Was My SE Custom 24 a Lemon or Should I Give Them Another Shot?

Haha now the bridge pickup has no signal when the coils are split. Man I just don't know...third time's a charm?
What? Man, that sucks. Maybe change your moniker to MaxwellSilverHammer? Then they'd give you a good guitar out of fear, instead of trying to karmically avenge those you were mean to.

Kidding, man, I don't know -- take everyone else's advice, get it fixed.
 
That is not cool. At all. Trying out something at a store but buying it online instead.

For all non PRS guitars I agree with you. But with PRS (new) I will go to a store, play the model that I want, make sure I like it, then order from Sweetwater.
 
That is not cool. At all. Trying out something at a store but buying it online instead.

As far as I'm concerned, it is cool to try it at a local "dealer" and buy it on line. In the end you are buying it from the manufacturer anyway.

Most every local place around here will only sell you the floor "demo" model as brand new; and I question, "Is that right and ethical?".

I like to buy locally once in a while. I just bought an 800 dollar, approx., Fishman Loudbox Performer acoustic amp from a local store about a block and a half from me. I have bought other stuff there over the years. They have helped me out with a lot of repairs and other things. I had to wait a lot longer than the online places, but I wanted a new item in an unopened box. It keeps them happy if you buy "some" of your stuff from them. They realize that you are buying things from other sources.

So I say, it's okay to try any manufacturer's product out at any dealer, but in the final analysis buy it from the source of your choice, often online.

Also, sometimes the local places will give you a hassle with the return policy, unlike some of the online places that give you a full 45 day return window, plus an extra two year warranty over and beyond the factory warranty. This doesn't happen with the local dealers around here.

I think when it comes to buying something, that it is the customers prerogative to purchase it anywhere they want. This gives the customer the most power in negotiating the best price for a product - you can always walk away and buy somewhere else.

Also, these local places around here are doing pretty well, believe me. They sell some big ticket items to a select and dedicated clientele. Pianos, Martins, Fenders, Gibsons, Taylors, etc., often special ordered or custom shop.

So yeah, if you have a great deal of expendable/disposable income or money on hand, buying locally might make the most sense to you and seem the right thing to do. But for dudes with a tight budget they might be best off getting the best deal from an online place with the satisfaction of knowing the return policy is solid and that they get the extra warranty.

Also, some of the online places make it even easier by selling dudes guitars on a "three pay" credit deal where they don't even have to have their credit checked. Make the first payment on the phone or over the internet and you guitar, etc., is on its way to you the next or same day. Make two more monthly payments and they are happy/you own the item. In the meantime you can play and enjoy it, interest free.

In the end, there are reasons to try a manufacturer's product out at a local dealer and then buy it online or where ever you want.
 
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I strongly disagree with trying out the instrument at a dealer, and then buying it online. The dealer has to pay rent, employees, utilities,etc. To me it's an ethics question. We can justify anything in our minds. The dealers near me will price match, so that gets rid of that objection. If you don't want the display guitar, tell them that. I personally prefer guitars that have been broken in. I don't even like taking a new guitar to a gig until I understand how it performs. The bottom line for me is "Support your local business or they won't be there". Jobs can easily go elsewhere if you don't. That's also why I buy American if I have a choice. I still believe that, like PRS, the products are usually better.
 
The prices that you pay for guitars musical equipment are negotiable, especially at the higher end. The higher the price of the instrument, the more room for negotiation. I look up the "internet" price before I go shopping at the local store or in some cases I just get out my phone when I am at the store and look up the price. I like to buy from my local store whenever possible, because they have been good over the years about taking care of warranty related issues and it eliminates the need to ship something around the country. IMHO
 
I think the most important question here is ...where are the pics ?
 
I strongly disagree with trying out the instrument at a dealer, and then buying it online. The dealer has to pay rent, employees, utilities,etc. To me it's an ethics question. We can justify anything in our minds. The dealers near me will price match, so that gets rid of that objection. If you don't want the display guitar, tell them that. I personally prefer guitars that have been broken in. I don't even like taking a new guitar to a gig until I understand how it performs. The bottom line for me is "Support your local business or they won't be there". Jobs can easily go elsewhere if you don't. That's also why I buy American if I have a choice. I still believe that, like PRS, the products are usually better.



