Know Your Gear Podcast Summary
Episode: Appointment Only Guitar Stores, The End Of Retail?
Host: Phillip McKnight
Release Date: June 28, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 419 of the Know Your Gear Podcast, host Phil McKnight delves into the evolving landscape of guitar retail, particularly focusing on the rise of appointment-only brick-and-mortar stores. Celebrating reaching the mid-year milestone, Phil also shares personal anecdotes, responds to listener questions, and discusses upcoming projects that highlight his ongoing commitment to providing in-depth guitar insights.

Appointment-Only Guitar Stores and the Future of Retail

Key Discussion Points:

• Shift to Online Sales: Phil argues that the trend toward appointment-only stores is less about enhancing customer service and more about boosting online sales. He observes that many stores adopting this model aim to minimize time wasted by non-serious customers, often referred to as "tire kickers."
  “I think the whole appointment store concept is really to facilitate more online sales.” [00:20]

• Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic significantly accelerated online guitar purchases. Phil notes a substantial increase in online sales during this period, which he estimates to be five to ten times higher than pre-pandemic levels.
  “I want to be very clear. If I say five times more now, I want you to say, I want you to think three times more than ever before...” [05:10]

• Personal Experience with Rainbow Guitars: Phil recounts his visit to Rainbow Guitars in Tucson, Arizona, highlighting the limitations of the appointment-only approach. He describes the store’s minimal in-store display, which left him feeling disconnected from the guitars being sold.
  “I bought a guitar from an appointment store. I went to Rainbow Guitars in Tucson, Arizona. It was not a pleasant experience.” [10:45]

• Conclusion on Retail Trends: Ultimately, Phil expresses dissatisfaction with the appointment-only model, emphasizing the loss of personal interaction and the tangible experience of handling guitars in-person. He advocates for maintaining the traditional retail experience to foster genuine connections between customers and instruments.
  “If you want to have a store, you let people touch things. You let people in, you let people get around the gear.” [22:30]

PRS Herman Lee Guitar Deep Dive

Key Insights:

• Receiving the Guitar: Phil discusses receiving the limited edition PRS Herman Lee signature guitar, detailing his initial impressions and the guitar's unique features.
  “PRS reached out, talked to Shauna, said, hey, is Phil interested in seeing the guitar?” [26:15]

• Personal Connection: He shares a personal story about playing the guitar, the design elements, and the challenges of customizing it to his preferences.
  “I think it's a way to balance the whole. We still have a physical store, but we are an online dealer.” [30:50]

• Investment Perspective: Phil speculates on the guitar’s future value, predicting it may appreciate significantly due to its limited release and unique attributes.
  “My prediction is they sell out the 200. And then my next prediction... it'll be worth $10,000.” [35:40]

Listener Questions and Advice

Phil addresses various listener-submitted questions, offering expert advice and personal opinions:

1. Building an HSS with Floyd Rose:

   • Recommendation: Seymour Duncan JB, DiMarzio Super Distortion, or Tone Zone pickups for an '80s Super Strat sound.
     “If you're going 80s, you're going single coil or single pickup. You're going super distortion.” [40:00]

2. Studio and Gigging Guitars:

   • Phil’s Picks: Kiesel Delos for studio and Stratocasters for gigging, emphasizing versatility and personal familiarity.
     “If I can only have two guitars, one for recording and one for play, I would have my Kiesel Delos and a Strat.” [43:25]

3. Telecasters vs. Strats:

   • Preference: Phil favors Stratocasters due to their familiarity and playability, despite acknowledging the Telecaster’s tuning stability.
     “I would never not pick a Strat or Strat style guitar or Strat copy.” [48:10]

4. Material Choices for Guitar Nuts:

   • Synthetic vs. Bone Nuts: He theorizes that manufacturers prefer synthetic materials for cost-effectiveness and ease of production, rather than bone.
     “Synthetic materials bring to the party over bone is they are already pre-made.” [50:00]

