Buying new acoustics

[Tone71]

Apologies, this has probably been asked a zillion times but I am interested to see what others think.

Say you went into a guitar shop and played loads of guitars to find the "one" and spent a while playing etc until you found what you were happy with and wanted to buy, bearing in mind how each acoustic can feel different do you:

Buy the very one you have sat and played and are happy with?
or
Buy the same model of the one you have played that is brought out from the back in a box and take it home?
or
Open the box of the one of the same model to see if its the same as the one on the shelf in terms of playability?

[Lixarto]

Buy the very one you have sat and played and are happy with?

This.

Of course, I bought my acoustic sight unseen from Hartnolls via mail order. Hey ho.

[dindude]

Personally, I think the notion of trying and finding "the one" in the confines of a music store environment to be utter bollocks. I do loads of research as to what is on the market and find the very best match to my needs, spec wise, looks wise, price wise, reputation and review wise, then go and try to see if it lives up to expectations, if i can. My acoustic was bought sight unseen, same as my Gibson, and my amp, and all my pedals. Conversly, my PrS McCarty was the best by miles when i tried it in a shop and it lasted less than a year. yes I have turned around some equipment in my time but I honestly do not know if I l love something until it is my environment, simple as.

[bertie]

TBH its highly unlikely you'll "find the one" in one sitting, but.....unless you have a specific goal......its better than buying something you've never played, completely blind............when you have such an 'open mind' as you do now, it certainly helps narrow down the options.

[Tone71]

Ok, not "THE" one, but one that you wish to purchase, lets say you wanted to buy a Faith, sat and played the Venus model and loved it do you buy the one off the shelf or get a new box fresh one?

I'm with you dindude, until it is in my environment, strung and set up as I like then I never know.

FWIW I know my next purchase, spent an hour in Guitar Village on Sunday (excellent store, really helpful even though they knew I was just looking) and now just trying to accumulate the folding stuff

[tonyteech02]

Buy the one you are playing - if its been out for some time argue for a discount as it is a demo model. This worked for me with Soundslive on Yamaha. A boxed one may not be quite the same.

[bertie]

Ok, not "THE" one, but one that you wish to purchase, lets say you wanted to buy a Faith, sat and played the Venus model and loved it do you buy the one off the shelf or get a new box fresh one?

of there was nothing wrong with it, the one off the shelf, if there is another one in a box Id want to play that one before I even considered buying it, and it would have to be set up.

[evilmags]

I'd also sit in front of it while someone else plays it so you can here what it sounds like when it projects at you.

[Steelarts]

When I bought my Faith Neptune I had a bit of a strange experience. I tried out the guitar and really liked it. Although it seemed fine to me, as part of the "package", the shop owner offered a free set up so I took him up on this and arranged to pick it up later that week. When I phoned to check if the setup had been done and the guitar was back from the tech there was a very embarrassed apology from the end of the phone. It turned out there had been some confusion and someone else had come in after me and bought the same guitar. Not one like it, the exact same one! As I had been the first purchaser he offered me a deal. I could either a) stick with this guitar and he'd contact the other purchaser and explain the cock up, b) take a free upgrade to the electro-acoustic version or c) have another one of the same model of guitar and he'd give me 50 quid off.

I opted for trying out the upgrade offer but in the shop I didn't like the guitar as much as my non cutaway, purely acoustic version. So I tried option c) and low and behold I liked it as much, if not more, as the the original guitar so I fell on my feet AND got a bonus £50 off!

However, if I was in the shop and I tried out a guitar and liked it and then they offered me another 'boxed' one instead, there is no way I'd take it without trying it out first. As we all know, guitars are made from wood and wood varies sometimes and 2 different guitars of the same model and spec can sound completely different.

[BigLicks67]

Most of my guitars have been purchased on the basis of fitting a set of requirements that I had in my mind. Normally, guitars take a bit of time to get used to anyway. The only guitar I have that had Magic Joo Joo was my Martin OM which after playing I couldn't rest until I had bought it.