Buying guitars at a chain superstore vs. mom 'n pop shops?

[jpmguy]

I am currently in the market for an Ibanez JEM7VWH. I know that almost no one is a fan of Ed Roman, but I read his rant on chained stores like Guitar Center and Sam Ash and how they tend to not take care of their equipment, whereas smaller shops take much better care. Also about how he demands the best quality guitar from a company and if its not up to their standards he will send it back. Do you think if I was to go with a smaller non-chain Ibanez dealer I would have better luck in getting a top notch JEM? I am talking about like darker rosewood boards, and just more attention to detail such as inlays? Or do you think it matters and you just get the luck of the draw no matter where you buy?

[jemsite]

please do several forum searches then repost if you need to. the fact ER was mentioned is reason enough to close the topic at this point.

if it's not "up to standards" it technically should not ship to a dealer. if it becomes defective along the way, that is a different story. all dealers are subject to receiving the same axes from the distributor (chesbro out west or Hosh USA for most of the USA). many stores barely open the box. customer service is important when choosing a vendor obviously. if you're worried about such details, make sure you get pictures of the guitar before purchasing... glen