How's your local EBMM dealer?

[jeffrey]

Unfortunately, mine is a jerk.

Every time I go there they (seem) to have the same guitars hanging on the wall. The first time I walked in, the guy said to me "So, planning on buying anything today?" I hadn't even stepped 10' into the door!

I called them last night to see if they had a Y2D so I could check it out as I'm seriously considering one, and the guy said "Well the necks on all EB's are the same, so you really don't need to play it, you can just play an Axis, it feels the same."

This can't be right, is it?!

I know that my JP feels nothing like an Axis. I love my JP's and I really like Axis's (thinking about a Rosewood Axis too), but they don't feel the same.

Above all, these guys price gouge everything they sell. It's really frustrating since they are the only EB dealer here. You'd think with a city the size of San Antonio (#7 in the country in size) there'd be more than one.

Thank goodness Pete DuBaldo is around, because that's where I'll be buying my EB's from here on out (I'd have bought my CBP JP7 from him if he'd had one in stock when I needed it).

 

[koogie2k]

Imagine that...I am from San Antonio originally and have a ton of family there. My bro-in-law is a musician there...let me see who he knows for me to point you in the right direction.

My local one is great and it is a GC. The dudes working at this one are knowledgeable about EBMM's and will call me when they get a new one in. Mainly to see how I like it....being I only play them.

The necks are definitely not the same. Period. The Y2D has an awesome neck and feel, as I tried one out at the Open House.....awesome axe.

I don't believe they are out quite yet though.

Pete is a cool dude and will treat you right. So does Bassplayr (Doug) as I have bought a EBMM from him. Both guys are super cool and know what they are talking about.
Shameless plug for Pete and Doug over!

 

[jeffrey]

I'm totally kicking myself for NOT trying one at the open house.

I think I played everything but! What the hell is wrong with me!

It's a beautiful instrument though. And I'm dying to check one out prior to ordering.

 

[phatduckk]

My local EBMM dealer ... um, doesn't really exist. There is a shop that does carry them, but only about 2 (guitars and basses total). They're actually one of the last local stores i go to for anything b/c their inventory is usually really low end stuff and their prices are way higher than other local shops and the local GC's.

I really, really, really wish the local shop that I frequent (Gelb Music, Redwood City) carried EBMM. They're a great store, usually have better prices than GC and all the guys are super knowledgable - they're just not an EB dealer

Ya - I've purchsed 2 EB's from Doug and i'm sure as my whoreness continues I'll be sending some business over to Pete and Jack.

 

[dfrady]

I couldn't ask for a better EBMM Dealer, the only problem is that he has a KILLER Albert Lee in stock and i don't have funds to snatch that baby up .

 

[jeffrey]

I really, really, really wish the local shop that I frequent (Gelb Music, Redwood City) carried EBMM. They're a great store, usually have better prices than GC and all the guys are super knowledgable - they're just not an EB dealer

Same. The only store worth going to in San Antonio is Century Music. Unfortunately, they don't carry EB guitars or basses (though they carry all the EB accessories).

Someone needs to call them and make'em a dealer. (hinthint)

 

[Big Poppa]

Guys

'Keep this tread going. I really want your input. Be fair and open and include GC if they are your local. I want a crosssection of knowlegable players thouts and feelings regarding USA retail

 

[beej]

Wow- that really sucks

I'm not so crazy about my local dealers either- I can heartily recommend Pete DuBaldo though.

The Morse neck, btw, is killer. I think it's the perfect neck. If you find a recent Steve Morse model anywhere nearby, odds are it'll have the same - or similar - neck profile.

 

[fogman]

Guys

'Keep this tread going. I really want your input. Be fair and open and include GC if they are your local. I want a crosssection of knowlegable players thouts and feelings regarding USA retail

BP,

In cross reference to you other thread about customer service, this is interesting because yours rocks but the dealers really are hit and miss.
The dealers that I've had contact with have been very nice so far. There only week point is that the sales people don't seem to know the EBMM product enough. I usually play dumb when talking with them to test their knowledge, then I correct them like crazy or fill in the gaps. Mind you I don't expect them to know the specs like I've come to obsess over but general knowledge would be nice!

