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Places to try out new / used guitars


uncle fester

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Hey Folks - Early in my search for Gibsons and looking for input on places to be able to try a bunch out. So far only found any (new / used) Gibsons in GC - haven't found any local shops that carry them. Anybody have any general input on places to look? I'm about an hour outside of boston and interested in trying out J45s and Hummingbirds, new and vintage... and have many recommendations to try out a bunch before choosing - able to spend ~$4k... but $2500 would be better.

 

Thanks for any input.

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The Music Emporium in Lexington is an amazing store. Unfortunately they aren't Gibson dealers. They have a few old Gibson's around. You can check their website for inventory. It's worth a visit just to see what they do have.

I had good luck at the GC in Boston right near the BU campus. I haven't been there in many years though so no idea what they carry now.

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Buy an airplane ticket and travel to Nashville, or Denver. If you can travel, there are loads of cool Gibsons to smudge up. G'Luck and Good Hunting !

I'll second the Nashville recommendation. They have a number of incredible guitar shops there.

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It’s pretty crappy. And even the sites on Gibson’s site are not accurate. In New Jersey, we have one option really... Russo’s. Other than that it’s mail order to a place with a return policy.

Wildwood Guitars.Chicago Music exchange.Fuller’s in Houston... if the floods didn’t down them.

I have never been satisfied in a Guitar Center.

 

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I think what he meant to say was GC suks.

 

How can they suck ?

It’s just a big room full of guitars with a price tag on them no ?

They may not make you a cappuccino or rub your shoulders while you’re browsing but , walk in , have a look , want something or don’t want something

I don’t get the animosity toward what is just an approach to shopping . Big old world and room for everyone isn’t there ?

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Grunt...

 

I mean every time I have seen Gibsons at GC, It was typically this: 6 models in stock. Two Songwriters/Hummingbird Pros, a J35 with high action and a cracked top, a beat to hell J45 standard also underhumidified... and a 7 year old AJ beat to hell with broken string. Never seen a J200 there. Never seen a real Bird. Never seen any Vintages...

 

Generalization? Yes. True for NJ (Springfield etc.) Yes.

 

Edited to add... When I go to Russo's there are twenty Gibbies. They know everything about the guitars, which have fresh strings and are humidified. 12 fret J45 with a cooked top? Yep - there. J45 Vintage? Yep. Birds? Doves? Yep. The place is comfortable with couches. No one is rubbing my shoulders and bringing me coffee... but Scott Engle could talk about his visit to Bozemon, Don Ruffatto visits, and they send him great one-offs.

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Grunt...

 

I mean every time I have seen Gibsons at GC, It was typically this: 6 models in stock. Two Songwriters/Hummingbird Pros, a J35 with high action and a cracked top, a beat to hell J45 standard also underhumidified... and a 7 year old AJ beat to hell with broken string. Never seen a J200 there. Never seen a real Bird. Never seen any Vintages...

 

Generalization? Yes. True for NJ (Springfield etc.) Yes.

 

Edited to add... When I go to Russo's there are twenty Gibbies. They know everything about the guitars, which have fresh strings and are humidified. 12 fret J45 with a cooked top? Yep - there. J45 Vintage? Yep. Birds? Doves? Yep. The place is comfortable with couches. No one is rubbing my shoulders and bringing me coffee... but Scott Engle could talk about his visit to Bozemon, Don Ruffatto visits, and they send him great one-offs.

 

So big Don satisfies you eh ?

 

I understand , there are no GC’s over here so I’m wondering. There is one national company branch and , yes , no one has a clue about stuff .

But I’d take upon myself to know what I want when I’m handing over thousands of pounds.

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I live in Central Mass, good luck finding anything around here that even resembles a gibson dealer.

 

I take my chances with Sweetwater, and so far, (2 acoustics and a hand full of electrics purchased) I've never had a disappointing experience.

 

They mostly would have what you want / looking for (over 70k in the warehouse), if you don't like it, sucks but you just ship it back. as an alternative, not a bad thing.

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I live in Central Mass, good luck finding anything around here that even resembles a gibson dealer.

 

I take my chances with Sweetwater, and so far, (2 acoustics and a hand full of electrics purchased) I've never had a disappointing experience.

 

They mostly would have what you want / looking for (over 70k in the warehouse), if you don't like it, sucks but you just ship it back. as an alternative, not a bad thing.

 

 

Sweetwater - have had similar luck as with GC. Lately been going to musicians friend, have had a little better experience.

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Ok - so i've heard Denver and Nashville are the places to go (and in the thread names the shops to go to). Nashville may be in my future for another reason - so hoping to make that happen, but I might be heading down to Austin end of January. Anyone have recommendations on shops down there - gotta believe there's a bunch.

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the two acoustics I ordered from Sweetwater, worked out just fine.

 

one was a J200 in 2016, the other, and more recent is a taylor 500 series nylon. everything worked according to plan with the purchase. Very happy with both.

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