Ask most guitarists what inspires them to buy a particular guitar and if they're honest they'll admit that the look plays a huge part in their decision. Be it a guitar played by a particular guitar hero of theirs or simply the colour of the instrument that sparks their interest, in most cases the sound and feel comes secondary to the aesthetics of the instrument.

In reality of course the sound and feel should be much more important deciding factors. So far so what? Well, if you pay your hard earned money for your dream guitar but discover it plays like a real dog due to a high action or general lack of set-up does it still make it the right guitar for you?

The truth is that it could still be a perfectly good guitar but lacks the attention to detail that a final 'set-up' can offer. For those of you not in the know a 'set-up' consists of the sometimes minor, sometimes extensive tweaks and adjustments that influence the overall playability and feel of an instrument. These include:

Without these adjustments even a £2,000 guitar can feel cheap and unplayable. It's also easy to understand why the majority of production line guitars leave the factory with the minimum of these adjustments carried out. These factories are turning out thousands of units per day, so for them to employ specialised staff to individually set-up each guitar to its best would add significantly to the price of any instrument purchased. The best they generally do is a simple check over - based on their own unregulated quality control standards - and the guitar is boxed and sent to its intended location in most cases, far around the globe. It must be emphasised that most guitars arrive from the factory in the same state that they leave the production line.

Were you to try a guitar in a shop and realise that it felt terrible you would no doubt put it back on the rack and pick up another. But what if you are buying unseen?

With the advent of mail order and more recently internet-based 'e-shops' offering discounts on 'boxed' guitars, buying a guitar has changed - The temptation to buy a guitar unseen because of a discounted price tag is huge and for many the end result is disappointment.

Guitars (even electric guitars) are acoustic by nature and predominantly made of wood. Now, every piece of wood - even if it's the same type of wood - sounds slightly different due to its grain form and density. When wood is formed into an acoustic, resonating instrument these differences play a fundamental part in the eventual sound of the instrument - try playing two seemingly identical guitars one after another and you will notice a difference in tone. So, without trying a guitar before you buy how can you be sure that it will sound as you imagined? It's simple, you can't.

The differences are even more prominent in purely acoustic instruments - there are some general rules in guitar making that will help predict an end tone but the basic principle that every guitar sounds different still applies.

Guitars are not inert objects like TV's and DVD players. They are meant to change, mellow or mature over a period of time so in buying one that suits you it is crucial that it sounds how you would like it to and also has been set-up to feel and play in a way that's comfortable for you as a player.

At Martin Phelps Music, every guitar we sell comes complete with our own unique set-up and maintenance guarantee in addition to any warranties offered by the manufacturer. We offer this service completely FREE of charge for a minimum 12 month period (Instruments under £100 in value) when you could expect to pay at least £55-£80 to have a guitar set-up to your requirements.

Most importantly, we are keen to emphasise that all warranty work is carried out with the upmost care and expertise by time served, professional 'luthiers', who we pay specifically to provide this  unique service to our customers.

The 2 year warranty covers parts and labour in all cases of general wear and tear, and where manufacturers defects may have occured through normal usage. Claims cannot be made using this warranty where accidental damage or mistreatment has been proven to have resulted in a fault occuring.
Click here to view details of the work entailed in the set up of a guitar, and most importantly the likely costs if it were not covered under warranty...

For you the customer, this means genuine peace of mind
When we say 'if you have any problems please just let us know'  - We mean it.

ALL GUITARS PURCHASED OVER
JUST £100 IN VALUE - NOW RECEIVE A
2 YEAR MAINTENANCE WARRANTY
YES, THAT'S 2 YEARS OF FREE SETUPS AND MAINTENANCE COMPLETELY FREE!