Q: Where are the Production Series guitars built?
A: Our Select and Standard Series guitars and basses are built in both South Korea and Indonesia to our exact specifications at factories that maintain ethical and fair labor practices.
Q: Where are the Select Custom Series guitars built?
A: Our Select Custom Series guitars are built within a custom shop in South Korea by a small team of trained luthiers that have been in business since 1985. Once completed, they are inspected via our very stringent Quality Control process before being set up and shipped.
Q: Where are your Heritage Series guitars built?
A: The Heritage Series Instruments are machined/built, painted, and assembled in the United States from start to finish. These builds are spec’d out and built one at a time by Joe Balaguer and the USA team. They are available for sale once the build is completed, and are signed with a unique serial number. These instruments are meticulously crafted to represent the apex of what we can do.
Q: What is the current build time for a Select Custom instrument?
A: We are currently estimating 5-7 months for Select Custom instruments, with some options having the potential to increase the build time due to the additional labor and/or material order time that may be required.
Q: Can I make changes to my Select Custom order after the fact?
A: All Select Custom orders go through a review process before they are submitted to be built. We are sometimes able to accommodate some changes before the orders are submitted to the build queue, but it depends on the change(s) requested. Once the build is in progress, we do not allow any changes to be made. Please review your specs carefully before you place your order.
If you have any questions about the order process, please send us an email at info@balaguerguitars.com
Q: Can I get something that is not listed in your online builder?
A: Yes, we do offer some options that are not listed as available in the online builder. The availability of any “off-the-menu” option is determined on a case-by-case basis, and is not guaranteed to be available.
If you have any questions about available options, please send us an email at info@balaguerguitars.com
Q: Can I request a custom finish for my Select Custom order?
A: We do not accept custom finish requests at this time.
Q: What should I know about your in house pickups?
A: Our Standard, Select, and Select Custom Series guitars and basses are all equipped with our own Balaguer-designed pickups that are made to our specifications in Korea. Our USA and Heritage Series pickups are all equipped with USA-made versions of the same pickups. These pickups are made to the same specifications with the same materials – the only difference is where they are made.
For descriptions and audio samples of our pickups, please see the “Pickups” section of our website at: balaguerguitars.com/ourpickups/
Q: Do your guitars come with cases?
A: Our padded gigbag is included with all Standard, Select, and Select Custom Series guitars and basses. For Select Custom orders, we offer a hardshell case upgrade as an option. Hardshell cases are included with all USA Series and Heritage Series instruments.
Q: Do you offer Artist Endorsements/Discounts?
A: Yes we do!
Please fill out the artist application at:
balaguerguitars.com/artist-application/
Q: Do you ship worldwide?
A: Yes, we ship internationally at a flat rate if the guitar is pre-ordered or in-stock. Shipping cost may vary, so please contact us prior to placing your order for a shipping quote. Taxes, duties, and international fees are the responsibility of the buyer, in addition to the shipping cost itself. All international Select Custom orders, besides orders placed in Canada and Mexico, are drop-shipped from Korea to the customer after going through our Quality Control checklist and setup.
Q: Is there a warranty on your guitars?
A: We offer a 1 year non-transferrable warranty for factory defects, which begins at the purchase date of your Balaguer guitar or bass.
Please note that the following items are not considered factory defects and will not be covered under this warranty: fret wear, saddle wear, nut wear, strings, discoloration, shrinking, adjustments or routine maintenance, setups, damage due to modding/customizing the guitar, damage caused by temperature & humidity fluctuations, and any normal wear and tear.
Q: What is your return policy?
A: You can return a Production Series guitar or pickup(s) purchased new within 1 week after delivery, for a full refund. If you have pre-ordered a Production Series guitar and need to cancel your pre-order, a $200 cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund amount if canceled more than 30 days after the pre-order date. Due to the custom, one-off nature of our Select Custom guitars, they are returnable based on factory defects only, and are subject to a 15% re-stocking fee at the time of the return. Select Custom guitars or basses that are canceled during the build process will be refunded 50%, as 50% of the order payment is non-refundable due to the custom nature of those instruments. All returns not due to factory defect must be shipped back in the original packaging with no play wear, and the customer is responsible for the return shipping cost.
In order to process a return, email us at info@balaguerguitars.com for a return authorization label.