Trying out new guitars

[slimt]

I really have to ask this.

 

When window shopping for that new guitar . where do you play on it to think it sounds excellent?

 

In the showroom amongst the other acoustics or in a seperate room? Away from people and anything pretaining to a sound box?

 

Or do you just guess its the best and find ouut later you made a mistake?

 

Not to many stores have a seprate room . so im just wondering.

[Boyd]

I went to a large Guitar Center store in Cherry Hill, NJ just after they opened in the morning. They have a separate acoustics room that is pretty nice. There were two other people there, obviously just fooling around without seriously planning a purchase and the rest of the store was empty. After 5 minutes the other two guys left and I had the room to myself for about 45 minutes. I knew what they had in stock from looking on the website in advance, and was primarily interested in the 65 J-50 but there were a couple other J-45's and J-50's from the same vintage that I played. Also played a new J-15 and J-35 for comparison.

 

So it went really well and I was confident I bought the right guitar - this was two years ago and it's the only one I play now. Never bought a guitar that I couldn't try in advance and doubt that I ever will. But there are plenty of stores within a two hour drive from my home, so I am fortunate in that regard. Am also fortunate that the J-50 has cured my gas. :)

[kelly campbell]

For me I have to make several trips trying out a few before I actually pull the trigger. I do try to get some time where I am alone to really focus in on what guitar(s) I am considering. Sweetwater has a isolation booth or two that you can escape to.

[fsharp]

I bought 3 guitars in the last 16 years. Each time I was able to play in a room for quite a while (close to an hour) with no one else around. The minute someone else shows up and starts messing around with another guitar is when I give up. Showing up on a Tuesday at 10am makes it a whole lot easier than Saturday afternoon unless they have a small, soundproof room for one.

That said - they never sound at home like they did in the store anyway. I guess its the carpets and furniture in my house, vs the mostly wood walls and floors in the stores, but they always sound a little more alive in the store than when I get them home.

[Dave F]

I seldom have that luxury so I buy from sellers that have a return policy

[MissouriPicker]

I play them in the store I'm buying it from. Usually (not always) I've got a good idea of what I'm getting when I actually go buy. Likely played the guitar recently and have decided to buy it. When I've bought a "used" guitar (from GC for example) I don't play it until it arrives. Then I'll play it and look it over in the store and take it home. New or used, I've got 45 days to decide if I want the guitar. As others have mentioned, the environment you have in the store might be quiet or noisy. Whatever it is, the guitar will very possibly sound different in your own home, at a coffeehouse, at a festival, in church, etc. It's really kind of a "crap shoot" on how it actually sounds when you first hear it. Aside from a guitar that is truly a dud, I think most (not all) of the guitars we end-up with kind of "grow on us" over time. An "okay" guitar turns into a great guitar and great ones tend to get greater----------- I think if we bond with the guitar and feel it's "us," then that guitar becomes a great guitar for us. Someone else may thinks it's nice, but we think it's great.

[kidblast]

I do think the best way is an isolated room, like where they give lessons in local music stores.

 

I usually look for a few things.. How it resonates against your chest/body when you sustain a chord, how your hands can fret complex / difficult chords, and the action in general, how good is the intonation, and since I like to play in alternate tunings, how does the instrument hold up to those non standard tunings

 

but the thing that will really seal the deal is to have someone you know go with you that plays at least as well as you do. You really can't hear an acoustic until you're sitting in front of it... and if you know the person who's playing it, you can pretty much figure out what's their hands vs what's the guitar.

 

...then again,, my last acoustic was an SJ200 that I bought from Sweetwater, sight unseen (a lot of trust between myself and the sales guy I have known for 10 years went down here) while the guitar did need some setup work (as expected) I was very happy with the experience.

[duluthdan]

2 guitars bought sight unseen based on the recommendation of an incredible sales lady at Willies. Two in my current stable were bought after just strumming one Major "G" chord, and the third a year after I strummed that G, and ould not get it out of my head, took me a year to build up my guitar fund, and I was amazed it was still available. I get along nicely with most necks except the PA taper from Martin, and it doesn't take me long to get the feeling in my soul that a guitar will find favor.

[Boyd]

New or used, I've got 45 days to decide if I want the guitar.

 

Unless they have changed policy recentlly, Guitar Center only allows you 3 days (72 hours) to return/exchange a "vintage" guitar (not sure how they distinguish that from "used"). But still, it's nice to have a few days to think about it.

[BluesKing777]

It is all a bit of a guess, isn't it?

 

It really takes a few weeks or even months to get the hang of it, and no matter what you do at a shop, it never is the same at home.

 

I can put mental horse blinkers on to try guitars on a noisy Saturday, get in to a zone, but that is hard if John Bonham does a roll down the other end of the shop or Jimi floors that famous pedal...

 

At an all acoustic shop, it is amazing how loud some people play. I was trying a guitar, got in the zone with difficulty with quite a few guitars getting tried around the fairly large shop, thinking perhaps they might say : 'Hey, isn't that the famous BK777, let's shut up and hear him play?' Nope.

 

I saw one guy ask for a quiet room and they took him and guitar to the storeroom! I don't ask because I don't like the salesman to know I might want to buy something! If they even get an inkling you WANT something, well, up goes the price....... :mellow:

 

No, it is down to internet research these days, narrow it down to what you exactly want to play, more research, try to find one, go try the thing, hope nobody is around.

 

 

BluesKing777.

[62burst]

Unless they have changed policy recentlly, Guitar Center only allows you 3 days (72 hours) to return/exchange a "vintage" guitar (not sure how they distinguish that from "used"). But still, it's nice to have a few days to think about it.

