J.R. Mangan wants to replace his Takamine acoustic guitar. But the local singer/songwriter is looking for a sale before he makes a purchase -- he estimates a new Takamine would cost $400 more than it did four years ago.

Manufacturer costs of musical instruments have been rising over the past few years, and these increases have been passed down to consumers through higher retail prices. As a result, some musicians wait and look -- almost anywhere -- for a sale.

Mangan said he will travel out of town for a good deal; He has gone to Scranton, Pa., Washington, D.C., and Baltimore for cheaper equipment.

Between local stores -- Music Mart, 227 E. Beaver Ave., and George's House of Music, 126 N. Atherton St. -- most major guitar brands are available in this area. But the stores do not compete for business.

Music Mart carries guitars made by Fender, Peavey and Ibanez, among others, and George's exclusively carries Gibson, Charvel and Jackson. No brand names overlap by manufacturers' designs.

When a manufacturer signs a contract with a dealer, it is careful to space other stores far enough away that they won't compete, a practice illustrated by the fact that the next closest Fender dealer other than Music Mart is in Altoona, said Tom Gallagher, Music Mart co-owner.

Because retail prices for equipment are essentially the same, penny-pinchers are forced to find other options.

Mark Ross, guitarist for Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band, said he frequents well-known outlets in New York City and Washington, D.C., to find deals.

Eric Zimmerman, the Dirges' guitarist, said he occasionally visits Veneman's Music in Virginia, though the band recently bought a Fender Stratocaster in Chambersburg, Pa.

But the money saved on a new instrument often ends up being spent on gasoline. And sometimes the high-volume stores don't offer any savings at all, Ross said.

"I think (the local stores) are very competitive with other stores" outside the area, he said.

Some local stores offer discounts to bands and to repeat customers, Ross said.

"If they know they're going to see your face again, they'll try to work with you," he said, adding that he and his band try to make most of their purchases in town to help the local market.

Manufacturer's catalogs provide another option for frugal musicians. Catalogs offer intruments for wholesale prices, but there are risks -- the warranties and service contracts offered by retail establishments aren't available to catalog shoppers.

Guitars often need fine-tuning or minor repairs when they come out of the box, Gallagher said. Factors such as humidity, temperature and care during shipping can wrench a guitar completely out of shape before it ever gets played, he added.

Retail stores hire technicians to go over all guitars before they are put on display, Gallagher said.

Catalog buyers can't play a guitar before it is bought -- buying a guitar without first playing it is similar to buying a car without a test drive, Gallagher said.

"In a catalog, you see a picture and a color and say, 'I want that one,' " he said. " But all guitars play differently. You need to sit down and play it first."