Would you like to buy a new guitar directly from the factory?

[buzzy]

evolution or revolution

I have no horse in the race and I expect my voice will be indistinct among the chorus

 

step back from this ledge and find another place to jump

[Polo]

 

LOL! You don't think they'll talk to me? Since you know Terry, whyn't you call? Let me know what they tell you...

 

I was just playin Leroy....nobody truly knows Terry....he's an enigma in the most classic sense but I do wish you strength on your Heritage journey!

[LittleLeroy]

 

I was just playin Leroy....nobody truly knows Terry....he's an enigma in the most classic sense but I do wish you strength on your Heritage journey!

No worries... I knew you wuz jokin'.

[DOGBOY]

Having been in a similar position to the Heritage dealers in another business I support them wholeheartedly. Anything else I would want to say about this post would be far less diplomatic then they have been here!!!

[schundog]

I guess I "Get It...." But just because i "Get It" doesn't mean I have to agree with it or like it. If they felt like they needed to make these changes to grow or turn a profit, fine, but fair warning to dealers would have been the better approach, avoiding as many hard feelings as possible. But as the master Billy Joel says....

 

[bolero]

[Polo]

If the end of days weren't so clearly upon us I'd probably find this mock up to be quite amusing and well done.

[tbonesullivan]

I've got mixed feelings about this. It is pretty clear that Heritage has been making a bunch of capital investments, and this website and sales system is one of them. Setting up a webstore with all the associated security and merchant agreements is not exactly cheap. I don't think they would have done it unless they have intentions of keeping it going.

 

As to why they are doing it? No idea. Gibson recently started selling guitars on Amazon, at the same time they started putting the screws on the dealers, AGAIN. Hopefully Heritage is not going to use this as an example.

 

I am not really privy to the interior workings of Heritage's dealer relations dept, but is it possible that these are cancelled dealer orders?

[LittleLeroy]

Dayum! Got up too late to call Heritage Friday! I'll set my alarm so I'm up early enough to call Monday...

[ThroBak]

I talked to Heritage dealer about this today. He was fine with it and felt Heritage had been very respectful to their dealer network as it relates to the factory direct rollout.

[pressure]

Thanks for that Jon. And while I'm at it, thanks for making the best pickups on the planet.

[brentrocks]

now THAT is funny!!!

[DetroitBlues]

I've looked at that website a couple of times. I don't like the idea of what they are doing. Was it intended for dealers to be aware of available inventory then someone changed their mind? Who knows.

 

Rather of seen shirts, straps, picks, and other after market accessories then compete against their own dealers.

 

Unadvertised factory seconds should be all the guitars they should be selling direct.

[big bob]

I've looked at that website a couple of times. I don't like the idea of what they are doing. Was it intended for dealers to be aware of available inventory then someone changed their mind? Who knows.

Rather of seen shirts, straps, picks, and other after market accessories then compete against their own dealers.

Unadvertised factory seconds should be all the guitars they should be selling direct.

I believe this is the way heritage is recouping money spent on custom order guitars that while not seconds, did not meet the order criteria. For example, I ordered blocks and this has traps, or I ordered an ebony board and this has mahogany.

[Blunote]

"Old Guitar found in warehouse"

Free?

[bolero]

looks like that one has already been snagged

[FredZepp]

I certainly see both sides of the discussion.

 

I think it largely has to do with.... location. If you live 10 minutes away from the plant , you probably love the idea of buying one right there. If you are like the vast majority of consumers of guitars, you may never visit the plant .. at least not for your first Heritage experience. You might see the website and see the products and pricing, but being unfamiliar you'll want to try one first. If there is a dealer with samples to try and inventory to purchase, you may visit them to experience the Heritage phenomenon first hand. Anything that Heritage does that drives consumers through the door of a dealer is a job well done. This has not been done in the past to any great degree. Then it is up to the dealer to close the sale. Having dealers in good locations with properly set up samples and inventory to sell can make this work quite productively.

On-line dealers must have something to offer consumers also... a desirable inventory, that is well photographed , detailed in specs, at competitive pricing seem like good places to start. There will likely be more and more excitement around the Heritage brand in coming years.. it seems inevitable that they can achieve this with the investments that they've made. Now it's being in all the right places to capitalize on it.

[ElNumero]

looks like that one has already been snagged

It was old. It didn't have any value....

[Kuz]

I believe this is the way heritage is recouping money spent on custom order guitars that while not seconds, did not meet the order criteria. For example, I ordered blocks and this has traps, or I ordered an ebony board and this has mahogany.

I am not sure I understand this Lance. With Heritage's improved ordering system (computerized), how many screwed up custom orders can there be? Maybe I am wrong, but would there be enough "mistakes" to sustain an online ordering inventory?

[big bob]

John, you know when a guitar goes through 12 different stations things can happen! I hear they may have a cure for this though!!!

[Kuz]

John, you know when a guitar goes through 12 different stations things can happen! I hear they may have a cure for this though!!!

