Buying Instruments Online

Subject: Buying Instruments Online
From: Alice
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 06:11 PM

I have a friend who has been trying to sell a very good quality oboe for several years. Last spring I listed it for her on netinstruments.com with no response until right before Christmas, when about four interested buyers made contact. It's being sold through iEscrow with a seven day trial period right now.

I have purchased instruments online such as my harmonium, Pakistani harp, and shruti box, and as some of you know, I have an online instrument store. It carries some of the instruments we have discussed like the harmonium, and the taishokoto keyboard dulcimer called a "banjo" in India. I do not have control over the inventory. V-stores, an onlinse store merchandiser, takes all orders, supplies inventory, and sets prices. I am just wondering about some of the quality of the instruments, since I have looked over the guitars (and just noticed they have added a real banjo) and I am not familiar with the brand names of the guitars.

Here is a link to the pages of guitars click here for photos and descriptions.

If anyone has experience with instruments of these brand names and could give me feedback, I would appreciate it. Abilene made by Samick, Azahar (handmade in Spain), and Crafter.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: kendall
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 06:35 PM

I had a Samick 5 string banjo, and, although it was well made it was not suitable for "clawhammer" style. It was too loud! I have seen a Samick guitar that is owned by a friend, and, it is a very good instrument for the money.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: Alice
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 07:11 PM

Thanks, Kendall.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: Troll
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 10:08 PM

Samick is one of the largest makers of guitars in the world. They make 'em under a variety of names for the companies that sell 'em. They used to run an ad in Guitar Player magazine that showed some of the guitars and banjos they make with the brand names.

troll

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: pict
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 02:53 AM

I've got a Samick active fretless bass and a solid spruce top acoustic.The bass is great, well made,nice finish and good hardware.The acoustic is well constructed no excess glue on the linings or such the finish is high gloss which is really a matter of taste the position marker are ugly big oval things and it looks like you can see glue at the edges of them but they are perfectly smooth to play on and the scratch plate has a little bump at the edge which won't flatten out maybe some dust got under at the factory and it took the stickiness off of the scratchplate adhesive.It has an ash laminate back and sides looks great but it really sounds amazing and I mean astoundingly good for a 250 pounds guitar far better than 1200 pound Takemine and such like I couldn't believe it when I heard it and I only played it because my dealer said he thought Samick made good instruments for cheap.

However I tried a 335 copy and a big bodied jazz semi and I definitely was not impressed the 335 copy sounded pretty crappy and the inside had lots of glue run and shoddy workmanship although it looked more presentable on the outside.The big jazz semi sounded fairly mediocre but felt quite good to play on but when I looked closely there was quite an untidy finish blurred staining and poorly applied laquer etc hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: Alice
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 11:13 AM

So what is the background of Crafter brand guitars? You can look at the link I provided above to get an idea of the range offered.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: pict
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 12:14 PM

The fact that so many of them have ply soundboards and that they're made in Korea could easily mean that they're just Samick made guitars under a different name.In that price range you could get a handmade solid top Norman or Seagull and be guaranteed to have a well made good sounding guitar personally I would always steer clear of any guitar without a solid top it's very difficult to tell from a picture but an all ply Korean made guitar doesn't exactly strike me as a good deal.I've never heard of the Azahar brand but there is a plethora of guitar makers in Spain and at the prices quoted there I wouldn't expect a Ramirez.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: Alice
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 12:25 PM

Thank you, pict.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 01:32 PM

Message from the grinch:

IM(not-so)HO, banjos are reasnobly safe to by by brand name; all parts are removable, and you can usually set one up to pretty much match any other of the same make and model. This isn't true of things like guitars and mandolins and fiddles. I've encountered surprisingly good and depressingly bad examples of just about any brand name you can mention. Wood varies.

True, I just bought a guitar from E-Bay. The situation wan't what it might appear--I had tried that particular instrument out and liked it.

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 25 Dec 00 - 10:58 PM

Re: I have purchased instruments online such as my harmonium, Pakistani harp, and shruti box, and as some of you know.

These instruments, which you indicate, can be tuned independently....however, when you move into the realm of woodwind instuments....you have deleved into an area of "tone"....

For a cheap, beginner's instrument, the web area may be OK....

but.... for a finely resonated instrument such as an oboe...NO RESPECTED player would consider a purchase without listening for the nuansences of the instrument.

No doubt...the purchasher...of your friend's instrument...has picked up a admirable piece at a pauper's price.

Sincrely,

gargoyle
best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year

Leave a message again, Max, if your want me to bug-0ut!

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: Alice
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 12:40 AM

There was no market for the oboe in Montana. We had to find someone out of state who would appreciate the quality of the instrument and its tone and would take the oboe on a trial period to experience that quality. A respected teacher did find it, and yes it was a sacrifice to sell it at the price she had to offer. Renard Protege 333

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: pict
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 01:23 PM

Alice here's a couple of links with more info and a review on crafter guitars.

http://www.crafterguitars.com/

http://www.intermusic.co.uk/article.asp?ReviewId=463&ArticleTable=Reviews&Channel=GTR

Subject: RE: Buying Instruments Online
From: kendall
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 07:10 PM

I have an old piccolo which I never play, any ideas on what to do with it? Now, there's a straight line for someone!