Conference napalm::guitar

    Once you've decided on your purchase it's always a good idea to
    check out the price on the same article in any other music shops
    in the area.(What costs 200 pounds in one shop may cost 230 or 180
    in other shops).The normal discount is 10%, but the store whose
    prices are slightly higher may offer you 15% off, which sounds
    like a good deal but doesn't work out any cheaper. So  always
    shop about first and ALWAYS haggle for the price to be reduced
    They can only say NO but usualy won't.

    I'd say it's worth it in most places. Certainly shops in London
    will usually haggle to some extent - at least for free strings/leads/
    straps. I tried asking for a free set of strings at Kingfisher Music
    in Fleet once (on an Explorer costing over 500 quid) and the guy
    looked at me like I crawled out from under a rock...
    
    In the end I think the deal you'll get depends on how heavily
    discounted the instrument is (Tempo are a shop that do heavy discounts.
    Apparently they get instruments that have been to several shops
    and returned, so they're slightly marked). Also, it can depend on the
    salesman, and whether there's an "R" in the month...
    
    Nick

    Hi Nick
    
    Where's Tempo? I was going to buy from Andy's, but if Tempo are
    cheaper/more open to haggling I might try there....
    
    Bob

    Actually, Bob, I don't know! They used to advertise all the time
    in the back of MM, though. I have a feeling that they're after-sales
    service isn't all it could be, though (I remember the guys in the
    Fender Soundhouse bad-mouthing the shop way back when).
    
    If you're going to Andy's, you could also try all the others round
    about (Roka's, Rose-Morris, Fender Soundhouse, Macari's, Boogie
    are all within a 2 or 3 minute walk, as you probably know - and
    there are others too, whose names escape me). If something's on
    sale in more than one shop, they'll usually match each other's prices,
    and maybe throw in strings etc.
    
    Also, it's probably worthwhile checking the back pages of MM to
    see if anyone outside the middle of London is advertising what you
    want...
    
    Out of interest, what are you looking to buy? (he asked, nosily)
    
    Nick

    
    When I bought my guitar in Hickies (Reading-UK) I was given a free strap
    and a handfull of picks.            
                                        
    I didn't bother haggling though

    Hello again Nick,
    
    I'm looking to buy something from the Sigma range - Andy's have
    got all of them, it's just a matter of how much I want to spend
    on one. 
    
    I tried all sorts of different guitars in the shops around Denmark
    Street, and found I liked the Sigmas best, although the Takamines
    and Alvarez Yairis are nice too, but slightly more expensive...
    
    Bob

	Before parting with your hard earned cash I suggest that you have a
look through the advertisments in 'Guitarist' to get a feel for the going rate
for a particular guitar. There really is a very wide variation between
different shops when it comes to price. It is well worth spending some time on
the telephone and asking prices. Then tell them that you can get it for 5-15%
less elsewhere and see if they bite. It _really_ is worthwhile to shop around.

	Note that low prices do not always equate with good post sales service 
as I have learnt to my cost in the past. From friends of mine that know these 
things I understand that Andys has a pretty good reputation for fair dealing.

Nigel

    Try bluffing, this worked for me last January during sale time.
    A friend told me that he had seen the particular guitar I was
    interested in at a good discounted price in a store in Leeds. I
    rang what I thought was another branch of the same store to ask
    about it but found out that the store had changed hands. I asked what
    their price was, said what the other store was supposedly selling
    it at and they said OK you can have it for a bit less. I had the
    cheque book out before they could change their minds. This worked
    as I was buying a popular budget Strat copy, Marlin Sidewinder,
    normal retail �149 , I got it for �95. I guess some stores will
    be willing to discount just to keep the stock turning over.
    
    Richard Bell
    
    

    Do most stores in the U.S. have "lay-away" programs or is it "90 days
    same as cash" only?
    
    Mike_who_wants_to_buy_interest_free

    
    How long do you want to lay away for?  I have never been offered
    better than 30 days.

    I thought about 5-6 months would be nice so I can give it to myself
    for Christmas :-)
    
    Mike