Just a short post today.
This Harley Benton SC-500 was at Cash America in Chicago for $199. I am confident I could have had it for $150, maybe less. But I wasn’t buying guitars today, just looking.
Today I drove the northside of Chicago, IL USA and visited 3 Cash America pawn shop stores and one locally owned, high end guitar store.
This is what I learned.
Three Cash America Stores and Nice People
I visited three stores this Tuesday morning to early afternoon. Perhaps 30 minutes in each store. This is what I learned or felt.
- Nice Cash America employees. So an old man walks into a Cash America (me), asks to see guitars and amps, tells staff upfront he’s only browsing. They were all very nice and helpful.
- Most guitars were unplayable but needed setups. Old strings and minor damage on some guitars.
- Spikey frets on 50% of the guitars. Not their fault, just Chicago guitars getting fret sprout in winter.
- You can actually “see” what’s wrong with guitars and get practice at discerning decent guitars. After all, you’re sifting through older acoustics, electrics and a few electric basses.
Random Stuff I learned about Various Guitars
So I learned various things about certain guitar brands in my 3 Cash America visits and one well respected local guitar store.
Harley Benton Guitars
- Heavy. I picked up a pretty Harley Benton LP style guitar in one shop. Darn heavy. That doesn’t mean all HBs are heavy.
- Heavy again. Then I picked up two telecasters hanging on the wall at the established guitar shop. These weren’t beat up guitars. They were in good physical shape. I did not play them.
- Thick Neck. The LP Harley Benton’s neck seemed playable. But the necks on the two Harley Benton T-Types were way too thick for my average sized hands.
Although I am interested in how a Harley Benton guitar sounds, I will never buy one from Germany and shipped to Chicago. I am glad to test a Harley Benton locally. I just don’t want to pay for a heavy guitar with a thick neck delivered across the ocean to me.
Schechter Guitars Do Have Skinny Necks
I had watched a YouTube video where someone with “small” hands discussed the wonderfully thinner Schechter necks. I picked up one or two Schechters today and the neck was thin, and for me, easy to play.
Hurray, love to learn things about guitar brands.
Acoustic Guitars with Problems at Cash America
Let me be clear, I do not BLAME Cash America. They buy someone’s guitar and they are not guitar experts. Some guitars just need a setup and some guitars need more work.
What were the most common Cash America acoustic guitar problems for me.
- Thick Necks. Not really a problem, just the way a guitar is built. Perhaps half the acoustic guitars I picked up (maybe 20) had very thick necks. After 2 1/2 years of playing guitar, I know a thick neck is a “deal breaker” for me.
- Dirty. Some guitars needed a cleaning. They are just sold “as is”.
- Duct tape on a hole. Yes, someone had placed duct tape on a hole as big as a U.S. half dollar on the backside of an acoustic. Again, sold “as is”.
- Hairline crack and lifted Bridge. Yes, was it a Yamaha, Epiphone, or Oscar Schmidt? I can’t remember. But it had a hairline crack on the front. So I checked the bridge. It’s lifting and someone tried gluing it down.
The Secret Guitar Store in Chicago
Yes, I am not giving away the name of this store. The proprietor of the store was in his early 40’s, a musician, and had worked in guitar stores for easily 20 years. So his words carried a lot of experience.
I drove there, chatted a while, and the musician/staffer said:
All of the guitars and amps in the store are on consignment from one guy. He owns over a thousand guitars. – Guitar Store Manager.
Yikes. This was a good sized shop with amps everywhere and guitars on the wall. He said some guitars were in storage and some were still with the estate (the owner had died). Yikes.
So I will keep track of this store in the future, perhaps call every now and then.
The Secret Guitar Store Manager’s Advice or Opinions
Yamaha Acoustics. They sell Yamaha guitars primarily. I asked, how do Fender acoustics compare to Yamaha? Not as good he said, not as good.
They sell beginner guitars, when they have them, for $200-$300. They also sell high end guitars worth thousands. But not too many guitars in the $500 to $700 range.
Avoid Old Amps That Can’t Be Serviced. I found a Fender amp that I had been looking to purchase. The price was very good and the amp was in like new condition for a 20 year old amp (so the proprietor said). I asked, do you like that amp?
Not really. The amp has way too many selections. I like a “clean tone” that I can work with my pedals. The amp is pretty complex. And if it breaks, nobody knows how to service them. – Guitar Store Proprietor
He wasn’t too forthcoming about what amps he did like. But he sure didn’t like the amp I was asking about. Even though it had been up for sale on his store floor for perhaps a year.
Hop in Your Car and Visit some Cash America and Real Guitar Stores Today
So that’s what I learned today on Chicago’s northside visiting 3 Cash America pawn stores and one established guitar store (not a franchise).
Visit a pawn shop or guitar store today. The more guitars you hold, the more you know about guitars. – Shoshin Guitarist