D-18 Authentic at Guitar Center

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Author	Comment
KoaBoa		#21	[-]
(06/29/09 10:17 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That describes the GC in Arlington Heights pretty well, with Third Coast as an independent business located on the inside. I just had my D12-28 set up by them, and I am extremely happy with the results. I've also been to the shop at Racine and Randolph. Nice old loft and Martin Authorized Repair Center, so GC made a good choice letting them have a presence there. I'm going to take a trip to Elderly one of these days. It's about a 2.5 hour ride based on how long it took me to get home when I was passing through Lansing on a trip from Detroit. It's a Martin oasis.
Buck		#22	[-]
(06/29/09 10:32 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Everybody should go to Elderly at least once. The variety of instruments and number of them in stock at any given time is a thing to behold. I'm fortunate in that I can easily make a trip to Elderly and/or Gruhn at least once a year without too much effort. And the there's Guitar Emporium and First Quality in Louisville, KY. I can get to one of those every couple of weeks if my wallet could stand it. I realize that everyone can't do that, and GC may be all that's available. They vary a lot, from surprisingly good to absolutely dismal. The guitar business is about getting the right people and creating the right environment. I've never seen any company consistently do that with a chain of stores. Todd
HD18JBGuy		#23	[-]
(06/29/09 10:40 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Very good point Todd. They really do vary from store to store and I do agree that the ones in the Detroit area are terds. They seem to do a pretty good job in the Chicago area though. If the store isn't keeping newer strings on them, like Elderly does, of course they are going to sound like second-hand stock and half dead...but then so would any nice guitar. KoaBoa, haven't made it to the one in Arlington Heights yet, but Third Coast also services the GC on Halsted. They are pretty much the best in the city (Third Caost that is). You should try to make it to Chicago Music Exhcange on Lincoln and Belmont (or Belmontish). It is a fabulous store...not quite Elderly, but they have a lot of rare and vintage Martins.
cosgig		#24	[-]
(06/29/09 11:00 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I'm hip to your point there HD18JBGuy, but it seems that when I go to any of the G-C stores in my area, I leave there with the feeling that I would not want to purchase a high end guitar from there. I'm glad to hear that you that you got a great guitar from the one near you, and that there must be some better stores and staff than the ones I have to choose from. My point is kinda like this... You can get a perfectly good cut of meat from any of the grocery stores around, and they all get their meat from Monfort. But Bob's Meat Market carries the U.S Prime. You can get the prime from the grocery stores, but it's special order. Monfort knows that Bob buys and sells mostly prime and has been a longstanding customer, so Bob is sent a product that is consistently higher in quality. It's not that he sells the most beef, but he sells a lot of prime!! Of the 3 GC's that are close to me, I have never seen any higher end Martin than an HD-28 or the 000 Clapton, and the HD's are all $2599.00. No Authentics, no Clarence Whites, no Marquis', nothing!!! A lot of the middle priced Martins though, and I'm sure they are selling a decent amount of them. However, I can go to Elderly any time and play any one of those models, new or used, and some really sweet vintage stuff!! I can also play any of the mid priced Martins along with Collings, Santa Cruz and Huss and Dalton. An expensive guitar is a very important purchase for me, and one that I would not feel comfortable entrusting to any of the GC's in my area!! I guess I'm spoiled having Bob's near my house...err, I mean Elderly!! Can you tell I'm a Chef??? No offense meant in my post, and again I'm glad that you came out with the Prime from GC!!! Geof
HD18JBGuy		#25	[-]
