I'm generally not a gold hardware kind of guy either. I ordered an Artisan Marrone anyway. When it arrived it, I was stunned by how amazing it looked. I am looking at it as I type, trying to imagine it with chrome hardware. It really is perfect the way it is with the gold hardware.
I think it is in some ways unfortunate that EBMM guitars are not stocked at retail outlets as much as some other brands. People see photos of EBMMs on the internet and form certain opinions. Photos do not do justice to how they are in reality. When you see, hold, and play the instruments in person, they are expectations-exceedingly phenomenal. I remember seeing the first Armada photos and liking the design, but not enough to order one sight unseen. I should have. They were shipping for a couple of years before I finally got to see and play one at a local store for the first time. I bought one shortly after.
