Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Outrageous prices


brannon67

Recommended Posts

Now, this is nothing new, we all have seen the prices on all the guitars these days, especially American made. Now, I know you get what you pay for most of the time, but come on. Some of these prices for Fender, Gibson, and the smaller companies are just rediculous. I thought $12-$1500 was crazy, but now some are $7000 or more for a custom shop model. Put a little relic on a guitar, call it a custom shop, etc, and jack the prices up. Its crazy in my opinion, but thats me. If yu want it, have the money, go for it. Its crazy spending $2300 for a Gibson J45 or $1200 for a Fender strat or tele but Im guilty of it too, so there you go, but $7000 or more on a strat or Les Paul, and its not even vintage? I dont know, its getting way out of hand....But whatever.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So true. I think $2300 is the most I have ever spent on a guitar. Thats pretty much my limit, or has been in the past, I cant do it now, so. I did not mention the artist models/signature models, which are jacked up as well. Some more then others. But im not rich, so I dont have that luxury in spending whatever on a guitar. Must be nice to be able to and not worry about it. Even paying $2300 I had to finance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well. That's why there are the Epiphones, entry-level Gibsons, top of the range Gibson USA models, and finally the Custop Shop models. Depending on how much one would spend on an instrument, there are categories to choose from.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why focus on the expensive ones if that's not your range? Gibson has more that half a dozen USA built models out right now that can be had new for less than $1000. There's a Gibson for every price range. I see no problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Farnsbarns

If you want an expensive model, and you can afford it, buy it. If you can't afford it, or you don't think the price is fair, don't buy it. Problem solved.

 

@Searcy, yup, then next week there'll be a thread about how there's too many models. Gibson are doomed if they do, and doomed if they don't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you compare the price of those guitars here in the U.K, the U.S asking price looks ridiculously low, for example the Gibson J 45 you mention is £1799 ($2685) here.

I was looking at a Martin last week and some U.S retailers were asking the same price in Dollars as U.K retailers were asking in Pounds, so that would make the U.S price roughly !/2 to 2/3 the British price!

 

Regards,

Ian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you compare the price of those guitars here in the U.K, the U.S asking price looks ridiculously low, for example the Gibson J 45 you mention is £1799 ($2685) here.

I was looking at a Martin last week and some U.S retailers were asking the same price in Dollars as U.K retailers were asking in Pounds, so that would make the U.S price roughly !/2 to 2/3 the British price!

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

Hello Ian!

 

Would be suprised if it wasn't so. Please do not forget about shipping and handling expenses, and - of course - the import duties that must be payed when importing to Europe. The VAT is a bit higher here as well.

 

Cheers... Bence

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you compare the price of those guitars here in the U.K, the U.S asking price looks ridiculously low, for example the Gibson J 45 you mention is £1799 ($2685) here.

I was looking at a Martin last week and some U.S retailers were asking the same price in Dollars as U.K retailers were asking in Pounds, so that would make the U.S price roughly !/2 to 2/3 the British price!

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

I was going to say the same thing, just got back from florida, and prices were much cheaper than in Europe !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see a "problem" because like they say, just don't buy it. But it is a little shocking or jarring when you are browsing through the guitar section, and something catches your eye and you think "hey that's a nice one" and then you see the price tag of $8000.00. I feel like reality just slapped me across the face and said "what are you looking at, loser? Go back to the Schechter or Squire section! This one's out of your league".

 

