Went to see an AL today ....... gone !

[Spudmurphy]

I posted a thread on this forum several weeks back about an AL guitar.
I am really keen on getting one but they are as rare as rocking horse sh*t over here.

I asked the guy who built one of my guitars for me what he thought about the AL and he said that he had only seen one in his workshop (for a setup) and it was one of the finest guitars he had come across.(and he has been building guitars for over 20 years.)

In response to my thread, some body told me that there was one in Oxford Guitar centre. Well today I had the chance of a free lift to Oxford. My mate had sold a 70's Arbiter twin neck guitar and was delivering it in person to the winning bidder in Oxford, who had a staggering collection of guitars - Kay, National, Watkins, Burns etc etc not your "run of the mill" collection.

So we called into the guitar shop (2 miles from the bidders place) and the AL had been sold the previous weekend. .

It was a great trip anyway, ....... but Albert had left the building!!!
Ah well a nice way to kill 6 hours on a sunny afternoon in the English countryside.

 

[blackspy]

I was sure you were gonna say something about the birdseye, or lack of when I opened this post

That sucks that it was sold. I'm dying to get my hands on an AL, I'd love to actually feel what its like to play. They look so unusual, to me anyway.

 

[art027]

Hi Kevin,

Did you see the one on eBay UK? This is the item number: 7352922681

I don't know about the specs you prefer but i thought i'd notify you.

I don't know how you feel about ordering an Albert Lee without seeing it in person first but there are a few more in Europe that i know of

Michell

 

[Dodgeball]

I
In response to my thread, some body told me that there was one in Oxford Guitar centre. Well today I had the chance of a free lift to Oxford.

Hey Spudmurphy,

sorry to hear it had gone after you made the trip all that way down here. I was the one who gave u the original tip off, I'm on good terms with the owner of the shop so will let you know if/when he has any more Alberts coming in.

 

[B2D]

I saw one in a Guitar Center about 30 miles away from me... just a maple necked one with pearl blue finish and SSS setup...


maaaaan if I'd had $1800, the store'd have $1800, ya dig?


I wonder if its still there? My other guitar player doesnt quite believe me when i say that it sounds as good as it does lookin' so funky. I happen to love the shape.

 

[Shnook]

Yeah, check out the one on eBay. I believe it's a UK listing.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Nobody EVER stocks EBMM guitars in the UK. I have just come from Andertons in Guildford and whilst they had some EBMM basses, not a sniff of Music Man guitars.
ABC never carry them, neither do Chandlers.

All the ones I have that I bought new had to be special orders. A real shame as more people need to know about our favourite guitars!

 

[DaveB]

I trawled around Denmark Street in London the other day.

There was one Axis Super Sport guitar in all those shops. I find that verging on criminal - EBMM are a great product and even with the high prices in the UK they are still better and can compete with most of the other products out there.

Beth/BP how can we get more guitars into the UK shops?

DaveB

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hey Spudmurphy,

sorry to hear it had gone after you made the trip all that way down here. I was the one who gave u the original tip off, I'm on good terms with the owner of the shop so will let you know if/when he has any more Alberts coming in.

Oh it was cool.
I wasn't going to bother going to Oxford but I accompanied my mate for a free ride.
It's a great shop but a "tad pricey" There was a second hand Axis in there with just a small ding on the front other than that it was in great shape. The guys in the shop had a great attitude the "older" gent in the shop (Manager) offerred to get me one in but I'll stick with the Cardiff dealer who is competing against some big businesses in Cardiff. _ I want to support him.
Still I managed to try out one of the new Vox amps - awesome and even more so since my (same )mate had just bought a second hand one for £150.
Also had a drool over the Black Cat amp (if it's good enough for Bonnie Rait it'll do 4 me!) - then I saw the price - GULP!!

I am just going to have to take the plunge - reading about the after sales service of EB I don't think I have anything to worry about.

My specs will be Honeyburst (but I still like the black cherry!)
Trem, seymour Duncans, Piezo and white guard, knobs, pickups.
I have been quoted a GREAT price too.

Thanks again for the heads up - if ya in Cardiff give me a shout.

Murph

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hi Kevin,

Did you see the one on eBay UK? This is the item number: 7352922681

I don't know about the specs you prefer but i thought i'd notify you.