 

[blackspy]

Well, I'm not in the US, Eastern Canada, but I'll chime in anyway.

My local EB/MM dealer generally doesn't carry more than one guitar at a time. I guess with the high price they (the dealer) charge for them they don't sell many. Probably no more than a few a year, if that. They tend to not point them out to buyers, unless the buyer knows what they're looking for and requests to play whatever model they have at that time. Usually a Sil, sometimes an Axis. I've never seen a JP other than the one the sales guy owns, that he brought in just for me to look at. Nor have they ever carried a Morse, Luke, or AL. When they do have them in, they're hanging above the cash desk, sideways, so unless you know what it is, you probably wouldn't recognize anything.

They've given me that line about the necks being all the same a couple of times as well.

On occasion they have a couple of MM basses in stock at a time, I guess they sell better. As well, they're pretty reluctant to have people 'off the street' playing them to 'try out'. Though, they're the same with any PRS, High end Fender or other guitar that costs more than a few hundred bucks.

That's the guitar side of it... as for anything else.... well, they carry EB strings, generally only the Slinky's or Hybrid Slinky's, they will not get in other EB strings unless you agree to buy them by the dozen or more. It took a call from EB to arrange to have another dealer in the area carry the pure nickel strings. (Which, again, I really appreciated. Thanks Heather.). They don't carry anything else by EB at all. No picks, straps, pedals (well I've seen them once or twice, not regular stock though). I probably would have bought a JP by now if they'd ever had them in stock for me to 'really' try out, not just briefly holding someone elses. I mean time alone, with an amp. They let me play the 'expensive' guitars now because I already bought my Axis, so they think I might be willing to spend that much again.

If I were asked to, I wouldn't rate them very highly.

 

[Warg Master]

Guys

'Keep this tread going. I really want your input. Be fair and open and include GC if they are your local. I want a crosssection of knowlegable players thouts and feelings regarding USA retail

I'm in SLC

My local Dealer GC isn't that great... they don't take very good care of the balls...baaad... I played the axis they had on hand recent ly and the switch was broken, the neck was BOWED BIG TIME, dirty fretboard.... I showed it to them and they put it in the "luthier"s rack... I cam back an hour later and it was back up on the wall.... nice... It's a shame, 'cause that's where I got me Pet and Axis... I liberated them it seems.

I've been to the dealer that's 30 miles north of me and they seem much better... a little hole in the wall from a nice dude that seems to know what he's talking about... no dealings with him yet...maybe soon.

 

[kbaim]

Many guitar stores turn their employess over 3-4 times a year, hence the lack of knowledge. They try and learn 3-5 things about most guitars they sell. That's it.

Many of us have come to music man by accident and sheer luck. With virtually no guitar ads (in usa magazines) I wasn't aware of the brand in 2001 when I discovered them. This even after following Steve Morse's career and he's been playing them going on 20 years. Back then, GC had about 6 on display (2 lukes, 2 pets, 2 axis) and sam ash 3. Now both have zero on display and SA is no longer a distributor. They're getting harder to find

I can't blame the salesman unless they don't know crap about anything they sell.
Some guitar salesmen are really great. Most just punch in and have a few smokes then punch out. and they probably know more about the 20% of products that sell 80% of the total.

Both Pete and doug were great. I've bought 1 guitar from each.

 

[louisgtr]

I bought my JP from Stevie B's Total Guitar in Clearwater, FL. I had bought from Steve several times in the past with no problems. Ordering my JP from him went very smoothly.

 

[glockaxis]

The Guitar Center in San Bernardino and Rancho Cucamonga barely have any stock and no knowledgeable salespeople when it comes to EBMM. I usually educate them.

