Anyone Ever Used Musicians Friend For A Guitar Purch.?

7

7evin

New member
I have recently been thinking of getting a new guitar from www.musiciansfriend.com . I was wondering if anyone has ever ordered from them and what the service and merchandise was like. I am a little worried about doing so, as I don't want my guitar in the hands of careless couriers. I have heard both good and bad about the benefits of online purchases yet have never experienced it for my self. Should I just go spend more at the music shop??


thanx
 
There is nothing like hands on. The more expensive the instrument, the more important it is to play and hold the instrument you will get. That is the main reason for buying from a store. You get spend a lot of time with the instrument. I have no experience with this, but others probably tell you that the different guitars of the same model from the same manufacturer will play and sound different, so if you play one in the store and then order from Musician's Friend, who's to say what the one that comes from the Web will be like?

I wanted a hard-to-find archtop (maybe a benefit of buying on the Web--you have access to hard-to-find stuff). I saw one in a store (Music Emporium, Arlington, MA. The next closest store was in Brooklyn, NY!), and it was at least $500 more than the guitar from web site (J Hale Music.com). I went to the store, prepared to ask them to make an accommodation so could buy the guitar there. Unfortunately, they were pretty busy that day, and a full half hour went by without someone coming by to even pull the instrument down from the wall. So I ordered from the Web. Big risk. Big savings. I had two days to learn all I could about the guitar. Within that two days, no-questions-asked return. I liked it. I kept it.

So, get your prices straight, and in your mind have an amount that you would pay "extra" over the web price to be able to buy what you try, and to be able to buy locally. Be straight with the store--tell 'em what you are going to pay on the web, and tell them you'd rather buy in the store. And be ready to walk if the store isn't ready for your business. (The store will remind you about shipping, insurance, and risk. The store may also try to scare you, like it did my friend, by saying that the Web is a dumping ground for seconds.)

Also, MF will have big-company policies, which probably is in your favor, making the Web purchase less risky. (MF is owned by Guitar Center, I think.) Especially if you order from the Web and if you aren't all that experienced, get the new instrument to a tech for a set-up right away, so that you can be reassured that everything is OK.

(BTW: They pack these things pretty well. I bet UPS brings guitars to your local store, and UPS would probably bring a Web guitar to yu.)

Good luck.
 
If you're a beginner and this is your first guitar....I suggest finding someone that plays and knows about guitars, have them go with you to a store and find something in your price range that you like. Write the name and model number down then search for it on line if you wish.

NOTE: I recommend this ONLY if your budget is say...300.00 or less. Once you cross over that, or over the 500 mark and most definitely over a grand, I believe it is an absolute MUST to have "hands on" with the guitar prior to purchase.

However, if you purchase a "new" PRS on-line, your probably pretty safe as far as it being true to set. (PRS=1400.00 base)

In addition, pretty much ANY guitar for an *experienced player will warrant a "set-up" after purchase.

If you're looking for a simple acoustic to begin on. Online is fine. Stay with Fender or Takamine. They make a nice quality lower range guitar. (my opinion only)

Packaging is not an issue. They send them to the store the same way.

Good luck...:)
 
I havent ordered a guitar from them, but I did get my Marshall Amp from MF. No complaints here. It took a few days extra for shipping than was promised, but thats about the only grip. I would order a guitar from them, but only after playing the model first locally.
 
I purchased one guitar (a Rickenbacker 360) through MF and was satisfied with the condition of the instrument, including the setup. Most guitar players will argue that you need to play an instrument before buying and I generally agree. There are, however, those of us who don't live near enough to a dealer to play before purchasing, and for those people the net is a good solution. I think the key is finding a small dealer with a generous return policy. I would recommend that you check out Elderly Instruments (Elderly.com). They have all kinds of new and vintage guitars as well as hard to find acoustic instruments. They also have a repair shop which does setups, refinishing, etc. and they claim to run all instruments through their shop prior to purchase. At last count, I think I've bought six instruments from Elderly and all arrived intact, carefully packaged, and very playable.
 
7evin said:
I am a little worried about doing so, as I don't want my guitar in the hands of careless couriers.
Click to expand...



