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 when you could expect to pay at least £55 to have a guitar set-up to your requirements.(This offer isn't just a 'one-off' service - Customers are welcome to book the guitar in to have further 'tweaks' done as desired and as many times as is necessary, again completely FREE.. Imagine the saving that can be made...) 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.

FROM 19TH JULY 2008 - ALL GUITARS PURCHASED OVER
£300 IN VALUE - NOW RECEIVE A
2 YEAR MAINTENANCE WARRANTY
YES, THAT'S 2 YEARS OF FREE SETUPS AND MAINTENANCE COMPLETELY FREE!
(2nd year excludes parts, and is labour only)