2017 Gibson Price Hike

[Megafrog]

Gibson has decided it was time for a price increase and many guitars in the 2017 line up are impacted. The popular 2017 tribute has gone from $899 to $999 MSRP. Faded Les Pauls increased by a hundred to $899. All S Series guitars except the custom studio have gone up by a hundred dollars each. The SG Specials are up by a hundred dollars each as are all the HP SGs. The Studio Firebird and the T and HP versions all went up too.

 

Not all stores have raised their prices yet, Sam Ash has and as of right now, Guitar Center has not. American Musical raised some prices earlier today but not others. Tonight may be a good time to order a guitar.

[Rabs]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the CITES Rosewood stuff?

[Drog]

Rabs, I am thinking CITES as well. Fender also has an increase coming on rosewood guitars. I would expect to see other companies doing the same.

[charlie brown]

Pfff! What else is new?! They do this, nearly every year...at least on some models.

 

Doesn't really matter, to me! They've already priced themselves hopelessly out of my budget!

 

Thankfully, I've got all the Gibson's I've ever really wanted, save one! But, I'll just buy it "used."

 

Sayonara, Gibson-san!

 

 

 

CB

[LarryUK]

Here in the UK I've noticed some good offers on Gibsons this week. But if they increase their prices, they'll lose sales.

[merciful-evans]

Here in the UK I've noticed some good offers on Gibsons this week. But if they increase their prices, they'll lose sales.

 

I'm going to confess my ignorance here. When a store in the US of the UK has stock of Gibsons (or any brand) I have always assumed that the shop bought them at a dealer price. The shop now owns their stock of Gibsons. If this is right, existing stock should stay at the same price. Assuming the shop wants it that way.

 

Or is there an element of shared ownership between Gibson and Vendor here? Sale or return?

What I'm getting at is this: Can Gibson just direct the dealers to raise prices on presently stocked models?

[SteveFord]

I don't know the answer about price fixing but I doubt it.

 

I'm with Charlie Brown, there's a couple of guitars that I would like to own but it will be the used market.

Firebird VII, decent SG Standard or Custom and either a gold top with mini humbuckers or a Les Paul Special with P90s would be nice to own.

And a 335 with a trapeze tail piece...

 

But if I never get any of them that will be okay, too.

[cookieman15061]

Unless there's something new that really catches my eye, and that doesn't happen much, I buy used. I'd rather have a guitar with a little Mojo anyway.

 

It wipes off easy enough...

[tx-ogre]

The last Gibson I purchased new was in 2008. I pretty much have all the Gibson models I want and haven't paid attention to prices for years.

[Twang Gang]

What I'm getting at is this: Can Gibson just direct the dealers to raise prices on presently stocked models?

 

Not a lawyer, but I don't think they can. MSRP is the suggested retail price which the dealers hardly ever charge to be competitive anyway. The dealer bought the guitar at a given wholesale price (even if they haven't paid the invoice yet) so their cost is not retroactive to a price increase. If they are greedy and think the market will bear it, they could raise the price on current inventory, but it really should just be an increase on stock that they get after the cost has gone up.

 

On the other hand some manufacturers can be pretty heavy handed. Guitar Center at one point lost their Gibson "Authorized Dealer" status for cutting prices too much. They only sold used Gibsons for a year or two. So the manufacturer does have that option if a retailer doesn't want to fall in line. But sort of a cutting off your nose to spite your face situation. (the only emogee with a nose!!)