There's a nice archtop for sale at Downtown Disney
Hojo2X
I was in Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, a couple of weeks ago, and
while we were standing in line to get into the loud and overpriced Cuban cafe
that my sister-in-law wanted to take us to, I noticed a music store called The
Guitar Gallery across the street
Rather than have me fidget and faunch while waiting in line (I'd neglected to
bring a book) my wife sent me off to the music store with her blessing, with
the promise
to send our daughter Celia to fetch me when we finally got our table an hour
later.
"Do you think Wade can find enough to do there for an hour?" my wife's sister
asked her. "Oh, I think there's probably enough there to keep him busy for two
or three weeks," she answered.
I walked in, and there high on the wall, well above the reach of any human
being, was a beautiful handmade Fender D'Aquisto Ultra archtop guitar with a
floating pickup and a dark sunburst finish. I'd only seen them pictured in
catalogs and in the Fender Custom Shop book.
It was a VERY nice guitar. The store clerk who helped me was a nice guy named
Chet Johnson, and it was interesting to see the subtle way he vetted me before
pulling the guitar down off the wall and handing it to me. After he found out
that
I had a handmade archtop AND a custom made OOO-42, he pulled it down right
quick, and very politely at that.
Later on I kidded him about this, and he grinned and said: "Well, I had to make
sure you understood something about the instrument, and weren't just some guy
who thought it was a cool-looking guitar and wanted to try it."
At $7,000 for the guitar, I understand and applaud his caution.
It was also a terrific guitar in every regard, loud, sensitive, well balanced
across the tonal range, and with a surprising amount of sustain and warmth for
an archtop. It was truly superb, and I urge anyone in the market for a high
dollar archtop to check it out.
Since I knew I wasn't going to buy it, I didn't try to see what sort of
negotiation room he had. My impression was that it was a pricey shop, not
given to a whole lot of dickering. But I could be wrong...it's been there a
while, and they might bargain.
So check it out if that sort of guitar is what you want - there are very few of
those out there floating around, and this was an exceptional instrument.
Wade Hampton Miller
OASYSCO
Wade,
I will be going to Disney World soon. Where exactly is this music store? In the
park? Right outside?
Thanks,
Greg
Hojo2X
Greg writes:Wade>Where exactly is this music store? In the
>park? Right outside?
It's in Walt Disney World in a part called Downtown Disney, which is where a
lot of
restaurants and stores are located. The store itself is right across from
Bongo's, the overpriced Cuban cafe I mentioned.
Incidentally, the only good food we found in the entire complex was in the
various national pavilions in Epcot. Of these, the best was the Norwegian
smorgesbord.
So if you get a park hopper pass, try to schedule your days so you can get out
to Epcot in the evenings. If Bongo's is any indication of the quality of the
restaurants in Downtown Disney (and I'm told it is) I wouldn't bother going
there except to check out the guitar store.
Happy hunting.
W H Miller