Do you save money buying a guitar direct from the manufacturer?

Not really.

Take the SX (Rondo brand) Strat clone. The price? Cheap. This is a guitar you could buy direct if you wanted to.

Should you buy direct?

Not with mass-produced guitars you don't, and certainly not with guitar accessories either.

Using Fender as an example, there is basically no difference in price between buying a guitar direct through Fender's web site vs. buying elsewhere. In fact, if you purposely bought a Fender through another seller, you will find the return policy far more agreeable.

Where guitar accessories are concerned, I've never seen direct-purchase sell for less compared to Amazon or eBay.

Is there any instance of where buying a guitar direct saves money?

Yes.

When specifically buying from smaller guitar builders, buying direct is the best choice. And when I say "smaller", I'm referring to guys who build guitars in their own shops, usually at their homes. Many of these guys don't do eBay and certainly don't do Amazon either. If they did, they would have to tack on "middleman" fees. When buying direct, those middleman fees are eliminated, thereby saving you money.

With larger guitar builders, the price hardly changes if at all between direct and otherwise. But with the smaller builders, yes the price changes and you ordinarily will save a few bucks with a direct purchase.

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Published 2016 Jan 1