The Music Emporium, Lexington, MA

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by beninma

There is a definite little bit of snobbery at TME sometimes, but they're overall awesome. They've definitely fallen into the trap a little of talking to you differently depending on which guitars you're looking at, and they're jumping to conclusions about what you can afford based on what you look at and how you're dressed. I can afford a whole lot more guitar than I've bought.. treating me at all snobby is the fastest way to not sell me the more expensive guitar you wish I would buy.

HiFi dealers are often the same way...

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by beninma

I live & work basically next door to Lexington.

The Music Emporium is my local store essentially, they're closer than even any of the local Guitar Centers.

I bought my Taylor Academy series guitar there. So I would disagree that they don't have any beginner friendly guitars.

Do they have $200 Made in China guitars? Not as far as I can tell. But my experience was those really cheap guitars were kind of a waste of my time and money, and given who lives around this area there are very few people who are going to walk in there who can afford a $200 guitar and can't afford a $600-1000 Martin or Taylor that will be worth the extra money.

What bugs me about this thread is:
- It looks like Molly Tuttle was at TME?
- It looks like Tony Polecastro may have been at TME?
- Both these things happened recently?
- I managed to miss it all? I'd love to meet and/or hear either of them play

There is a definite little bit of snobbery at TME sometimes, but they're overall awesome. They've definitely fallen into the trap a little of talking to you differently depending on which guitars you're looking at, and they're jumping to conclusions about what you can afford based on what you look at and how you're dressed. I can afford a whole lot more guitar than I've bought.. treating me at all snobby is the fastest way to not sell me the more expensive guitar you wish I would buy.

This is kind of just a factor of the area and the fact that any local retail store like this knows there are people with lots of money to spend who are vulnerable to being talked into overspending on hobby items. There is enough money around our area that it makes good sense for any retail establishment to act this way.

You can take lessons there BTW... I have not, but I might at some point.. my guess is it's a good place to find an instructor who really specializes in acoustic playing.

I have shopped in this kind of store and I like your explanation of what to expect there. Retail stores are out to sell their product and mose sales people will sell you the most expensive item they can (either for the commision and/or bragging rights). That is just the way businesses and most of their employees operate.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by Ludere

not acoustics, but, oh my ....

https://themusicemporium.com/guitars...any-brown-1959


https://themusicemporium.com/guitars...bluesette-2010

Well, they do play acoustically to a degree. The Chet Atkins is beautiful but the neck is too narrow for me. I have checked with Gretsch and the widest neck they make is 1 11/16". If they had a 1 3/4" model, I would be sorely tempted.

[Maryc-k]

TME sells lower end instruments, but their general business model is based on finely crafted high end instruments. If you know anything about Lexington and the general area it is a very wealthy community which suits their business model.

Someone mentioned they wanted to trade a Guild, which I am sure was a nice guitar, for a Collings guitar. Dealers have to be able to sell your trade for at least the amount they gave in trade. I haven’t met a dealer that will refuse a Collings in trade, but I know plenty who won’t take certain brands because these just won’t sell out of their storefronts.

I do a lot of business at TME, and have been fortunate to have purchased instruments that never even hit their website or the store floor. There’s lots more than what you see on their website. Everyone who works there is knowledgeable, and they are good people.

[oxygenman]

I wrote an article about the shop a couple of years ago for Fretboard Journal. TME is an extraordinary place, and I really like the people there.

[Black Squirrel]

That place is so evil, I innocently went in there to inquire about Consigning a vintage D-18 and a Modern D-18 I have and ended up walking out with Lowden S-50 Bog oak.

Those evil evil men

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by Black Squirrel

That place is so evil, I innocently went in there to inquire about Consigning a vintage D-18 and a Modern D-18 I have and ended up walking out with Lowden S-50 Bog oak.

Those evil evil men

Humph! Good to know. I can't stand evil places like that!

[beatcomber]

Great presentation/performance/discussion last night at TME by guests Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitars and celtic guitar virtuoso Tony McManus with Julia Toaspern. What a treat!

Richard Hoover seems like a real sweetheart of a guy... he astutely commented that he is in the rare position of having a career where customers come into his workshop happy, and go out even happier!

[SouthpawJeff]

Originally Posted by beninma

If you're going to take issue with the affordability of what they carry that's more an issue on the electric guitar side of things.

They carry right to the low end of the Martin & Taylor lines, but if you want something way more expensive they have that too.


.

