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pjc812

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Oct 25, 2006
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Evansville IN
BFR from a dealer's perspective

My store handles EBMM, as well as two other big names that people "have to have".

Very rarely, if ever, can I justify the selling price (not to mention the bloody list price) on the other two guys. It's hard to keep my mouth shut when a customer asks about that.

Now for the BFR JP6. We ordered one for a customer right after NAMM. 6 mo. later it arrived. I was apprehensive about the painted neck as were a lot of people on this forum.

My one word to describe this guitar is as follows: :eek:

I was astounded, blown away and mesmerized by this thing. Finally I could justify a guitar with a $3k + list price!

We reordered of course, and am looking forward to trying a Luke BFR out as well.

People are comparing them looks-wise to Schecter, PRS and even Carvin. They obviously have never played a BFR or those comparisons would be null and void. I've had each of those three on my bench (where the true test of quality happens) and they were all, well, not Balls. :rolleyes:
 

Big Poppa

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Coachella & SLO, California
PJC does it bother you that we send Pete the better tops? heheheheheh

That was a funny one...Do you think that I would stay in business for long if I made wildly inconsistant product and played favorites with dealers and the stock they get?

Or could it be the crappy picture?
 

Lew

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Jul 15, 2004
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UK
y'know I think how much you care about what a few snot's are saying about your guitar's on the internet is the same reason they are the best guitar's made and the reason I sold a slew of top named brands after I got my Silo and Luke.

I am no fanboi to eb it's just a fact that your prices are stupidly accesible,people have been saying it for a long time BP but maybe you should raise the price of your guitars by 30-40% and re sell your self as "boutique"...the point im poorly making is,people are idiots.
My catalogue bought table has better wood than most production f*****'s,and most player's couldn't tell the difference.

Hey I prefer solid top's anyway so make it out of pos plywood with a !Fotoflame! or something ;P
 
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mesadualrec

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Nov 21, 2006
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759
Location
scotland
the way i see it is that if ernie ball can make the best guitar's in the world

when it comes to the top of the line products which have been enhanced more


then words cannot describe these instruments


everyone is entitled to their own opinion


but we all know bull **** when we see it :)
 

Jodizzle

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Mar 6, 2007
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1,177
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Indio, CA
My store handles EBMM, as well as two other big names that people "have to have". .........

Wow, thanks for posting. I was getting kinda sick of Pete :eek::p J/K Pete!! Can't wait to see you guys in Sept. Anyway, it's really cool to see ANY dealer on here and hear/read their personal experience. Such a cliche ... but the proof is in the pudding.

Thanks again .......... Preston ????
 

MikeVt

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Apr 1, 2005
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Vermont
Hmmm...interesting discussion. Treat the following question as rhetorical because I don't want to muck up the thread with a bunch of responses. How many of you have actually made a solid web-based purchase decision on a guitar based on the 'store' photos? I never would have even thought to do that. Maybe it's because photography is one of my hobbies, but I just instinctively know that I can't make a decision like that purely based on potentially poor photos. I either have to be confident that the mfr won't screw me (and since most of us order our EBMMs we obviously have the confidence), or take responsibility for the risk of purchasing sight unseen.

I did some searching and found the link to the supposedly 'bad' tops. My immediate response was 'I'd like to see some decent photos before I jump to a conclusion'. Those pics were overexposed and the lighting was at bad angles. I didn't respond like this because I'm a fanboy...I responded like this because the pictures really do stink. For what it's worth, I saw several BFRs at Pete's, and they were all REALLY nice. But then again, Pete does get all the best tops...;):D <--- YES, PLEASE NOTE THE SMILEYS.

Mike
 

mesadualrec

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scotland
DSC00247.jpg


you guys and big poppa got it all wrong this the flame you should have used :D:D



DSC00291-2.jpg



large.jpg



that is a horrible excuse for a top :D ;)
 

greeny

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Apr 20, 2006
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North derbyshire - UK
Hmmm...interesting discussion. Treat the following question as rhetorical because I don't want to muck up the thread with a bunch of responses. How many of you have actually made a solid web-based purchase decision on a guitar based on the 'store' photos? I never would have even thought to do that. Maybe it's because photography is one of my hobbies, but I just instinctively know that I can't make a decision like that purely based on potentially poor photos. I either have to be confident that the mfr won't screw me (and since most of us order our EBMMs we obviously have the confidence), or take responsibility for the risk of purchasing sight unseen.

