(a) You can compare the prices of the two most-similar instruments.

For example, compare the TrueTapper Eclipse 12-string Megatar ($1290) with the Chapman ‘Grand Stick’ ($2500), and you will discover that the lower-cost Eclipse actually gives you better features and faster delivery!

Detailed comparison chart –

http://megatarcomparison.com/buy-chapman-stick-feature-chart/

(b) An alternative way to compare is to compare two instruments with the most-similar prices and see what you get with each one …

For example you could compare the Megatar MaxTapper NITRO ($2690) with the Chapman ‘Grand Stick’ with active-circuit preamps ($2700), and you will discover that the NITRO gives you not just active magnetic pickup sound, but includes world-famous Bartolini active magnetic sound, plus an entire second sound system from the astounding Graph-Tech ‘acoustiphonic’ Screaming-Ghost piezo system.

Further, that the Nitro offers the usual enhancements: three method books, patented MegStrap, and the patented Buzz Feiten Intonation System so your playing sounds more ‘in tune’ than normal guitars or Stick instruments.

Further, the Dual-Sound NITRO gives you separate tone/volume knobs and selector switches so you can choose either the rich and warm magnetic sound for melody or bass, or you can choose the crisp and full-frequency sound of the Screaming Ghost piezos … or you can blend them using the on-board controls, and you can output them blended or with a true Quad output for the most powerful sound on any touchstyle instrument in the world.

Plus, you save $10.

Now you know.

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But of course, you realize that ‘poverty’ and ‘doing well’ are mainly states of mind, depending upon your being grateful for the wonderful life you live, and that pretty much anything can open up, pretty much at any time, and that as soon as you realize — it;’s like walking up the street and a bird startles out of a bush and flies rapidly away, maybe left maybe right I don’t know where it went — and you suddenly realize that you can have anything you want, assume only that you desire it and you focus your mind and picturing clearly and so you knowing you can have it oddly the opportunities will just appear, and you ask questions and what if and before you know it will be the money appears and click click click you open the box and the Megatar in your hands and you like the way you feel it and the strings beneath your fingers, and sound is rich and the music floats into the air and then it is

So. Call us. Tell us how can we help you to get an instrument into your hands?

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But that day is still some years in the future. And in some ways this works to your advantage.

For example, one of the reasons our pricing is (relatively) low for a specialty instrument is that we sell direct.

We did experiment slightly with selling through dealers, but it became obvious that we’d have to raise all prices quite a lot and we didn’t want to do that. (There is one manufacturer who does sell through dealers; and you’ll notice how their prices are considerably higher than ours.)

And so this is one reason that we don’t have any music store dealers. Not even in Los Angeles or Noo Yawk; not nowhere.

We do realize it’s a bit of a ‘leap of faith’ to order an instrument without playing it first.

Because, usually, when we want to buy a guitar, we trot down to Guitar Center and try some off the wall.

But a touch-style instrument is a different kind of beast. You won’t normally find them in a music store, because …

• The instruments don’t fit on the racks on the wall;
• The salesmen don’t know what it is;
• The younger customers all want to try it, but then hang it horizontal trying to pick it and don’t know why their hand won’t reach all the strings in that position;
• Then it gets banged up;
• And after failing to sell it for a few months, naturally the music store wants to return the banged up instrument. Bummer.

So this doesn’t actually work well, quite apart from the 40% markup that they want to charge.

I (Traktor) remember the first time I took that leap of faith. It worked out for me, and it works out for most folks.

However, since we cannot offer you the opportunity to visit our instrument at the music store, this is why we have our “Universal Guarantee of Satisfaction.”

It says: “If less than completely delighted with any standard instrument purchased from our factory, return it within one week in new condition for full refund of your purchase price.”

Now please realize that when you try a guitar off the wall at Guitar Center, it becomes immediately clear that you either like it or you don’t. And if you’re not quite sure, then you go back the next day to check. And that’s really all it takes to know.

So since you can test the instrument on your own gear in your own home for up to seven days, this is plenty of time to make sure it’s going to be fun and productive.

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Yes, Weed, California. No joke.

On some of our models in the past (and perhaps in the future) we have obtained bodies and necks from overseas, mostly Korea and China, where they have very good factories for doing that kind of work.

However, we have not found anyone to whom we could reliably subcontract the rather exacting fretwork and setup, plus of course we install the Buzz Feiten Intonation System so your playing sounds more in tune than do normal guitars or basses. The fretwork we do is of far greater precision than even very expensive guitars hanging on the wall at Guitar Center … because the action must be much better for your touch-style playing to be easy and good-sounding.

At present, we are manufacturing our own bodies and necks. We use computer equipment, for the exact laser-like precision it affords to the placement of the fretslots for example, and we use hand-finishing for the beauty of the instrument.

As always, we obtain parts for our instruments from all over the world. Our custom long-length strings, the GraphTech custom nut and saddles, the custom ‘flat top’ dual rails TrueTalker pickup used on the Eclipse and the ‘gold case’ pickup used on the Dragon, plus parts like strap buttons and our patented MegStrap are all anufactured for us in different countries. This is one of the reasons that our instruments cost less than would otherwise be the case (and of course in many other countries we can get more control over custom work than we can from US factories).

And naturally, some parts are best procured in the USA. Bartolini Pickups, for example, are made to our spec in San Leandro in California.

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