 

Guitar Center goes with Vintage = 25 years, so anything interesting from Bozeman from 1992 on will have that dangerous "try saying goodbye to it after you've had it over a month" 45 day return policy.

[fortyearspickn]

I play them in the store I'm buying it from. Usually (not always) I've got a good idea of what I'm getting when I actually go buy. Likely played the guitar recently and have decided to buy it. When I've bought a "used" guitar (from GC for example) I don't play it until it arrives. Then I'll play it and look it over in the store and take it home. New or used, I've got 45 days to decide if I want the guitar. As others have mentioned, the environment you have in the store might be quiet or noisy. Whatever it is, the guitar will very possibly sound different in your own home, at a coffeehouse, at a festival, in church, etc. It's really kind of a "crap shoot" on how it actually sounds when you first hear it. Aside from a guitar that is truly a dud, I think most (not all) of the guitars we end-up with kind of "grow on us" over time. An "okay" guitar turns into a great guitar and great ones tend to get greater----------- I think if we bond with the guitar and feel it's "us," then that guitar becomes a great guitar for us. Someone else may thinks it's nice, but we think it's great.

 

Well said, sir.

[62burst]

Slim-

You’ve obviously been around guitars for a while now. In Gotomsdos’ thread of his never-ending quest for his personal holy grail, you’d mentioned that you’ll “just keep buying those and putting them away”. What has your procedure been on checking out those guitars? Returns are not as easy on the private owner sales normally seen with the older guitars.

 

The high-end acoustic room is at best an artificial test area; wood-sided walls at irregular angles festooned with 30+ guitars offering up sympathetic vibrations as back up while testing a guitar’s sound. It’s always good to bring along a reference guitar- a fave whose sound you know well. I’ve never had a seller or shop have a problem with this. And as has been said, go at off-peak hours. This even works at the very end of the day at the big guitar shows for narrowing down the oldies for sale- it actually quiets down a good bit.

 

don't want to lose Dave:

 

Testing a Guild Orpheum 12 fret with it's twin in Brooklyn:

 

 

while still in it's return grace period, testing that Guild with 1937 Gibson Roy Smeck, and 1968 Martin D-28S:

 

[blindboygrunt]

Looks like BK777 took that picture

[62burst]

Looks like BK777 took that picture

 

Does Mrs BK777 ever allow him to play with the camera and guitars indoors?

[blindboygrunt]

 

Does Mrs BK777 ever allow him to play with the camera and guitars indoors?

 

I hope not !

[BluesKing777]

I hope not !

 

 

Are you guys allowed inside?

 

That's not fair!

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[drathbun]

If you know a friend who plays guitar, bring them with you and have THEM play the guitar with you sitting in front of it. Of course, it is preferred if some moron isn't playing Enter Sandman over and over again right next to you.

[slimt]

Ive heard that tune there. Eeewwwww there is one guy that plays that in every store up here. Boringgg

[OldCowboy]

Are you guys allowed inside?

 

That's not fair!

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

Sometimes I wonder if my indoor privileges are only allowed on a provisional basis😒

[BluesKing777]

Sometimes I wonder if my indoor privileges are only allowed on a provisional basis😒

 

 

All mine were lost after the day I came home with an old National guitar in a new case AND the old cardboard case as well!

 

Quote some Hank : 'Move over old dog, cos a new dog is moving in!'

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[slimt]

Slim-

You’ve obviously been around guitars for a while now. In Gotomsdos’ thread of his never-ending quest for his personal holy grail, you’d mentioned that you’ll “just keep buying those and putting them away”. What has your procedure been on checking out those guitars? Returns are not as easy on the private owner sales normally seen with the older guitars.

 

The high-end acoustic room is at best an artificial test area; wood-sided walls at irregular angles festooned with 30+ guitars offering up sympathetic vibrations as back up while testing a guitar’s sound. It’s always good to bring along a reference guitar- a fave whose sound you know well. I’ve never had a seller or shop have a problem with this. And as has been said, go at off-peak hours. This even works at the very end of the day at the big guitar shows for narrowing down the oldies for sale- it actually quiets down a good bit.

 

don't want to lose Dave:

 

Testing a Guild Orpheum 12 fret with it's twin in Brooklyn:

 

 

while still in it's return grace period, testing that Guild with 1937 Gibson Roy Smeck, and 1968 Martin D-28S:

 

 

 

I usually look for the clarity and voice on the 12th on the new ones.. if its dead it stays on the rack...

 

I kind of learnt the trying out of guitars in the early buying stage.. so hard wood floors, and a 100 guitars in the back ground can fool you quick, if your not thinking properly , mostly due to being overwhelmed with all the guitars everywhere..

 

 

 

used ones.. online buys.. they have to be the right price .. and for the most part crack free.. the rest of the issues can be dealt with when they arrive.. sooner or later.. they need work anyways.. not all vintage pieces are nuggets.. they all need something to make them great in any case.. best part about decent vintage.. theres no loss .. theyll always be old and they will always be better.. ..

[QuestionMark]

I when testing out a guitar I try to go to a spot in s music store where the acoustics are not controlled and the worst they can be. They all sound good in the closed off sound rooms. I like to hear how they sound in an undesirable sound environment in the store. Some still sound really good. Some, not so much. It's a good test. Sales people are usually clueless as to what I am doing, but I have no reserve about telling them at times. None have ever stopped me.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[OldCowboy]

All mine were lost after the day I came home with an old National guitar in a new case AND the old cardboard case as well!

 

Quote some Hank : 'Move over old dog, cos a new dog is moving in!'

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

Sounds all too familiar! I've got to where the most hated words in the language are "but you already have LOTS of guitars", closely followed by "well, why don't you sell a couple Gibsons if you really want that Martin?". The way I see it, sometimes communication between species just ain't gonna happen....