Well I've never bought a guitar unplayed but thats just me, however I may use the picture to decide whether of not it's worth traveling a couple of hundred miles to try one.

I think the recent pictures of standard EBMM tops prove my point that the BFR's need to be really special to put clear air between them and the standards.


I think you may have missed a trick here BP. If the tops really are that great (which I'm sure they are) then you should have got profesional photos done earlier and got them around all the press/forums etc. That way everyone (not just existing EBMM owners) would be talking about how great they were and would then recognise any poor images for exactly what they were.
 

greenwizard

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Mar 24, 2007
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New Haven, CT
^^
I don't think that's true at all. If you keep watching the banner at the top of this page there is a press release with an awesome picture of a BFR. That's just to give you an idea of the quality of the BFR line. I don't think BP made a mistake not photographing every BFR that pops of the line. In fact I think he's 50% insane for doing that now! (Of course the other 50% is pure awesome!). No other business leader shows that kind of commitment to any product.
 

Trev

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Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
254
There will always be someone, somewhere who wants to pee on the bonfire.

From what I've seen all the BFR's look fabulous and the reviews from lucky owners have been nothing short of glowing.

There's some bitching over at the Petrucci forum (of all places) about the BFR's and I think there's an element of jealousy there...no doubt about it.

JP is elated at his new signature guitars - people who own them seem to be and I wish EB every success with this new line - sincerely.

My non BFR JP6 should be here anyday (my 4th Petrucci) so I know that EB offers a quality product - I'm aspiring to a BFR sometime next year and my enthusiasm certainly isn't dampened!

Trev
 

mesadualrec

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Nov 21, 2006
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scotland
Also,
there is a thread on here with some great pics of the BFR range(granted you have to know about this forum to see it )

and there are a few great shots on the John Petrucci website


i dunno about anyone else but If Im paying over a grand for an instrument then I research it for months before hand
 

whitestrat

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Aug 13, 2007
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2,589
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The Little Red Dot
People can say anything they want. at the end of the day, I believe its about putting your money where your mouth is.

it's pretty simple. if you don't like the tops on the BFR, then don't buy one. and if you don't plan on buying one, then why bitch about it? no one's forcing the BFRs down anybody's throats?!

I think you guys shouldn't get too bothered about what people say. there will ALWAYS be naysayers. but at the end of the day, leave them be. they're not worth the extra strength getting angry over.

IF there's truely something amiss about those tops, then perhaps there is a cause for concern. but we've all seen the pictures, and there certainly doesn't look like there's anything wrong with them.

do the EBMM customer base like it? it seems obvious that they do.

is EBMM doing a good job about these guitars? it seems like they are.

then to me, there's really not much of an issue to get worried about. let others talk. give the BFRs to the truely deserving customer.

just my 2 cents worth.
 

Norrin Radd

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Jul 20, 2004
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Saint Paul
BFRs have nice tops? :eek::eek::eek:

I was just psyched about the 3 wood bodies and mahogany necks! Damn!!! :eek:

How does that figuring factor into tone again? I forget.

Honestly, the people complaining are probably the exact same ones who complain that PRSes are too pretty. This group will never be satisfied with a guitar top, much less anything else in their lives.


Oh yeah - another non BFR EBMM top for ya (but definitely BFR worthy, IMO):

axisblue.jpg
 

DaveB

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Jun 1, 2005
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Location
St Albans, UK
Interesting thread guys.

I cant personally comment on production BFR tops as none have arrived into the UK yet (hint hint ;)) but the ones I saw at NAMM and Frankfurt on the Musik Meyer stand were incredible.

In terms of dealers behaviour we at Machinehead spend a lot of time and effort getting top quality photos done of the "actual" guitar you are buying. It's what makes us different and hopefully what creates happy customers who come back.

Dave

P.S. the Blue Dawns we have received recently have been beeee-u-tiful!
 

kevin

Ernie Ball Customer Service
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
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Palm Desert,CA
Interesting thread guys.

I cant personally comment on production BFR tops as none have arrived into the UK yet (hint hint ;))

give Andy Cockling a call(hint-hint) :) :) I have a feeling some cases are being popped open right about now ;)
 
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