Hello,
So here's my introduction to the forum.
At Christmas I played a 2014 Pre-Lutz 712e 12 fret at a Guitar Center in Houston, supposedly the 2nd largest GC in the country, must have had 50 high end Martins,
Taylors,& Gibsons. The 712 really got my attention and I have not gotten it out of my mind so I started researching them and discovered the introduction of the 2016 model with the Lutz top and all the other changes. GC had the 2015 priced at full street. I figured I should be able to negotiate a significant price reduction given that the changes are major between model years. Pricing for the new model is the same. I've got a GC here in Albuquerque and I thought I might take advantage of their free shipping and return policy to get it here to try in my own environs. I called Houston and Scottsdale and neither would budge on the price other than to offer their Presidents Weekend
15% discount that supposedly didn't include Taylors. So then I ask if that would include the the new 2016-17 and was told yes! So I went for it and have a new from the Kansas City distribution center 2017 712e 12 fret Western Sunburst arriving tomorrow at 15% off street price. I've got 45 days to decide whether I like it better than my Bougeois SJ. Shouldn't take anywhere near that long to figure out.
