I had a chance to audition a particular guitar that was realy nice but with poor setup. So I turned this thing around and see it was manufactured in 2006 and it struck me when I was auditioning for my 07 MIA std strat I played the same guitar. So this guitar has been sitting there in the same store for nearly three years and nobody bought it.

Tha guitar is not a dog, just very badly setup and with some attention should be excellent.

1. Is it worth getting the guitar that has been sitting in the store for so long (they probably have the humidity control)?

2. The store price is still around $2000. What would be the fair discount offer?

Thank you

Cheers!

really interesting question... i always wondered about that because some of the guitars that have been around half a year or more sure have taken some abuse. i always figured most stores had a big "inventory blow out" sale gimmick around the holidays to clear that stuff out. the thought of a guitar hanging around for many years never occurred to me.

Unfortinately in Toronto area music stores do not give "Fender Friday" or similar blow out deals. Anything on special is due to the "special" reason . They just keep some these guitars hanging till they sell I guess.

There is 10% off Fender special in GuitarShop in Mississauga this Saturday as per other users post earlier this week but that is it.

Great Question,
I guess that right now cash is king... I bet if you asked they would make a deal. If there is more than one shop in your area, I know they would make a deal...Just my 2 cents...

_________________
Hey, Boy Blue is back!

Call me weird...but I refuse to buy a guitar from the store....I have seen too many people trash the guitars in the stores...I will try a particular model out...then go and order it from AMS at a better price than in the store...no one has trashed it..I set it up to my preference..and I am a happy camper! Is anyone else like this??

I would let them know that you are aware how long the guitar has been in stock. Then I would make them an offer of 10%-20% less than the price tag. They may reject it or they may not. They may negociate it in some other amount, but you will never know until you throw something out there.
Keep in mind that with the current economic situation it is a buyers market.

_________________
"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...

this is so true, and really my only beef with L and McQ.

That said, I doubt it is at L and McQ because in the 3 cities i have shopped in their stores they have been very good at keeping guitars set up. I was there just a little while ago, and a couple of their staff were taking guitars off the wall and checking them, and adjusting them as needed, i was kind of impressed.

_________________
I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

I was ready to buy a used production Eric Claptop Blackie at GC, they had it priced at $1300. The sales guy said hang on, and came back to me with a brand new Blackie still in the box (store price $2000). He said he could sell it to me for $1495! never been touched, so yes I walked out the door with it. This is a tough economy, so I would say if you get the right sales guy, you can work a deal. I didn't even ask, his numbers must have been down I don't know if I could have come close to an on-line deal like that! Now If I can only get a CS Masterbuilt blackie for $2K...that would be the perfect deal

like another person said, i usually offer them 15% off the price since it is used and not new and has seen a lot of licks as a store sample. There is a standard squier telecaster I am trying to get them to cut me a discount on at guitar center. it has a check on the back and a nick on the front with a lot of wear on the pickguard. but they keep telling me, "its a special run guitar we cant cut a deal", yet it has been sitting there for 7 months.

Generally I'll ONLY buy a guitar that is in brand new condition if I am buying it from a music store.

_________________
I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

i do the exact same thing. i'll go play it in the store and buy from musicians friend. they'll get it to me in 2 days (literally!) and no sales tax and usually no shipping either. I live in Lawrence and their warehouse is in KC. bout an hour drive from my house its a cool store btw.

_________________
Guitars: American Standard Strat, American Vintage 52 Tele, Gretsch Power Jet

Amps: Frontman 212R, Hot Rod DeVille 212 w/ Vintage 30's, AC30 w/ Greenbacks

Pedals: Boss Tuner, XOTiC AC-Booster, MXR Phase 90, Line 6 DL4

It is called NOS and most stores that have ebay accounts sell them on line to make room for the new stuff at great discounts. I bought a NOS Tele Deluxe and Ash Strat Deluxe form two stores on ebay this year for $1,050 the Tele and $1,100 for the Strat, and these were both bought after the price hike and both were in pristine condition and Keepers. Now this is different than buying SCRATCH and DENT which is when stores offer discounts on items that get dinged up. But definitely tell the guy to give you a NOS price, the worst that can happen is he says he cant,

Wonder if they'd have let the used guitar go for, let's say, $800. Maybe the salesperson gets a different % on new vs. used.

I also, avoid buying guitars off the walls. I consider them if not 'used', then 'pre-played". It also bugs me to see the uninformed, often parents buying a first for their kids, being offered an '07, or '08, which has been hanging up there for a dog's age, as if it were a brand new instrument.

Doc.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

You gotta understand...there's a lotta schlubs out there with money to burn that are buying guitars for furniture, i.e., they can't play a record player, but they buy an American Strat and set it up in their living room as a piece of furniture.....that is MY opinion as to why guitars, made by the big 5 or 6 established companies, are SOOO expensive...too expensive for real working musicians to afford comfortably....

Sometimes i don't think it's a bad idea if you think about it. They have been broken in and ready for playing. Just as long as it's not all scratched up or something else. When it comes to acoustics it doesn't hurt because i bought mine from the wall. It was even on clearance and the electronics and tuners had been updated from the original. It also had the "aged" look and feel to it but it was brand new and better sounding than those that were just put out.

[quote="6twang"]Sometimes i don't think it's a bad idea if you think about it. They have been broken in and ready for playing.

This is not a 'lord of the manor' priority. 'Breaking in' is something I'd prefer to do myself, and not leave to the headbangers ball. "New" means unopened and unplayed in my universe.

Doc

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"