Why aren't people grabbing used Emeralds from Guitar Center?

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by brainfertilizer

I've eagerly anticipated the arrival of many guitars over the last decade.

I don't think I've EVER been this impatient, this eager for a guitar to arrive.

ever

I hope it lives up to your expectations!

I do know what you mean. Waiting for my 4th Emerald, which was an amalgamation of my 1st and 2nd, was especially trying.

It’s now my #1, with the 3rd (my Amicus) being #2.

There will be a quiz

[brainfertilizer]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

I hope it lives up to your expectations!

I do know what you mean. Waiting for my 4th Emerald, which was an amalgamation of my 1st and 2nd, was especially trying.

It’s now my #1, with the 3rd (my Amicus) being #2.

There will be a quiz

I am kinda curious what the first and second did to get you to cut them out of your will.

[Captain Jim]

Guitar Center isn't the go-to place for anyone looking for a carbon fiber guitar. That said, when one comes up for sale used, you might be able to make a decent buy, since it isn't something their typical customer would be looking for.

I think most players who are interested in carbon fiber tend to be pretty savvy... not implying that GC shoppers aren't, but a carbon fiber guitar isn't something that most players would buy "because it is there"... the CF buyer is looking for something specific.

[Mandobart]

I'm not grabbing any carbon fiber instruments at any price, yet. So far they just haven't grabbed me like my wooden instruments have.

I take them all (not all at once) camping, to festivals, out to jams, outdoor gigs, playing on the porch, etc. So far, I'm not sure what a CF instrument could do for me that my current crop can't.

But it's great for us all to have the options we do.

[PassingThru]

I wonder if donating the carbon fiber to a charity or a church would bring a bigger dollar benefit than selling at a greatly reduced cost?

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Guitar Center isn't the go-to place for anyone looking for a carbon fiber guitar. That said, when one comes up for sale used, you might be able to make a decent buy, since it isn't something their typical customer would be looking for.

I think most players who are interested in carbon fiber tend to be pretty savvy... not implying that GC shoppers aren't, but a carbon fiber guitar isn't something that most players would buy "because it is there"... the CF buyer is looking for something specific.

Sometimes GC can surprise us. Before the pandemic panic, one of our local GCs had one guy who wanted that store to be the McPherson CF dealer for the Twin Cities. He sold me both a Sable and a Touring for less than they I am seeing them go for used. Unfortunately, he no longer works there and I haven't seen a CF guitar there since then. It was a case of "right place, right time", but as rare as that can be, it certainly can happen. Some years ago, I recall that same store selling Rainsong guitars for a short period of time. Unfortunately, I don't care for their necks or I would have had one or two.

Tony

[Captain Jim]

Good timing on your part, Tony. I've dealt with some very knowledgeable people at GC... and, of course, some that didn't have a clue. More often than not, the sales person there had never heard of a carbon fiber guitar. One guy, after I described carbon fiber to him, led me to a Martin laminate guitar that had a black top on it and proclaimed it: "pretty much the same."

Another that offered to look in their system and asked, "How do you spell 'RainSong'?" There was nothing in their system at that time.

I went into one that had a used RainSong Black Ice - hanging up near the ceiling. After getting a ladder to get it down, the sales guy handed it to me... it was dusty and out of tune. And priced close to new. The action was uncomfortably high. It had obviously been there a while - he said I was the first that asked about it.

There are some good dealers who handle McPherson. I am surprised that Guitar Centers in the Phoenix area don't stock them. Looking it up, you can have one shipped to the store in 3 to 5 business days.

My experience with GC has been hit or miss. Still, I will go in and look around from time to time. These days, if I'm shopping for a guitar, it's on-line with our Irish friends.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by brainfertilizer

I am kinda curious what the first and second did to get you to cut them out of your will.

#1 was a 6-string X20, purchased in 2018
#2 was an X20-7 that followed it in 2019

I loved the fan frets of the X20-7, but never really got to grips with the extra string. So, #4 is another 6-string X20, but with fan frets.

#1 and #2 didn't really get cut out of the will - they found new homes with another forum member, which facilitated the purchase of #4, so everyone is happy, and still speaking to each other

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by brainfertilizer

. . . Am I over-estimating the number of people who can afford and want a $2400 carbon fiber acoustic?

I think so.

Does the Krivo humbucker suck in an X10?

I doubt it.

Are the people who can afford $2400 for top notch carbon fiber acoustic just more likely to wait and buy one new and spec'd to order?

Dunno.

Does the Emerald Fan Club just not consider watching Guitar Center and Music Go Round for steals and deals on used gear?