Not to be to much of a wise ass, but how do you think guitars get to local dealers? UPS, more often then not, with FedEx ground being a distant second. I have never really understood the fear people have about this. If a guitar is packaged properly, it is safe with a good courier. In thirty years of shiping at least two or three guitars a week via UPS, we have had only two or three problems. The last one was that they lost the guitar, but it was found eventually, unharmed. That was about two years ago. Describeing UPS as careless is, I think, an undeserved slam on their professionallism. They are very good at their buisness.

I'll post some tips on shiping guitars when I get home to my split keyboard, as this straight one is killing my hands right now.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
So, shipping guitars. It is actually pretty simple. First, you have to get a box which is the right size. It should be a couple of inches longer than the guitar, a couple of inches wider, and a couple of inches deeper. Before you put the guitar in the box, you want to completely loosen the strings. This is the biggest issue, as any bump which penetrates the box can be exaggerated by the tension of the strings. Next you want to fill in the empty spaces around the guitar in the case with crumpled paper. Do not use packing peanuts or bubble wrap as they may cause finish damage. Probably not, but why not be careful.

Put a layer of crumpled up news paper (or bubble wrap or packing peanuts, if you have them) in the bottom of the box. Put the guitar in the box, and fill in all of the empty space with more packing material (crumpled paper or whatnot). There should be an inch or so between the guitar and the top of the box. Fill this with more packing material. Tape up the box, and get it shipped. The weight, as it turns out, makes very little difference in the price (at least through UPS), as the size is considered oversized, so the price is based on size rather than weight.

That is it. If you follow those ideas, you should have no problems with it getting damaged.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I think you may find that if you go to a local guitar shop and tell them what MF has it for, they will get it for you at that price. At least that's the way it works around here. That will take all the shipping worries out.

As for buying mail order, I picked up an axe online, but it was more for collecting than playing (Gibson ES 1275). It did come undamaged and I am very happy with it. If you are planning on playing it, go to a shop and play, play, play until you find one you like.
 
light,

I wasn't slamming our wonderful courier people of the world. I have had plenty of banged up boxes and other mess ups from other purchases other than guitar. I want to know that my guitar is safe, and if you think that every courier / shipper / packer out there strives every day for the up most "professionalism" your out of your mind. To (most) of them it is just a job. I am not trying to be shitty with you it just worries me. I think more of my worries comes from musicians friend rather than the shipper.
Have you heard anything bad or good about them??
 
i bought a guitar from them in '99. it was shipped in the original box they got it in and it got to me fine. it just wasnt set up horribly well.

the price dropped in their next catalog and they automatically refunded me the money.
 
I have made several guitar purchases from Musician's Friend and have had no problems. The only rub with online purchases is that you pay the return shipping costs. The reputable companies (i.e., Musician's Friend, Sweetwater, Sam Ash, Zzounds etc.) offer a period of time (usually 30 days) to audition the equipment with a no questions asked return policy providing the equipment is returned in the same condition as received within the tryout period. I have also returned equipment and have had no problems.
 
Your local music store should compete with the online price. In buying a guitar, would you need a hardshell case? If the guitar is shipped in the case it probably wouldn't get damaged anyway, even with a return policy you may be shipping a few guitars back, I tried out more than a dozen acousticals once, same brand, before buying the one I have, same with my PRS & Strat, they all don't feel the same. As far as buying from MF, I've bought lots of other equipment from them, some came damaged, some not. Once got an Anvil flight case that had been ruined, go figure, the whole corner of the box and case were banged in, must have been a serious drop. Have returned a faulty keyboard and a mixer also. I like the guy who owns the local music store, he's a friend, I buy locally more than www. Just my preference.
 
