How's your local EBMM dealer?

[Paul in WV]

No kiddin' guys...it was 20 pages. Admittedly, I'm not the best at searching for things on Google. If I'm looking for prices, I usually get information...when I look for information, I usually get prices. I was getting ready to give up and order something from either the F or G guys and I started finding a few things...

In the end, I found four dealers and sent them all requests for a quote.

Pete answered the quickest and and while he didn't have exactly what I was looking for in stock, I just felt good about his site. It looked like it was done by people who liked music rather than people who like websites and just happen to sell things too.

I can tell you this...I'm ready for my guitar! I can't remember being this excited during the birth of my kids (not really, but it's close!)

 

[Brian G]

I have two kinds of resonses to add to this excellent topic:

1. In the Toronto area, and particularly for those who live just north rather than deep downtown, The Arts in Newmarket is a fantastic store. They always have a good selection of MM guitars, and the entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. When I vacillated for several weeks over a Luke trying to understand the thing, they went above and beyond, and it resulted in another MM sale (my 2nd).

The Arts has really managed to make me feel comfortable (in spite of the fact that I can't play worth cr*p), otherwise I'd shop all over North America.

The 12th Fret is also a great store, but it's not nearly as convenient for me.

I also spend a fair amount of time in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area, and MAE is probably the best local dealer, but I've never seen more than a couple of MM's at a time there (guitars, that is). I'm constantly amazed at how poorly serviced this area is.

2. Speaking as someone who's a bit of a newbie to the MI industry, but has a great deal of experience in selling high-dollar luxury (discretionary) products and services, I do believe that the business side of the industry is leaving a lot of opportunity on the table, and all the well-expressed experiences of loyal customers in this thread are just the tip of the iceberg. Certain dealers manage to differentiate themselves, of course, but for every one of those, there are twenty or more not so great ones. Big dilemna for the manufacturer - you need more than a few exceptions to the rule. And you need to help more of them to be exceptions, and stop tolerating the ones who aren't doing you any favors, because in doing so, you're only undermining the dealers who are really trying to work with you.

The MI biz is no different than many other industries where companies compete for attention and dollars. There are always things that a manufacturer with a great product, and their sales channels (reps, distributors, marketing & publicity, retailers) can do to differentiate themselves. (Not the place to go further into this.) But I can't help but wonder - if you're going to work to the same business model that Fender and Gibson do, but with a lot less consumer awareness and marketing clout, product quality alone will probably only take you so far.

To BP and the MM crew, thanks sincerely for great products at fair prices.

 

[alibaba128]

First off thanks for your passion.

Secondly realize that there are not enough to go around. Period. WE just dont make enough, therefore we have to pick our spots and select dealers that will really work with us. History has told the industry since day one that if a dealer doesnt have an investment they wont support you. IF we did what you want Ali we would have never sold a guitar. It would be stingrays in black and natural only.

When you take on a line you make a commitment ot represent it. We have the smallest requirement in the industry and if a dealer doesnt believe in us enough then I would rather the scarce inventory go to a dealer that is promoting and supporting us.

You point of view totally makes sense... thank you for the explanation.

 

[glensterr]

Blackspy,

You want some good Canadian EBMM "Guitar" dealers here's the scoop:

The Arts Music Store (ask anybody in guitars!)
The Guitar Shop (ask for Paul Jacobs)
The 12th Fret (ask for Mike McAvan)
Cosmo Music (ask for Rail Koonan)
L&M Oshawa (ask for Kevin Simpson)
Macaulay's Music (ask for Pete Macaulay)

All of these guys are in Ontario and minimum have at least 6 guitars in stock at all times and the names I've attached really know there MM's

 

[beej]

Damn, why didn't Cosmo stock MM when I lived in Thornhill. Sigh, would have saved me several yeas of buying crappy guitars.

Amen on the Guitar Shop, those guys know their stuff.

 

[Luc]

The nearest EBMM dealer for me is the Music Store in Cologne. They usually stock around 5-10 MM guitars, and like 10 MM basses. Bought my SUB there, but I have to admit the service was dramatic. OK, the store is a GC type of store (REALLY big), but when I buy a new guitar (especially if it's a Ball ) I feel great but then some bored salesman almost ruins my good mood. Come on, at least TRY to share my happiness!

Here in Holland the nearest EBMM dealer is Kees Dee, a shop with a nice collection of MM guitars, but they are really overpriced.

My local guitar shop REALLY bad, They have a Luke hanging on the wall (for over 3 and a half years now!), with a very dirty fretboard, the action is way too high and the strings are at leat 2 years old. This guitar was actually the first EBMM I ever played and I was shocked that it played so bad.

I'm glad that I tried a (well maintained) Luke at another shop, which made me realize that I really HAD to get one

Bought my Luke at guitars4you in England, only had contact by telephone and email, but everything went great, very nice people and the Luke was nicely set up and ready to rock. Excellent shop!

 

[5Stringer]

and another thing ...

I wanted to mention another thing that hasn't been brought up in this thread. BP touched on it earlier, and that is the fact that Music Man can't be found at just any store. We actually could not keep up with the demand if they did. We don't get real involved with everyone trying to sell our product based on price alone. Exclusivity can be a good thing, and we tend to do well with shops that shy away from the MTV brands of guitars.

