Anyone ever deal with Elderly Instruments, Lansing, MI?

[roburado]

Anyone ever deal with Elderly Instruments? What can you tell me about your experiences, if any? I'm talking about sales, trades, repairs.

I'm thinking of bringing my Taylor (just never bonded with it and never play it) and piggy bank over there and turning them into something EBMM. They have a ton of stuff according to what I see on the online dealer inventory on the Music Man online site. Elderly's site doesn't seem to list as much, but I'm still planning to go there anyway to scope out their repair shop.

I'm planning on having some work done on a $trat, that is, if I don't end up wanting to trade that too. If anyone in MI can point me to someone who's good/trustworthy with repairs and closer to Detroit, please let me know.

 

[brentrocks]

i went into the store one time and all the "new" guitars that i picked up were beat up more than my 14 yr. old EVHs! a lot of traffic through that place! i would inspect anything i bought there first!

 

[GuitarHack]

I bought two guitars from Elderly on the web. One was a new Wolfgang, and it had a weird problem...if I didn't know better, I'd swear someone had tried to lacquer or wax the neck, which is unfinished (well, oil-finished really) ala the EVH, and then sand the finish down. It was glossy orange-yellow and had a chemical smell, unlike anything I ever saw before. I called them immediately, and even though the person I dealt with said goodnaturedly that she didn't exactly understand what I was saying about unfinished necks, she said if I wasn't happy, they could send me another, or I could get my money back. They sent me another, and it was perfect. They paid for return shipping, had the shipper come pick it up the very next morning, and I had the new one in two days.

It was weird. I thought maybe I'd gotten a pre-owned hack job, but the second one they sent was clearly brand-spanking new. I do remember the price was on the high side, right at what is usually advertised in the Peavey literature, but the service was very good. I'd do business with them again.

 

[roburado]

i went into the store one time and all the "new" guitars that i picked up were beat up more than my 14 yr. old EVHs! a lot of traffic through that place! i would inspect anything i bought there first!

Hmm...maybe the name "Elderly" is revealing?

Yeah. I'll examine the stuff, of course.

 

[dg5150]

Elderly Instruments

Hi,

I have bought a couple of guitars from them, and had them shipped to the UK with no problems .I would highly recommend them .

Doug

 

[W.Suitor]

I have bought many guitars and other equipment from Elderly over a period of many years. Everything has been perfect. Very helpful staff, and very honest appraisals of used stock. What you get is what they describe. Incidently, my most recent purchase is the MXR EVH Flanger. It's the cheapest anywhere at $149. This is about £80 in UK Sterling. I hear it will retail in the UK for £215!! Boy is that a rip-off!! It is absolutely awesome by the way, but £215 is way out of line when you can have it flown a few thousand miles into your letterbox for way less than half the amount without even leaving your house. UK guys, buy with confidence and don't get ripped off.

 

[roburado]

I'm glad that they seem to be fine to do business with. I hope what they'll give me for a trade-in on a +aylor will be worth my while--assuming I decide to trade it.

 

[Beth]

Hi,

I have bought a couple of guitars from them, and had them shipped to the UK with no problems .I would highly recommend them .

Doug

Hey Doug,

How was the service from Elderly to the UK? Did what you order show up packaged well? I just want to be sure if they're sending Music Man all the way across the world that the instruments are protected. Say, what did you order from them anyhoo?

-Beth

 

[dg5150]

Hi,

It arrived packaged really good , and no problems whatsoever !. The only stinker was the import duty that we have to pay over here !! that was a bit of a blow !!

I got an EBMM EVH natural quilt top from the on there used section, and it was described as used and in a used condition . I also got a stuuning Axis honeyburst that was shipped in perfect condition !! They were really great, and i would recommend them to anybody !

Doug

 

[roburado]

i went into the store one time and all the "new" guitars that i picked up were beat up more than my 14 yr. old EVHs! a lot of traffic through that place! i would inspect anything i bought there first!

Man, Brent, just came back from Elderly. Saw a really nice Luke in Candy Red. Had a nick in the finish on the top of the guitar. Otherwise, it was really nice. Those guys need to update their EBMM online inventory. Aside from that nicked Luke, only saw a Sting Ray with HH and an SR5 with humbucker. Not a very fruitful trip as far as EBMM are concerned.

Tried a nice Bad Cat. The Mesa Maverick there was okay. There was a Bogner Ecstacy I wanted to try, but well...the head wasn't plugged into the cab. Oh well.

Left my $trat there for some work/repair. We'll see how nice a job they do. Supposedly, they're an authorized F3nd3r service center. So, I hope it's good. It's not going to come cheap, but it's a 17 year old guitar that's never had a decent set-up except maybe from the factory. Needs some fret levelling and electronic cleaning as well as a trem block replacement. We'll see how this turns out.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Shameless plug - We have a mint Candy Red LUKE here....

Hi,

It arrived packaged really good , and no problems whatsoever !. The only stinker was the import duty that we have to pay over here !! that was a bit of a blow !!

I got an EBMM EVH natural quilt top from the on there used section, and it was described as used and in a used condition . I also got a stuuning Axis honeyburst that was shipped in perfect condition !! They were really great, and i would recommend them to anybody !

Doug

I hope for their sake that the Axis was used, too.

 

[NorM]

Hi,

I also got a stuuning Axis honeyburst that was shipped in perfect condition !!
Doug

The Axis was new?

 

[brentrocks]

Man, Brent, just came back from Elderly. Saw a really nice Luke in Candy Red. Had a nick in the finish on the top of the guitar. Otherwise, it was really nice.

that's too bad...their guitar storage system in that store is really bad! unless it has changed recently!

very easy for the guitars to get damaged! i have seen many nice guitars there that have big dents..."new" ones!

 

[roburado]

Shameless plug - We have a mint Candy Red LUKE here....

Haha! Tried a Rosewood ASS today. I think I may have to put my +aylor on The Bay. Or...I might just wait--like I originally planned--for the JPII/JP deluxe/whatever it ends up being.

 

[robelinda2]

Haha! Tried a Rosewood ASS today.

what did you think of it? I'm really in need of one bad. must be a tremendous axe.

 

[roburado]

I thought the Rosewood ASS was fantastic! The one I tried had a standard tailpiece--no trem. It's got a nice warm tone. It can sing. It can growl. It does it all warmer than the Cherry Burst ASS I tried today. I really liked the little body of the ASS. The neck is a bit narrower (string spacing is narrower) than on my JP. IIRC, Rob, that's one thing you didn't like about the JP--the wide fretboard. Right? Anyway, the guitar is very versatile. I love the clean tones--some Strat-like (the in-between/parallel positions), some jazzy. Just gorgeous clean tones. With distortion, the neck pickup just sings with a mellifluous voice. Just a smooth, smooth sound. The bridge pickup? Well, I don't know how to describe it. It's got that growl and snarl. I think the neck is more comfortable than the regular ASS. I can't put my finger on it. It seems a little fuller. You know, it's like you can feel the warmth of the tone when you run your hand along the neck. It sounds and feels really nice. I really have trouble articulating what I hear and feel when I play an instrument. If you get the chance to try one, man, go for it. If you can buy one, go for it.

 

[robelinda2]

Thanks for that mate, ASS's are just great guitars, but i have a feeling i'm really gonna like the rosewood one! The neck shape and radius is just perfect. I wont have the opportunity to play one beforehand, but i think next month i'll put through an order for a Rosewood, hardtail one. yay!