As mentioned above a couple of times, this discussion doesn't relate to guitars, mostly just pedals / pro sound type items (maybe amps in some cases).
Because a guitar is a guitar and a pedal is a pedal.
As I mention above, I recognize retailers' challenge wrt guitars since they are often considered personal in a way, so guitarists want to try them to see if there is one that "speaks" to them. Personally, maybe due to being a lefty, and unable to easily demo guitars, I am not so so hung up on finding "the one". So my own concerns about buying a possibly heavily demo'd / abused product at full price apply to guitars also. In fact, my strat was ordered despite an in-store lefty model available to purchase immediately. I don't think that's totally unreasonable given the treatment I've seen some guitars given while being demo'd in store and having no idea what sort of treatment the guitar I'm holding has had (more so for leftys as there is often only a couple of them in the store that many have possibly demo'd (including the ones that like to do dive bombs on fixed bridge guitars by pushing forward on the neck lol!). But I get the whole "the one" thing - my SG is one of those - tried it in store - fell in love - the heart wants what it wants.
So these are all extreme scenarios you've made up to make it seem like my concerns are ridiculous eh? If you've read above, you'll see I'm talking about new pedals sold with no box or ratty box / gear that's been heavily demo'd or suspected to have been. Would you be comfortable / confident buying a Revv or JHS pedal with no box at full price?, or the same instance of a tube amp you saw being demo'd in store months ago (and wondering how many hours it has on it now)? I'm gonna guess that you would not be comfortable despite your response above.
Because a guitar is a guitar and a pedal is a pedal.
They are very different items and require different inspection/verification/validation before buying.
I've never clicked on a Boss pedal and said - hmmmm, this pedal doesn't click as smoothly as my last pedal....and the finish isn't as nice.
Guitars - totally different story. Every guitar feels different and that defines our connection to the instrument as well as our playing.
Back to OP:
I would not pay full price for a demo pedal, simply because I can buy a mint one on Reverb/Ebay for less than full price.
If I'm playing full price - it's new in the box. Period.
I'm not saying I need that to be the case....I buy used pedals. But I wouldn't pay full price.
Call me what you will
fair enough - but you responded to me above with examples that are completely out of context to the scenarios I've described and to what I intended this thread to be about when I posted it.
+1 - Fractal cures most of my gas - but I do tend to "fall of the wagon" now and then.
There's a difference between those 2 however: With a "demo" unit, it is sold as new, you are the first owner, so you get the warranty. With less-than-full-price, mint gear, there's no warranty since you're not the original owner, unless it's transferable, which unless it's sold in a country that has laws requiring it to be, I doubt there's many, if any, companies that offer that any more. Even Mesa Boogie stopped doing that in 2019 I believe.
Lots of ways. As an example, when I bought my Taylor 714ce at GC, the one on display had signs of being played. I didn't care about the fact it had been a demo, but I wasn't about to pay full price for that particular guitar, with old-ish strings, and swirls on the pickguard.
Where did he say that?
I quoted those scenarios above - If you'd prefer I say "stated?" instead of "made up?", then ok, I'll revise - point I was trying to make - I think pretty clearly, was that those scenarios (ie QC usage) are not at all the kind of thing I'm referring to in the context of this thread, but i agreed (see above) to discuss the nuances of new vs used characteristics if we want.
He didn't make it seem like your concerns were ridiculous. He just asked questions. You need to lighten up!
dunno - being concerned cuz a QC tech tested yur new pedal before it went in the box sounds a little extreme / rediculous to me even as curmudgeoner awaiting final diagnosis - but to each their own.
