Dave Bryce Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 I am curious as to how folks shop for musical instruments these days... Tell us where you're buying your gear, and why you buy there. You don't even have to name a place, if you're not comfortable doing so - you can just say "I buy from my local mom and pop store", or "I usually buy mail order" if you wish. Conversely, if you wish to praise an individual retailer or salesperson, please feel free to do so. Do you usually shop multiple retailers for the best deal, and/or do you have one retailer with whom you've developed a relationship? I'm sure that y'all have some strong opinions on this subject - I know that I do... dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted April 1, 2001 Share Posted April 1, 2001 I usually buy at a local store, House of Guitars in Rochester - a legendary store, a truly unique shopping experience, incredibly well stocked (practically overstocked). Sorry, out-of-towners, no website. Nicest feature - a fully fuctioning, professionally designed recording studio in the store basement where you can audition high end gear in peace (and not compete with a 14 year old ripping through Korn licks with the volume on 11). However, I just bought a K2500RS package from Sweetwater and had a very positive experience. I dealt with salesperson who was thoroughly knowledgeable and got a ridiculously sharp price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted April 1, 2001 Share Posted April 1, 2001 I swear by Guitar Center!!! That's just about the only place where I'll shop for music stuff........ or www.musiciansfriend.com (which just so happens to be Guitar Center's mother company, AFAIK) My local GC will match just about any price you give them....... the people there are very knowledgeable about the gear they sell, and they are very helpful. Like I said, I have bought a lot of stuff from Musician's Friend too...... they too are very helpful, good at matching prices, and have a great selection. Those two company's are pretty much all I will buy from..... I hate shopping anywhere else because I love these two so much! ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham English Posted April 1, 2001 Share Posted April 1, 2001 I mainly go mail order. You don't have to pay sales tax and you can usually find the cheapest prices and have whoever match it. But I bought a Korg Trinity V3 from a local store and I'm glad I did. I had so many problems with that keyboard and Korg that having the local support made it much easier. They provided me with a loaner keyboard and provided much needed emotional maintenance. http://cwm.ragesofsanity.com/otn/funny/11poke.gif ++ Graham English ++ Ear Training, Songwriting Tips, and Music Theory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbox Posted April 1, 2001 Share Posted April 1, 2001 On Topic: I like to go local. The salesperson I like to work with, Scotty Van Salter, started with West L.A. Music and is now at Sam Ash in Canoga Park. Hes always given me great deals and support. If he cant get me something, hell refer me to someone elsewhere who can. ------------------ Off Topic? Originally posted by KeyboardFreak: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That was quite a sacrifice! However, Im not quite sure why you posted this quote in this thread. Were you making a connection between God giving His Son and us giving our money to buy keyboards? If so, Im not certain how that applies. Otherwise, if you were simply trying to inform us, then thank you (although I think were all aware of that quote). I hope you wont think Im rude to point out that Internet etiquette asks that off topic posts be labeled with an "Off Topic" heading. This message has been edited by soapbox on 04-01-2001 at 05:03 PM Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormhole Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 I think it's called a signature. Lighten up... I've had good experiences at the local Mars here but the real deals have always come from pawn shops. I've had only one bad experience with eBay and that was the post office fault but it was insured so no loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 it has always amazed me how people can do and say some of the most offensively opressive things and get away with it, but as soon as someone mentions the christian deity it is worse than nuking somebody.... I buy local unless there is just way too big of a price difference. Dave and Drew at K&S Music in Paxinos PA, Scott Fritz at Schoolhouse Music in Bloomsburg PA and Chris Bovard at RMS Music in Williamsport PA are a great bunch of guys, know their stuff and have always treated me exceptionally well. They know my needs inside out and look after me. How many mail order houses can you call at their home after hours and have them come down and lend you a crossover because you just fried yours and the gig starts in less than an hour? That convenience is worth more than the few bucks I can save going mail order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 New instruments - zZounds Used - Harmony Central or Recycler. Here in Savannah I can't abide the music stores at all. They're all whores. When I was looking for my QSR module the only dealer that carried it was selling it (and still is) for $750.00- and that was his DISCOUNTED price. I paid $485.00 at zZounds. I can understand coughing up a little more for the benefit of local support, and prefer to buy local, but when they're trying to rape me I draw the line. Back when I lived in Buffalo I used to buy at the HOG (House of Guitars in Rochester - mentioned above.) The second floor (where the keyboards are) was my personal stompin' grounds and I got quite friendly with the owners. Fabulous place. Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Having gone to school in Rochester, NY I was quite familiar with the House Guitars.. great place. Too bad all I had throughout college was my trusty K1 and couldn't afford anything else. I used to shop a lot at the Sam Ash in White Plains, NY... and got good deals there. I still haven't seen any online dealer beat the price I got for my cs6x. Haven't done much shopping for gear since I moved to the bay area. Checked out Guitar Center in SJ (a total zoo) and Bananas at large (San Rafael).. nice store, more limited selection but the salesman were helpful and the story was not too busy on a sat (surprisingly). My last purchase was online. In general I'll agree to pay a bit more and buy it locally, but not if the price is significantly different. Online I usually shop at Musician's Friend. Prompt delivery. I heard horror stories about Zzounds, tried shopping there and can't say I was pleased. I won't judge them for one purchase (3 items, and all 3 were hassles), but won't shop there again. I usually shop online for items that I know I won't need product support (ie when I bought a qcard for my alesis). Followed the thread in the other forum about Sweetwater with curiosity... it always seems they have used items for MORE than other online retailers are selling the same item NEW. No bad experiences in Ebay, but tried to keep it local so I could pick up the equipment myself and take a look at it. My general rule is if I'm going to get something used it's a rack.. I try to avoid buying keys (unless it's vintage of course) Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoman_nsyahoo.com Posted April 5, 2001 Share Posted April 5, 2001 OFF-TOPIC (as requested by soapbox http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif ) quote: Originally posted by soapbox "-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by KeyboardFreak: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- That was quite a sacrifice! However, Im not quite sure why you posted this quote in this thread. Were you making a connection between God giving His Son and us giving our money to buy keyboards? If so, Im not certain how that applies." HAHAHAHAHA, that would be a good one http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif..... God gave His Son, so we should give our money to buy keyboards!! Nope..... sorry, no connection to buying keyboards...... it's just a sig. I put it because I think everyone should know. Ok, now that everything is cleared up........ ON TOPIC I didn't mention eBay in my first post........ although I've been looking around on there for a Mackie mixer and a Tascam recorder...... haven't really come across any great deals yet. Some people are actually paying more for stuff on eBay than you could pay for it new at Guitar Center or Musician's Friend...... or just about anywhere else for that matter. This one guy starts the bidding for his Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro's at like $370..... the price at almost all retail stores for a brand new in box 1202 is $379. The point??? Watch out! You can very easily get ripped off on eBay.... check out ALL the other retailers before you go buying on eBay. Most likely... you'll find the great deals aren't on eBay, but at a real store. Then you can always order the product from Musician's Friend or Guitar Center and have them match the price so........ That's my opinion on eBay. Although there ARE some great deals to be found, there all also some great rip-offs to be had. ------------------ John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted April 5, 2001 Share Posted April 5, 2001 Local Pro Shop (Brook Mays) for the big stuff. Helpful staff and knowledgable. Generally well connected to the manufacturers' reps. Local Guitar Center for supply stuff like cables, connectors, bags, etc. Swing in, pick it up and swing out. The web for things I can buy just on specs, especially computer cards, peripherals, softsynths, plug-ins and soundware. Cheers, Jerry ------------------ www.tuskerfort.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbox Posted April 5, 2001 Share Posted April 5, 2001 Off Topic: Im sorry if I offended anyone. Peace, soapbox P.S. Please dont read any tone of outrage into my post above. There was none in my heart. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted April 6, 2001 Share Posted April 6, 2001 One of my pet peeves in Nashville is the local music retailer's penchant for running at 23% over cost. I don't have anything against these guys making money, but these are my tools and I need to keep my operating costs low. I browse the local stores: Sam's, Mars, Corner Music, but buy everything from Music Center in Kenosha WI. Tommy always gives me the absolute best price without haggling. And it's usually 10% over, like the folks back in Philly and NY charge, without the attitude. