Purchasing on line issue

[phcorrigan]

Most of the major players (GC, Sweetwater, etc.) have reasonable return policies, but you will likely have to pay return freight.

Most also use Synchrony Bank for house credit cards, and usually offer 12-month no-interest billing, but sometimes as much as 36-month billing when manufacturers participate.

I bought my Bugera amp from GC on their card with 12-month, no-interest billing.

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

For whatever it's worth, here is my suggestion.

You are setting yourself up for failure.

A good guitar player can make almost any guitar sound "good". That is, the sounds that come out of it will be "good". That has to do with the skill of the player much more than the specific sound quality of the guitar.

You own a Martin. Perhaps not the top of the line Martin, but it likely sounds good enough that a skilled player can make it sound acceptable to almost any audience.

Buying based on brand and model is usually a bad idea if you have some very specific sound quality you are looking for. Buy a specific instrument, not a brand, not a model, not a specification. That requires playing instruments to select one that "does it" for you. You state you are in the Boston area: there are many options there for trying before buying an individual instrument. That includes private sales, pawn shops and music stores. Playing the game of ordering on-line and then paying to return what doesn't sound like what you want is a game of chance - one that can cost you more in return shipping costs than having played and selected an instrument you like.

Then there is the personal issue of financing it. Only you know your finances. In general, way too many people carry too much debt, buying things their income can't afford. Getting a loan from a bank, if one can, is much, much less expensive than credit card interest rates.Thousands upon thousands of people are in an endless loop of credit card debt - having purchased things on credit that they can't pay off - they'll be paying interest for years.

If you absolutely have to have a "new" instrument, my suggestion is to buy locally, after playing enough instruments to find one that you like. Buying used will often get you the same guitar for a lots less money. Anything you buy, new or used, will often require being setup to your preference: factor that cost into your purchase.

If you really dislike the Martin you have, sell it or trade it for what you want. Discuss it with your wife, since the Martin was a gift from her. Not much point in keeping, storing and maintaining a guitar you don't like and will not play. You have money and space being tied up.

I quoted this so the OP would read it again. It is spot on.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by pjd3

My wife with great intention bought me a Martin Shenendoah for Christmas...

I have a Shenandoah that I purchased new in 1984 or 85, and I never really bonded with it until after I bought my HD-28V and then set up the Shenandoah to get it ready to sell. Once it was properly set up it played great and sounded pretty good, so I decided to keep it.

The one problem I had was the plugged-in sound was truly crappy. I replaced the factory UST pickup with a JBB bridge plate pickup, and in the process installed a new saddle, since the original would have been too low without the UST in place.

Guess what? My acoustic sound improved dramatically without the factory UST under the saddle.

Before you give up on the Shenandoah you might consider doing similar things. You might be surprised at the result.

[Goodallboy]

My advice is two fold.

Don't ever buy an acoustic guitar you haven't played.

Don't ever buy an acoustic guitar on credit. If you don't have the cash, you don't need the guitar.

[waterboy]

As you are in the Boston area,take a look at Manchester Music Mill (Manchester, NH). They do online and in person, take trades and will probably have all the facilities of a GC or whatever.
When I was restarting playing i ordered online and they put out several examples for me to try in person.
My experience with them was great. They also 45 day no questions return.
For in person, the The Minor Chord in Littleton MA deserves a mention, but they may not have the facilities you are looking for.
No affiliation with either, just a customer of both.
Don't think that either do Eastman, if that was the goal though.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

I have a Shenandoah that I purchased new in 1984 or 85, and I never really bonded with it until after I bought my HD-28V and then set up the Shenandoah to get it ready to sell. Once it was properly set up it played great and sounded pretty good, so I decided to keep it.

The one problem I had was the plugged-in sound was truly crappy. I replaced the factory UST pickup with a JBB bridge plate pickup, and in the process installed a new saddle, since the original would have been too low without the UST in place.

Guess what? My acoustic sound improved dramatically without the factory UST under the saddle.

Before you give up on the Shenandoah you might consider doing similar things. You might be surprised at the result.

He beat me to it. If you've never had that Shenandoah professionally set up (or if it hasn't been done recently), you should. It's a low-cost option that your wife might be happy to support. If you still don't dig it, there's plenty of excellent guitars available locally for far less than $1000-$1500. I picked up a used all-solid Eastman E1OM for under $400. Martin all-solid Road Series guitars can be had for under $800. That's easy money to be had with a few weekends of mowing lawns.

Do NOT - repeat - do NOT sell or trade your wife's gift guitar! She put a lot of thought and love into choosing it for you. Better yet, even after you get that new guitar, pull out the Shenandoah and play it for her once in a while.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by personatech

Do NOT - repeat - do NOT sell or trade your wife's gift guitar! She put a lot of thought and love into choosing it for you. Better yet, even after you get that new guitar, pull out the Shenandoah and play it for her once in a while.

Agreed. After all the work I've done on my Shenandoah, it plays as good as my HD-28V and sounds almost as good as well. I probably don't need two Martin dreds, but this guitar plays and sounds so far above its resale value that I'm not going to get rid of it.