(06/29/09 11:16 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	cosgig wrote: I'm hip to your point there HD18JBGuy, but it seems that when I go to any of the G-C stores in my area, I leave there with the feeling that I would not want to purchase a high end guitar from there. I'm glad to hear that you that you got a great guitar from the one near you, and that there must be some better stores and staff than the ones I have to choose from. My point is kinda like this... You can get a perfectly good cut of meat from any of the grocery stores around, and they all get their meat from Monfort. But Bob's Meat Market carries the U.S Prime. You can get the prime from the grocery stores, but it's special order. Monfort knows that Bob buys and sells mostly prime and has been a longstanding customer, so Bob is sent a product that is consistently higher in quality. It's not that he sells the most beef, but he sells a lot of prime!! Of the 3 GC's that are close to me, I have never seen any higher end Martin than an HD-28 or the 000 Clapton, and the HD's are all $2599.00. No Authentics, no Clarence Whites, no Marquis', nothing!!! A lot of the middle priced Martins though, and I'm sure they are selling a decent amount of them. However, I can go to Elderly any time and play any one of those models, new or used, and some really sweet vintage stuff!! I can also play any of the mid priced Martins along with Collings, Santa Cruz and Huss and Dalton. An expensive guitar is a very important purchase for me, and one that I would not feel comfortable entrusting to any of the GC's in my area!! I guess I'm spoiled having Bob's near my house...err, I mean Elderly!! Can you tell I'm a Chef??? No offense meant in my post, and again I'm glad that you came out with the Prime from GC!!! Geof Ah, no offense taken and none meant in my post either. I just think that GC gets a really bad rap sometimes. It's not my job to defend GC, but I always like to let people know that I had a great experience and that not all things GC are tainted. As Buck and Koa also pointed out, I think it is a case by case basis. As I mentioned, having grew up in the Detroit area, I know that some of the GCs in that area are struggling (among many other things in Detroit right now). My HD-28V was straight from the Martin factory. The staples where in the box and it had never been opened, so thankfully it had no opportunity to get thrashed in the store. It was one of those where you open it up, play a few open chords, and you just know "now THAT's a Martin dread!". Elderly does rock! Don't make it there too much being in Chicago now, but do stop by every now and then during road trips back to Detroit.
strictlyamateur		#26	[-]
(06/30/09 8:03 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I'd have to say that the Rockville, Md. Guitar Center is a good one - a great selection of Martins, and they all seemed pretty well set up, at least the few I played (they also had some great Gibbys, Breedloves and Taylors). I've been to other GCs where potentially great guitars were suffering from dead strings or poor set ups. That said, I admit a bias in favor of local dealers like Appalachian Bluegrass or Boe's Strings - they really know how to treat a guitar. I'd love to make it to Elderly one of these days. It seems that every guitar I've ever wanted to check out they've had at some point, if not currently in stock.
BLTN		#27	[-]
(06/30/09 6:46 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	i wish we had a place like Elderly or Maury's in Tampa but as far as I know we do not, so we are stuck with the Sam Ash and GC chain. having said that my experience at GC was pleasant and the sales associate seemed to know what he was talking about (granted knowing more than me about guitars is not hard) and they cut me what I thought was a heck of a deal on my d-16GT (20 % off of their list of 1049.00). but regarding the set up comments being mentioned, do the Elderly, Maury's, or other sites perform a set up on each of the guitars they sell? I thought I had seen that unless you pay extra, the set up is Martin factory. my point is that if you are paying for a set up, what's to stop you from buying your guitar from a GC and then taking it to a luthier to perform the same type of setup? if they are throwing in a free set up then that is a heck of an incentive to buy from one of these well respected retailers mentioned.
Rockradstone		#28	[-]
(06/30/09 6:58 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	BLTN, Sounds like you need to contact Jon Garon in Naples. (My Favorite Guitars) What is that, about 140 miles south of you? He's the one to talk with. -Rick
cosgig		#29	[-]
(06/30/09 10:34 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	BLTN, I believe the policy at Elderly is to check the set-up of every new Martin they sell. If it is used and there on consignment, it is sold "as is". On new guitars if there is a special request to lower the action lower than Martins specs, there is a charge, but otherwise all guitars are checked and adjusted as necessary before selling them. As a note on Elderlys repair dept, I have taken a few things in for small repairs over the years, and each time they have done the job while I waited and never charged me for the repair. I even took a friends Gibson banjo in and didn't get charged either. Of course if it's a larger repair that took more than an hour to complete that would be different. As a bonus, I get to pick on the stock while I wait!!! Nice folks there, worth the drive for me!!! Geof

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