My guitar buying story

Coutts_is_god · #1 03-13-2005, 09:50 AM

So its saturday morning. I wake up early, so me dad could get to the buying of my guitar. We're driving across town to sell my old Vista strat to a pawn shop. My dad says take nothing less then $100 Canadian. I knew That I was going to get only $50 for it but why not ask for a $100. So we get there and the lady says "Oh see this is a beginers guitar. See it has a skinny neck. The price your asking for I'm selling brand name guitars like epiphone...gibsons go take a look" I've never been to a pawn shops so I went over to the music area and was looking for brand names. When I got there they had a Nove a Slammer by Hammer, Baracuda, and a epiphone les paul special. She tried to sell me this "special" les paul as if it was the greatest thing around. So I left.

I go to long and Mcquades. I'm looking at everything basses guitars, amps everything. There bass stock never seems to change by the way. So I'm looking at the guitars and I see this Red with gold hardware Epiphone SG for $299, then this Squier Telecaster. This Telecaster just looked amazing to me. It was white with a maple neck. I played them both and unfortunitly the both sucked. The SG had horrible fret buzz and the Tele felt like it was going to fall apart in my hads. Then I grabbed a Squier standerd Telecaster and it was good but didn't have the right tone. So I ask the music store guy if he had and Squier Fat Strats. He gave me an affinity one. I played it and asked for a standerd. Said "we don't have any in stock you'll have to order it" So I orderd it. Its going to take 2 weeks to get it and he wanted a $75 deposite. I thought for that money it should be here alittle quicker. It doesn't even come with a strap or a gig bag or nothing. Thats all extra. So that got me ticked alittle.
Then I asked how much he would take for my old guitar he looked at and said 60 and sell it for $75. Now I have noticed that with everystore the price goes up. So I'm going to another store next weekend to try and sell it.
The headache of trying to buy a simple $299 guitar is mind blowing. I don't know what it was. I just went crazy.

Now share your stories with me.

ADbassman · #2 03-13-2005, 10:52 AM

Pawn shops will Never give you the money you deserve for your insterment. Guitar center too. I take my bass head and cab into guitar center, and ask them to give me a price on it.

The guy plays through it, turns around and says "I'll give you $125 for it"
Me: "For the head?"
Him:"Nah, for the whole thing"
Me: "!@?#$"
Him: "What?"
Me: "I believe I'll take my business eslewhere."

Pawn shops are the same way. If you had a mint 1970 ampeg SVT, they'll probably tell you its crap from being so old and try and give you $50 for it. Then they'll turn around and sell it for $2000. Thats just how pawn shops work around here anyway. You can get more money for your gear elsewhere.

Puarija · #3 03-13-2005, 11:18 AM

For $299, I'd skip the new circuit. You can get a used $500 or $600 guitar in like new condition for your $300. In my experience, the difference in build quality, playability, and tone between a $300 guitar and a $600 guitar is a gap about the size of the grand canyon. Not to mention if you ever want to get rid of it and get a new one, you'll probably be able to get your $300 right back out of one you buy used, whereas you'll probably get less than half what you paid for the $300 new one.

I also recommend something with a hard tail instead of a tremolo, that way you can stay in tune occasionally. For the money, if you insist on buying new, I'd definitely check out SX Guitars from www.rondomusic.com. There are some pretty big threads here at TB full of people who've been impressed with their inexpensive SXs. They're also very upgradeable with after-market pickups, bridges, tuners, etc. They have SX, Douglas, and Agile guitars on the Rondo site. Check them out.

This guitar is only $150 USD: http://www.rondomusic.net/gg1stutwr.html

And a guitar like this is only $230 USD: http://www.rondomusic.net/al2500csbf.html

Jake

Coutts_is_god · #4 03-13-2005, 07:57 PM

SX aren't a good deal in Canada.

Puarija · #5 03-13-2005, 09:24 PM

Sorry, I didn't know that man.

Jake

Coutts_is_god · #6 03-14-2005, 08:41 AM

Everyone always puts a sad face when I say I'm from Canada.

I just hope I like the Walnut finish I orderd. I asked the guy if he had any colour close to it. Of course he didn't but I pointed out this one colour. He said that it doesn't look at thing like that. But for some reason I keep picturing it that colour. It was a vary ugly colour.