Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: rz1 on September 21, 2013, 10:05:02 PM
-
I've been to about a half dozen Roadshows, so I know what to expect from them. But I just got a postcard for an upcoming "Find Your Fit" event at a local shop. Can someone who has been to both let me know what to expect from this? The event lasts most of the day, with a "demo" at a set time near the end of the evening.
-
Road Shows are primarily informational. Yes, they bring guitars with them and dealers put special pricing on guitars, but they don't go out of their way to "sell". The goal of the Road Shows is not to sell guitars.
A Find Your Fit event is most definitely a straight-ahead sales event, and they most definitely want to sell guitars.
-
Both events are designed to educate people on Taylor guitars.
The Roadshow has a Taylor artist who travels with the rep to demonstrate the difference in sound between body shapes, tonewoods and tops. There is typically Sale pricing at these events and time for attendees to play guitars and purchase them. These are usually about 2 hours and aren't really "come and go".
The Find Your Fit event is tailored to helping an individual player find the guitar body and tonewoods that work best for their particular playing style. There is typically Sale pricing at these events and it usually lasts the entire day. People can spend as little or as much time as they wish at these.
To say that "the goal of the Road Shows is not to sell guitars" isn't really accurate. The goal of both events is to educate and to inspire people to want to own a Taylor guitar. Frankly, if guitars didn't sell at these events, they wouldn't continue to do them.
-
I went to a find your fit.
What you should expect is to end up buying another guitar ;-P
I did. Oh well. I love my 812ce 12 fret.
-
They both have their own flavor. While they hope to sell at a Road Show the emphasis is on educating the group about the TG design, innovations, and what's new. Of course thence being educated you are more apt to buy. One key to attending these however is to get to the one that's showing first in your general area as they will have a bigger selection to try and buy. They don't carry too many extras, so whatever is in their truck, and in the store's inventory that's it, they won't be restocking on the road in most cases. At the Road Shows the focus is the group.
At the Find Your Fit the focus is the individual, and is a more personal experience. When you get there the Taylor guy(s) will ask you about the kind of playing you do or want to do, and other such searching questions, and then he will set you up with a few guitars to try out. I had five guitars sitting on stands around me at the one I attended, going back and forth trying each one. I didn't have permission to buy that day, but it did help me narrow the field as to the one I would eventually (and did) buy. One of the things I appreciated at both was that there was no pressure to buy. My suggestion is that you try to get to both, preferably a RS first then a FYF, but the other way around works too.
-
The roadshow has more "energy", the FYF is more low key. The nature of the facilitator from the Taylor factory is key in making either event a success.
-
What I like about the FYF events is that you'll have more hands-on time with the guitars. And usually the Taylor rep bring a couple of nice BTOs and high end Taylors with him for you try out at your leisure. :)