I was in a Guitar Center the other day looking for a traditional acoustic Martin. The salesman took down a cutaway with a pickup and told me I should buy it. When I said I wasn't interested in that type of guitar, he disappeared and sent over another salesman "more versed" in acoustic instruments. The new guy tried to sell me a different cutaway with a pickup. I asked to see the Martin HD-28. He said, "Well, if you're gonna go for that you should just get this one (yet another cutaway with a pickup)." I started to get the impression that their commission is based on selling only certain models, or perhaps in getting people to buy stuff they just said they don't want.

    The next day I went to a local music store called MusicLand (I'm pretty sure it's a chain but they run more like a mom-and-pop) and they had the Martin I was looking at for several hundred less that Guitar Center. You can guess where I bought my Martin.

                                     Ray