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Posts: 211
Joined: Jun. 14 2006
From: Quebec City, Canada
Buying a guitar in Spain
Heya,
I'm just curious... how much money would be saved when buying directly from a luthier in Spain, instead than going through sellers like GSI? I'm sick of practicing on my cheap classical and I'm travelling to Madrid next summer.
Posts: 211
Joined: Jun. 14 2006
From: Quebec City, Canada
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to JBASHORUN)
quote:
ORIGINAL: JBASHORUN
Dude, that blanca you're making should be ready anytime now... that will hopefully be better than a cheap classical, que no?
Jb
Papers and exams are killing me... can't finish the guitar.
Well, I don't share your optimism in term of playability... there are so many things I should have done differently. I glued the bridge last week-end... prefect measurements, but the damn thing has a gap on the bass side, I don't know what happened exactly... everything was well clamped. How can I take it off without messing with everything around it now? I also sanded through my lacquer finish on a few spots... again and dented my near perfect finish on top. Anyways, I'll recrown the frets and make the nut/saddle and find out, but I'm under the impression that my neck is too thick and so is my fingerboard.
As for buying one in Spain, I'm just curious. If I'm to find a great quality/price guitar over there, I wont pass, simply because I wont often be in Spain in my life. I just wonder how much money stores like GSI get from selling imported guitars.
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
quote:
Heya,
I'm just curious... how much money would be saved when buying directly from a luthier in Spain, instead than going through sellers like GSI?
No money would be saved. Well...... depends really. I've brought back a guitar from Spain in my hands six times now. I don't know if I'll do it again, unless I see something I can't pass up. For many makers, it is now cheaper to buy through GSI. I think the Euro will continue to kick a dollar's ass for a while, but who knows.............
Posts: 271
Joined: Jun. 30 2004
From: West Palm Beach, Florida USA
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Don't think that you're going to save a bunch of money. If you're going to be there anyways, maybe. But, you still have the factor of knowing what guitar to buy. Madrid is a nut house when it comes to buying a guitar. You really have to be careful. To be honest, you may save only a few hundred bucks when you look at the big picture. And like ykabban said, the euro is definitely not in our favor.
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
quote:
I glued the bridge last week-end... prefect measurements, but the damn thing has a gap on the bass side, I don't know what happened exactly... everything was well clamped. How can I take it off without messing with everything around it now?
Doc, perhaps the top of the soundboard warped before you got the bridge on, who knows. But if there's a gap, that might be a problem... I've heard stories of bridges "popping off" the first time people tune their guitar to pitch. Thats why the fit needs to be perfect. It IS possible to remove a glued bridge once it is already stuck down. The way I was taught is by applying heat to the bridge (by using a household clothes iron, for example), and then sliding a palette knife gently under the bridge to get it off. But if you've finished (ie. lacquered) the bridge already, you may not be able to use the hot iron. The spot where the bridge used to be may need cleaning up before fixing a new one.
Its either that, or take your chances with the gap.
Jb
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¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Like most have already said, you won't be saving much, if at all. For some makers, it's even more expensive to go direct (i.e. Conde Hermanos).
And then factor in customs/duties/importing fees (customs alone is 8.7%, don't know about the rest), VAT (17.5%), possible local taxes, etc. While it's technically possible to recover some of the VAT, it's a red-tape nightmare that will take months and drive you insane.
So, even if you manage to find a better price, don't forget the hidden costs and hassles. I'm personally glad dealers take care of that, especially when their prices are almost always the same as direct, if not better. Compare Conde(www.condehermanos.com) Ramirez, etc. - last I checked there's no dramatic price hike that people like to accuse the dealers of.
Regarding how much money they're making? Like any business, they usually buy at wholesale prices, and then recover their costs/make profit by selling at normal retail prices. In other words, the dealers aren't making their money by inflating final prices, they make money by buying at wholesale prices. It's the basis of retail business.
Finally, going to Spain to find a guitar is nowhere near as glamorous as it seems. I would only consider it again if I was going anyway (as you are, I realize).
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Hi,
i've bought 3 guitars on different trips to Andalucia so far. I think i saved a great deal of money. However you should be prepared that in case you plan to visit one of the better known makers, they dont have "takeaway" guitars available. You can go there, maybe play a sample, but then you'd have to place an order and await it to be finished at home. I have visited lots of workshops in Granada out of curiosity and thats what almost everyone there told me.
If you look for a normal student instrument though you should be lucky. Something around 1,500 euros or so but they are not made by the luthiers themselves but rather by their assistants and students.
Anyhow i compared the price i payed to that asked on the internet and i must say that for some guitars i saved 50% or more. However i live within the EU so i dont have to worry about duty.
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
I will be in Jerez, and Seville next week. I thought I would check out guitars as I'm there. Anyone know a good place for new or second hand or instruments?
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Buying a guitar without any idea of luthier or shop is especially stressful. Most luthiers will imply that their guitars are best. Even specialist shops may not give sound advice apart from the more expensive, the better, or something like "choosing a guitar is as difficult as choosing a woman!" If I have the cash, for 2800 euros, I would now go for an Eliasson blanca.
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
A few things you might try: Go visit David Serva in Madrid and ask him about guitar makers and used shops in Madrid. Sometimes you can find good used guitars in the Rastro.
Go to Sevilla and get on Francisco Barbas list and save your money to get one of his guitars. In my humble opinion he's one of the masters who is under rated. Most people drool over new ( and often quite medocre) Conde's and that's sad when there are Bellido's and Barba's to commission.
In Granada you have Bellido- hands down the best blanca I ever heard belongs to Antonio Moya and it's by old man Bellido. And in Granada you got your man Anders down there.
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to Doitsujin)
Thanks for the advice and the reminder not to buy impulsively! I know how hard it is to find a good guitar but thought as I'm there maybe worth a look. I have tried a few 'great' (and expensive) guitars lately that I didn't want to buy. I am thinking about commissioning Anders Eliasson. Anyone in or near London have one of his they would let me take a look at?
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Orson
I Sevilla, you should try José Louis Postigo´s shop. He sometimes has good guitars, but its not cheap. Finding a good guitar on a vacation is not easy. Most of us guitarbuilders dont stock many guitars (fortunately they are sold ) I have one here which is for sale. Its a 2A. It plays and sounds VERY well. 2000,-€ It can be tryed and compared with my own guitar, whenever you feel like. It has a soundport
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RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Does it have to be a spanish maker there are plenty of great makers that dont live in spain! hmm I just noticed this is an old post that has been brought back! Did you go to spain and get a bargain? did you finish your own build and did it sound great?
RE: Buying a guitar in Spain (in reply to DoctorX2k2)
Well, i think it depends on what you want. If you are dying for a Reyes-Conde-Ramirez-Other famous name, perhaps you may save some money, on that you may play many of their guitars before buying(which is not the case as when buying from an internet service or something). But if you want, you may find imho equally good guitars at a much lower cost, from luthiers that are not so famous.
I would say...you go to Spain => you buy a great guitar.
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