I don't know how you feel about ordering an Albert Lee without seeing it in person first but there are a few more in Europe that i know of

Michell

Thanks for that - I had a look and it looks a great deal.

Not all the specs I was looking for, but damn tempting!!
Murf

 

[Spudmurphy]

I trawled around Denmark Street in London the other day.

There was one Axis Super Sport guitar in all those shops. I find that verging on criminal - EBMM are a great product and even with the high prices in the UK they are still better and can compete with most of the other products out there.

Beth/BP how can we get more guitars into the UK shops?

DaveB

I know its sooooo frustrating, trouble is the kids want a Gibby or "F word" guitar.
I'll be showing it off in all it's glory!

Can't wait to show it to my mate who plays in a Hendrix tribute band - he says he'll crank it up for me in a gig (he is Hendrix ! - but a caucasian equivalent and right handed. - mmm some days he's SRV and others Billy Gibbons - he'd give the guy from The Hamsters a good duel too!!)

 

[Spudmurphy]

Nobody EVER stocks EBMM guitars in the UK. I have just come from Andertons in Guildford and whilst they had some EBMM basses, not a sniff of Music Man guitars.
ABC never carry them, neither do Chandlers.

All the ones I have that I bought new had to be special orders. A real shame as more people need to know about our favourite guitars!

+1 I agree with that!!

 

[Spudmurphy]

I saw one in a Guitar Center about 30 miles away from me... just a maple necked one with pearl blue finish and SSS setup...


maaaaan if I'd had $1800, the store'd have $1800, ya dig?


I wonder if its still there? My other guitar player doesnt quite believe me when i say that it sounds as good as it does lookin' so funky. I happen to love the shape.

I like the shape too!
I also love the neck, and the sound of the piezo.

Oh man $1800! I wish it were so in the UK !!

 

[Bowks]

Spud, if you haven't already, give the guys at Strings n Things a call. They will be able to give you an idea what inventory their dealers have and there may be the possibility that they can send out an AL to a shop for you to try out considering you will buy one if it's the right guitar for you. I've dealt with them in the past and they've always been very helpful.

 

[Owen]

EBMM dealers in UK?

I know a couple of shops in the last 12 months that have stopped stocking EBMM guitars, no idea why, when they did stock them they sold very quickly. It's nice to have a rare guitar, but it would also be good if we could buy off the peg rather than custom orders.

I bought my Luke when a dealer was selling off all the electrics to make room for drums!!!.

BP - what about doing one of your 'NAMM style' displays at a UK music show?, I'm sure all the guys on here from the UK would give their support.

 

[Big Poppa]

we've taked a lttle bit about it we'll see if we can make it happen

 

[kbaim]

Sending honeyburst shell pickguard Albert pic today, spud.

 

[DaveB]

BP - its funny though because I know a number of dealers in the UK and they dont seem to be kept up-to-date with new models etc. For example Mark Hopkin at Guitars 4 You didnt know you could get an all rosewood Axis, nobody knew anything about the Morse Y2D. It strikes me that the profile is just not high enough in the dealers mind to get them to stock the guitars.

Prices are another issue - for some reason once they get over here they are expensive and are competing with some quite high end product (even though the quality surpasses anything else out there).

I understand that on top of the US costs we have shipping, import duty and VAT but somehow it would appear that someone is making a killing somewhere.

I was going to put an example calculation but dont want to upset forum rules....

I have spoken to the distributors on the phone and they are always helpful but its a brand you have to order - you cant just go out and try one easily.

I do think a big presence at the London Guitar Show for example - perhaps with a performance from Morse/Lukather/Petrucci would do UK sales the world of good.

BTW - dont take any of this post the wrong way - its all meant to be constructive and I love the brand and want to see EBMM guitars in everyone's hands!

DaveB

 

[Bowks]

Have we been going to the same LGS for the past 2 years? The Musicman stand has always had at least one of every model out on display and they are more than happy for folks to pick them up and have a play.

 

[DaveB]

They have had guitars on there but - the guys on the stand IMHO werent that helpful/switched on. I bought my Axis SS piezo MM90 from PMT at the same show and I was trying to get info from them as to price availability etc and it wasnt easy.

Imagine Big Poppa and Luke (and a few beers) on the stand - then we'd get results!

Dave