Be careful who you deal with!

[Tone]

Hi everyone

I may be teaching grandmothers to suck eggs but a couple of recent threads on Shads related forums have prompted me to submit this post.

Since I joined this and other similar sites my knowledge of guitars, amps, echo units etc has increased enormously, thanks to all the forums. I have also got to know lots of nice people, some personally and others simply through exchanging views on the sites. From time to time I have also been privileged to receive snippets of 'inside information.'

The other side of the coin is that there are some not so nice people out there who are waiting to take advantage of us enthusiasts. If you see just the guitar, amp or whatever that you've been waiting for advertised at what seems to be a bargain price it is so easy in your excitement to jump in and part with your cash without properly checking out the supplier or what is being sold. You may be lucky and get a genuine bargain but there is also the real risk of being ripped off, as many unfortunate people have found out to their cost, particularly since the rapid growth of Internet sales.

The safest way to purchase unusual or expensive equipment is from a reputable dealer or trader. They do still exist so try to find and get to know one. For example, whenever I can, I always deal with Oasis Music in Ringwood who commissioned the recent Shadows 50th Anniversary Strat. You might think this is a plug for Oasis and, in a way I suppose it is, but I've no connection with them whatsoever except as a satisfied customer for nearly ten years. I've always found Howard Gillespie there extremely helpful and knowledgeable (particularly as regards all things to do with The Shads) Moreover, their prices are competitive and their after sales service is first class.

If it's a dealer you've never heard of or haven't dealt with before then look at their "About Us" page, check customer feedback or do a Google search which can often bring up things that will put you off or put you on your guard. If you're dealing with an individual or online auction site, be careful to ask the right questions about the item you're interested in. If you don't have sufficient knowledge yourself, there are plenty of experts on the sites who will be only too pleased to help.

Finally, remember the old sayings, "If something seems too good to be true then it usually is" and "there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Sorry if all this seems obvious or old hat but it really does make me sad when I see so many examples of people forgetting the basics and suffering as a consequence.

Cheers.

Tony

[chas]

At the other end of the scale, a friend in the music trade told me yesterday that most of Denmark St. was closing down. He also told me to Google - mylespaul justin harrison (click on cache) the message from fool on the hill makes interesting reading.
Chas.

[AlanMcKillop]

I agree with the sentiment of the post, however, you can always do a bit of research into the seller (particularly eBay) to grab yourself a bargain.

Some of my acquisitions; Fender MIM Classic Player Strat - £235, Fender '62 USA Vintage Re-issue made in 1994 - £475, Aleseis Q20 - £225 ............ and so I could go on, so I don't entirely agree that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Maybe I've been lucky, but in 450 eBay transactions I've had one bad experience and eventually got my money refunded via PayPal, so I'll always keep an eye open to get the best deal.

[Risky]

I bought a Q2 from David Martin and a Yamaha AE 500 from Ecca Thacker. I can vouch that they are both honest guys

[RayL]

Chas, perhaps you could tell us from your own experience of running a music shop in a London suburb, how the trade divide up in age terms?

For example, do the baby-boomers (born in the middle 1940s to the early 1950s) who are reputed to be the generation with disposable income, form a significant part of your trade? They were the first ''electric guitar' generation and judging from the members here they are certainly following Hank's observation "You can never have too many guitars". Do they come you in any numbers, or is it spotty youths and the educational trade?

By the way, I couldn't find my way to that Justin Harrison piece that you mentioned. Could you give us a precis?

Ray

[JimN]

"Music Ground takes a dive..."

http://www.mi-pro.co.uk/news/30985/Music-Ground-closes-liquidator-to-be-appointed

JN

[noelford]

The Ford curse* strikes again – I was at their shop in Denmark Street just last Sunday!

*It's a long story!

[chas]

Chas, perhaps you could tell us from your own experience of running a music shop in a London suburb, how the trade divide up in age terms?

For example, do the baby-boomers (born in the middle 1940s to the early 1950s) who are reputed to be the generation with disposable income, form a significant part of your trade? They were the first ''electric guitar' generation and judging from the members here they are certainly following Hank's observation "You can never have too many guitars". Do they come you in any numbers, or is it spotty youths and the educational trade?

By the way, I couldn't find my way to that Justin Harrison piece that you mentioned. Could you give us a precis?

Ray

Hi Ray,
It's difficult to say how many are baby boomers, but certainly it's people of a certain age that remember all the vintage/old budget-end electrics because to most Fenders and Gibsons were out of reach (inc. me)! But they're being replaced by the mid 40's and up. I guess it's a natural proggression. Spotty aspiring youths still abound - they now buy modest guitars that are fabulous compared to the 50's/60's equivalents (that's progress). Very hard to say what the split is between the older diposable income customers and younger ones - feels 50/50ish. Don't really do anything much with the educational trade.

I couldn't get into that Justin Harrison piece today either. I was just horrified to read what some of that forum's members were saying about all sorts of apparently shady things that gone on - particularly guitars/amps being sold that weren't really what they were purported to be and often for big money and often to high profile customers. A member of mylespaul forum by the name of fool on the hill had some interesting stories. Since then I've noticed similar comments from elsewhere. Just seems incredible. Having said that, I've never had any dealings with him or his establishments, so is it all hearsay?

Chas.

[neil2726]

You can get riped off by even the big music chains. I bought a new VoxAC301 from the then Sound Control in Hanley, only to have it fail just after the warranty ran out. Amanda sorted it for me but reported the chassis was twisted and damaged, and had had a botched repair. By this time Sound Control had gone out of business and Vox didnt want to know!
I bought a Fender Super Champ from another dealer via the internet and it arrived within a few days less mains lead. It took 4 telephone calls, the last to the MD before they could be bothered to send me one 3 weeks later. Lucky I had a spare!

[JimTidmarsh]

I can foresee all sorts of similar problems with buying on the internet or mail order - nothing beats actually handling your prospective purchase in a shop.
What are we going to do when all the High St music retailers have gone????