Can I negotiate or just pay the listed price?

You can almost always get 10-15% off the advertised price if you talk to a sales person. I've almost never been told no when asking for this. Used is good too if you're very careful.

[Guitarsan]

You put yourself in the best negotiating position when you know exactly what model you want and are ready to buy.

Put yourself in the dealer's shoes. They are going to try and sell it for as much as they can, and most often on new guitars will have to advertise the same price all other dealers for that guitar advertise it for.

But what they end up privately selling it for can be and usually is less than that.

Start by approaching at least a couple of reputable dealers with "I'm buying XYZ guitar this week, what is the best price you can offer me?". That tells them you're serious and they're now motivated to put their best foot forward. With that simple question you're telling them 1) I'm serious 2) I'm ready to buy 3) In order to buy from you, you need to be competitive with other dealers I'm talking to.

This will establish a baseline negotiated price, which may or may not be the "best price". But it'll give you a good idea what range your purchase price is gonna be.

Consider what else these and other dealers bring to the table and be willing to concede some dollars for best service, terms, etc.

For new instruments you can't go wrong with this approach. Good luck!

[Spkey]

I purchased a new D18 from Sweetwater and I haggled the price down. I got about 25% off. I ordered mine a few weeks ago, they were out of stock, and I received a call today the new D18’s came in. So mine is shipped and should arrive on Monday. Exciting times!

[perttime]

Originally Posted by taylorgtr

It never hurts to ask, but it's best to talk to a real person who has the authority to cut a deal. You're not going to get something for less than what it's worth to the dealer/seller, so asking for 10-15% off of the MAP (in person, ideally, over the phone if it's not local).

In the end, the dealer has to make a profit. ...

Exactly.
And behave in a way that makes it easy for the other party to be nice to you.

The only guitars that I've bought somewhat recently are second hand electrics. For different reasons, I didn't haggle. The first one was a very special partscaster that the original owner sold at a price that was absolutely going to sell it immediately. The second was a pretty unique Strat - with a spec that I really wanted - sold online at a reputable shop a little far from me.

[backdoc]

Last guitar I bought, I simply mentioned the price listed on their website and asked if they could do any better. They immediately took $300 off a $1200 listed price. I had cash in hand and I thanked them for offering a great price and since I loved the guitar I said "I'll take it!" Easy peazy.

And the advice of being likeable certainly applies. Don't be a cocky jerk. Be polite, respectful and ask.

[taylorgtr]

Originally Posted by perttime

Exactly.
And behave in a way that makes it easy for the other party to be nice to you.

The only guitars that I've bought somewhat recently are second hand electrics. For different reasons, I didn't haggle. The first one was a very special partscaster that the original owner sold at a price that was absolutely going to sell it immediately. The second was a pretty unique Strat - with a spec that I really wanted - sold online at a reputable shop a little far from me.

When it's a good price, it's a good price - when it is, I've paid it straight up. I've also made offers on guitars that got turned down, and I got a great deal on a Taylor 812ce-N on an offer less than asking price. It all varies.

Then again, I've seen people try to haggle the price down, no matter how low it starts - sometimes they're professional Craigslist flippers, sometimes, they're just professional hagglers.

I'd always price something at the price I thought was fair, and a decent deal for the buyer, because I wanted to move it, but I never got desperate about it. My response to the people who'd repeatedly low-ball?

"I'm donating it.....just so you can't have it."

[Elroy Bean]

Good day,
From my experience it can be worth negotiating a lower than listed price for a new guitar, whether online or locally. My local store applies MAP pricing (minimum advertised price) so it is in line with the big online stores for listed price. However, sometimes it has been able to go a bit lower than MAP upon price negotiation. For instance, I purchased a Takamine P1NC, listed at $1099.99, the same as the internet. The store manager said she had very little additional wiggle room but still was able to add an additional discount of $30, plus an extra set of strings to boot. It was worth asking. Same goes for internet dealings. Maybe nothing but no harm in asking, unless you lowball so much that it is an insult.

[AHill]

Our sponsors will almost always offer a discount if you mention you're an AGF member. I got a substantial discount on my D-18 from one of our sponsors - enough to cover the cost of upgrading the case and adding a pickup and still paying less than MAP (Minimum Advertised Price).

A couple of terms you'll need to know:
MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) - Hardly a dealer out there who will offer a guitar at MSRP. MSRP is what you'll see on the manufacturer's website. DO NOT pay MSRP for a new guitar.

MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) - The lowest price a manufacturer will allow a dealer to ADVERTISE their guitars for sale. Many, many dealers will discount a guitar below MAP, but they are not allowed to advertise that they do that. That's why you have to call or ask in person. You shouldn't settle for MAP either. Ask for a discount. Many dealers will discount MAP by 15-20%, depending on the guitar.