Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: not darth on December 20, 2011, 01:53:06 AM
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I mentioned recently that I am going to go take a listen to a 12-fret guitar soon, and someone suggested that I take my current Taylor along so I can compare the familiar sound to the new sound, in that specific setting.
Sounds like a great idea, a little bit of a pain, but a great idea.
Anyone do this? Have you ever had negative feedback from the storekeeper?
Thanks!
:)
-K
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When I was wanting to replace my 2003 812ce (a dealer custom with a redwood top) with a new, short-scale model I took it along to see if I could find something with a similar voice. There were no issues at the store. There was also no similar sounding guitar, so I did the BTO.
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I've never done this, but I would think the store would perceive you as a VERY interested prospective buyer. I doubt they would object. Be sure to empty out any unnecessary items from your case as I expect they would inventory what's inside it on your way in and out. My local GC does that for set ups as they have an authorized Taylor luthier there. You could always ask the store manager ahead of time to be sure it will be okay.
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I've done it in the past and, as others have said, it is an indicator to the store that you're seriously in the market. That's a good thing for them. It's also good for you to be able to objectively determine your likes and dislikes.
Have fun!!!
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When you buy a car you drive your old one to the lot. New cell phone, same.
If you wanted to take your git with you to shop for a new one, I can understand why. If the store people had a problem with it, they don't need your business.
When I shop for a new rig, I don't take my other ones. I'm pretty comfortable that I know the sounds enough. Furthermore, getting a new one that sounds the same defeats the purpose for me.
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I was the poster who suggested you take your guitar to the store when shopping. My shop (Dusty Strings in Seattle) is totally fine with it, and I would think any good store would completely understand your wanting to compare the tone and feel of what you've got now to something you may buy.
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I was the poster who suggested you take your guitar to the store when shopping. My shop (Dusty Strings in Seattle) is totally fine with it, and I would think any good store would completely understand your wanting to compare the tone and feel of what you've got now to something you may buy.
Right on. Now that I think about it, if I were to take any of mine with me, I'd most likely be tempted to trade up or something and go outside my budget. I totally lack self-control like that.
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sure & sometimes even when i'm not actively looking for an addition to the stable -
even if the shop has one like it in stock, i've never had any glares or negative comments
having a point of reference & familiarity is a good thing, imho, as guitars can sound different in the shop than they will in
one's home or their respective playing environments & sometimes the end result has been, for me, that i will find a guitar that
i was not even considering (playing or purchasing) & having a guitar i'm familiar with helps to reinforce 'wow. that's nice !'
Cindy has a good point in that if one going to a shop where they 'check in at the gate',
checking the pick box or gigbag pouches for extra items (especially new strings) that
may not be needed, to minimize confusion (proof of ownership) when 'checking out'
if i were to encounter a shop that had an issue with bringing my guitar in, i'd politely say
'have a nice day' & i'd be certain to make sure the door didn't hit me on the way out -
that happened to me way back, when i needed to have a string replaced & not only
was the staff rude (strumming it with a broken string), the owner saw it & didn't care :o
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i've done it many times with no issues. its very wise to hear what you've been used to in a setting where you are trying out a new one-puts things in perspective. about 75% of the time i leave without buying-my old guit holding its own and letting me hear whats real.
d
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If I did that I would never buy a new guitar- the sound of my Guild is really hard to beat. I am quite sure that the shop I patronize wold not have a problem with me doing this, however. On the other hand, when buying a new new guitar (=adding to the family), I,m doing it to get something that has a different sound and feel. If I were in the replacement mode, then I would definitely consider it. I think that it's a good idea.
Jim
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No and I can't imagine why I would.
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No and I can't imagine why I would.
playing & evaluating a guitar on its own merit is good thing, imho, &
having a 'point of reference' to refer back to may help reaffirm what
one is hearing is actually 'different', rather than what one 'wants to hear'
if one is looking for a guitar has tonal contrast compared to what one owns
(deeper' or 'warmer', 'brighter', 'more complex' or 'stronger fundamentals'),
a guitar that one is already familar may make the differences a bit more distinct
good to see you here :)
WELCOME !
