Alright, this may stir the pot a little bit but here goes… How many of you guys shop for guitar gear online and how many prefer to go to a music store? With my hectic pennalized schedule I prefer to order online. I have rolled the dice on guitars, amps, pedals and just about everything. I am a tech so I don’t worry too much. Almost every guitar I buy I end up re-fretting and making a bone nut for anyway and if I get an amp that doesn’t quite cut it I tweak it until it does.
Ordering online is definitely easy and time saving. It also keeps the brown truck guys employed. If you order out of state there is no tax which is cool and there are so many “free shipping” deals it’s ridiculous. It’s true you cannot try the unit and because of that you roll the dice a little especially on a used or custom item, but if you are brave or can work on your own gear it’s not so much a factor. As I said before I don’t worry too much about it and only got one guitar that looked great but did not play or sound as good as it looked…..not bad odds. One thing I will say to look out for is which places online have the best customer service. That to me is a HUGE factor! I can tell you from experience that Sweetwater has excellent customer service…probably the best online that I have experienced.
Going to a music shop has its merits because you can try the gear before you buy it. That is definitely an advantage. But the downside sometimes is that some parents think of a music store as a day care center or some sort of “holding tank” and let their kids run wild while they run errands. This makes it difficult to sit with a guitar or whatever to see if you like it or not…..very distracting. Also I have found on more occasions than not that the staff only seems to come alive on high ticket items and not on a pedal or capo. All of a sudden they know everything about the big dollar amp or guitar…when it was made, what artist uses it, it’s many functions and the low interest financing program available, etc. Obviously this paradigm is commission driven. I’m not saying all shops are like this and in my experience it just seems to be the bigger ones. I am all for supporting local business as well but the last thing I want is to walk into a store and have 3-4 sales guys hawk you (or just the opposite and be completely ignored), listen to half a dozen players all at once, fight the crowd, try to find a parking spot, etc.
So what do you guys think? Who shops mostly online and who does most of their buying at the shop? Leave me some comments below..!!!!
My shop is located at 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or are in need of some tech work.
- Monday: 10am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10am - 5pm
- Friday: 10am - 5pm
- Saturday 10am - 2pm. (I am in every other Saturday).
I am also an Eminence, Mercury Magnetics, Mojo Musical Supply dealer.
I do all the tech work myself so you deal directly with me. I am a one man shop and my hours can vary so please contact me to confirm that I will be open.
Email me: billy@300guitars.com
Call or text me: 848-218-0362
Shipping Info for all repair work:
Please ship all repairs to: 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
I am currently offering all phases of guitar work which includes:
- Set-ups
- Fret dressing
- Re-fretting
- New hand cut custom bone nuts & saddles
- Electronics work
And amplifier work which includes:
- Basic maintenance
- Bias adjustment
- Repairs and restorations
- Modifications
- And more....
Testimonials:
David Nicholas - The 20watt amp is sounding fantastic! Delivered the goods at the gig and I'm finding cool tones all over the place with it. Love the cab w Emenince Tonkerlites too- perfect for my sounds! Makes the 12 string sound like a grand piano!
Peter Lacis - I had an audition for something recently that was all about Led Zeppelin I -- my custom Pennalizer BLEW THE MINDS of the guys I was playing with. They couldn't believe the sounds coming out of that amp. That album was never in my mind when I came up with the idea....so that's yet another testament to the amazing work that you do.
Scott Goldberg - I am very satisfied with the set-up, and the fast turn around. With the "lower" action it feels easier to play. I will definitely spread the word.