Thinking of Majesty : buying from GC over sweetwater?

[Kabz]

So,
Preface: I used to own a 2003 JP6 and sold it. Now I am gassing for a 7 and have my heart set on the majesty.
I hate Guitar Center but reluctantly give them my business over and over because they end up having what I want in stock.

Now is one of those cases.
Sweetwater says no Majesty's until mid-September and there is a wait list. For some colors its mid-October
They have 24 months interest free financing and I was hoping to make a deal soon.

Guitar Center has every color in stock and ready to ship.
I ended up getting a PRS Custom 24 ten Top brand new from Guitar Center.
I returned it twice with no issues because I wanted a different color.
I got the color I wanted but the top didn't look as beautiful as I wanted.
I returned for the same color diff top and loved it.
Plays fine and I financed it. Whole process was painless and I was concerned at the time, but it all worked out

I am coming here to see if anyone can ease my concerns this time around going for a Majesty.
They offer 36 months financing same as sweetwater just an extra year to pay it off.

Once again I am tempted to go with GC.com
Every time I get on the brink of a purchase, most of the reputable sites dont have the style or color I want or the financing offers that make paying it off way easier.

I figure a brand new Majesty should be the same wherever it comes from (not counting sweetwater's pro set up that they boast)

Thoughts?

 

[jones4tone]

I bought my JP15 at GC. And I've bought lots of things from Sweetwater over the years. (I haven't bought any EBMM guitars from SW, but I love their service in general.) I understand your hesitance, but, especially if your local store has it on the floor where you can sell/hold/play the guitar you would get, I'd say go for it if they have what you want, you want it now, and it's in new condition.

The setup on my JP was great. I can't fathom a reason GC would mess with the setup on a guitar that was set up well at the factory.

 

[teletaylor]

I like Sweetwater better myself, but bought an Axis through MF, so do what you gotta do!

 

[LesPaul]

Got my Majesty 7 from Sweetwater. No regrets. Wait was 2 days shy of 2 months. Sales rep was awesome called me almost weekly with status updates.

The Majesty is without a doubt the most comfortable, playable guitar I've ever held in my hands.

 

[Zesta]

I would definitely suggest Sweetwater. I have dealt with both and will never go to GC again, at least not for something as big/expensive as a guitar. Simply for the customer service. If there are any issues, Sweetwater is much better at working things out. I have my Majesty on order with Sweetwater and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

 

[Kabz]

Thanks for your opinions, I'm excited to get my hands on a Majesty.
After selling my JP6, there has been a slight void, and I think I'm going with an Artisan Majesty this time around.

 

[mikeller]

I have purchased Guitars from both retailers and have excellent experiences with both

 

[TheShreddinHand]

You'll pay tax with GC but no tax with Sweetwater.

 

[mikeller]

You'll pay tax with GC but no tax with Sweetwater.

Very true, Sweetwater doesn't charge tax to out of state sales, however, at least in Ohio, you are supposed to disclose that on your State Tax return and pay applicable taxes on your tax return. Not sure if all states are like that....

 

[Fro]

Does anyone actually make that disclosure?

 

[Kabz]

Sweetwater told me Artisan Majesty comes in October.
They have a higher base price as you all know, so what you save on tax ends up being built in the price, but I absolutely believe in paying for a Customer Service experience.
Too many factors against SW when I'm gassing beyond belief.
GC offering 36 months, and once again they win this battle.

I had to hang up on one GC operator because he sounded like a "literal" snot-nosed 18 year old, who needed to clear his throat, blow his nose, and speak like he wasn't chatting on x-box to his buddies on Call of Duty.

Finally ended up with a great operator who made an effort to ask a personal question, and checked up via email after they closed (GC phone operators are available until 11:00pmEST)

 

[Zesta]

Sweetwater has a demo Nero Artisan Majesty in stock, but it has some minor damage.

There is a new 7-string Nero in stock.

Mine should be delivered tomorrow. It took about 6 weeks from order. They usually do stock several, but I think they have been selling more lately.

 

[Slater]

I don't know why you "hate" Guitar Center. They seem to have what you want in stock, offer the financing you want, and provided a "painless" process on your returns.

I don't really like going to Guitar Center, but that's more about the wankers and instrument abusers stinkin' up the joint.

 

[ksandvik]

GC has one of the best return policies for new as well as used gear. Then again I would not return a MusicMan guitar...

 

[bhull]

Seriously, I think GC gets way more hate than it deserves. If you look at it for what it is - a big box, corporate, high volume chain - and take those things into consideration, it's much easier to take the good with the bad....as with most other things in life.

The Good

• Very large stock. If the store you're in doesn't have it, they can get it in a few days from another store
• Excellent return policy
• Excellent financing
• Unmatched selection of used gear

The Bad

• Cacophony of noise during busy hours (easily fixed...take a lunch and go on a weekday)
• Sales team a lot of the time are low paid kids
• Repair techs can be very questionable
• Hurts local Mom'N'Pop dealers
• From reading online complaints, customer service can be good or bad depending on location. Again, this is not out of the norm for big chain stores.

I've purchased 3 guitars and done 1 trade at my local Salt Lake GC and have never had a problem. One of the purchases was even on Black Friday and it still went fine. I bought my Majesty from them because - they were the only ones who had one in stock. They brought it in from their Austin Platinum room in like a day. I was shocked how fast it came it. Opened it up, no problems, and was out the door in less than 15 minutes.

Really, no matter where you get it from, the guitar was built at EBMM and has a factory warranty. If it's in stock and wasn't mishandled by the dealer, I don't see how it matters where it came from....unless you have a concern on supporting your local dealer, then it's understandable.

I say go for it.

 

[Kabz]

Well, I ordered a Majesty Artisan in Azzurro from the Guitar Center Platinum room (so it felt a little more upscale than being on the GC floor).

They always have what I want when I want it, and they get another large purchase from me yet again.
While I know I can get better CS at almost any store, theirs was acceptable and they had it shipped to the store instead of to my residence.
I told them ship to my apt several times, but they said its coming overnight so better to keep it coming to the store and they'll throw in a t-shirt (which I've done every time I picked up an instrument from them)

Now to await my NGD

 

[bhull]

Well, I ordered a Majesty Artisan in Azzurro from the Guitar Center Platinum room (so it felt a little more upscale than being on the GC floor).

They always have what I want when I want it, and they get another large purchase from me yet again.
While I know I can get better CS at almost any store, theirs was acceptable and they had it shipped to the store instead of to my residence.
I told them ship to my apt several times, but they said its coming overnight so better to keep it coming to the store and they'll throw in a t-shirt (which I've done every time I picked up an instrument from them)

Now to await my NGD

I have to agree with a purchase like this, you are better off getting it shipped to them and then pick it up. At least if there's a problem, it can be dealt with immediately.

Don't forget to give us a pic-heavy NGD post