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playing & evaluating a guitar on its own merit is good thing, imho, &
having a 'point of reference' to refer back to may help reaffirm what
one is hearing is actually 'different', rather than what one 'wants to hear'
if one is looking for a guitar has tonal contrast compared to what one owns
(deeper' or 'warmer', 'brighter', 'more complex' or 'stronger fundamentals'),
a guitar that one is already familar may make the differences a bit more distinct
This is the same basic principle I've used in my dating life (and also may help explain why I've been married three times). :)
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This is the same basic principle I've used in my dating life (and also may help explain why I've been married three times). :)
i guess it's good that guitars cannot compare 'notes' (no pun intended)
with each other, amongst themselves - the 'player' has to be there too ;)
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I haven't, because I'm the type that likes to go shop relatively anonymously without salesmen hovering, and I suspect that bringing in a guitar would make me look "serious" and attract attention. However, in concept I think bringing in your own guitar to compare is a great idea.
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I have heard of people doing this but have never seen it, although I know some shops will gladly set you up in the back or in a lesson room. I've never felt it was one versus the other, but adding on to what I have and with each one having a unique voice.
Terry
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I never really thought of it before, but, no, I've never done that.
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I have never felt the need before but I see no problem with it.
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I've done it once, albeit at a shop (Buffalo Bros) that has a 100% upgrade policy. I was able to compare my current Taylor at the time to a Goodall I'd had my ear on.
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I did it once, and actually recorded two other guitars and my Martin. I learned that day that a portion of guitar enjoyment is the physical and psychological aspects of the guitar, as I had a very hard time hearing the recorded difference between a 00 mahogany Martin and two GS Rosewood Taylors, even though I "liked" the Taylors very much whilst playing.
Humans have an unbelievable capacity to confirm their preconceived notions! ;D
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sure did. then i left my 814ce there and brought a new custom 815ce home.
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sure did. then i left my 814ce there and brought a new custom 815ce home.
nice :)
hi crcr1956,
good to see you here
your 815ce sounds like it's a special one -
any specs or pics that you'd like to share :D
please make yourself comfortable & enjoy the place ;D
WELCOME !
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I love to stop by my local Guitar Center to see what Taylors are in the acoustic room and then try them out. One day, there was a fellow in there who was interested in getting a guitar and I was able to share with him some of my limited guitar knowledge. It so happened that the store had the exact model of his current guitar so I suggested that he and I both take turns playing his model guitar as well as his various guitars of interest for an A to B comparison. I had never tried this experiment before and was very surprised of the different perspective one gets listening to a guitar -vs- the sound you yourself hear when you play it. I think he found the experiment helpful and ended up with a 310ce. I think it is very useful to do an A to B like this so you can see how the potential new guitar will differ from your current one.
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sure did. then i left my 814ce there and brought a new custom 815ce home.
Glad to have you here friend!
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Good catch, Josh! Wecome crcr196!
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I've been using DAVA Control picks for a while. They have a textured surface and are a little thinner in the center, so they flex some and have a decent feel, and don't slip. I don't see too many people talking about them, but they work for me.
Jim
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I've been using DAVA Control picks for a while. They have a textured surface and are a little thinner in the center, so they flex some and have a decent feel, and don't slip. I don't see too many people talking about them, but they work for me.
Jim
Did you intend for this to go in thread on picks?
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I mentioned recently that I am going to go take a listen to a 12-fret guitar soon, and someone suggested that I take my current Taylor along so I can compare the familiar sound to the new sound, in that specific setting.
Sounds like a great idea, a little bit of a pain, but a great idea.
Anyone do this? Have you ever had negative feedback from the storekeeper?
Thanks!
:)
-K
Depends on where I'm shopping. If it's at a boutique guitar store or a local mom & pop, definitely!
If I'm headed to Guitar Center...No Way!
Dan
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I welcome outside guitars here. I have a customer who has traveled several times to my shop to try guitars and he usually has his to compare. On more than one occasion, he brought in his PA system and set his whole rig up so he could see what the possibilities were. What a hoot. The last time he did this, he accidentally took the shop guitar and left his here. When he went to the Podium to get new strings (yes, he is a serial guitar shop visitor), he thought someone had stolen his guitar!! Meanwhile, his guitar was contentedly sitting in the showroom right where I thought the shop guitar was-they both have the same type of case... Both of us were happy that we figured out what had happened. Any shop that is serious about taking care of their customers properly will encourage, not merely tolerate, this type of behavior (comparing guitars-not accidentally taking them ;)). They will also encourage people to take guitars home on spec to test what the result is in a familiar environment. Usually, I know that this is happening, rather than by surprise like in the instance above...
