Would you buy a MusicMan mail order having never played one?

[dibart77]

Do it. You won't be disappointed. It'll be perfect right out of the box. I've done it more than 150 times!

​

 

[13thStep]

Folks. Thanks for all the replies, it's wonderfully refreshing to hear food feedback about a companies QC, and their guitars in general.

Unfortunately (as it'll be a 40th Bday present) I'm going to have to wait quite a few months before I get it

 

[TripHazard]

It will be worth the wait I promise

 

[Bryan]

I had a played a Luke years before I ordered mine. It left such an impression on me from so far back that I ddin't hesitate to pull the trigger. When I got it, it didn't disappoint.

 

[Pops]

Bought both of my EBMM guitars withought having played either of the guitars.
I couldn't have been more delighted when they arrived.
Playable right out of the box.

 

[agt]

Absolutely! All of the EBMM instruments that I have purchased sight unseen (11) have been amazing.

Having said that, some dealers post photos and/or weight specs of the actual instrument at their sites if those things matter to you. And even if you do not find photos or weight at a dealer's website, many will be happy to provide you with photos or weight specs if you ask.

 

[beej]

I'm in the same boat ... I've bought many sight unseen. (My last one was a few weeks ago ...)

That said, with any guitar you have to expect that something might not be perfect. I've sent one back on a warranty claim (it was a NOS guitar), but it was taken care of. And of course you might not fall in love with it ... but the same is true of anything you buy without spending time with first.

100% I'll do this again in the very near future. As will most of the folks here.

 

[dalto]

I buy all my guitars without seeing/playing them first.

There definitely is some element of risk. Sometimes you get something you aren't happy with.

It is worth understanding the return policies of the person you are buying it from so you can understand just how much risk you are taking.

That being said, I have bought over 50 guitars sight unseen and only two of them needed to be returned. Both of those were custom built guitars. Neither were from EBMM

Of the other guitars, many of them needed a setup, one had a small wiring issue(which the seller paid to have me fix locally)

Of the EBMM guitars I have bought, none have ever needed anything more than a basic setup.

Did I end up liking every guitar I purchased that way? No, I often find that I don't like them as much as I thought I would and end up selling or trading them.

The real problem is, what choice do we have but to buy music man guitars sight unseen? Unless you are exceptionally lucky and happen to live near a dealer with a lot of music man stock or are willing to travel to tryout guitars there are not a lot of other options.

 

[Terry007]

Ok. So basically to cut a long story short in a few months time I want to buy a 'decent' guitar.

Currently playing an Epiphone Les Paul which I like and Id thought about getting a Gibson but they seem pretty overpriced and they don't have a great reputation for quality control atm (whatever I get will be mail order). I play a range of styles but mainly metal/rock and I'm loving the blues a lot these days too.

I've recently stumbled across the MusicMan Stingray and initially it caught my eye because of its looks (that tobacco burst with the tortoiseshell scratch plate is literally my idea of a perfect guitar). From listening to a few YouTube vids the tone seems really nice as well, and MusicMan (from what I can gather) seem to have an excellent reputation when it comes to QC.

If I was to get one it would be bought unplayed and without having ever played any MusicMan guitar. I really don't feel that I have a preference for necks etc feeling at home on both Strats and Les Pauls.

So would you take the plunge and buy a Stingray without having played one?

Absolutely! Ive bought a Valentine and a Stingray RS online and both guitars are simply fantastic! Buy without worries. Post pics when it arrives.

 

[Soheil]

Yes. in fact already have done it twice.

 

[Tollywood]

I've also bought many ebmm models before playing them and in addition to the excellent quality control you can count on the fact that they all share that ebmm neck DNA. The way the necks feel and the comfortable dimensions of the necks are a shared trait between the models. The shapes vary but the feel is always the same. You simply can't go wrong.

I gave my eldest son a really nice Axis several years ago and I told him that I've played most of the brands and that the ebmms are the best you can get. Years later, he plays Hendrix and SRV perfectly so he naturally wanted a Strat. Until he played one. Hahahahahaha. He said it just didn't feel right and he doesn't want one now. I have a feeling that a Cutlass will do the trick for him.

 

[Tag1]

Yes, I just bought a Valentine/trem in red.

 

[Phrankenstrat]

Yep. My Luke III came in yesterday sight unseen. Perfect right out of the box. It was even a blemish. Still looking for that. The instruments are sublime. Zero problems with buying without playing first.

 

[darchirnoj]

I bought mine from GC online. Had not played the guitar (never even played the previous model without the Roasted maple neck).
It’s incredible.

Have no fear!

 

[Strazz]

I just ordered my fourth EBMM online and I had never tried one in person before ordering. I got three from Sweetwater and one from Axe Palace. I've tweaked the setups, but all have been flawless instruments. #4 hasn't shipped yet and I'm already considering another!

 

[ieso]

I bought two online and they are perfect.

 

[Rialas]

I bought my fourth today. All used from eBay.
Hoping today's purchase is as brilliant as the other three.

 

[St8kout]

I did. Bought the Monarchy Majesty. Read everything I could find out about it, liked what I read, then bought it. My poor Strat hanging on the wall has been collecting dust since then.

I freakin' love this guitar.

I've since bought an Orange Micro Dark amp (used the $170 in gear points accumulated from buying the guitar from guitarcenter.com).
Added the Fishman pickup and Omnisphere software. I'm in heaven.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I have owned 5 EB MusicMan guitars and basses. Of those, only 2 were played before I purchased. They make great instruments, with a very high level of consistency.

 

[James Troska]

I’ve played enough MusicMan instruments to feel confident buying a new one site unseen at this point. But if you’ve never played any of their instruments, you may be surprised how narrow the nut width is. Most folks on here will be aware of and fans of their neck profile. But on other forums it can be a love it or hate it thing. I was concerned after reading the nut width spec and wanted to try before buying. Turns out it’s fine for me. But I’ve read some people posting that it was problematic for them. Basically the strings are unusually close together at the nut. Fat fingers may have a hard time pressing one string without interfering with the others. Small fingers can play very efficiently with little movement across the strings.