Another interesting thing is that many of our best USA Music Man dealers are in smaller markets like Manchester, Connecticut, Olathe, Kansas or Bozeman, Montana. Of course, the Internet helps, but more than that, word of mouth helps with consistent growth. Players want to buy guitars where they know they are dealing with professionals - price is secondary. Sometimes that winds up being a Guitar Center, sometimes not.

Dealers who are successful with the Music Man line are the ones who keep a constant flow of new instruments coming, (recognizing that you generally can't sell what you don't have), and who have taken the time to get to know the product and can match a player to the guitar. The guys who have the same 3 pieces on the wall this year as last year with nothing new on the way are not the ones I am talking about.

Dan

 

[Rossie]

The guys who have the same 3 pieces on the wall this year as last year with nothing new on the way are not the ones I am talking about.

Can't EBMM just kick them out?

 

[Big Poppa]

we can actually vote them off the island

 

[roburado]

That Poppa guy makes me laugh.

 

[Beth]

hehehe, the tribe has spoken

 

[Rossie]

Cool!
My local dealer gets my vote

 

[lonewolf74]

Setups

Hey fellow forumites,

Do most of you do your own setups, do you take your guitars to your best known local tech, or do you take your EBs to your local EB dealer? Reason I ask is that I have a JP6 that could use a professional setup - it's no longer in the condition it was when it left the factory.

Mostly, I want to make sure the guitar is set up so that the action all along the fretboard is as low as it can be. I have made minor adjustments to the truss rod myself, but since I'm more or less guessing at it, I don't want to adjust things in a way that would cause long-term harm to my #1 guitar.

Ultimately, if I bring my JP in for service, I'd like to know that I'm putting it in the hands of someone who has a really good idea of how the guitar was designed, and how it ought to be set up.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences...

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

lonewolf, where are you located?

A good setup is easy to do on an EB. Any competent tech should be able get it back to factory specs for you in no time at all. If they are nice they will even show you what they do.

If you want a killer setup, find the best tech you can, or send it to EBMM directly. Toll-Free Customer Service (866) 823-2255

Sidenote: If you are in the CT area, feel free to bring it in. I love working on EB guitars.

 

[Beach Radio]

Hanover Strings in Hanover New Hampshire has been nothing but great for me.
Both Carlos & Nate have done excellent setup/repair work.
They don't have much for EBMM guitars right now but usually they are well stocked.

 

[lonewolf74]

I neglected to mention in my prior post that I am located in the Cincinnati, OH area. Pete, if I was anywhere in New England, I'd certainly bring it your way... but that's a long drive from here!

There's a guy in town here who's pretty good, but last time I took it to him, the action didn't come out as low as I would have liked (though he did take care of several other things like polishing the frets).

Does anyone know (or is it OK to publish) what the EB Customer Service price is for a setup? Is return shipping included in that price? Though I would hate to be without my EBMM for that time, at least I would know that where it's going, it would be well cared-for.

Thanks again...

 

[southpawmax]

Best music shops for EBMM or anything in the DC area are Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center and Victor Litz. Their prices are great, they are great to work with, and both are sort of unique. At Chuck's I met Victor Wooten earlier this year, and Victor Litz has common visits from Kerry King. They both also carry a few brands that are hard to find. I recommend them to anyone in the area.

 

[philiprst]

I am familiar with Chucks but where is Victor Litz? What sort of EBMMs do they have in stock?

 

[poj]

I checked Victor Litz website, no EBMM guitar there.

 

[candid_x]

In case Reno, NV is of interest, I moved from there 4 years ago. Joe and Eric of Modern Guitars dipped their toes into the MM pool for a short while, along with G&L products. Joe was more interested in getting himself the most playable solid body for his gigs, and Eric switched to an EB bass. The rare other Silo Special they had in their store seemed rather a token effort to "give them a try". Unless there's a strange stroke of luck, that approach simply won't work with mid/high price range guitars, which fly beneath the radar of the main stream awareness. I think Joe and especially Eric are great guys, but their struggle to stay afloat led to them to commit to the lowest common denominator: cheap student guitars. Hard to fault these guys, though another approach may have served them better. The Reno store wound up closing. I think the Carson City store is still going.

Bizarre Guitar was the big gun in Reno, but my son has informed me that GC has opened a store. He went to their grand opening, said it was insane and noisy, which is what a grand opening should be. He didn't see any MM guitars there, but he said there were a few basses. The name Bizarre is fitting for Bizarre Guitar. Most of the help seemed like burned out guitar player wannabes, shabby appearance and not very helpful except to take your money. On occasion, if lucky that week, I'd get a salesman who actually knew what they were talking about, but it was rare indeed. Last time I was there with my kid, we asked if they carried MM guitars. They pushed Peavey down our throats, saying they're the same thing. Right. I hadn't even owned my first MM back then, but I knew better, just from the one Silo Sp. I'd played at Modern Guitar. They carry a big stock of Fenders, including high-end relics and Custom Shops, and a fair inventory of LPs, plus some PRS, if memory serves. I see a huge opportunity in Reno for MM in GC, if they make a long run commitment to carry MM.

Here in Kingman, AZ, there's a mom and pop shop, catering to the Squire parent/student crowd. Other than that, there's a shifty character who opens and closes his store based on his current dope stash. Thrilling.

I don't know what's up in Vegas, which is under a 2 hour drive from here. Maybe Pug can enlighten me. Maybe there's a GC there? I realize Kingman is too small a market to lose any sleep over, but it sure would be nice to be able to try out an AL, Luke or Morse.