Looking for opinions

[Findthetone1]

It seems that boutique gear is really staying solid in the market. Looking at what's coming out of NAMM and reading the feedback on here people seem to appreciate great sounding, well built gear.
So my question is this: Do you as a consumer, feel there is a need for brick and mortar stores that specialize in all the awesome boutique gear that's out?
Would you prefer an in person experience before a purchase, or are you satisfied with online clips and forum opinion?
I know they exist but seem to be sparse. Any opinions are much appreciated. Especially those who live in the Midwest/southern Ohio areas.
Thanks!

 

[halebox]

Preferably yes

 

[HilltopExplosion]

I've purchased 30 grand worth of gear from online stores instead of locally BECAUSE..
1) The local store did not carry what I was looking for.
2) They could order it, but it would be several (3 to 4) weeks before it arrived.
3) I had to give a down payment for the order, but If I didn't like the product when it arrived, too bad. Online stores you can return.
4) If the local store did have what I was looking for, they would NOT match the price if I found something on sale online.

If the local store would have matched the service of the online store, THEY would have received my bucks. I mean c'mon... 15 bucks for a pack of strings I can get for 6 bucks shipped to my doorstep? NAH...

 

[mixn4him]

Having worked in a brick and mortar store for 10yrs, yes there is value in GOOD people and great gear you can touch and demo...

 

[Findthetone1]

Thanks for the insight guys. I agree with a lot of your opinions. Yes, the product you are interested in needs to be in stock. Nothing irritates me more than going to a store, asking and the being told "we can order that for you". No shit genius. So can I, from my house in my underwear.
Price matching is important however, I am willing to pay a few bucks more for an in person. Plus, smaller guys just don't have the buying power but I'd rather support mom n pop every time.
Return policy has got to match the big and on line guys. I know it's a gamble, buts it's good customer service.

This may be a pipe dream for now, who knows but I want real feedback from the gear community to help my decisions.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

There are several boutique brick and mortar stores but for me personally, I don't buy most higher end gear new as the depreciation kills you if you don't like it after a while

 

[shreder75]

There are several boutique brick and mortar stores but for me personally, I don't buy most higher end gear new as the depreciation kills you if you don't like it after a while

This

 

[Scarified]

Part of me says yes forsure. One thing about my area is that I have to drive a ways to really get any kind of a boutique experience. I don't know that specific boutique stores are needed but it would be nice for more stores to start either carrying more boutique gear or possibly setting up more demos with boutique companies where say the store gets a certain product for a week so people can try it. That way the store doesn't have to commit to bringing in expensive gear that might not sell. Advertise the demo week and the gear and then it gives people a chance to try it out.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Our local GC has a Platinum room, and I've taken full advantage of it, believe me. It's allowed me a chance to try what people call the 'forum unicorns' with MY guitars, in a room that's soundproof so I could move some air, and see if I dig what it's got going on. I've played VHTs, Diezels, Friedmans, Fender CS guitars, multiple thousands of dollars worth of guitars from other manufacturers and what not.

Did I appreciate the experience? Hell yeah....I learned that a certain $4000 amp just wasn't for me, despite what forums say. I learned that I really do like the Friedman stuff, which I never thought I'd say....not as a slight to Dave, just more that I've never considered myself a hot rodded Marshall guy. I've learned that Fender CS relics aren't all they're cracked up to be but once in a while there's a gem.

Basically it taught me that regardless of what I think about a certain tone or what I read on forums, there's a certain amount of real life experience that needs to be had before a $10,000 gear purchase, especially if it's something new. So yeah, I'd say there's a market for it.

I will say that I don't know if it's a sustainable thing....I know a few guys in my area that are into high end gear, and we have one store that stocks Suhr, Tom Anderson, and higher end stuff.....and this is in a metro area of almost a million people; the store can sustain itself, but just barely. I'd think you'd really need to dig into your local scene and check the market....I know not everyone feels the same way I do, and that a lot of people ARE satisfied with forums/online opinions before buying something.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Good point on the GC Platinum rooms. I think essentially a some boutique stores are more of a product demos. You go try stuff, if you like it you typically start shopping for the best deal and if you buy usually isn't where you tried the thing out Some shops don't have the buying power so chances are you're not going to get the best price unless they've been sitting on a piece too long and never moves.

