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I was having a telephone chat with someone earlier and discussion moved on to guitar brands that aren't represented locally that we felt should be. Not the boutique brands that only make a few dozen guitars a year and cost the earth (or are built to order), or yet another budget brand based on the classics, but the really good production line guitars that would give us a few more great options to choose from when we go guitar shopping.

Personally, I'd love to see Suhr on the high end and Reverend on the middle price ranges. He mentioned Heritage, but I'm not sure about those - while they make amazing guitars, I think ultimately the headstocks would turn most people off and they are a bit too close to the Gibbys (obviously).

What do the rest of y'all think? What would you love to be able to find locally?

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    • Post #4
    +1 on Suhr

    and the ones I would buy in a heartbeat... Duesenberg! Can I have a hell yeah!!!???
      To me locally is Kimberley..... so basically anything other than Ibanez, cort, stagg and cruzer..... ☹ :?


      On a serious note, Hagstrom.
        And for acoustics, Faith and LAG
          vox and parker
            More Epiphones & Gibsons.
              Ray wrote: Danelectro
              Me too please. Also G&L.

              For high-end acoustics Lowden. A notch down from that I know we have a Larrivee agency in SA but they're not bringing those guitars in right now and I wish they would. We already have Collings, Martin, Breedlove and Taylor in SA so acoustically we're not doing too badly.
                There are some that already have representation locally, but you don't get to see them much because there's not a huge market for them - Godin (I'm currently lusting after a Multiac Nylon SA), Rickenbacker, et. al.
                Squonk wrote: Framus and Danelectro
                Framus are here already - part of Warwick, so a Music Power/Marshall brand. I know Bothners Plumstead have one, which is a great guitar (if a bit unusual/ugly).

                Danelectro - interesting, hadn't thought of them, but three votes already... Is someone not the agent already? I've seen one or two Dano pedals in shops.
                Brentcgp wrote: and the ones I would buy in a heartbeat... Duesenberg! Can I have a hell yeah!!!???
                Great minds... I was browsing the Dusenberg site earlier while thinking about this. Might be a bit of a limited market to justify bringing them in though (people either love or hate the art deco look).

                Tom Anderson would be another one on a par with Suhr...
                chris77 wrote: On a serious note, Hagstrom.
                Hmmm...
                aja wrote: vox and parker
                Both represented by Tuerk/Turnkey last time I looked (might have changed now Americal Musical/Washburn owns Parker). Tuerk couldn't sell the Parkers when they first brought them in.
                X-rated Bob wrote: Also G&L.
                Oooh... Yessss...
                For high-end acoustics Lowden.
                Also a good brand. What about Babicz? Or are they a bit too different?
                  Can I ask what the answers to this question will lead to?

                  As you know, I looked into bringing a certain brand of guitars into the country on a not-so-professional scale. The thing that made me shy away from it was the attitude of local shops saying that they only want fast runners on the floor regardless of quality. The suggestions made in the above are not going to be fast runners I reckon, so what is going to happen once you have your list?
                    Republic - especially the parlour sized resonators:

                      Gearhead wrote: Can I ask what the answers to this question will lead to?

                      As you know, I looked into bringing a certain brand of guitars into the country on a not-so-professional scale. The thing that made me shy away from it was the attitude of local shops saying that they only want fast runners on the floor regardless of quality. The suggestions made in the above are not going to be fast runners I reckon, so what is going to happen once you have your list?
                      Good point. It depends on the business model obviously. I already mentioned Collings as being available in SA. This is true. Hugh's Fine Guitars have the Collings agency for South Africa. However Hugh's business model is quite different from, say, Music Mate and he can afford to have a guitar sitting around for months before he sells it.

                      "Fast runners" may also be a relative term. I understand that the stores need to look after their cash flow and that it costs money to have guitars on display in the shop, but it does seem to me that as you scale the brand/price ladder things move more slowly. MIA Stratocasters hang around on the shop floor a lot longer than Corts do.

                      There are some brands that do move well though. Music Connection seem to not be able to get Breedlove in fast enough - even the high end models. Whenever McGibbon's get Larrivee in those don't spend much time hanging on the wall.

                      So I think you can move the kit if you know where the customers are - or if you can afford to play the long game.
                        Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
                        For high-end acoustics Lowden.
                        Also a good brand. What about Babicz? Or are they a bit too different?
                        Well Lowden is the one thing I do have consistent GAS for, so that's what I want to see in shops here. Just from my own selfish POV.
                          Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Tom Anderson would be another one on a par with Suhr...
                          Aren't McGibbon's the Anderson distributors for SA?
                            Rainsong, Composite Acoustics. I contacted Tuerk who is agent for Peavey who bought CA and they said maybe later can get on special order but that I can do myself ne.
                              Gretsch...both the electromatic-and higher end series. The Duo Jet, G6120 and Country Gentleman models.
                              I know Marshall Music CTown had one EM-series Gentleman on the wall last year sometime...a bit too expensive though
                                vic wrote: Gretsch...both the electromatic-and higher end series. The Duo Jet, G6120 and Country Gentleman models.
                                I know Marshall Music CTown had one EM-series Gentleman on the wall last year sometime...a bit too expensive though
                                I don't know who the agents are, but you can get Gretsch here - there's 2 or 3 at Music Connection. New, not 2nd hand.
                                  good idea to get some of the smaller guitar companies also represented ...cos not everyone wants the prescribed........gibson/fender/ibanez/prs ect ect ........ i find the market here too predictable quite hard to find really interesting or individual instruments.....


                                  however that said i would say import guitars in the lower to middle bracket that are not represented.BUT i know if i wanna drop 30-40 K on my dream instrument ..... i'd rather go to the states or europe where the choice and more importantly the opportunity to play before buying and comparing brands...... cos we understand the principle that just cos player A loves a guitar and gets great tone from it doesn';t mean player B will ...... so you tube vids of intruments and recording help but not enough for that big buy ........

                                  so yes bring in the sub 15K instruments but anything over that i think the importers will never have enough sales to justify a big stock so one can A/B a few of the same model ......... and again we know seldom are 2 guitars even from the same model and make the same ...... so if you bring in just one top end guitar sure it will sound awesome compared to your cort /or whatever but it might be a dog in comparison to the other ones even of the same batch ...... consistantcy in quality and feel /tone has never been a guitar companies strong point.....