AXE-FX III took away the appetite to go to guitar shops

Rex said:
The mom-and-pop stores have really taken a hit. I'm lucky to live just a few miles away from one of the best. They've got everything from 60-year-old jewels to the latest from the big makers to the products of local luthiers to the cheap stuff, and plenty of used guitars. Three generations of the family have worked there, and the owner is the most knowledgeable vintage expert I've ever met. Try to top that, GC. ;)
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I also live les than a mile from an excellent guitar shop, Bob’s Guitar in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where they have high end guitars as well. I’ve known Bob for 40 years, since I was a kid (He’s only 12 years older than me, and opened up his own shop about 20 years ago). Good service and repair on guitars and amplifiers, even though I only use Fractal, now.
Also has a huge corner wall of Taylor Acoustic - at least 60 of those, and a couple hundred electric guitars and basses,
Full accessories and pedals as well.
It still fun to go inthere and play some top of the line electrics and acoustics. All of the amps they sell are now combo amps, but they have about 60 or more to choose from, all plugged in and guitar cables at the ready.

The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and good players, themselves. Still a great shop!

I have stopped in at the Guitar Centers in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, and have no reason to ever go in them again, as they are so disappointing.
 
I have some really nice guitar shops "near" me. I put near in quotes because it's a driving city and everything is 40 miles from everything else. I'm very happy that they're there, and I don't plan on buying a guitar online....ever...if I can help it.

As for the rest of the stuff....my FM3 is still shiny and new, so I don't want to speak too soon. But...yeah....that might be how it goes. At this point, if I had to buy a backup rig tomorrow for whatever reason, it would be from the Fractal website.
 
rushfan said:
I have stopped in at the Guitar Centers in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, and have no reason to ever go in them again, as they are so disappointing.
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And getting worse each year. The good guitar shops are prized gems. I’ve been to Bob’s a few times over the years. Great place.
 
For amps that I REALLY like in the Fractal, it makes me want to get the real deal. I know its not popular to say here, but there is a little something about the real deal amp (that particular amp that is just your sound) that I miss with the Fractal. For me, its the tactile experience with the knobs and the physical appearance, etc... So I still own a few real amps... It may be senseless, but we humans do a lot of senseless things based on emotions.

For the million other things that I may like and want to use occasionally while having no particular bond with, the Fractal is amazing. Its also amazing for the things that you can't readily buy in a store- like that mod you wanted to do to an SLO-100 this morning but don't have an SLO-100 available to butcher and/or perhaps the skills to do the mod.

It is the most amazing swiss army knife but you might still enjoy using a particular unique or special piece of "cutlery" for some specific things and thats OK.
 
Chris Hurley said:
For amps that I REALLY like in the Fractal, it makes me want to get the real deal. I know its not popular to say here, but there is a little something about the real deal amp (that particular amp that is just your sound) that I miss with the Fractal. For me, its the tactile experience with the knobs and the physical appearance, etc... So I still own a few real amps... It may be senseless, but we humans do a lot of senseless things based on emotions.

For the million other things that I may like and want to use occasionally while having no particular bond with, the Fractal is amazing. Its also amazing for the things that you can't readily buy in a store- like that mod you wanted to do to an SLO-100 this morning but don't have an SLO-100 available to butcher and/or perhaps the skills to do the mod.

It is the most amazing swiss army knife but you might still enjoy using a particular unique or special piece of "cutlery" for some specific things and thats OK.
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I get that.

Personally, it's not really that much of a draw for me, though. My go-to amp doesn't sound right breaking up until it's way too loud for me. A similar speaker cab....maybe.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

Then other things started accumulating....
IMG_20210830_195723.jpg
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cool studio. The lights give it a great look.
 
rushfan said:
I also live les than a mile from an excellent guitar shop, Bob’s Guitar in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where they have high end guitars as well. I’ve known Bob for 40 years, since I was a kid (He’s only 12 years older than me, and opened up his own shop about 20 years ago). Good service and repair on guitars and amplifiers, even though I only use Fractal, now.
Also has a huge corner wall of Taylor Acoustic - at least 60 of those, and a couple hundred electric guitars and basses,
Full accessories and pedals as well.
It still fun to go inthere and play some top of the line electrics and acoustics. All of the amps they sell are now combo amps, but they have about 60 or more to choose from, all plugged in and guitar cables at the ready.

The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and good players, themselves. Still a great shop!

I have stopped in at the Guitar Centers in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, and have no reason to ever go in them again, as they are so disappointing.
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This^^ describes my opinion of the difference between corporate-type stores, and independently-owned shops. In general, corporations have lousy, inconsistent service, middle-of-the-road selection, and lackeys passing as employees. You may pay a bit more, but we've got to support these stores, or one day they'll all be gone! What do you think would happen if FAS got bought out by a corporation tomorrow?
 
TSJMajesty said:
This^^ describes my opinion of the difference between corporate-type stores, and independently-owned shops. In general, corporations have lousy, inconsistent service, middle-of-the-road selection, and lackeys passing as employees. You may pay a bit more, but we've got to support these stores, or one day they'll all be gone! What do you think would happen if FAS got bought out by a corporation tomorrow?
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Yeah....

I've got one of those near me. In some ways, I can't figure it out. They've obviously got a lot of money behind them from somewhere. It's a pretty high-end shop (PRS wood library, good number of small-builder guitars, PLEK machine, 5-figure acoustics, etc.). They can get busy sometimes and have generally worked by appointment for the last 18 months or so, which puts a bit of a limit on your time-wasting. But...I've never felt anything but kindness and them trying to bend over backwards to make me happy. A couple months ago, I went in to look at pedals...and they handed me a Murphy Lab R7 to try out a $200 pedal because I mentioned that I mostly played a LP.

And I don't think I've bought anything from them but a power supply and one guitar that was on the cheap end of what they sell (PRS S2).

I'm pretty sure all of my guitars are going to come form them unless they do something to ruin it.
 
Pawn shops and Guitars shops were my paradise for many years(decades). Sadly for well over a decade, most pawn shops think they are retail + stores. It saddens me, but my wallet is very happy that I don't often see anything I want to actually buy anymore. I go to my local Guitar shop mostly to hang out with the employees and buy some "small" stuff to help ensure they stay open.
 
Jeez guys, even if I count the guitars I no longer own, I still only get to 11! Lol
An ex an I were chatting and she asked if I still played. Then she told me she has a client who owns 18 guitars. She goes, "WTF can you do with 18 guitars?" :tearsofjoy:
 
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