Our never-ending quest for the perfect guitar can lead us through some pretty dark emotional spaces. What to buy, where to buy it, how many to own and where to store (hide) them all. Sometimes, even the seemingly simple decision of whether to keep or return a guitar can drive us, and those we love, to despair. Fortunately (or not), in guitar retail, we have the 48-hour approval period.*
To my mind, an hour is about all one needs to determine if an instrument is a keeper or not. In fact, I've witnessed many of the strongest bonds between player and guitar occur within minutes. The 2-day approval period gives you an extra 47 hours during which you will either be enrapt with your latest acquisition or fraught with the agony of buyer's remorse. A tortured few may even go so far as to extend the 48 hours, for various reasons, some valid, some not:
- Have to leave town suddenly on business
- Need to have my teacher (bandmate, spouse, dog) have a listen and they're not available until Tuesday
- Death (of anyone), hard to argue with death
And sometimes, Providence can play a forceful hand.
A long-standing customer of mine purchased a very expensive vintage Martin from a reputable dealer and had it sent to him with the requisite 48-hour approval period. He'd done it many times, but this particular transaction proved fateful.
This is a man who has had some of the greatest guitars pass through his hands. He's kept them for a while but has never really been satisfied with any of them. Always eager to find the next guitar that will truly rock his world, he's bought and traded, bought and returned, very often at a significant loss. In his early collecting days, I sold him quite a few guitars, each time thinking that a sound and lasting match had been made, only to be shocked to later see those very guitars adorning the cyber-walls of a competitor's website. At one point, I actually had to break ties with him. You're seeding my competition, I told him. We need to take a break. So, he started doing all his buying on line. Fair enough.
It finally all came to a screeching halt. During the aforementioned Martin purchase, on the second day of his approval period, with his mind as yet still unmade, he suffered a heart attack. Fortunately, his wife was there to call 911. The EMT's came, resuscitated him, and loaded him on the stretcher. As he slowly came to, the seriousness of his condition dawned upon him and he urgently beckoned to his wife. She leaned over to him and heard in a gasping tone: Call Elderly...let them know...I need more time...48-hour approval...need more time to decide...
You can be sure that his wife, who up to that point had been extraordinarily tolerant of her husband's proclivity towards guitar buying, put a firm stop to his madness. At least for a time...
He's back. Heart is on the mend. And the quest continues; the interminable search for the One. I still sell him the occasional guitar, but not without a good heart-to-heart beforehand. And my new lifetime approval period (for special cases only).
Folks, when buying your next guitar, do your necessary research, consult your trusted local shop owner, be deliberate and confident in your purchase, and please consider those nearest and dearest to you. Will they be available during that critical 48 hours?
*A word of explanation for the uninitiated: most dealers ship out guitars to prospective clients with a 2-day test-drive period, during which time the buyer can decide whether it's the right guitar, or ship it back without penalty. A call beforehand is always appreciated.