Greatest Online Guitar Store

Diminished Triad

Diminished Triad

New member
I've ordered lots of equipment from Musicians Friend (more than any other distributor). When it comes to guitars, outside of Warmoth custom builds, I've ordered most of mine off Ebay and just waited for great deals hoping the seller wasn't going to burn me.

When it comes to online retailers, the two that come to mind are Sweet Water and Willcutt Guitars. Both have great reputations. I've dealt personally with Willcutt Guitars and they are careful and trustworthy.

Aside from Willcutt and Sweet Water, does anyone have a strong preference for an online guitar retailer (considering price and quality)??? Both these stores honor Fender's lowest allowed advertised price requirement.....wondering if other stores ever go below?

Thanks!
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

I like reverb cuz it's powered by Chicago music exchange which is a killer store
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Elderly.

Every guitar is inspected and set up before it leaves the shop. If an instrument has any issues, they are straight up honest about it and show all kinds of pictures on the site before you buy (they were doing this before Sweetwater and MF's Private Reserve). The appraise guitars and use fair, honest condition ratings. And they have a nice blend of new and used instruments.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

wildwood sold me my strat and it rules and it came set up very well!
Sweetwater has also been good to me.
Zzounds has a 4 payment plan with no interest and they didn't hold my aweful credit against me like sweetwater did. zzounds is part of MF/GC though.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

FuseG4 said:
wildwood sold me my strat and it rules and it came set up very well!
Sweetwater has also been good to me.
Zzounds has a 4 payment plan with no interest and they didn't hold my aweful credit against me like sweetwater did. zzounds is part of MF/GC though.
Click to expand...

I always wanted to order a sick Gibson from wildwood. I don't know if it's their presentation or what but their selection impresses me every time I browse.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

DankStar said:
I always wanted to order a sick Gibson from wildwood. I don't know if it's their presentation or what but their selection impresses me every time I browse.
Click to expand...
I heard they do send back guitars that don't sound good to them but that may be a rumor. Regardless, my purchase was the best guitar purchase I have made yet. If I need another nice guitar one day they are first on my list.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

beaubrummels said:
Elderly.

Every guitar is inspected and set up before it leaves the shop. If an instrument has any issues, they are straight up honest about it and show all kinds of pictures on the site before you buy (they were doing this before Sweetwater and MF's Private Reserve). The appraise guitars and use fair, honest condition ratings. And they have a nice blend of new and used instruments.
Click to expand...

This.
And they have great customer service

PC
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Ive also had killer expierences withhttp://www.wildwoodguitars.com/. Great on the phone you can actually get a salesman to give you a personal run down of any instrument your interested in. Ive ordered 2 guitars from them and both came perfect.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

kilphody said:
This.
And they have great customer service

PC
Click to expand...
I checked out the Elderly site and it didn't seem to have a large number of guitars for sale. I'll go back.....maybe missed some areas.
Thanks!

A couple friends of mine have had Sweetwater cancel a transaction because while inspecting the guitar for shipment they noticed a flaw/problem and rejected the guitar on the way out. Good business practice. As I said before, my experience with Willcutt Guitars has been just as good and they are straight with me regarding how guitars "play" versus who/what they may be named after. A couple times they've advised me to buy a less expensive guitar because it plays better or is in more in line with what i was looking for.

Glad to read there are more online stores like these available.... I had not heard of Elderly before this thread. Thanks!
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Does this also mean the guitar manufacturers have an iron clad grip on distributors/retailers so there is no realistic chance of a discount store?
Not talking about individual sales by unknowns on Ebay but hoping one day to find an online store distributing major brands at a discount.
In most other areas of business there isn't such control. Imagine if you could only buy Coke or Pepsi at an identical price in every store?
This is why Warmoth remains such an attractive alternative for me, but it doesn't mean I don't wait for great deals on Fenders and others on Ebay - they are just rare finds and have to keep lots of patience. Maybe one day a legitimate discount low cost online store will appear and take on the major manufacturers and then there will be realistic and reasonable price competition in the market.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Diminished Triad said:
Does this also mean the guitar manufacturers have an iron clad grip on distributors/retailers so there is no realistic chance of a discount store?
Not talking about individual sales by unknowns on Ebay but hoping one day to find an online store distributing major brands at a discount.
In most other areas of business there isn't such control. Imagine if you could only buy Coke or Pepsi at an identical price in every store?
This is why Warmoth remains such an attractive alternative for me, but it doesn't mean I don't wait for great deals on Fenders and others on Ebay - they are just rare finds and have to keep lots of patience. Maybe one day a legitimate discount low cost online store will appear and take on the major manufacturers and then there will be realistic and reasonable price competition in the market.
Click to expand...

MAP

http://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-minimu...our-retail-or-online-stores-marketing-efforts
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

dominus said:
MAP

http://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-minimu...our-retail-or-online-stores-marketing-efforts
Click to expand...
Good article and info.
Leaves hope for sending in a counter-offer lower than the MAP (even if Ebay fails to include the option "make an offer").
Probably helps to write directly and not refer to an advertised price but instead write in asking for the specific guitar and including a lower amount you are willing to pay for the guitar. Leave out all reference to the advertised price.

Thanks again......really good lead here.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Sweetwater also does follow up calls after you've had the gear a while to get feedback on what you ordered, if you like it, and what you thought of their customer service
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Sweetwater called me once as a followup after I bought a Vox Tonelab SE floor pedal. He asked how I was enjoying it, and I said I liked it, but was not crazy about it because none of the reverbs suited me as well as the ones on the older model. He asked if I wish I had not made the purchase, and I was honest and said if I had to do over, I wouldn't buy it again. He insisted that I return it and find something I was happier with. They paid shipping and sent a shipping tag. I ended up with a much more satisfactory unit. That day made me a loyal customer, and I don't buy from anyone else unless Sweetwater simply doesn't have what I'm looking for.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

^ What did you get to replace the ToneLab SE?
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

Diminished Triad said:
Good article and info.
Leaves hope for sending in a counter-offer lower than the MAP (even if Ebay fails to include the option "make an offer").
Probably helps to write directly and not refer to an advertised price but instead write in asking for the specific guitar and including a lower amount you are willing to pay for the guitar. Leave out all reference to the advertised price.

Thanks again......really good lead here.
Click to expand...

almost any retailer will discount most things for you. they just can't advertise it due to MAP.
 
Re: Greatest Online Guitar Store

superpete said:
almost any retailer will discount most things for you. they just can't advertise it due to MAP.
Click to expand...

Does anyone have experience and a rough estimate for the amount the bigger online retailers might normally give/deduct/reduce in price?
Sweetwater, Musicians' Friend, etc? I'll definitely share my experience once I try with some of these larger online stores. Haven't bought a guitar in a while still always looking for the next dream guitar out there! :smack: Always relied upon patience and Ebay, until now.

Thanks !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Pierre
NGD x 3: Mermet, Parker Fly, Suhr Modern
Replies
12
Views
1K
Pierre
Pierre
A
Which guitar to buy for P-Rails?
2
Replies
28
Views
6K
Adieu
A
Masta' C
Boss Katana First Impressions
Replies
1
Views
2K
Diego
Diego
daan
A "Bucket List" NGD
2
Replies
20
Views
4K
tombogiri
tombogiri
T
Amps, pedals, pickups, Klusons, tele body, strings & other assorted stuff!
Replies
1
Views
989
teleblooz
T
Back
Top