Ordered a new epiphone and asked for a full set up and a new set of strings (10's) which I'd stated I'd pay for. Guitar arrived the same week but the quick delivery was the only saving grace. The guitar itself was unplayable, a very dry cracking fretboard, loose frets at 8, 11, 12, 16 and 19, fret buzz on atleast 6 frets on each string, and there were finger marks all over it. So they've sent out what can only be described as a factory second at best, they've not looked at it or cleaned it let alone set it up. I only ordered with them due to all the positive reviews I'd seen, but I've had a really bad experience. I would have sent it back but I have absolutely zero confidence in the company rectifying it. I'll stick with P.M.T or GuitarGuitar in future.

I arrived midweek afternoon to buy an item in the £1000 range, and wanted to try a few for comparison. Getting any assistance at all was difficult, there were numerous staff on hand but all avoided my gaze till I stood in the middle of the shop floor with my hands out for help! Waited over 20 min for service. Then when I did get some help the assistant kept drifting off and forgetting, I had to ask other colleagues to step in, and the slightly unfriendly indifference of most of them was really depressing. Knowledge of the items was a bit patchy among the staff, but chiefly disappointing was the slight irritation and impatience they showed - all except for one assistant who was helpful but then disappeared permanently; surely when you buy a £1000 item you might be expected to want to compare at least 4 types? On the plus side, they were well stocked, everything the website said was in stock was there except for a couple of items. You test the gear in little noisy booths which is so-so; a little privacy but everything sounds earsplitting and you hear your neighbours' riffs! I have been in so many guitar shops and this must count as the most supermarkety, unappealing atmosphere of any. Busy as can be but the staff seemed unable to deal with everyone. I spent ages just standing around waiting for the next item to test. I think they thought I was a time waster. Well I bought the item, but only because it was in stock , I'd rather have given my business elsewhere really. No one offered to help me carry a very heavy item to the car outside, which I might have hoped for as, I am obviously not as strong as the young and hale staff. Customer service needs a serious overhaul at this place.

Very disappointed. I bought a Squier Cabronita online and it was delivered in the original box, unopened and unchecked. When I opened it I discovered that it had been quite badly damaged in transit from Indonesia. As I was leaving Britain the following day, I had to drive for 3 hours to return it and collect a replacement.I was given a replacement to try and apart from a high action it seemed ok. I might have appreciated a spare set of strings or somesuch to compensate me for my trouble but nothing was forthcoming. When I got home I set about lowering the action but found that the strings then fouled the bridge pickup. I attempted to adjust it but it would not move. I had to dismantle the guitar and remove the pickup. There was a lump of dried glue or resin stuck under the pickup which was preventing it from being screwed down, and the springs and foam rubber retainers had been bodged in with the springs lying on their sides! After about 2 hours work I was able to get both pickups adjustable, and set the action and pickup height to make the guitar reasonably playable. I own 2 Chinese Classic Vibe Squiers and the quality and finish on them is in a totally different league from this Indonesian product.I think Fender should be ashamed of putting their name on such a slipshod piece of workmanship, whatever the price. I also think Andertons should at least open the box before sending out products ordered online, and verify that the product is at least functional. Conclusion: I will not buy another guitar unseen and I will not make any further purchases from Andertons.

We visited this store as it had a good choice of guitars. I spent £600 on a guitar following excellent GCSE results. He wanted it restrung and balanced and we were told to bring it in the following Tuesday and it would take about 1.5 hours, but to call first. My son (we live in Wiltshire, the shop is in Surry) organised a friend to take the train (included a change) and rang the store. He was told and then my wife who took over the call told that he should not have been told that but he could bring it in, it would take a week and then collect. After talking to the manager, Carris at length my wife agreed (unwillingly) and because of the distance that we would wait the week, and bring it in on an agreed date when he could wait. He then went on arranged day, with a younger brother and on arrival was told (again) that it did not work like that and he would have to leave it for a week. In the end my wife make contact with the store four times that day to get the job done and the boys back home with the guitar. Really poor customer service - take the money and then are completely inflexible when there staff give you incorrect information. They should have honoured what there member of staff told me and my son when taking the money. Won't be going back....

I bought a £900 guitar from Andertons. The guitar was described as being one from a limited run of 100 guitars. When the guitar arrived, not only was there no paperwork to confirm this claim, but the normal paperwork that would come with this brand (a signed and dated factory checklist with serial number, an owner's manual and warranty documentation) was all absent. In a series of emails, Andertons could not confirm the limited production numbers or how they got the figure of 100. They were surprised that the documetation was absent, blaming this on the manufacturers and saying they had no occasion to open the guitar's case. I pointed out that the inner box had obviously been opened and then was told that this was done for quality control purposes. This quality control, however, missed the fact that the finish on the guitar was flawed. I was offered £20 off as compensation. On searching, I found that the major online auction site had secondhand, but unused, unblemished, fully papered examples of this guitar selling for £700-800. This meant the guitar sent to me would have to be valued at less than this. I offered to accept it for £700 or have them collect it (this was more than generous since they agreed that the photographs I sent them of the flaw demonstrated a significant QC oversight by the manufacturer, they could find no paperwork and neither they - nor the manufacturers, who said they had a policy of never issuing production numbers - could confirm the claimed limited production). They opted to collect the guitar and refund my money. Three emails and ten days later I have yet to receive my refund. Some of this could have happened with any supplier, but adding the pathetic 'compensation' attempt and grossly delayed refund made a regrettable series of, perhaps coincidental, problems into an unpleasant hassle.

I don't know what's happened to Andertons over the last couple of years. I've visited twice recently to look for a new guitar and their choice of guitars was way lower than it used to be. If you look for something on their web site it will come up on the search only to be shown as out of stock with no ETA or available in one to two weeks. Those they did have in stock were poorly set up and in some cases actually damaged, some quite badly. I've given up on Andertons now and just go to GuitarGuitar in Epsom who have a far greater selection at all prices.