No, I completely get it that occasionally custom orders get made with the wrong features. Maybe I just don't understand this whole online ordering. I thought any guitar could be bought on line (you know spec 'd out, made to order, ect... Without a dealer involved). But if the online ordering is just for the occasional "wrongly appointed guitar".... Well 1) the online inventory should be low, 2) Dealers didn't order them and probably wouldn't have wanted to be buy them even if they were asked if they wanted them 3) If Heritage is only selling wrongly appointed unwanted guitars then I change my stance on the online ordering and say I am fine with it. I guess I wonder how often with Heritage's new QC and new in-line manufacturing set up process will there be an inventory of "mistake/wrong feature" guitars to sell in the future.

 

I guess I still have a lot of question of what they are really selling on line; a full catalog including guitars you can spec out without a direct dealer, or just guitars made with accidentally the wrong appointments?

 

Also, I think Heritage needs to stop selling #2 guitars. It just looks bad, like you are cheap and passing off inferior guitars for a profit. PRS will band saw in two pieces inferior #2 guitars, and I also believe Gibson no longer sells #2 guitars. Heritage either needs to fix the flaw on the guitar or trash them. Just my .02

[Polo]

Well, it’s abundantly clear that the folks at Heritage owe you guys some answers!!!

Let’s just hope that all of this expanded exposure madness can get cleared up before they hand out the free hot dogs and t-shirts.

I wonder if anyone here will dare to concede that the online portal was a success if the numbers coming back indicated that both dealer orders and web traffic have showed a significant spike since the launch? Rhetorically speaking of course, wtf do I know?

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Curmudgeon

[JeffB]

I just did a quick(!) search of every dealer listed on Heritage Inc's dealer list.

I visited every available link.

I understand why Heritage Inc mightve gone this way.

Some links send you to an expired domain.

Some send you to a facebook page!!! wut?

Some links send you to a website that does not list products.??

Some send you to websites that are so infuriatingly stupid to get through and when you do, no Heritage.

Some have great websites, Chicago Music Exchange for example, but still no Heritage Guitars listed or one 2nd hand one.

There are a few great websites and these places have some lovely stock of Heritage. I bookmarked some of these places. They have some very cool stock! of everything they sell

 

But over all the dealers arent pulling their weight and promoting the product. The ones that do do it well.

I can type in most products and even over here I will get Chicago Music Exchange on my first search page if I set it to "any country" and not "Australia only"

But If I type in "Heritage guitar" I get Heritages own website, wikipedia, heritage Guitars Inc facebook page, a video and a builders profile on premier guitars.

If I type in Suhr guitars I get the companies website 3 Au dealers and 3 USA dealers.

The Heritage Guitars Inc dealers absolutely suck at promotion.

Having a fb page or something on Reverb and GBase is nothing. You are preaching to the converted. You arent bringing in new converts or creating brand awareness. Its not promotion.

GBase Reverb and then fb and other social medias are devices that should lead a person back to a functioning and easy to navigate website.

Its all about helping google to find you.

Only Heritage Inc is doing what needs to be done. I think theyre probably doing the right thing.

[Polo]

I just did a quick(!) search of every dealer listed on Heritage Inc's dealer list.

I visited every available link.

I understand why Heritage Inc mightve gone this way.

Some links send you to an expired domain.

Some send you to a facebook page!!! wut?

Some links send you to a website that does not list products.??

Some send you to websites that are so infuriatingly stupid to get through and when you do, no Heritage.

Some have great websites, Chicago Music Exchange for example, but still no Heritage Guitars listed or one 2nd hand one.

There are a few great websites and these places have some lovely stock of Heritage. I bookmarked some of these places. They have some very cool stock! of everything they sell

 

But over all the dealers arent pulling their weight and promoting the product. The ones that do do it well.

I can type in most products and even over here I will get Chicago Music Exchange on my first search page if I set it to "any country" and not "Australia only"

But If I type in "Heritage guitar" I get Heritages own website, wikipedia, heritage Guitars Inc facebook page, a video and a builders profile on premier guitars.

If I type in Suhr guitars I get the companies website 3 Au dealers and 3 USA dealers.

The Heritage Guitars Inc dealers absolutely suck at promotion.

Having a fb page or something on Reverb and GBase is nothing. You are preaching to the converted. You arent bringing in new converts or creating brand awareness. Its not promotion.

GBase Reverb and then fb and other social medias are devices that should lead a person back to a functioning and easy to navigate website.

Its all about helping google to find you.

Only Heritage Inc is doing what needs to be done. I think theyre probably doing the right thing.

 

bin·go

ˈbiNGɡō/

noun

1. 1.

   a game in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off five numbers in a row or another required pattern.

exclamation

1. 1.

   used to express satisfaction or surprise at a sudden positive event or outcome.

   "bingo, she leapfrogged into a sales trainee position"

[tbonesullivan]

Well, that is part of it. The issue is that if you sell direct, that means that you need to also deal with all the crap like problems, returns, complaints, etc that dealers have to. Most of these guitars look to be pretty much "off the shelf" guitars, and not super fancy custom orders. If you want one made to order, the best way is going to be contacting a dealer.

 

Martin guitars does not sell direct. However if you go to Nazareth music shop, you will get prices on Martin guitars that you will NOT BEAT ANYWHERE. Why? Because Martin has a lot of events and tourism at their museum and factory. They don't sell direct, but this way people can still go home with a Martin, at an attractive price.