Order custom shop Martin through dealer?

[Shortfinger]

Better than direct?

Which dealer?

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

Better than direct?

Which dealer?

JON at My Favorite. Guitar. He is a forum sponsor

Maury at Maury's Music. He is another forum sponsor

[IndyHD28]

There is no direct.

[IndyHD28]

Originally Posted by chistrummer

Martin doesn't sell direct, at least I don't think they do other than the guitars they sell direct in the factory.

If you buy a guitar at the factory, they will ask you which dealer you want to run it through then charge you full MAP for the privilege.

This to be differentiated from the factory delivery program whereby you order a guitar at the dealer, pay them in full, then get some VIP treatment upon arrival.

[lowrider]

Yes, you have to go through an authorized dealer and even if you didn't have to, you're better off with someone who knows the ropes of the Custom Shop looking out for you and providing you with a nice discount.

I just went through the ordering process through Maury at Maury's Music. Mine is a simple custom order; just changing a 17 series guitar into a jumbo J-17, but Maury caught two things that were not the way I wanted in the final spec sheet. Once you sign the sheet, you're getting what you ordered unless you pay for a change.

So far, I'm only one month into the 6 to 8 month wait but so far Maury has done a very good job for me.

There are several good dealers who have experience ordering customs. For me, one advantage that Maury has is that he's right near the Martin Shop. I'm in NY, so Maury gets the guitar and overnites it right to me. It pays to deal with a dealer who will keep your guitar in the most direct route with less shipping

[Kh1967]

Two great forum sponsors have already been mentioned.

I noticed that you spend some time in Illinois? If so, I highly recommend Tobias music for Martins. They have been a Martin dealer for 40 years - they have it figured out. :-)

[llew]

Another plug for Jon @ My Favorite Guitars. Great guy and great customer service. Been dealing with him on Martin's for years. He specs great Custom Shop "in house" MFG customs but recently spec'd out a CS HD-28LSV (HD-28V with an enlarged sound hole similar to a Clarance White/Tony Rice style Martin) with Jon and I'm really excited about it. Yeah...it'll be six months but it should be worth the wait. Best of luck whatever you decide!

[TJNies]

If the OP is anywhere close to a larger Martin dealer, they may hold an annual Martin Event, where many distinctive Custom Shop models will be available for audition before committing.

I've purchased 5 Martins during the Events, still owning 3.

[Iain1231]

Is buying direct at the factory cheaper?

[pagedr]

Originally Posted by Iain1231

Is buying direct at the factory cheaper?

No it’s way more expensive to buy a guitar while at the factory. You can opt to purchase a guitar through a dealer and then pick up at the factory, which allows you to negotiate a better deal since Martin isn’t selling it to you directly.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

I noticed that you spend some time in Illinois? If so, I highly recommend Tobias music for Martins. They have been a Martin dealer for 40 years - they have it figured out. :-)

Another Chicago-area Martin dealer is The Guitar Works in Evanston. I ordered my recent Martin Custom Shop 00-21 through Terry Straker, the owner of The Guitar Works and a longtime friend of mine. I was very pleased with both the guitar and the process as handled by Terry.


Wade Hampton Miller

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

I noticed that you spend some time in Illinois? If so, I highly recommend Tobias music for Martins. They have been a Martin dealer for 40 years - they have it figured out. :-)

Another big thumbs up for Tobias Music in Chicagoland. Family owned for 40 years. Talk with Paul.

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by Bridgepin

JON at My Favorite. Guitar. He is a forum sponsor.

I have purchased two custom Martins from Jon. There is nobody better when it comes to helping you put together an order.

[Bear Davis]

I have ordered A LOT of guitars and I stopped calling other dealers because Ted @ LA guitar sales was ALWAYS lower. I often see used custom shop Martins for sale in the AGF classifieds, reverb, ebay for more than what I can get one from Ted brand new.

Go get your custom shop quote from anyone else, then call Ted. Don't even tell him you have another quote from another store. It won't matter, Ted will beat it.

[cu4life7]

I went through Jon @ My Favorite Guitars. Had a fantastic experience.