PA bound. Need some new sights

dklsplace

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Taking sort of a last minute vacation this week. My oldest starts kindergarden next week & it suddenly occured to me that we needed to take a family vacation NOW if we wanted to take one at all this year.

So we're headed to Williamsport, PA for a visit with family. I've been to all the guitar shops I can find in that area & will hit them again "just to see." I know we have a number of members around the state....anyone within an hour or two interested in introducing me to your favorite haunt?
 

john_kidder

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Don:

Your title "PA Bound" confused this Canadian. I thought you already had most of the electronic gear you needed, and why you were bound for more or different PA I couldn't understand.

Cheers
 

dklsplace

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I thought about that John, but figured the curious would read anyway, & those that live in Pennsylvania would understand straight away.

Incidently, I have a decent little dual purpose rack, but lack a good power amp & mains speaker system.
 

West R Lee

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Just gonna miss the Little League World Series Don. HoboKen knows those parts pretty well, haven't seen him around in a while though.

West
 

sfIII

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Although I live in Pittsburgh.. I'm working on a project in Gilboa, NY.. The Catskills are very nice this time of year.
 

dklsplace

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West R Lee said:
Just gonna miss the Little League World Series Don.

We were out there last year during that. I wouldn't recommend visiting then unless that's what you go for.
 

Squawk

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Martin guitar runs free tours - Nazareth PA should be an hour or a little more from Williamsport - it took me less than 90 minutes from Trenton, NJ.

They have a new facility I haven't seen which is supposed to be really nice.
 

West R Lee

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Baseball is my love Don, but I'd just as soon watch it on TV. I'll bet it is hectic around Williamsport during the series.

Squawk.....Yes, HoboKen has mentioned having visited the Martin plant there several times. I wouldn't mind seeing that myself.

West
 

Squawk

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Well, if any geezers (and almost-geezers) out there plan to visit Martin, please let me know - I haven't been there in a few years, and wouldn't mind going again - especially if I can meet any fellow LTG'ers.
 

Squawk

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Well, if any geezers (and almost-geezers) out there plan to visit Martin, please let me know - I haven't been there in a few years, and wouldn't mind going again - especially if I can meet any fellow LTG'ers.
 

sfIII

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Speaking of Baseball... I got to Cooperstown last weekend.. It was worth the $14 admission.
 

sfIII

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Speaking of Baseball... I got to Cooperstown last weekend.. It was worth the $14 admission.
 

Guildmark

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We got to the Martin factory last year in July on our vacation from California. It was wonderful! Even Huck and the kids enjoyed it. The new visitor center had just opened about a month earlier. We blew a hunk of cash in the gift shop I can tell ya! They leave a few examples of their products out in the lobby so you can try them out while you wait for the tour to begin. I tried a 000CXE that was a lot of fun. They've also got a couple of their prize models in atmospherically controlled, high security bullet-proof glass display cases. I think one was the millionth Martin. More MoP than I knew the ocean could produce!

The tour guides are just regular line employees who volunteer for the duty and get some extra pay for doing it. The guy who led us makes their slotted heads. He's been there about 15 years. There is a lot of automation and some state-of-the-art machinery these days, but the spot that interested me most was the repair center. This is where their best luthiers get the most challenging jobs. It was fun to see the quality of their handcraft, and just how much they are able to repair!

I'm a Guildie through-and-through, but I admit I enjoy wearing the cap I bought there.

Guildmark
 

Guildmark

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We got to the Martin factory last year in July on our vacation from California. It was wonderful! Even Huck and the kids enjoyed it. The new visitor center had just opened about a month earlier. We blew a hunk of cash in the gift shop I can tell ya! They leave a few examples of their products out in the lobby so you can try them out while you wait for the tour to begin. I tried a 000CXE that was a lot of fun. They've also got a couple of their prize models in atmospherically controlled, high security bullet-proof glass display cases. I think one was the millionth Martin. More MoP than I knew the ocean could produce!

