guitar has any marks on it we will always tell the customer and if they want to buy it we would give them either some discount or some accessories for free. Theres no point in trying to cod people otherwise they wont be back for their strings or capos etc or recommend us to their friends/relatives.

Scoual

hey, let's not forget one situation, i.e when there's only one left!,
then it's up to you to buy it knowing that (havin seen or not the product)
:P