Visiting Martin tomorrow. Might buy a guitar and have to get it home???

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by 619TF

Not so sure about that..

https://www.martinguitar.com/about/v...ctory-program/

"Once you've reached a decision, your Buy From Factory representative will present you with your new guitar and assist you with completing your purchase."

Wow, that's a slap in the face of their dealers!

[RP]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Are you guys serious about buying Martins at 60% of MSRP at a dealer?

Yes..........

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Wow, that's a slap in the face of their dealers!

No, they sell at the maximum MRSP

[ChrisE]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Are you guys serious about buying Martins at 60% of MSRP at a dealer?

Yes. All you have to do is ask. All of a sudden that $3,000 beauty you’ve had your eye on is now $1,800.

Just ask them.

[carl_is_tall]

Originally Posted by RP

Yes..........

Wow. Shopping right now at a dealer and the price tag is at 80% right now.

Don’t mean to derail the thread. About to buy a D-35

[RP]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Wow. Shopping right now at a dealer and the price tag is at 80% right now.

Don’t mean to derail the thread. About to buy a D-35

Call Maury's Music https://www.maurysmusic.com and/or My Favorite Guitars https://www.myfavoriteguitars.com....

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Are you guys serious about buying Martins at 60% of MSRP at a dealer?

Yep...been standard for years among our sponsors and some other dealers.

[carl_is_tall]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

Yes. All you have to do is ask. All of a sudden that $3,000 beauty you’ve had your eye on is now $1,800.

Just ask them.

Well I had no idea. Pretty amazing. The D-35 I’m looking at is priced the same as the price listed on Maury’s and MFG, which is 80% of MSRP.

So when I go in there tomorrow, I just ask if I can buy it at 60% of the MSRP? That’s NOT a small discount. It’s a big one.

I guess I’m asking because I don’t want to be rude or anything. But if it’s all cool and all you have to do is ask,... well then I’m in.

Thanks for all your help

[BrunoBlack]

This entire pricing system used by Martin seems crazy. Commerce conducted within an illusion. Anyone who buys at 80% and learns they could have bought at 60% if they asked, will feel screwed. And it creates a false sense of value. A $3,000 guitar is really an $1,800 guitar. All this trickles into the used market as well. I’m not sure how players benefit, but maybe someone can explain.

[jnidoh]

Uncle Jesse,

Later realized that I paid way too much for the 35 but when you're new at something and don't know who to ask.......at the time I thought the factory would give you a better price then a dealer. Duh...join AGF then buy guitar...join AGF then buy guitar.......

What's done is done and that's why I don't think about it anymore. Expensive lesson but I've learned.

john

[EverettWilliams]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Well I had no idea. Pretty amazing. The D-35 I’m looking at is priced the same as the price listed on Maury’s and MFG, which is 80% of MSRP.

So when I go in there tomorrow, I just ask if I can buy it at 60% of the MSRP? That’s NOT a small discount. It’s a big one.

I guess I’m asking because I don’t want to be rude or anything. But if it’s all cool and all you have to do is ask,... well then I’m in.

Thanks for all your help

There’s the MSRP, there’s the MAP (minimum advertised price), and then there dealer cost. The dealer can sell between that cost and MSRP. Elderly was selling at 62.3% 25 years ago. The trend has remained the same and a number of solid dealers will sell for 60%. If you’ve got your eye on a specific guitar, go make them an offer on it. If they balk, know that one of the good dealers here will help you out. I don’t have any new Martins and haven’t dealt with Maury’s or MFG, but they seem universally loved around here.

[drplayer]

And don’t forget, on top of paying MSRP, if you pay at the factory and take the guitar with you, there will also be sales tax. Buy from a select dealer, however, and you’ll get the guitar for 60%-62% of MSRP, pay no tax (unless you happen to live in the same state as the dealer), and have it shipped to you most likely for free. On a $3000 guitar, that all adds up to about $1500.

[EverettWilliams]

Originally Posted by Haasome

This entire pricing system used by Martin seems crazy. Commerce conducted within an illusion. Anyone who buys at 80% and learns they could have bought at 60% if they asked, will feel screwed. And it creates a false sense of value. A $3,000 guitar is really an $1,800 guitar. All this trickles into the used market as well. I’m not sure how players benefit, but maybe someone can explain.

This provides margin protection for dealers, I suppose. Most people don’t do much due diligence before buying. If they do, they google it and see that they are getting “The Price” and go for it. While some subset may dig in and learn more, I’d bet most don’t. So, a dealer makes a little more. In theory, it’s good for us as players to have sustainable dealerships and it’s good for us as bargain hunters to have people to subsidize our good deals. It’s goofy, it’s somewhat anticompetitive, but there’s some rationality behind the madness.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by carl_is_tall

Well I had no idea. Pretty amazing. The D-35 I’m looking at is priced the same as the price listed on Maury’s and MFG, which is 80% of MSRP.

So when I go in there tomorrow, I just ask if I can buy it at 60% of the MSRP? That’s NOT a small discount. It’s a big one.

I guess I’m asking because I don’t want to be rude or anything. But if it’s all cool and all you have to do is ask,... well then I’m in.

Thanks for all your help

I don’t know what if any price breaks you’ll get from the shop you’re working with. But what you are seeing is MAP...the “Minimum Advertised Price.” Manufacturers like Martin don’t allow dealer to advertise below MAP. But once you are in negotiations with a shop virtually all will sell guitars for below MAP. With our sponsors the discount is usually +/- 20% off MAP or 40% off MSRP.

[Jaden]

There is variation in wood, and after owning 2 of the 000-15m, one had some problems with responsiveness - with Martin Retro strings, it was ear bleed tone still after 2 weeks, with regular strings, it felt when playing it, resistance. Always better to try before you buy, no matter what the price.