Big Joe's

[montana]

A while back I posted a thread asking where was the best place to buy a guitar or mandolin. A number of replies mentioned Big Joe's Guitarworks in Nashville. I looked on his website and saw one guitar discribed exactly like what i've been looking for so I called. Even though Joe was in the middle of a trade show he was very nice to me and told me all about the guitar. I decided to take a leap of faith and buy the guitar even though I said I would never buy a quality intrument without playing it first.
Well the guitar came in Thursday and it is a killer! It is every thing he said it would be and I'm very happy. I was a little concerned about the playabilty so I called Joe and asked him about the strings. He put an extra set of Elixer strings (the good stuff) in the case which were medium gague and I am use to light gague. He explained to me about the gagues and even said he would send me a set of light gague strings! Is that cool or what. You won't find that type of service at the big Internet stores.
I am sure there are a lot of great music dealers out there but if you are looking for a good instrument and live out in a rural area like I do, you willably feel comfortable making a purchase from Big Joe's. I know once I get the money saved to upgrade my mandolin I will have him looking out for an instument for me.

[Malcolm G.]

Love stories like this!

Congrats!

[Hans]

Joe is one of the good ones...

[Rogapesh]

What a great buying experience. I'm going up next week to check out his mandolin selection. I'm hoping to leave with one!

[jim_n_virginia]

If you buy from Big Joe you can pretty much bet any instrument from him is going to be set up great! Big Joe is da man! :mandosmiley:

[wamjr52]

I have not purchased an instrument from Big Joe, but I have used his services. I purchased a 1976 Aria two point through an estate sale in the SC upstate. Not a mainstream bluegrass instrument but almost in if not in the original condition. I selected Big Joe, purely on his persentation and responses on the cafe. We communicated be email several times. I send him the mandolin for a set-up and tone-guard. Big called me after he assessed it made some other recommendations. I gave the green flag. Big emailed me twice during the work, and again at completion. He sent it back, and it was everything he said it would be and more, I have had several Gibson pickers come over the see her and pick her at the last three jams. She can definately hoe her own row in a crowd. I am sure that there are many other great luthiers closer to Shallotte NC than Big Joe is, but I do not know them. I have the one I need already picked out, honest man, great work, how can you go wrong.

[wglide]

I was in Nashville on the way to Nashcamp & decided to find Joe's place(a little tricky). I ended up spending about 2 hrs. at his place just playing some of his instruments. I didn't but anything but I sure hope to do some business with him some day soon. He is a great guy that you can count on.

[Poener]

I wonder how many other "Big Joes" there are in the world? I saw a segment on Gruhn's on TV, it really didn't impress me regarding the procedure they used to evaluate vintage instruments.

[Rick Proctor]

Big Joe replaced the truss rod on my EM-150 (you can see it lying on a table with the neck off in the video on his site). He als did a setup on it. His team did an awesome job. He's great to deal with. Any instrument you buy from him will be well setup and ready to play.