Buying a guitar from World Guitars in UK

I'm thinking of bying a guitar from World Guitars in Stonehouse online (it's quite far from where I live). However, maybe someone on this forum lives close to the location and wouldn't mind popping into the shop to check out a couple of guitars and comment on them so I could make a more informed choice?
This might sound odd as things are subjective but I think someone's honest comments on specific guitars might be more meaningful than just making a cold decision based on photos

A warm welcome to the forum.

Knowing that World Guitars carry high end, and therefore you're spending a few bob - my honest, and hopefully helpful, opinion would be to jump on a train and go and play them yourself.

There is zero substitute in my experience.

Be sure to let us know what you get, good hunting.

:salude

ourmaninthenorth said:

A warm welcome to the forum.

Knowing that World Guitars carry high end, and therefore you're spending a few bob - my honest, and hopefully helpful, opinion would be to jump on a train and go and play them yourself.

There is zero substitute in my experience.

Be sure to let us know what you get, good hunting.

:salude

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That's a good thing to do but the thing is, I made quite a few mistakes buying guitars and I finally realized that I can only truly evaluate a guitar when I'm at home and on my own time. When checking a guitar out in a shop, I tend to overlook a thing or two and I just can't really be in the moment when playing a guitar in a shop. Therefore someone else's opinion might even turn out to be better than the one I make in a guitar shop. And buying online leaves an option of returning it for a full refund.


Also I noticed a lot of guitar shops don't care about their guitars, even the ultra expensive custom shop Gibsons. They hang there on the walls out of tune, begging to be set up. When I ask them to set a guitar up, they do a subpar job, and once when I asked if I can talk to a technician who does the setups, they say I can't.


Hopefully, World Guitars are not like that. I'll give them a phone call next week. But it doesn't solve the first problem . Plus, I suspect the exhausting ultra long train rides might contribute to me being unable to focus when I'm in a guitar shop.

The play and feel of a guitar is a personal thing and what suits one person will not suit another.

What if someone goes there and evaluates a guitar for you and you buy it and then during one of your magical moments at home, you decide you don't like it.

Stop being so wet and get over there and make up your own mind.

Andy California said:

That's a good thing to do but the thing is, I made quite a few mistakes buying guitars and I finally realized that I can only truly evaluate a guitar when I'm at home and on my own time. When checking a guitar out in a shop, I tend to overlook a thing or two and I just can't really be in the moment when playing a guitar in a shop. Therefore someone else's opinion might even turn out to be better than the one I make in a guitar shop. And buying online leaves an option of returning it for a full refund.

We all have, it gets easier the more you do it. The more you handle, the more obvious it becomes which ones speak to you immediately, and which one's you can bin. I have never bought a guitar on someone else's recommendation...ever.


Also I noticed a lot of guitar shops don't care about their guitars, even the ultra expensive custom shop Gibsons. They hang there on the walls out of tune, begging to be set up. When I ask them to set a guitar up, they do a subpar job, and once when I asked if I can talk to a technician who does the setups, they say I can't.

Again gathering experience enables one to work around that...I once bought a 59 reissue that only had one pickup working, was sticky, and had strings originally installed by Noah...It was labelled as new. A couple of hours fettling once I got it home revealed a superb guitar that I kept for years.


Hopefully, World Guitars are not like that. I'll give them a phone call next week. But it doesn't solve the first problem . Plus, I suspect the exhausting ultra long train rides might contribute to me being unable to focus when I'm in a guitar shop.

London to Gloucester is not really what I'd called an exhausting journey to be honest, so I can't really comment in a positive way on that. To be equally frank, when I'm on a guitar buying mission, nothing but nothing can distract my focus...ask my Missus, I once went out to buy a kitchen and came back with...you guessed it!! Very hard to wash up on a vintage amp and a 175.....:hee

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:salude

Given where you live, you might want to try Coda Music in Stevenage too. They stock a good variety, have very helpful staff and a great technician on site. Just a suggestion.

Looks to me you answered your own questions , never would i trust ANYONE to give me the hands on merits of any guitar. Order one send the guitar back if you don't like the guitar.

AA00475Bassman said:

..... never would i trust ANYONE to give me the hands on merits of any guitar.

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Exactly

I don't live anywhere close to the UK,..........but you pay my way there i will be happy to try a few guitars out for ya............Hell i even bring it to your house,...on your dime!:teeth