5. Scalloped Fretboards:

   • Explanation and Preference: Scalloped fretboards are explained as scooped-out fretboards that change playability. Phil expresses a personal liking but acknowledges varied opinions.
     “This guitar is completely scalloped. Scalloping just means the fretboard has been kind of scooped out.” [55:35]

Customer Service and Quality Control

Phil’s Experiences:

• Washburn N4 Guitar Defect: Phil recounts purchasing a Washburn N4 guitar that arrived with a cosmetic defect. Despite reaching out multiple times, the response was slow and unsatisfactory, leading him to relinquish faith in the brand’s customer service.
  “They took a month... Washburn never got back to me. So screw Washburn.” [60:10]

• Kiesel Customer Service: Contrast with Kiesel, where Phil acknowledges improvements but maintains realistic expectations due to the company’s smaller size. He highlights positive interactions with the company’s representative, Jeff Kiesel.
  “They have a survey card now. They have an email. They ask you after the sale, how does it go.” [65:40]

Selling Guitar Collections

Strategies Discussed:

• Prioritizing Sales: Phil advises selling valuable guitars first, using methods like painter’s tape to categorize and prioritize which guitars to sell.
  “Focus on selling the worst guitars first because sitting on good guitars is always a good idea.” [70:25]

• Platforms for Selling: Recommendations include local stores like Zim’s Guitars in Mesa, Arizona, and online platforms such as Reverb and Sweetwater’s Gear Exchange.
  “I consigned a bunch of stuff at Zim's Guitars down in Mesa, Arizona.” [75:00]

• Super Chats and Community Support: Phil discusses leveraging community support through Super Chats and Patreon to facilitate selling used gear, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balance between passion projects and business needs.
  “These super chats and patrons are making it possible for years, which is great.” [80:45]

Upcoming Projects and Personal Updates

Factory Tour and Independent Content:

• PRS SE Factory Tour: Phil announces an upcoming trip to the PRS SE factory in Indonesia, aiming to provide exclusive insights and factory tour footage for his audience. He expresses excitement about sharing these behind-the-scenes experiences.
  “I'll be going to the PRS SE factory in Indonesia. They agreed that I could see the PRS side and film that.” [90:20]

• Independent Deep Dives: Through Patreon support, Phil is expanding his content to include independent deep dives on unique and historical guitars, ensuring the channel remains fresh and engaging.
  “I'm really excited about these. These are old guitars, they're not new guitars. They're really cool and interesting guitars that I'll be able to dissect.” [85:10]

Community Support and Engagement

Appreciation for Supporters:

Phil extends heartfelt thanks to his Patreon members, Super Chat contributors, and general audience for their unwavering support, which enables him to continue producing high-quality, informative content.
“I couldn't be any more thankful, especially because I think ultimately if you don't come up with interesting things for us to watch and do right now in the guitar communities, I don't know.” [100:15]

Conclusion

Phil wraps up the episode by reiterating his gratitude towards his community, highlighting the importance of their support in sustaining the channel. He hints at upcoming videos, including a deep dive on a $4,000 guitar with a design defect, and encourages listeners to stay tuned for more engaging content.

Notable Quotes:

• “I think the whole appointment store concept is really to facilitate more online sales.” [00:20]
• “If you want to have a store, you let people touch things. You let people in, you let people get around the gear.” [22:30]
• “I would never not pick a Strat or Strat style guitar or Strat copy.” [48:10]
• “They took a month... Washburn never got back to me. So screw Washburn.” [60:10]
• “I couldn't be any more thankful, especially because I think ultimately if you don't come up with interesting things for us to watch and do right now in the guitar communities, I don't know.” [100:15]

This episode provides a comprehensive look into the shifting dynamics of guitar retail, the importance of personal connections with instruments, and the challenges and strategies involved in managing and selling guitar collections. Phil's candid discussions and personal experiences offer valuable insights for guitar enthusiasts navigating today's market.