Dunno.

What am I missing?

Carbon-fiber guitars don't appeal to everyone. To those they do appeal to, the wood top probably isn't univesally desirable. After all, lots of people buy carbon fiber to get away from wood.

Every kind of guitar has its following. Some followings are just bigger than others.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

There are some good dealers who handle McPherson. I am surprised that Guitar Centers in the Phoenix area don't stock them. Looking it up, you can have one shipped to the store in 3 to 5 business days.

My experience with GC has been hit or miss. Still, I will go in and look around from time to time. These days, if I'm shopping for a guitar, it's on-line with our Irish friends.

Sam Ash on 83rd and Cactus always had some Rainsong's back when they were a dealer. They seemed to sit as I saw the same four each time I went in over a
couple of years. But I have not been in there in about four years now and Rainsong is now direct-sales only, like Emerald and Blackbird.

I agree that Phoenix is an area ripe for stores to stock CF guitars. It is a big population in an uber-dry environment. Kramster was the leading warehouse of carbon instruments in AZ, but he seems to have gotten away from them, and does not participate here much anymore.

[OnTheFidele]

There's a used Rainsong WS1000 up on the GC site going for $1,299.99. The 10% off used instruments is in effect still. I was going to pick it up, but saw something strange on the top of the instrument. It looks like there are two Phillips head screws in the top just above the bridge in irregular positions. Guessing the deal is too good to be true...

[benderman57]

I've bought a few Emeralds and a Rainsong from GC in the past. At that point in time the Emeralds were just really starting to catch on a had people buzzing. I saved a bunch of money compared to trying to buy one off of the forum. Understandably people who were trying to sell them here were asking a good bit for used one and were getting it a lot of times as they were not near as common. Emerald had done away with dealers and you had to place and order & wait. A lot of people had no way to take one for a spin to see if it was their thing or not.

By buying mine from GC I got them around 1/2 off the new price and they were in mint condition, plus I had at least 30 days to return them. I did end up returning the Rainsong just because I didn't really care for it. I ate around $45 shipping was all. If I had bought new or on the forum at a higher price then had to turn around and sell who knows how much I would have been out?

I love the forum and have bought and sold a lot here with good results but I do think checking GC can be a great way to go at times.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Guitar Center isn't the go-to place for anyone looking for a carbon fiber guitar. That said, when one comes up for sale used, you might be able to make a decent buy, since it isn't something their typical customer would be looking for.

I think most players who are interested in carbon fiber tend to be pretty savvy... not implying that GC shoppers aren't, but a carbon fiber guitar isn't something that most players would buy "because it is there"... the CF buyer is looking for something specific.

Totally agree...

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Good timing on your part, Tony. I've dealt with some very knowledgeable people at GC... and, of course, some that didn't have a clue. More often than not, the sales person there had never heard of a carbon fiber guitar. One guy, after I described carbon fiber to him, led me to a Martin laminate guitar that had a black top on it and proclaimed it: "pretty much the same."

Another that offered to look in their system and asked, "How do you spell 'RainSong'?" There was nothing in their system at that time.

I went into one that had a used RainSong Black Ice - hanging up near the ceiling. After getting a ladder to get it down, the sales guy handed it to me... it was dusty and out of tune. And priced close to new. The action was uncomfortably high. It had obviously been there a while - he said I was the first that asked about it.

There are some good dealers who handle McPherson. I am surprised that Guitar Centers in the Phoenix area don't stock them. Looking it up, you can have one shipped to the store in 3 to 5 business days.

My experience with GC has been hit or miss. Still, I will go in and look around from time to time. These days, if I'm shopping for a guitar, it's on-line with our Irish friends.

GC, at least in my area, has really changed over the years. There was a time when they carried real quality stuff, and lots of it. In general, the sales people were older and (overall) seemed to have a wider breadth of knowledge of guitars in general and often much very specific knowledge.

These days, the stuff seems to tend toward the lower end of he market and the sales staff is much younger on average. There are sales people who do know their stuff, but not everybody as it was years ago. I still buy stuff there and am generally happy with my experiences there.

Tony

[brainfertilizer]

Originally Posted by OnTheFidele

There's a used Rainsong WS1000 up on the GC site going for $1,299.99. The 10% off used instruments is in effect still. I was going to pick it up, but saw something strange on the top of the instrument. It looks like there are two Phillips head screws in the top just above the bridge in irregular positions. Guessing the deal is too good to be true...

I would give them a call and have a salesperson take a look at it and explain what's going on with that.