The emergence of cheap and widespread internet connectivity
means that our life is a lot more convenient than it ever was before, in every
aspect imaginable. One of these conveniences is the ability the shop and buy
stuff online.
Online shopping has really taken off in the last decade or
so. You can, quite literally, buy just about anything and everything under the
sun on the internet – including guitars!
Buying a new axe for yourself (or a used one for that matter)
is not a week or a month-long process anymore. You don’t need to waste time,
energy and gas in order to buy a new guitar for yourself, all thanks to the
emergence of online shopping and online guitar stores.
Here are some of the pros and cons of buying a guitar on the
internet, as opposed to walking into your local guitar store to get one.
Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with any guitar store/shop, I’m simply a
musician (like you) who intends on outlining some of the essential differences
between two different guitar-buying experiences.
Before we begin, it is essential to know about some of the
places that you can buy a guitar online.
For starters, there are plenty of online
buying-and-selling/auction/ecommerce websites out there, such as eBay and
Amazon. You can find tons of guitars, new or used, on these ecommerce websites
alone!
Then there’s online guitar and musical instruments stores
such as GuitarBitz, Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend, Guitar Store Online (UK) and Furtados, to name just a few of them.
Buying a Guitar Online: A List of Pros
1. For starters, buying a guitar online provides you with a
lot of options, and quite literally, opens up a whole new world as far as
selection, choice and inventory is concerned. Not even the biggest guitar store
out there can match a guitar store in terms of selection and inventory. You can
virtually find any and every brand, and just about every guitar out there
online. One some of the bigger online stores, you’ll find all major brands and
guitars for beginners, professionals, for different budgets, signature guitars,
and of course, a wide selection of second-hand or used guitars as well.
2. Buying online is convenient. You can simply order a
guitar from the comforts of your living room, and all it takes is a few clicks
of the mouse to do so. And that really is the beauty of buying online: it’s a
hassle-free way of doing things!
3. Buying a guitar online is cost-efficient. You save up on
gas, and depending on how far the nearest guitar store is from you, this could
be an important consideration.
4. Buying online is time-efficient – the time that you spend
in transit (coming and going to the store), and the time that you spend in the
store itself. If you know what you want to buy, there’s no reason why you
shouldn’t save yourself some valuable time and buy it online.
5. In addition to points 3 and 4 above, most online stores
offer free shipping (in the US and Canada particularly), which just makes the
process of buying online even more cost-effective and worthwhile. Most of the
bigger online stores now offer free shipping on all their guitars, and even if
they don’t, shipping is quite cheap. Some guitars might even have free shipping
on them as part of a promotion.
6. Since online stores don’t have a physical
‘brick-and-mortar’ shop, and are not required to pay fixed costs such as rent
and bills, they are able to keep their costs at a minimum, and hence sell stuff
on the cheap. This is why similar guitars can be had for cheap on online
stores, as compared to a guitar shop. For instance a Gibson Les Paul Standard
2012 goes for around $2500 on almost all online stores, but your local guitar
store will almost certainly sell you the exact same model for much more than
this.
7. Online stores update their inventory frequently, always
have the latest guitar models in stock, and generally do a very good job of
keeping up with different models and updates. As soon as a new Stratocaster
signature model hits the market, you can be sure that GC or Musician’s Friend
will have it on stock in a matter of days.
Buying at your Local Store: A List of Pros
1. Buying a guitar in person allows you to examine the
instrument yourself, and this is, by far, the biggest advantage of buying in
person. There are a lot of things which need to be considered when buying a
guitar: the sound, tone, how confortable it is, playability and how well it
plays, and so on and so forth. The biggest disadvantage of buying online is
that you cannot physically test or try out a few guitars, and you’re
essentially stuck with what you have. When you buy in person, you’ll know that
you’ve bought the best possible guitar that you could’ve.
2. Buying a guitar is so much more than just that; it is an
experience! Going to a guitar store is an experience in itself; it is something
that you can only experience if you go to one. The sights, the smells of guitar
wood, speaking with other guitar enthusiasts, the chance to hang out with the
store guys, the ability to test and try out a number of different instruments,
and so on… it all adds to the experience of buying a new axe for yourself.
3. When you buy from your local store, you’ll go home with
an instrument that sounds the way you want, and plays the way you want. Online
stores usually give you a couple of days at max as far as return policies are
concerned, after which you’re essentially stuck with what you have.
4. You can stumble upon some real gems in guitar stores. I’m
talking about rare, vintage and/or restored guitars that will probably never
see the light of day on the internet.
5. Guitar stores provide you with a great opportunity to
speak with people in the biz: from guitar store employees, to other musicians
in your area. You might even find a good guitar instructor at your local store,
or apply to be one if they have advertised an opening.
6. When it comes to budget guitars, the price difference is
negligible between buying from a store or buying online. If you’re looking for
a budget axe, it might be a good idea to pick one up locally. Plus you can
haggle on the price, and who knows, the store might even give you a good deal
(or a great discount) on your guitar, or throw some free goodies in the
package.
7. Going to a guitar shop will allow you to see the
accessories and the guitar stuff that’s available there, and who knows, you
might actually be able to pick up something really cool for yourself!
Verdict
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what it more
convenient for you. If you know what you want to get, are looking for something
that is unavailable anywhere (like a rare ‘50s Telecaster),or if you don’t have
a guitar store in your vicinity online’s the way to go. Just make sure that you
know what you’re getting, and do your research + read up on some online
reviews.
On the other hand, beginners or guitar players unsure of
what they want should definitely hit their local guitar stores. Good luck with
your purchase!
No comments:
Post a Comment