Originally Posted by: BrokenJeraand about the used gear i guess it depends where you live. i live in the sf bay area so there is about 500 music stores at least within a bart ride distance.

Ah, that would be nice, but I couldn't stand living in a city. Not for me. We've got the music store that sells Fenders and band instruments, the music store that sells Gibsons and caters more to gigging musicians and the little "vintage" music store that's rarely open and wants too much money for everything they have. Beyond that, you're pawn shopping. :o

I do think the mom and pop stores have adapted somewhat to the competition of online. Guitars around here are one of the few things that are actually a little cheaper than they were when I was growing up. When I was pining for an HM Strat in the early 90s, the catalog stores (no online then) stocked them for about $600. Locally, they were $850-$900. Now, if they think you're serious about buying, the local stores will often give you a price quote of about $50 or less more than the online price. If I really like the guitar, that makes it worth buying locally for me.