Guitar Buying through the ages

I’ve said it a hundred times and believe it more every time I say it.  There has never been a better time to buy a guitar (or most any musical instrument) than this time in history.  We have more options, brands, variations, color choices and so on than ever before in the history of mankind.  This is one reason I’m so adamant about exploring all the guitar world has to offer.  For the first time buyer, there are more brands and styles at very good prices that are infinitely better than much of the beginner junk that was around for previous generations to get started on.  For the high end player, there are more custom models and brands that virtually any thought that can be applied to a guitar can and will be done, for a price of course.  For the intermediate player, the world is wide open and affordable.  We’ll classify the intermediate player as someone not really pro but not beginner either, in other words most of us that have been playing for a while.  In this price range there are so many good companies that make guitars you could easily gig with but won’t cost you an arm and leg, like ESP and Ibanez.

Campbell American Caledonian Guitar Review

Well, Dean and the boys at Campbell American have done it this time!!  This guitar has become my fast favorite in the store.  I bring you the Campbell American Caledonian.  Single cutaway, swamp ash body (option), Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz humbuckers (option) with coil tap (option) all set off with a glossy lacquer subtle cherry burst finish.  This sounds and looks awesome.

The Caledonian features a really contoured body unlike the more squared off UK 1 (see other review) which instantly gives this guitar a eye catching look and an even better feel.  I decided to go with a Swamp Ash body to have something different from the more expected mahogany/maple combination typically found on single cutaway designs.  I am very pleased with the results, instead of a dark, thick tone we get a nice spank out of the guitar with a pleasant midrange bite that can be darkened up if needed but has that clarity that is hard to achieve if it isn’t already in the guitar.  This combination is the perfect choice for a player that enjoys the Les Paul styling but needs a guitar that has some chime and bite.

Of course, the Seymour Duncan perform as you’d expect and the coil tap yields some very usable tones.  Sustain is no problem but not at the point what the notes thud and don’t ‘pop’.  As with all Campbell Americans the electronics are not only top notch but extremely useful.  I find myself setting up the amp with a fairly distorted tone and using the controls to achieve anywhere from that soupy (but still clear) ‘woman’ tone to full out scream to slightly dirty, Keith Richards friendly growl.  I really love this guitar and will most likely order one for myself in the near future.  It really is the type of guitar you can turn to again and again, a ‘go to’ kind of axe that covers all the basses.

Bob Campbell, Campbell’s Music Service

www.cmusicshop.com

Where is Brand X?

Originally posted on the CMusicBlog at www.cmusicshop.com on May 27, 2008

Sometimes I have to take a step back and remember that most folks don’t understand the workings of a business like ours. They might wonder why we don’t carry this brand or that. Well, I’ll try to explain some of what goes into this issue.

One thing we have to consider is what demands a brand may place on us and if we feel they are reasonable for our business. Some of the larger known brands place demands on stores that can be too much, whether it is the amount of money or actual pieces needed to carry the line. Other times that line may be overexposed in other places like Guitar Center, online or catalogs. Sometimes the line just doesn’t fit into our overall plan. Maybe we already have that type of instrument well represented with other lines or maybe there is another local business carrying that line, which would make it less sellable for both stores. Sometimes there just isn’t enough room for more products.

There is a lot to consider when choosing lines to represent. The first thing the public sometimes isn’t aware of is that we own the instruments you see. They are not given or loaned to music stores, we have to buy them. So, if we see issues with selling them, for any of the above reasons, we don’t want to get stuck with them, because in 99 cases out of 100, the brand won’t take them back.

So, when you see that a store doesn’t carry a particular brand, remember there are a lot of factors that enter into that decision.