 

[messenger]

Seems like people want to go to the stores to try out the gear and then go home and order one online. A lot of people don't want to play full retail for a floor model that people have been playing. They want new in an unopened box.

 

[psychodave]

Brick and mortar stores are dinosaurs and will soon be extinct. Sure it's cool to go and look and play cool gear, but I'm going to go online to find a better deal. Plus, stores like Musicians friend allows returns.

 

[Stumplegriltskin]

I've purchased 30 grand worth of gear from online stores instead of locally BECAUSE..
1) The local store did not carry what I was looking for.
2) They could order it, but it would be several (3 to 4) weeks before it arrived.
3) I had to give a down payment for the order, but If I didn't like the product when it arrived, too bad. Online stores you can return.
4) If the local store did have what I was looking for, they would NOT match the price if I found something on sale online.

If the local store would have matched the service of the online store, THEY would have received my bucks. I mean c'mon... 15 bucks for a pack of strings I can get for 6 bucks shipped to my doorstep? NAH...

Why are there no retail stores anymore?

"We can get that"

Yeah, in 6 weeks. I can get it too, faster and cheaper.
B+M stores cater to kids playing flute and $99 acoustic guitars. Good riddance to them. I don't care about them bitching about overhead either. Make it work or go bu bye, like all the stores around here. I don't even go to GC. They carry nothing but shit and never have anything I want. Good riddance to them too when they go out.

Everything they sell is used too, with boogers all over it. Can't even be bothered to clean a "new" guitar and put a set of strings on it. Fuck them. Try asking for a new guitar in a box and get a blank stare. Then walk out of the store with your "used" guitar and they'll go grab a new one out of a box and slap it up on the wall. Again, fuck them too. I understand the "used" thing and their 30 day money back policy. But I always preferred a shop that actually watched the idiots that pick up an instrument. 90% of the fools who go in guitar center have no respect for an instrument. If something is sold as new, I expect it to be new. Not with chips out of the headstock and boogers all over it.

Bring back MARS

 

[Gitfiddler]

Check out what willcutt guitar shoppe does. They have had killer gear for decades are in a midwestern town thAt really cant support the type of gear they carry. I think the interweb is a big part of their business. Drumcity guitarland reminds me of willcutt and i think the interweb is what is keeping them afloat. Wildwood guitars: they have a handful of guitars out in the open and will go get what you see online from the back room. Cant imagine they get much street traffic. If im paying $$ for a guitar, id prefer brick and mortar so i can try it first and its likely to be set up properly. Anything else can be returned to the big box stores or online companies

 

[rottingcorpse]

I custom order my guitars from the manufacturer, and my specs are kinda odd so I am rarely gonna find what I want in any store or even online.

But as far as amps go, I usually buy or trade for used gear....almost exclusively from people here I trust. I rarely see anything in person, in any store, that I think "I'd like to plug into that and try it out".

And as a truck driver, I don't have the home time to go running around Dallas/ft.worth looking for anything, much less gear I can watch for online.

And the bottom line for brick and mortar stores is that the Internet is ruining them the same way it did to music sales. If people can get it cheaper online ( or flat out steal it ), they will.

 

[gtrwun]

Brick and mortar stores for the most part just don't do a good enough job in customer service in general. Example...Last night I saw that my local GC had a used Fulldrive 3 that I was interested in. The price seemed fair, so as much as I HATE going in this place, I went down and the pedal is already sold. Ok, fine.....I look around a bit and I see they have a Fulldrive II in stock, so I figured I'd give that a go. The sales guy insisted I plug it in and check it out. He was nice enough, so I follow him to plug this thing in and out of all the amps they have ready to play in the store, he plugs me into a Line6 spider combo? WTF? How do you evaluate the tone of an overdrive pedal through a digital POS combo amp? I didn't say anything to the dude. Call me a cork sniffer, but to me, that's just common sense that he should have taken the time to plug me into something that highlighted the tones available from the pedal. I know I would have if I worked there and I was trying to sell that pedal.
For me personally, I'd love to see a store that I could visit that specialized in higher end gear only. Just leave the cheap shit to GC and deal strictly with the high end stuff and get some sales people in the store that know the product and are passionate about gear! Seems like a no brainer to me. I have no problem paying for good service and knowledgeable staff who are committed to a great experience. YMMV.