7evin said:
I have recently been thinking of getting a new guitar from www.musiciansfriend.com . I was wondering if anyone has ever ordered from them and what the service and merchandise was like. I am a little worried about doing so, as I don't want my guitar in the hands of careless couriers. I have heard both good and bad about the benefits of online purchases yet have never experienced it for my self. Should I just go spend more at the music shop??


thanx
Click to expand...
I bought a Fender American P-Bass from Musician's Friend which I love... but, it came with a fucked-up case... and they won't replace the case without me returning the bass with the case. Musician's Friend is not your friend.
 
onlyfingers said:
There is nothing like hands on. The more expensive the instrument, the more important it is to play and hold the instrument you will get. That is the main reason for buying from a store. You get spend a lot of time with the instrument. I have no experience with this, but others probably tell you that the different guitars of the same model from the same manufacturer will play and sound different, so if you play one in the store and then order from Musician's Friend, who's to say what the one that comes from the Web will be like?

I wanted a hard-to-find archtop (maybe a benefit of buying on the Web--you have access to hard-to-find stuff). I saw one in a store (Music Emporium, Arlington, MA. The next closest store was in Brooklyn, NY!), and it was at least $500 more than the guitar from web site (J Hale Music.com). I went to the store, prepared to ask them to make an accommodation so could buy the guitar there. Unfortunately, they were pretty busy that day, and a full half hour went by without someone coming by to even pull the instrument down from the wall. So I ordered from the Web. Big risk. Big savings. I had two days to learn all I could about the guitar. Within that two days, no-questions-asked return. I liked it. I kept it.

So, get your prices straight, and in your mind have an amount that you would pay "extra" over the web price to be able to buy what you try, and to be able to buy locally. Be straight with the store--tell 'em what you are going to pay on the web, and tell them you'd rather buy in the store. And be ready to walk if the store isn't ready for your business. (The store will remind you about shipping, insurance, and risk. The store may also try to scare you, like it did my friend, by saying that the Web is a dumping ground for seconds.)

Also, MF will have big-company policies, which probably is in your favor, making the Web purchase less risky. (MF is owned by Guitar Center, I think.) Especially if you order from the Web and if you aren't all that experienced, get the new instrument to a tech for a set-up right away, so that you can be reassured that everything is OK.

(BTW: They pack these things pretty well. I bet UPS brings guitars to your local store, and UPS would probably bring a Web guitar to yu.)

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I second everything he said. Guitars, like tube amps, are all different. Play the guitar, don't just order it. That's my opinion.
 
I bought a Jackson guitar with case about 7 years ago from MF, no probs..

I bought a cheapy bass without a case from they a few months ago, no probs...

They have the fastest shipping of any music store I've ordered from....
 
Willie Nelson bought "Trigger" (his main guitar that he's had forever, with the hole throught the top) sight unseen. He ordered it over the phone, had them put a pickup in it before he ever played it, and had it shipped to him.

I own 7 axes, and I purchased every one of them "used" over Ebay except for two: one I ordered "new" over the net, and one I bought new at GC. Maybe I'm not as picky as some people, but I think the "magical, mystical bond" with a guitar is over-sold.

If you buy from MF, 30 days is plenty of time to make sure the guitar works properly and isn't a dud. If you are an experienced guitarist, I'd recommend watching Ebay though. If you're careful and know what your looking for you'll save tons of $.

www.aaroncheney.com
 
Some people claim to be able to hear the difference between a wav and a 192k mp3. I believe them, but I'm not one of them. I think hands-on guitar is like that.

Daf
 
Never say 'NEVER'!

I had my heart absolutely SET on a Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat. Only thing is, I wanted it in ash, with a blonde finish. I looked at the few stores in my neighborhood, including Sam Ash & Guitar Center over a period of several months. Finally ordered one through Musicians Friend.

Granted, I was on pins and needles the whole time it took for delivery, AND I was prepared to send it back immediately if there was ANY problem with it (even if I did not like the grain of the wood). It was quite expensive (for me, anyway), and I would have much preferred going into a store and trying out 10 of them.
It's the kind of axe I just was not able to find just lying around. The fat strats with the translucent-colred lacquers were all over the place, just couldn't find a blonde baby.

Damn, what a beautiful guitar, just RESONATES in my hands, and plays better than any I tried out in the stores! As I said, I was prepared to NOT fall in love with this thing until EVERYTHING checked out.

Good luck with your decision.
 
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