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I welcome outside guitars here. I have a customer who has traveled several times to my shop to try guitars and he usually has his to compare. On more than one occasion, he brought in his PA system and set his whole rig up so he could see what the possibilities were. What a hoot. The last time he did this, he accidentally took the shop guitar and left his here. When he went to the Podium to get new strings (yes, he is a serial guitar shop visitor), he thought someone had stolen his guitar!!
That story gave me a chuckle Jim. I've had folks bring their guitars in before to a/b them with ours but I can't say I ever had anyone leave with the wrong guitar. Too funny. :)
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That is funny! ;D
I really found it valuable to bring my maple dreadnought along when I stopped in to see Jim at GR.
Having different guitars side by side to A/B really showed how different mine was from a GC or even the GA size guitars.
Another thing that was great was hearing another person play my guitar, it sure sounds different 'out front'
I will definitely do this again, but as another mentioned, probably not at big box retailers. Of course, with the great private stores in the Minneapolis area there is little reason to go to a megachain.
In the weeks since my visit with the 12-fret, I've been poring over the spec sheets, trying different combinations, and 'googling' pictures of similar combinations. Oooo, it's fun!
:)
-Kris
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As much as I like my guitars I do not have the urge to take them as a reference....i want the next guitar to be its own adventure. And if it turns out not to be right then there is the next one.
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I welcome outside guitars here. I have a customer who has traveled several times to my shop to try guitars and he usually has his to compare. On more than one occasion, he brought in his PA system and set his whole rig up so he could see what the possibilities were. What a hoot. The last time he did this, he accidentally took the shop guitar and left his here. When he went to the Podium to get new strings (yes, he is a serial guitar shop visitor), he thought someone had stolen his guitar!! Meanwhile, his guitar was contentedly sitting in the showroom right where I thought the shop guitar was-they both have the same type of case... Both of us were happy that we figured out what had happened. Any shop that is serious about taking care of their customers properly will encourage, not merely tolerate, this type of behavior (comparing guitars-not accidentally taking them ;)). They will also encourage people to take guitars home on spec to test what the result is in a familiar environment. Usually, I know that this is happening, rather than by surprise like in the instance above...
hi Jim,
i've heard of that happening at a shop also (not while i was in there), but somehow someone was given the
wrong case, even though they were both clearly tagged (06 714ceLTD engl/eirw & 08 714ceLTD cedar/koa) ...
it took a few hours before the switch was even realized & another day before it was sorted out - aaieee :o
'case-check', aisle 4 ;)
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"Chord cleanup, aisle 2"......
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Sometimes we send someone two guitars so they can A/B them in their own environment. It costs them a little extra for shipping on the second guitar, but many people feel it's worth it when they can't find guitars locally. :)
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I've never heard anyone do that. I bet the store owners are going to be, "what the heck?" But I think you'd know your guitar and thus no need to take it into a store.
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I mentioned recently that I am going to go take a listen to a 12-fret guitar soon, and someone suggested that I take my current Taylor along so I can compare the familiar sound to the new sound, in that specific setting.
Sounds like a great idea, a little bit of a pain, but a great idea.
Anyone do this? Have you ever had negative feedback from the storekeeper?
Thanks!
:)
-K
I've done it 2x...
1) First time at a GC in Denver and the guitar I thought I wanted (not a Taylor) didn't sound near as good as the one I brought in (also not a Taylor), so I left with what I brought and nothing else. All I had to do there was check in at the front desk, where they opened the case, wrote down the brand, style and the few accessories I had in the case, and let me in (then they checked it all again on the way out).
2) The 2nd time was just a week ago ago when I drove to Rapid City SD from Denver (I may re-post the thread I shared on the AGF here about that crazy story) to pick up my new 315ce... I took my 615ce in to A/B with the 315 (not that I most likely wouldn't have walked out with the 315 regardless of what the A/B revealed, which BTW was cool cause the 315, IMO, sounded every bit as nice, balanced, deep and clear as the 615), and there was NO issue there at Haggerty's, not even a case check. I just brought the 615 in, took mine and theirs over to a sitting area, played them for a bit, bought the new 315 cash and headed out the door.
I think bringing in an owned guitar to A/B with one that might be purchased is a GREAT idea and I would not patronize a dealer or shop that wouldn't allow it... although I don't see any shop or store taking that harsh stance (especially if the patron is willing to submit to any "security" or "loss prevention" measures the shop/store requires).