> when we want to buy an instrument i believe it is
> better to try them out and have a shop to go to

The only place I can find a moutain dulcimer round here is exceedingly awkward to get to. When I asked if I could try it out in the shop, they said they'd have to ship it in from the warehouse, and wanted a non-returnable deposit of 100% of the sale value. They've lost my custom for strings.