The tour guides are just regular line employees who volunteer for the duty and get some extra pay for doing it. The guy who led us makes their slotted heads. He's been there about 15 years. There is a lot of automation and some state-of-the-art machinery these days, but the spot that interested me most was the repair center. This is where their best luthiers get the most challenging jobs. It was fun to see the quality of their handcraft, and just how much they are able to repair!

I'm a Guildie through-and-through, but I admit I enjoy wearing the cap I bought there.

Guildmark
 

West R Lee

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Hey, I don't mind admitting it. I am a die hard Westerly Guild guy through and through, but if I had to buy a new American made acoustic....it would be a Martin. Meanwhile, I'll continue to buy old Westerly Guilds :) .

West
 

West R Lee

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Hey, I don't mind admitting it. I am a die hard Westerly Guild guy through and through, but if I had to buy a new American made acoustic....it would be a Martin. Meanwhile, I'll continue to buy old Westerly Guilds :) .

West
 

dklsplace

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Just spent the morning driving around the city, checking out all the local shops. Weird that I can only find one pawn shop in a city this size.

Anyway, the only Guilds to be found were, of course, at the only Guild dealer in the area. One Westerly on consignment & two GADs, a JF-30, & a D-50. Both had the same or similar shallow neck that I described in another thread awhile back. Not at all like my Westerly JF-30. Nice fit & finish on both. Easy players with much better tone than the rest of the room full of Ibanez & Fender acoustics in that price range. Also played a Martin HD28V & a D35. The D35 was my fav of the entire bunch, but not crazy about the "white" plastic looking binding. They could've classed this particular model up with some different trim.

Anyway....given the $1500 difference in price between the D35, & the JF-30, it was nice to be able to say "I'm just looking" without having to seriously consider a purchase. :wink:

Talking with one of the employees at length, he remembers the Westerly Guild acoustics & always considered them better guitars for the price than most of the other high end stuff they carried. But they weren't popular & most went cheap to clear out old inventory. :cry: Quite a few people around here got great deals, & they obviously aren't giving them up because you rarely see used Guilds on the market here.

Having fun so far. Couple more days to relax. 8)
 

dklsplace

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Just spent the morning driving around the city, checking out all the local shops. Weird that I can only find one pawn shop in a city this size.

Anyway, the only Guilds to be found were, of course, at the only Guild dealer in the area. One Westerly on consignment & two GADs, a JF-30, & a D-50. Both had the same or similar shallow neck that I described in another thread awhile back. Not at all like my Westerly JF-30. Nice fit & finish on both. Easy players with much better tone than the rest of the room full of Ibanez & Fender acoustics in that price range. Also played a Martin HD28V & a D35. The D35 was my fav of the entire bunch, but not crazy about the "white" plastic looking binding. They could've classed this particular model up with some different trim.

Anyway....given the $1500 difference in price between the D35, & the JF-30, it was nice to be able to say "I'm just looking" without having to seriously consider a purchase. :wink:

Talking with one of the employees at length, he remembers the Westerly Guild acoustics & always considered them better guitars for the price than most of the other high end stuff they carried. But they weren't popular & most went cheap to clear out old inventory. :cry: Quite a few people around here got great deals, & they obviously aren't giving them up because you rarely see used Guilds on the market here.

Having fun so far. Couple more days to relax. 8)
 

HoboKen

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Sorry to have read this one so late in the game........8 weeks with vertigo problems brought on by an inner-ear viral infection. Life is not fair.

Yes, the Martin Factory tour is worth the trip......and it would be great to do it again meeting up with "Guildies." Let me know. It's two hours from me. The Nazarath Music House at the lower end of town used to sell Martins at 40% off of MSRP. PA Tax is 6%. I don't know how that stacks up with mail order these days.

If you are coming from the South, and have the time, take PA Route 11/15 up along the Susquehanna river from Harrisburg to Williamsport for a more pleasant visual experience "en-route."

I played a new Tacoma D-55 and aside from the pickguird not being black like the Westerlys, I thought it was a fine instrument. After being burned trying to find an e-bay Westerly D-55, I may just purchase a new D-55 w/factory war-an-tee when they get around to putting the black pickguard on 'em as long as I can hand-pick one or send one back and have another one sent if that seems necessary.

HoboKen
 
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