Just last night I was looking online at this nice Telecaster. Now when I say nice, it was really NICE. But it was not $5000.00 nice even after a supposed $1000 price drop. It's a plank of wood with 2 pickups and a bolt on neck. But hey, someone with the money will buy it and I don't hold a grudge against them. But I am allowed to have an opinion that they over spent on a guitar that, other than some cosmetic features and maybe a small bit of workmanship issues, is not that much better than a $375.00 Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure, Like I said also, if you can afford it, buy it, but i just think some of the prices are over the top, but thats just me. If I want something and can affod it, I buy it. Not knocking anything or anyone who does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tend to agree with the original comments. For myself, I just can't see myself paying more than $3000 for a new guitar. For me, more than that tends to be a waste of money. BUT, that's just me. Others feel differently and that's good too. I don't need a custom built or botique guitar. I can afford it, but I don't need one. Besides, I like spending money on family. Not saying that makes me better than someone who likes and buys botique guitars. It's just me. I don't care about the craftsmanship that often goes in to a $6000+ guitar. Don't care if a master luthier picked-out the mahogany or if his 5-year-old grandson did it. I don't care if God and the angels made the guitar. It's still worth just so much to me.......Yet, a lot of folks truly want a guitar that is handmade for them in particular. I understand that. They often hear a difference in sound as well as quality. Personally, I don't, but that's just my opinion. Lots of very talented people make some very sweet guitars. They put a great deal of personal attention in making the guitar. Every piece is literally hand-glued and cut. I admire and appreciate that talent and skill. I certainly don't have. It's just that it's not worth thousands of dollars to me. Meanwhile, neither is a 4000+ Gibson/Martin/Taylor, etc............Anyway, back to the original subject...lol...."yes," guitars are getting very expensive. The price jumps are obvious and frequent....Buy the guitar you want, not the one I want you to buy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, guitar prices, Are ridiculous! So is the price of Bar Soap! :o Everything is too high,

anymore, except one's wages, in the "worker bee" section. Still, there are good bargains,

to be had, if one only looks, and finds a good dealer, too. My little family owned dealer

sells well below the "big box" ("dscount") retailers, on nearly everything, that both stock.

Of course, they can't get the "exclusive to" guitars. Some of which, I really wish they could,

but, most of which, I don't care a thing about. But, that's just me.

 

I just look at it as "if there's a will, there's a way," to get anything you want, high prices,

or not. "Priorities," you know? I do (sometimes) wonder, about those "priorities," and "Why??" :-k

But, to each his, or her, own. B)

 

CB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tend to agree with the original comments. For myself, I just can't see myself paying more than $3000 for a new guitar. For me, more than that tends to be a waste of money. BUT, that's just me. Others feel differently and that's good too. I don't need a custom built or botique guitar. I can afford it, but I don't need one. Besides, I like spending money on family. Not saying that makes me better than someone who likes and buys botique guitars. It's just me. I don't care about the craftsmanship that often goes in to a $6000+ guitar. Don't care if a master luthier picked-out the mahogany or if his 5-year-old grandson did it. I don't care if God and the angels made the guitar. It's still worth just so much to me.......Yet, a lot of folks truly want a guitar that is handmade for them in particular. I understand that. They often hear a difference in sound as well as quality. Personally, I don't, but that's just my opinion. Lots of very talented people make some very sweet guitars. They put a great deal of personal attention in making the guitar. Every piece is literally hand-glued and cut. I admire and appreciate that talent and skill. I certainly don't have. It's just that it's not worth thousands of dollars to me. Meanwhile, neither is a 4000+ Gibson/Martin/Taylor, etc............Anyway, back to the original subject...lol...."yes," guitars are getting very expensive. The price jumps are obvious and frequent....Buy the guitar you want, not the one I want you to buy.

Thank you....Thats how I feel also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

....But it was not $5000.00 nice even after a supposed $1000 price drop. It's a plank of wood with 2 pickups and a bolt on neck.

Sums it up really....but consider what you are also paying for; skilled workers labour costs, market research, r&d maybe, factory overheads, guitar shop or retailer costs, etc etc....you don't pay much for the guitar itself until you start to factor in expensive materials and the extra care and time spent making it. And all of this means that for the most part a hand-made guitar from a small maker is still pretty good value. I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The price of actually building the instrument may be roughly 1/3 of the cost.

 

Hundreds of employees, electricity, insurance, shipping, cases, boxes, lawyers, r&d, new equipment & upgrades on old equipment isn't free.

 

Sick of paying too much? Start building your own and get back to us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bought a boxa cereal lately? 5.7 ounces of drywall chips, $6.99. Single moms trying to feed their kids these days? The fact that we can and do buy even cheap guitars means we have more money than we need.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...