If that is the case then I stand corrected. However my 1st experience shopping there, (several years ago before I bought my Taylor), was that there were no low end guitars. Of course different people have different ideas of low end. At that time it was explained to me that they didn’t bother with entry level guitars as they didn’t want the hassle of competing with the box stores.... fair enough I figured. So for someone like me looking for an entry level Taylor there wasn’t anything to check out. Not sure if they changed their business model since then, or if I was just given incorrect info, but that’s what I walked away with.

Anyway I did eventually find what I was looking for at the Minor Chord out in Littleton. That’s where I bought my Taylor 114, which admittedly is far less exciting than most anything at TME, but is more than enough for my crappy playing😉

My last visit I honestly didn’t even check out guitars. I walked in and asked the person who greeted me if they had much for lefties and was surprised they didn’t have anything🙁 Was bummed as I was hoping to try something a step up from the 114, but it was not to be. I bough a couple packs of strings anyway and headed out.

Oh and lastly.... their collection of hollow body guitars is as impressive, (to me anyway), as their acoustics. Not in terms of quantity, but just amazing gear. Serious drool bait there!!!

Jeff

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by beatcomber

Great presentation/performance/discussion last night at TME by guests Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitars and celtic guitar virtuoso Tony McManus with Julia Toaspern. What a treat!

Richard Hoover seems like a real sweetheart of a guy... he astutely commented that he is in the rare position of having a career where customers come into his workshop happy, and go out even happier!

Some photos I took last night:


Tony McManus with Julia Toaspern:






Richard Hoover with Tony McManus looking on:

[KenL]

Originally Posted by SouthpawJeff

My last visit I honestly didn’t even check out guitars. I walked in and asked the person who greeted me if they had much for lefties and was surprised they didn’t have anything🙁 Was bummed as I was hoping to try something a step up from the 114, but it was not to be. I bough a couple packs of strings anyway and headed out.

Jeff

Well, at least they had some left-handed strings.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by SouthpawJeff

Oh and lastly.... their collection of hollow body guitars is as impressive, (to me anyway), as their acoustics. Not in terms of quantity, but just amazing gear. Serious drool bait there!!!

Jeff

I may go there just for that. I am a serious lover of hollow body guitars.

[dhalbert]

I live about 10 miles from TME, and have been in several times. Got a nice Access One gig bag there, and the occasional set of strings. I have never bothered to try out any of the expensive instruments: given my skill level, I cannot justify spending that kind of money. They used to have a nice book selection, which I purchased from, but that went away a few years ago.

When the Taylor Academy line came out, there were posters in the windows about it, but they haven't had them in stock for a long time. I inquired about the Martin Dread Junior a few months after it came out, but I was told they got too many that needed neck resets, and stopped stocking it.

Except for Waterloos at around $2k, the real depth is $4k and up. They are a premier Collings shop, and have Lowdens, etc. There are some representative Taylors (x14ce) and Martins that are less, but they're not heavily stocked with those. Most everything is new; the used ones are generally very high end.

I have $75 gift card for them I got as a birthday present a couple of years ago. Now that the books are gone, I'm stymied as to what to do with it. The next time I need a gig bag, perhaps I'll use it, he said a little sadly.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by dhalbert

I live about 10 miles from TME, and have been in several times. Got a nice Access One gig bag there, and the occasional set of strings. I have never bothered to try out any of the expensive instruments: given my skill level, I cannot justify spending that kind of money. They used to have a nice book selection, which I purchased from, but that went away a few years ago.

When the Taylor Academy line came out, there were posters in the windows about it, but they haven't had them in stock for a long time. I inquired about the Martin Dread Junior a few months after it came out, but I was told they got too many that needed neck resets, and stopped stocking it.

Except for Waterloos at around $2k, the real depth is $4k and up. They are a premier Collings shop, and have Lowdens, etc. There are some representative Taylors (x14ce) and Martins that are less, but they're not heavily stocked with those. Most everything is new; the used ones are generally very high end.

I have $75 gift card for them I got as a birthday present a couple of years ago. Now that the books are gone, I'm stymied as to what to do with it. The next time I need a gig bag, perhaps I'll use it, he said a little sadly.

I always thought Lowdens were priced about $75 too high . . .

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by dhalbert

I have never bothered to try out any of the expensive instruments: given my skill level, I cannot justify spending that kind of money.

As others have mentioned, Lexington is an affluent community. (I am an exception; the only reason I can afford to live here is because we made out like bandits when we sold the tiny house in San Francisco that we bought in the '90s. But I digress...)

One day I was in the store, and there was a very well-dressed late-middle-aged man trying out a very nice Martin. It was obvious that he was a beginner, he could barely manage a basic strumming pattern, but there he was, awkwardly playing a guitar that I will probably never be able to afford.

I don't resent him for his success, but something about it just seemed, uh, disproportionate.