One hundred dollars will buy you the least amount in DC than in any other place in the US. With that in mind it is reasonable for players to try guitars out in local shops with zero real intent of buying the item from the local DC guy. This type of thing would make common sense and not be unethical. Customers are free to try a manufacturer's product out at any of their dealers without an obligation to purchase from that particular dealer.

Some people work hard, or have worked hard, to earn their money and it is up to them how they desire to spend it; in other words, it's no one else's business.
 
Duffy, I live in Washington, DC. Among other places, Washington Music Center will do whatever they can to work with you. You can spend your money wherever you want. I want to know that my neighbors and friends aren`t going to have their jobs outsourced. Of course, if you`re a government employee for life, your perspective might be different. The last time I bought strings (6 sets at a time) I ended up saving about $12 by buying locally. And that didn`t include shipping.
 
I'm sure we can all agree that dealers make investments in their facilities, personnel and stock. For that reason, the ideal ethical situation is to buy where you try and not take advantage of their investment to learn about the product, and then turn around and go elsewhere. Why's it an unfair advantage to do that? Because it's not the purpose of the dealer to stock instruments to demonstrate for manufacturers, it's their purpose to stock instruments to sell to the people who come into the store.

There may not be a sign on the wall that says this, but everyone who comes into a store knows that this is the deal: I show my wares for you to buy.

Moreover, there aren't different ethics for rich people and folks for whom money is tight. A rich person is as capable of taking unfair advantage as a poor one. So saying "I can compromise my ethical choices because necessity forces me to," is still making an ethical compromise, the money part is simply an excuse for doing it.

I think most folks would agree that buying where you try is the most desirable ethical thing to do.

Therefore, trying at one place, when you know in advance that you're buying at another place is not an equally ethical choice. It's a less ethical choice. On the other hand, it's not an evil choice, and folks make ethical compromises all day long to make themselves happy when it comes to doing business.

Most stores expect a certain percentage of their traffic off the street will be tire-kickers who have no intention of buying there. So that has to be factored in.

Of course, this ethic stuff all presumes a few things: first, that you can find an instrument that you want at the dealer, and that it meets your criteria for not being too shopworn, and that the price is the same. It also assumes that the dealer is someone you'd like to do business with. For that reason, I avoid trying guitars at a place I wouldn't buy a guitar from.

As far as Sweetwater goes, I've been a customer of theirs since the days when all they sold was upgrades and software for Kurzweil synthesizers and samplers. So I don't want to give the impression that I'm dissing them, in fact, I'm a good customer of theirs.

However, they're not perfect, they're just like everyone else in that there have been screw-ups and issues. I had to take them to court years ago for a friend over their handling of a huge studio installation to get a problem solved. It happens., and it ended well for both parties, who still do business together.

In my own experience, the dealers who advertise here on the forum are more PRS-centric and knowledgeable about the PRS line than the big-box or S-water style dealers about PRS, and can solve issues that arise far more quickly on behalf of their customers. I don't have to wait hours or days for Jack Gretz to get back to me when an issues comes up, as an example. I do with my Sweetwater guy when an issue comes up, and often, when I simply want to place an order!

On the other hand, I don't call my Sweetwater guy to pick his brain, I only call when I have a serious interest and have done at least some homework to narrow down what I'm interested in. And if he gives me advice about the product I'm interested in, I will only buy from him.

The small dealers who visit the factory to pick 'em out personally, know the product extremely well, will immediately take one's call and solve a problem the same day. That's who I shop with and buy from. As a result, I avoid trying out instruments at a particular shop if I know I'm going to buy elsewhere.

The most ethical thing to do if you know in advance that you're going to buy from Sweetwater - just my opinion - is to call Sweetwater and get their sales person's advice, and not take unfair advantage of the investment the local shop has made. To do otherwise is something of an ethical compromise, but as I said, there are worse things.
 
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The most ethical thing to do if you know in advance that you're going to buy from Sweetwater - just my opinion - is to call Sweetwater and get their sales person's advice, and not take unfair advantage of the investment the local shop has made. To do otherwise is something of an ethical compromise, but as I said, there are worse things.

Yeah I see what you mean. I guess in the future I could go to a big chain if I want to try different guitars out, and then just have them order me a new one.
 
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