Elderly Instruments

[Maryc-k]

Many stores have a lot more inventory than they have listed. A lot of it sells while they are still prepping it for sale.

Elderly is doing fine, but stuff sells pretty fast.

[fitness1]

I've lived less than 100 miles from them all my life - bought my first guitar from them in '77 if memory serves.

I've watched them morph from a tiny store on Grand River across from the MSU campus to their current location that expanded a good bit a few years back.

I haven't purchased any instruments from them in several years - just too happy with what I have, so, it's not them, it's me.

I do, however, look at the new listings of used instruments pretty much daily, and it sure seems to me that they are still going pretty strong.

I'm not sure if things are still the same, but there was a time that if you wanted a new Martin, for example, you could choose from 4-5 of the same model.

They also have one of the best repair departments you will find anywhere. After T.J. Thompson left many years ago, Scott Gierman has been doing all the work I can't do myself. You can always count on a great outcome at a fair price.

All in all, I'd have to say they are one of the best around.

[DanR]

Originally Posted by smic28

I visited Elderly a long time ago back in 2013, while I was in Lansing to visit a friend. Stock was decent, but it was not a welcoming place, which was disappointing.

In my experience, they do leave you alone when you're trying out guitars. I appreciate that. I have purchased 3 guitars from them, with and without trades, and my experience there was always great. I also sold a guitar though consignment with them and that was a great experience as well.

[woodshop]

I'm from Georgia and when visiting my wife's parents and siblings in Jackson, Michigan, I would always steal away and go up to E. Lansing and have a great time sampling the stock there at Elderly. Did that for many, many years, but not since maybe 2018. I think of Elderly very fondly because they were always friendly and they had so many good instruments, out on the racks so you could just go in the rooms and have at it. I garnered a lot of impressions there and occasionally heard a great picker across the room, like Jake Stargell one time. I hope to go back sometime.

I visit the Elderly site every now and then, and I have had the impression since even before covid, that they are not as stocked as they used to be, but who is?

So long live Elderly...

[StrummingMadMan]

My first visit to Elderly was as a kid. I didn't care for them then and even less now. I live less than an hour from Elderly and would drive 4 hours to CME for the same guitar. I've never understood the praise for this place. I've never had a good interaction and everyone I know in the flesh feels the same way.

That being said, I hope they do well and I'm glad others have good things to say about them.

[darylcrisp]

i've purchased from elderly instruments for years, spent a lot of $ there. always found a fair price and good product, and any used item was as printed up in the details of the item.

i've purchased two instruments being listed as excellent and upon receipt needing pretty extensive work to get into playable condition. i've purchased a lot of used instruments from shops all over the USA and never experienced any nondiscussed or non-exposed issue.


both had pretty significant work necessary to put into normal playing condition, and none of the issues had been mentioned. i no longer trust the detail write ups that are on a used instrument from the shop, and then the necessity of calling to discuss the return and issue of shipping to and from since a return from a buyer will be expected to absorb such cost.

i know its an iconic place and has many times been my first go-to when looking for something, but no longer, there are other alternative shops with the same excellence i used to experience at elderly.

i hope if a continued problem exists beyond what i experienced, that elderly finds the source and takes care of the matter and has an excellent ride from here on.

d

[Mark Stone]

Now that I'm "Elderly", I feel awkward shopping there.

[hifivic]

OP, I just perused their site and they have more instruments than I've seen there in many years, not sure how you got the impression you got.

[Mr. Jelly]

My Elderly story is a little old but I can't say enough good things about them. I sold them a hand full of guitars once. An offer for one of the guitars was a little lower than I expected. But I was miles from home and wanted to purchase another guitar so I accepted it. Six months later I got a check in the mail with a note stating that they felt they hadn't paid me enough for the guitar. Top that! I have done business with then since they opened.

[Dave Hicks]

I've bought from Elderly since 1980 or so. I've bought several instruments in the store and 1 or 2 by mail. They don't loom over you in-store, but everybody's been friendly and helpful when needed.

D.H.

[Slimt]

Elderly Instruments is a fine place. Ive bought a few from Stan in the past. Always was a pleasure to deal with.

Daves Guitars in Lacrosse as well. Ive dealt with Dave in the past. Good guy.

Im sure there are others out there that are good to deal with I just have not found them yet.

[DebbieE]

I love Elderly Instruments. I've purchased several used guitars from them and they've all been better than rated by them and set up very well. I know that since Covid all of the music shops that I'd scan the inventory of on the internet has definitely gotten very low as to what the stores used to have.

I just ordered a DVD and book from Elderly last week and received it in 3 days, I ordered it on the 21st and it was delivered on the 24th. It was free shipping standard delivery too. I was very impressed.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by hifivic

OP, I just perused their site and they have more instruments than I've seen there in many years, not sure how you got the impression you got.

Well, a case in point is that they're advertising 5 Seagulls available, but if you click on Seagull, they're all sold out: they don't have any. There's also one Larrivee; 10 or 15 years ago, they would have had around ten.

This may be just a personal reaction of mine, I don't know. Around 2009, they had a terrific website, which, in my view, they changed significantly for the worse. Their offerings seemed to tail off around that time. They also seemed to get a little less appealing in terms of what they would offer in trades.

This is not an attempt to bash Elderly. As I said, they were my number one in internet buying and selling, and even now, all I have to do is type an 'E' on my browser for their address to appear. But I have found them to be a lot less interesting in the last five years or so to the point where I can go weeks without checking them out. It was once almost a daily occurrence, just to see what delights they had.

[ifret]

I started going to Elderly in 1974. I grew up in Lansing, went to college at Michigan State (East Lansing) and worked my career in Lansing. I've spent many a day in their showroom, still do. Their inventory changes quickly and is unpredictable, due to its vintage nature. The stock of new instruments changes quickly too. Sure, I've been frustrated sometimes when they didn't have something I was interested in, in stock, but I don't think it's any different from other successful music stores I've done business with. They are always eager to help you get what you want. I've ordered plenty of instruments from them...they always deliver. Still my "go to" music store, even after 47 years!

[standup]

I drove across the country to buy an upright bass at Elderly. It was in the "needs work" category, and it was pretty cheap. I had the work done, and these days I own a very old bass that is worth a lot more than I put into it.

So I'm still a fan of Elderly, though I don't really peruse their current stock the way I used to. My ex bought a Gurian acoustic, also from the "needs work" area, and after having some folks work on it, it was a very fine guitar.