POLICIES

Pricing: We set our prices to protect all three parties involved: you the customer, the manufacturer, and our shop. We respect and honor manufacturers' minimum advertised or sales prices. We frequently survey the market to get a feel for the current average price of an item across the country, and set a fair, solid price based on this plus the intrinsic value of a given piece. If a specific instrument is an incredible example of its kind or plays better than most others, we are not likely to discount quite as deeply. Each instrument is unique: out of ten of the same model, one may be pure magic and thus trade higher but still be the better value. All of our new instruments are custom ordered and, in many cases, are appointed in such a way that it would be difficult to find an exact duplicate anywhere. Our used instruments have had fret work and electronic work as needed and are set up and restrung with new DR Custom Fearless Balanced strings. We're confident this all leads to an above-average guitar buying experience.

Shipping: We ship in-stock items the next business day. Special-order items will ship within two days after arriving at our shop, so we can inspect them first. We pack with great care and ship via FedEx Ground or USPS Priority Mail. (You may pay extra for faster, overnight shipping; contact us for costs.) International customers: We declare full value on customs forms and insure for full value; you are responsible for any and all customs taxes or duty.

Custom Builds & Special Orders: We require a non-refundable 50% deposit at the time of order for all special order (non-stock) items, with the balance due upon delivery. We will happily take the time to make sure you are comfortable with the research you have done and want nothing more than to hand you your dream piece of gear--and so encourage you to order thoughtfully. Please note that most manufacturers will not accept a return on a special order, unless there is a flaw, and we have to be careful not to end up with pieces we weren't intending to order.

Returns: We have a strict return policy of 72 hours from the time of purchase (receipt for shipped items) for you to work with a piece of gear in your normal listening environment. We encourage you to spend ample time, before you purchase, to explore the gear at our shop and ask questions, to try to minimize the likelihood of returns. We want to place the right piece with the right person!

Consignment: We do occasionally take items in on consignment. Our rate is 20% based upon a minimum sales price agreed to and signed off on in writing, as well as portions of eBay and/or similar advertising and marketing for your gear. We write the consignments for 30 to 60 days. If your item doesn't sell, we'll discuss customer feedback and review the current market to determine the next steps to take (price drop, additional marketing, wait-and-see, etc.).

Trades: We do occasionally take items in on trade. Tell us what you have, and arrange a time for us to examine it and explain how we derive trade value. We want to make sure you understand how this industry works. We feel it is only fair to keep our profit margins similar no matter where the merchandise comes from. If you bring an item in for possible trade, we will talk with you about the difference between list, or m.s.r.p, and actual sale price. Because we are wholesale buyers, we pay less than another consumer would, regardless of whether we are buying or assigning trade value (this, of course, is so that we have room for profit when we resell the item.) The difference in our policy is that we explain this up front and do not expect to make 50-100% profit on a trade or street buy, as do many shops. We feel this is fair, encourages future trades, and provides another source of gear for our customers.