The Artecs are real mudbuckers in every way except that they're not manufactured by Gibson or a subsidiary.
Re the sales tax, every state has different thresholds for out of state businesses to have to collect sales tax. For example, in Minnesota, if an out of state seller has shipped fewer than 200 shipments or fewer than $100,000 in retail sales into the state in the previous 12 months, then they don't have to collect sales tax. There are plenty of smaller music stores that sell direct, who meet that definition. So before you deal with the big guys, check your state regulations and see if you can use this to avoid sales tax.