Do Guitar Shop Workers Take Guitars Home?

[SingingSparrow]

Originally Posted by Zissou Intern

The boss used a new OM21 as his lesson guitar for well over two, maybe three years. A guy came in looking for an OM one weekend. He played everything we had, but couldn't find the right one. I told him to hold on a sec while I ran downstairs to the lesson room and brought up what looked like a used OM21. It sounded great after being played about 30 hours a week for all that time. He loved it. When I told him it was actually a new Martin with a warranty, and if he gave me an hour, I could clean it up and restring it for him, he was thrilled. The boss was surprised when he came in Monday and his lesson guitar was sold... at a normal retail price. (Guess where he sourced he next lesson guitar.)

i'll admit i found that to be a rather unfortunate account to hear of overall. where i come from anyway it would not be considered kosher to sell that guitar at 'normal retail price' as if it were new, willingness of the customer notwithstanding. i understand that perspectives of this differ, personally and culturally. i would be interested to know the name of that shop.

[Big Band Guitar]

Originally Posted by SingingSparrow

i'll admit i found that to be a rather unfortunate account to hear of overall. where i come from anyway it would not be considered kosher to sell that guitar at 'normal retail price' as if it were new, willingness of the customer notwithstanding. i understand that perspectives of this differ, personally and culturally. i would be interested to know the name of that shop.

I agree, dishonest at best. I would not do business with that store.

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

I agree, dishonest at best. I would not do business with that store.

Exactly!

Dishonesty running rife. The car guy is saving his personal and using up the cars for sale for his own benefit....same with guitars. Shonky biz at this, probably shonky at everything....

A heavy usage discount on these very used by everyone guitars would give them pause! Make them sign some kind of legal disclaimer....

I am taking a guitar I bought brand new a few years ago to my luthier for a setup and fretwork this week - I have hardly played it - it came like that. I should have taken it back. Must have been passed around the shop for a year or 2.....live and learn.


BluesKing777.

[buddyhu]

More importantly:

1. Do sex therapists take their patients home?
2. Do aliens take humans home?
3. Do wood chucks take chucks of wood home?

[stormin1155]

I'm a tech... work out of my home shop. I'll occasionally take a customer's guitar upstairs to my studio for an evening. Sometimes for the purpose of tracking down a buzz or something work related, but usually just to enjoy playing it or to compare it to my guitars.

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

I agree, dishonest at best. I would not do business with that store.

The customer got the guitar he wanted and paid a price he wanted to pay. So exactly how is that "dishonest"?

BTW, for over 30 years, this shop sold a boatload of great, new, used, and vintage instruments to famous musicians discussed regularly on this forum. Many were repeat customers who stopped in the shop whenever they were in town. A famous performing arts center was around the corner, and it wasn't at all unusual to have three or four guys head from the tour bus straight to the shop. And guess what they did when they were there. They played the instruments! GASP! And the shop still sold the new ones as new.

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by buddyhu

More importantly:

1. Do sex therapists take their patients home?
2. Do aliens take humans home?
3. Do wood chucks take chucks of wood home?

I know, for a fact, that wood chucks do take chucks of wood home. I know a human who claimed that an alien took her home to the mother ship. I don't know any sex therapists.

[BluesKing777]

sorry, wrong post...

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by stormin1155

I'm a tech... work out of my home shop. I'll occasionally take a customer's guitar upstairs to my studio for an evening. Sometimes for the purpose of tracking down a buzz or something work related, but usually just to enjoy playing it or to compare it to my guitars.

That's what I'm talking about. I want the tech to play my guitar and figure
out what it needs. I took my Kopp to a little near-by place a few weeks
ago so the guy there could lower the action a little. I asked him to play
it all he wants. When I got it back it was adjusted pretty well and he said
he enjoyed playing it - "that's a nice guitar!"

-Mike