Atrain1975
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4
This past Saturday, I bought a turquoise McCarty from SamAsh - one of their “guitars of distinction” - from their website. I liked the unusual color and didn’t have a stoptail in my small collection. I was told when I made a phone inquiry that they couldn’t discount the guitar, so after thinking it over I went for it. On Sunday, Samash sent me a 10% discount code good for anything in the store. After a few calls on Tuesday, they agreed to adjust my price to reflect the discount. Great - I thought.
Guitar arrived yesterday with some obvious pick scratches above and below the strings. I called customer service and asked whether I had unknowingly purchased a demo / floor model and the guy said no, their “guitars of distinction” are never out on the floor and he had no idea why or how it was scratched. I asked what he could do to make it right, and last night I got an email with a return label, telling me I could return it for a full refund. Fair enough, I thought, stuff happens and I just have to decide whether to live with it or move on.
While pondering my dilemma, I started looking around to see if I could find another turquoise McCarty anywhere. To my surprise, I find one on Reverb, and it’s the guitar I had just bought (same serial number and SamAsh listing) and received, except that it’s listed as a mint condition floor model. As of 9:15 AM today, it’s still there — and for about $1k less that I had paid (after adjustment) because of its condition. I’m waiting for the Samash open today so that I can talk with someone about all this.
Am I wrong for thinking this is deceptive, and a lousy way to do business? I realize SamAsh is a large retailer and might not have a complete handle on its operations. Nevertheless, my first experience with Samash has been a big disappointment, especially in comparison with my numerous dealings with the folks at Sweetwater, who have always gone above and beyond.
Sorry for the rant, but perhaps someone else can learn from my experience when considering where to shop. And maybe do a double-check on reverb before buying from Samash.
reverb.com
Guitar arrived yesterday with some obvious pick scratches above and below the strings. I called customer service and asked whether I had unknowingly purchased a demo / floor model and the guy said no, their “guitars of distinction” are never out on the floor and he had no idea why or how it was scratched. I asked what he could do to make it right, and last night I got an email with a return label, telling me I could return it for a full refund. Fair enough, I thought, stuff happens and I just have to decide whether to live with it or move on.
While pondering my dilemma, I started looking around to see if I could find another turquoise McCarty anywhere. To my surprise, I find one on Reverb, and it’s the guitar I had just bought (same serial number and SamAsh listing) and received, except that it’s listed as a mint condition floor model. As of 9:15 AM today, it’s still there — and for about $1k less that I had paid (after adjustment) because of its condition. I’m waiting for the Samash open today so that I can talk with someone about all this.
Am I wrong for thinking this is deceptive, and a lousy way to do business? I realize SamAsh is a large retailer and might not have a complete handle on its operations. Nevertheless, my first experience with Samash has been a big disappointment, especially in comparison with my numerous dealings with the folks at Sweetwater, who have always gone above and beyond.
Sorry for the rant, but perhaps someone else can learn from my experience when considering where to shop. And maybe do a double-check on reverb before buying from Samash.

PRS McCarty Electric Guitar Turquoise (JUMP) | Reverb
Named after Ted McCarty, a pioneer of the electric guitar and musical instrument industry, the McCarty model embodies the most up-to-date findings from PRS and looks back to the golden age of the guitar. This vintage-appointed guitar features a bound, 22-fret Pattern neck, a slightly thicker back...
