When I decided to upgrade to a concert level sounding classical guitar I faced a dilemma: you can’t easily just walk into a shop, try many guitars, and pick the one you like best. I also didn’t feel like I had enough experience to commission a classical guitar from a luthier.
Based on good recommendations, I contacted Paul at the Grand Salon de Guitare. I had initially planned to fly out to Montreal and try every guitar I could get my hands on and decide that way. Paul was accommodating with that plan, but he also started asking questions about what I was looking for, what sound I was after, my experience, and what type of repertoire I was playing in the hope that he could guide me towards a range of choices. After listening to many clips on-line of guitars that Paul has had in his Salon, I found one that had “that” sound that I was after. While Paul had previously sold that guitar, through a series of events it became available and he was able to secure it for me.
I was still somewhat hesitant to buy such an expensive instrument at a distance without having ever played it, but Paul was so confident in its qualities that he offered to take it back if I wasn’t completely satisfied. What more could I ask for? The guitar arrived expertly packed, in a new case, and with a whole assortment of extras (strings, humidifiers, etc). And the guitar was stunning – just as Paul described it. After playing the first chord on it I knew that there was no way I was going to send it back, and now that I’ve been playing it for a couple of weeks I am even more impressed.
Throughout the process I always got the feeling that Paul was most concerned about matching me up with the right sounding and playing guitar for me. He was very responsive and thorough in all the communications, and he made the purchasing process as stress free as possible. As a result of my experience, I am happy to recommend anyone looking for a new or used classical guitar would be well served by contacting Paul.
