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I ordered an ROS-627 guitar through Instrument Alley primarily because of their incredibly good deal on both the instrument and the accompanying hard shell case. After I
ordered, I made the terrible mistake of going in search of customer reviews
of their site and found way too many negative reviews. So many, in fact,
that it caused me some consternation.

However, I did read some reviews that spoke very highly of the operation,
so I would like to include my review.

I ordered my ROS-627 Recording King Century Guitar on February 10, 2014,
through Mikkal Butterfield, agent for Instruments Alley. I was pleasantly
surprised to receive an e mail update on Thursday, February 13, telling me
that the guitar had already shipped. In the accompanying report, the Fed Ex
tracking number was included. (I had requested that, as I live in Wisconsin
and we had been having a couple of bitterly cold weeks).

I then contacted Fed Ex and instructed them to drop my package at a nearby
Fed Ex office so that it would not have to ride around in a cold van most of
the day.

Thursday morning, February 18, I received my call from the local Fed Ex
office letting me know that my package had arrived. So, within a week (5
actual business days) I had the guitar shipping box resting on the living
room floor.

Word to the wise: Instrument Alley, in my estimation, is a top-notch
reputable online business, efficient in getting your orders out in a timely
manner, and carrying top notch instruments.

I only attempted to contact them once, and that is when I ordered the
guitar. I requested that if possible, the guitar be packed with a bit more
insulation as it would be heading for one of the coldest spots in the nation
for February. Granted, I did not receive an answer to that request, but
obviously expediting shipments quickly takes highest priority with
Instruments Alley, a philosophy with which I agree whole heartedly, and the
guitar and case arrived in immaculate condition.

You will find their prices pleasantly moderate, if not the lowest on the
web. I certainly could not find my purchase any where near as inexpensive!
I recommend Instruments Alley highly!

Larry Heagle
"

"After waiting almost 2 weeks on pins and needles my beautiful blueridge 160 lh guitar finally arrived. I must admit,it was worth the wait. She arrived very well packed and safe although they shipped me the case a few days late. They kept me informed the whole way though. If you want a quality instrument and a great deal and don't mind waiting then this is your spot. However, if you're impatient and need something within a few days then spend more money elsewhere. Being I got such a beautiful guitar at such a great price, I didn't mind the wait. Ben and Dave were great even though I bothered them every day! Lol

Ohh...one last thing. Do not get the basic setup. It says 15 bucks but they charged me 20 and when I got the guitar the action was way too high and the neck needed relief do I still had to take her to a luthier for basic setup. They threw in a set of free strings though and tuned the guitar so i didn't mind much."

"This is by far the best store I have run across for my music needs. The products they sell are very high quality and the customer service is excellent. I will be buying from them again and again in the future!"

"I have to say, I was a little apprehensive at first because the pedal was being sold at such a low price that I thought it might be too good to be true! But these folks delivered big time. I ordered my pedal on Sunday and received it on Thursday(Utah>NYC)! Holy cow! Then I sent a nice e-mail to Ben who responded right away.
As a professional musician I value this kind of speed and customer service. Would I order from Ben again? Hell yes!
Thanks instrumentAlley.com!"

"The Blue Ridge guitar and case were priced well below the competition. This shop provided free shipping, great communication and fast delivery. I'll be a repeat customer. "

"I ordered a Gold Tone Dulciborn from Instrumentalley.com I was a little nervous because I'd read some less than positive reviews about their customer service, but no one else could touch their price so I took a chance. My instrument arrived today and I could not be happier. The turn-around time from order to delivery was just under two weeks. I would not hesitate to do business with them again based on my experience."

"I have to say that this guitar showed up in better shape, with quicker delivery then any I've ever ordered online... They had it sent from Liverpool GB to my door in Illinois in 2 days! only negative is they are slow to respond to emails. You need to call. Excellent buy! "

"Martin 0 sized case arrived quickly and as described. Fast and pleasant communication with customer service. A+"

"InstrumentAlley.com has a very slow refund process."

"I purchased a Goldtone EBM-5 electric banjo from InstrumentAlley. I am a seasoned musician, but a beginner at banjo. I am very impressed with this instrument. Set-up out of the box was excellent, and it sounds great through my Fender amp. A well made product I will take out on future gigs. Thanks to InstrumentAlley for prompt delivery without any delays."

"good service by ben, really appeciate the service he provided to me regarding a uke case. thanks ben!

sincerely,
terry chaffee
carlsbad, ca"

"Having read some negative reviews, mostly to do with shipping delays, I was a little concerned of doing business with instrument alley. I contacted them before completing my order and they assured me the item was in stock and there would be no problems shipping it in a timely matter. I was surprised that the guitar came this morning as i just placed the order a couple days ago. Best price and very pleased with the guitar!"

" I was asked to edit my original review of InstrumentAlley because Ben and I had a communication problem. I had to cancel my order because it was a Christmas present and was still backordered in January. I thought my email expressed that I wanted the ukulele as soon as possible but Ben (understandably) thought I wanted to wait until the ukulele and case were both ready to ship. Unfortunately, we were unable to do the transaction."

"After a long search for a small body guitar and being unable to afford my prime choice, I found the Recording King 000 style series guitars. Looking around the web Instrument Alley had the best selection and good prices. Unfortunately the guitar I wanted was no longer available, but Ben contacted me and offered an upgrade for a very reasonable cost. I ended up with the RO-227, with abalone purfling and rosette and Ivoriod binding. a well crafted instrument, all solid wood.
The only drawback was that the guitar spec sheet on the Recording King web site says that the guitar has a "Vintage V" neck. To me, a vintage neck would be a bit thicker and heavier than the standard guitar neck. This neck is more like a standard neck with a slight V shape. After careful consideration and correspondence with both Recording King and Instrument Alley about my concerns, I decided that the neck was working out fine
after all. Ben at Instrument Alley maintained a cordial attitude with a demanding customer and I would recommend Instrument Alley to anyone whose access to guitars in their area is limited. It is still better to hold and play the guitar you are interested in. "

"
I will recomment Instrumentalley.com to all my friends in Hawaii.
They followed through on my order until complete delivery."