Luckily, our one and only mom-and-pop music shop, Musician's Outlet in Palm Desert, knows what they are doing. Randy went above and beyond to locate a Luke he sold to a customer just so I could feel the neck contours and right now I have a Luke on order. They also shared some info I didn't know. Besides that, they also play EBMM guitars. I only wish they had one of each model in stock so all could check them out, but they are small.

BP, can't wait for you and Luke to come down and play at Dirty Nellys again.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

I think I'm gonna go check out the GC here in town tonight so I can see how I compare..... And yes, I'm capable of giving an unbiased opinion.

 

[Eilif]

My dealer is awesome. Wanting something different from my Luke, I asked him if he had an Axis I could try out--any kind of Axis--and he ended up going in back and pulling out a beaten up EVH, which was his personal instrument he used to gig with and had purchased back in the early 90s. (He actually let me take it home for a few days!) So here's a guy who knows EBMM. Subsequently, I bought an Axis SS from him, and when I had some piezo trouble with it, he fixed it for free.

Every time I go in there, there are EBMMs on the wall. (In fact, there's been an AL that's been hanging there for well over a year. I'm beginning to feel sorry for it.) He doesn't carry the complete line of strings, but he does regularly stock nickel plated, stainless steel, and pure nickel. I even got my EBMM strap from him.

I only wish he carried a larger assortment of EBMM guitars. The last time I visited the shop, he had only a SUB1 and that AL although there were about 5 or 6 basses hanging: SR, SR5, 2 Sterlings, and a used SR anniversary edition. Prior to that, he also had a cinnamon Sub Sterling that I had my eye on, but someone bought it before I could decide on venturing into the "dark realm" of bass playing, haha.

 

[koogie2k]

I can say, my local GC takes damn good care of their EBMM's and they have quite a few....seems like they always get new stock in due to me helping them out the store....

I had them move the display of them up front by the Line 6 gear and they have been flying out the door.....especially the SUBs.....

Maybe I'll get a job there.....

 

[NorM]

The Black silo was the only one in Nashville that day.
The Trans teal showed up on ebay. I called the seller, a music store owner and ended the auction.
The Morse just showed up on the wall at a local guitar store here. They put a ridicolusly low price on it for a labor day sale and I paid it. The guitar had only been there a week. They haven't carried any EBMMs since.
The silo bass came up new on ebay for a good price. Damn good find.
I internet shopped for the BD silo. Got the best price and dared the local GC to match it. They did. $X out the door.
While doing the internet shopping I found the sunburst silo that Lame Duck now owns.

Found the purple sport piezo trem in the dealer data base. Great guitar just not for me. I guess I just needed one of the other 50,000 models.

The pac blue axis showed up on ebay. (Best top ever!) Called Bree (He doesn't like you Sterling but then again Bree is a jerk too. God Bless us each and every one) and we reached an agreeable price. Bree called me to offer either the BD or BA pet. He had some one lined up to buy the other but gave me my pick. I sold the sport to help pay for the pet. The y2d is ordered through him too.

Could custom ordered guitars be shipped directly to the end user if? :
1. EBMM said it was cool.
2. The dealer said it was cool.
3. The end buyer asked for it.
One less trip via UPS has to be a good thing.

As the prices for these axes are never carved in stone there is always room to haggle. People paying this much money for guitars know this. With Bree, he has always worked with me on the price for all of the guitars that I have bought from him. That's what I like about him. Other dealers just don't want to talk about it.

Pete has a cool thing going on and I would have to go out of my way to not love him.

 

[dhuffguitars]

In Spokane Wa. we just lost a great dealer. They carried several at a time because the Manager was a Musicman bass player(he posts here occasionaly).

Now we are stuck with GC, who I won't buy from(same reason why I don't shop at Walmart). And our other main music store has carried them in the past, but currently do not.

So for now I will be hitting up another forum member that sells them
when the details of the 30th anniversary Stingray comes available.

Darrin

 

[Big Poppa]

who is Bree? I love guys that I dont know exist that dont like me...comes with the territory....