Where did you get your Guitars?

[Silly Moustache]

This occurred to me when reading the thread about picks in pockets.
I know that many visit dealerships and play different guitars.
I realised that I haven't done this for years.

In the '70s I lived in London with easy access to Denmark Street and Shaftesbury Avenue and prowled the many dealerships, learning what different brands offered and (if allowed) playing instruments that I may, one day aspire to, but most of my purchases were found in the classified ads in a music newspaper called Melody Maker.

Come the '90s, on the south coast, I had access to TAMCO (forum sponsor) and two other places sadly defunct.

It wasn't really until 1999 that I started "accumulating" and it occurred to me that the reason I don't keep picks in my pockets is that I don't go to guitar shops and that relatively few of my acquisitions have come from shops anyway.

* I have an archtop from a dealer in Seattle who shipped it wrongly.

* My mandolin and a Weissenborn came from TAMCO (Forum sponsor) in 2007.
* I have a National that I "swapped" and my Waterloo that I bought new from Guitar Village (that Toby has remarked on).
* My first Collings came from the now defunct Acoustic Centre in 1999.

That's it.

Everything else was bought privately, and mostly via Ebay.

So that's why I don't keep picks in my pockets.

So ...where do/did your instruments come from?

[lt20dbl]

Where I live, (Maine) Would be unlikely to run across any of the guitars I have chosen to put hands on. All bought online from dealers or in one case, built by a luthier to order.
In order of arrival: 97: Ordered through Elderly Instruments . Collings DS2H stock model. Built to order. 2012: Martin 00-28VS (bought used from Bernunzio music).
2014: Martin OM 18 A. 1933. Bought new from Maury's Music. 2016: Martin D-28 A. 1931. Bought used from L.A. GUITAR. 2017: Gary Cotten 000-28 12 fret. Built to order. These are just the ones I presently own.

[DownUpDave]

The Larrivee and Taylor GS mini in my signature were the only guitars bought new from a store, 12th Fret in Toronto. The Martin 000-15M was from a Kijji ad, we met up in a parking lot at a music store. All other were purchased sight unseen online. All purchases have worked out well and I am very happy with what I own.

[fitness1]

Before 2002, almost all my instruments came from Elderly's new and used stock.

Then I hooked up to the internet and found this place and all the options it brought, and probably 250 guitars later, I have what's in my sig line.

Three coming direct from the builders, and one from Ebay.

[EatingHumblePie]

I've been buying mostly used so far, but love visiting dealerships and trying out guitars when I have the chance (and usually buying strings or other things while there).

Just the other day I was able to play a Martin OM-28 and a wonderful 000-28. They also had a CEO 7 in the store and a Santa Cruz OM/PW and I'm already looking forward to going back there.

You often also learn interesting new things along the way. For example, I hadn't known that it was D'Addario who introduced Phosphor Bronze strings in the 1970s.

[RP]

I know that trying out a guitar prior to purchase is most desirable; but like others have said, the chances of finding the right guitar (at the right price) hanging on the wall of a brick and mortar is less likely than finding it online. I've recently come full-circle back to the Taylor fold, and these tend to be pretty consistent in tone and workmanship. However, my personal criteria are no cutaway, preferably no factory electronics and no runout further limit the likelihood of my finding the right guitar hanging on the wall of Guitar Center or Sam Ash. The four guitars in my signature came from Shoreline Music, Replay Music Exchange, Wildwood Guitars and Musicians Friend...

[BrunoBlack]

I have the good fortune of living within driving distance of a fantastic local shop, The Music Emporium. I’ve purchased about half of my guitars from TME. I’ve also purchased a few directly from builders and several on line from guitar shops located in a distant State. I have purchased 1 through eBay and a few through Reveb.

[IndyHD28]

Martin: Reno’s Music Fishers, IN (Indy) in-person
Taylor: L.A. Guitars. Hollywood, CA. Online

[AndrewG]

We have three shops in my small town, two are more general music shops (keyboards, brass, drums, orchestral instruments etc.), but one, Mansons, is guitars only and where I visit most. I've been dealing with them over 30 years and always get a good deal.
I've bought a few guitars unseen online if I've spotted a bargain somewhere distant, after speaking with shops first, and most of my experiences have been positive. The few Gibsons I bought online were all awful-an SJ200 which was dead and had a badly off-centre back strip, and the cheap screen-printed pickguard with the design falling off in places, and an ES135 which was no better than firewood, frankly. It arrived with finish checking, a bridge offset to the treble side by at least a half inch, unfinished frets, missing tuner screws, missing a tailpiece screw, the 'ES135' decal skewed and the body and case full of sawdust and a few wood chips. One of Gibson's better examples!

[llew]

Martin's came from Jon @ MFG. Never needed to look elsewhere. Great pricing and excellent customer service. Others came from all over. Music Emporium, Elderly, Mass Street, Gruhn, and some custom stuff came from Steve & Raymond @ AMW. Many great online dealers across the country. But I always try to deal with our forum sponsors if I can.

[rstaight]

Most every stringed instrument I have was purchased from a music shop new.

The SG was used but from a shop. The Camelot was new when purchased from a discount store. Those are the only 2 exceptions to the above statement.

I will occasionally peruse pawn shops for the heck of it because you just never know. Maybe one of these days.

[guitararmy]

Some of my favorite acoustic guitars were either bought used from the AGF Classifieds or new from traditional stores like Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton MD.

[TBman]

Let's see if I can get this right:

Alvarez - Zzounds
Avalon - Shoreline
Gibson J-45 - Guitar Center
Guild D-55 - a guitar/music store in River Vale NJ, now out of business.
Guild D-120 - Sam Ash
Larrivee - Guitar Center
Lucero LC-100 - Guitar Center
Martin - Guitar Center
Seagull - Sweetwater
Washburn D-10S - Guitar Center

[hat]

With the exception of my J45 which was a pawn shop find, all the others are one's Ive made myself.

[bluesfreek]

I got my Sigma (new) and Morris (used) from a shop that specializes in a mix of new and used consignment instruments. My Epiphone acoustic/electric I found used online from a local buy & sell site.