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif I've never had a problem with returns, and the local service centers handle warranty repairs. It's just that simple. K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted April 6, 2001 Share Posted April 6, 2001 Well, we've got a few stores here in KC...a couple of bi-ig retailers...Mars and a Musician's Friend outlet store that specializes in scratch and dent items. The Musician's Friend place is cool to browse, they've got a section that looks like Pete Townshend's store room...with all sorts of guitars with various appendages in states of disarray. Kinda like a salvage shop. There was a place called Guitar World, but I think it bought the farm. Too bad, 'cause they had a huge selection and the prices were good. The local heroes are Quigley's and Big Dude's. Our drummer shops almost exclusively at Quigley's 'cause he lives close and knows the staff well. I like to split my business up. I usually go to a huge place just to see the neat toys, and then see how close the local places can come to matching the price. "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay da cop Posted April 11, 2001 Share Posted April 11, 2001 I used to live in Baltimore,and when I visited there a year ago I found that 2 of my alltime favorite stores, Bill's house of music (great for used gear) and Gordon Miller were sucked up by the appearance of Mars and Guitar Center. Too bad, both had really nice staff, and were more than willing to stand behind their gear. Now I live on the coast of Maine, and the only game in town is small. They are all friends of mine, but for the big purchases I go to Daddy's Junky Music (about 1 1/2 hours drive), or Sweetwater. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix_dup1 Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 Back in Austin, TX, I used to be a loyal customer at Strait Music, and then at Musicmakers. It wasn't because of the stores (they were practically the only game in town as far as synths went), but more because of a salesperson who paid attention to me and took care of what I needed - he remembered my name, knew me and my gear, and treated me accordingly. In retrospect, these stores were badly merchandised and overpriced. Today's competition (Guitar Center, Mars, etc.) are much better in these respects. But it seems that finding that salesperson who will take care of you and establish an ongoing relationship is a hit-or-miss proposition nowadays. And now there's the web, with tons of information and great prices, all without having to wait your turn or rely on a salesperson at all. I envy the people who still have a great relationship with their salesperson. I moved away from Austin, and now I shop where I can find the best prices. Maybe it's the change in the retail landscape, or maybe I've just gotten older, but I haven't made that connection with a salesperson again. In fact, there are times that I walk into a music store and find it challenging to connect with a salesperson at all. Of course, it seems like customers everywhere have changed too, and are less loyal (and more fickle) than ever. Perhaps that has something to do with the demise of customer service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 I try to always buy from a local merchant when I can but I always bring in prices I've found online and expect them to match them or give me something extra to go with it (free cord or strings). I made one purchase from Musician's Friend and was bitterly dissapointed with the shipping...my brother just bought a $2100 mixer from them and it arrived damaged, not UPS fault...MF is really cheap and amature when it comes to packaging items. I have a lot of friends who swear by American Musical Supply, I've seen first hand how superior their packaging is...after seeing the major difference I'll never order from MF again. But I'd like to repeat that I always try to shop local whenever possible, it's good for my neighborhood and the poor out of work musician trying to pay his bills working at a music store http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif. (just kidding really, I like a lot of the sales guys and they don't do too bad if they stick with it) http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whyhateus Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 I shop all over it depends on who's offering me a deal i spend a lot dolla's on gear i'm a gear junkie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillW Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 I'v gotten all my gear used and found "Tradin' Times" and, of all places, the local newspaper (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) to be fine sources of used gear. Ron Busch Guitar Studio in Clayton, MO, also has a good selection of guitars, keyboards and recording gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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