Seriously

[elcid]

Seriously guys, what guitar ISN'T overpriced?
I love these boards and most everyone here is cool, but I see more complaining here than any other forum.
PRS is overpriced, Gibson is overpriced, Charvel is overpriced, Ibanez is overpriced, ESP is overpriced, Fender is overpriced. Is everybody in the world a sucker, or is it sour grapes, or does everyone expect something for nothing?
It seems like anything not made in Korea that can be had for $200 is a scam and people who buy them are idiots.


ok, Rant off

[ibanezcollector]

haha

Well I like mostly cheaper guitars, easier for me to justify tearing them up and modding them.

I just cant see myself spending that kinda money on something I have to change to get it the way I like it.

what does this mean? absolutly nothing Im an idiot and im just ramblin.

[Rotti]

It's just hard to justify some of the prices you see. I mean it's just a guitar right?

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by Rotti

It's just hard to justify some of the prices you see. I mean it's just a guitar right?

yeah , that is the way i see it . I anyone can find a guitar that they will like for under 1500, whether it is US made or if it is an import .

all these 3,000 and 4,000$ guitars are overpriced because your paying for a name , the guitar is good and all but the name on the guitar tacks on about a grand more then the guitars should be .

[OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S]

Originally Posted by j.arledge

yeah , that is the way i see it . I anyone can find a guitar that they will like for under 1500, whether it is US made or if it is an import .

all these 3,000 and 4,000$ guitars are overpriced because your paying for a name , the guitar is good and all but the name on the guitar tacks on about a grand more then the guitars should be .

Well I don't hear anyone complaining about the prices of JEM10's, DNA's or the original Satrianis with graphics just to mention a few!!! Guitars are worth what people are willing to pay for them period!!!

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S

Well I don't hear anyone complaining about the prices of JEM10's, DNA's or the original Satrianis with graphics just to mention a few!!! Guitars are worth what people are willing to pay for them period!!!

yeah i know people pay for them , i just dont know why people pay for them . I am never going to buy a new jem or js . a used js1000 for around 780-850 would be fine but i am not spending 2,000 or even 1400 for a new or used jem .

[Rich]

Pricing has a lot to do with target market. Nobody is targetting the minimum wage burger flipper, or the $14/hr assembly line grunt, with PRS Private Stocks at $8000 per. The price of your toys has more to do with your economic strata than anything else, and you shouldn;'t be amazed at the amount of disposible income getting thrown around in this world. If there's any doubt have a look at the houses they're currently building in your county!

[wallie!]

I justify it by how long it will be used.

You spend 200 on a cheap guitar its only going to last until you realise that there are better sounding guitars out there.

I can easily justify buying a PRS custom because I know it will be with me for life (unless I sell it). You pay for what country its build in as well, like rich said the people who build PRS are some of the best there are.

[David McCarroll]

Well, it runs even a little deeper than that - people who build guitars are trained, specialised (hopefully professional) people - you would kind of hope that they get paid pretty well for what they do - maybe not as much as a doctor or a dentist, but you'd like to think that the dudes in Nashville, or California, or for that matter wherever Ibanez guitars are made, who put your guitar together earn enough for a decent life, and that don't work in some dreadful sweatshop.

So, what you pay for the guitar you buy reflects to a large degree the quality of life that the builders live. I have to assume you'd rather that the people who work at Fender, or Gibson, or PRS can afford to live somewhere better than a tarpaper shack on Tobacco Road - like you yourself would like to I hope, so as a result, you pay for your guitar in US, or Japanese salaries - simple as that.

while there is of course a fairly decent margin in a guitar (that's why a company chooses to build 'em, eh?), the raw materials are getting pretty costly - a AAA Maple top has gone from about $40 worth of wood to $500 - you get the pleasure of paying that increase, somewhere along the way!

Cheers

David

[mi2tom]

My grg isn't overpriced and it played much better than any high end fender

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by David McCarroll

Well, it runs even a little deeper than that - people who build guitars are trained, specialised (hopefully professional) people - you would kind of hope that they get paid pretty well for what they do - maybe not as much as a doctor or a dentist, but you'd like to think that the dudes in Nashville, or California, or for that matter wherever Ibanez guitars are made, who put your guitar together earn enough for a decent life, and that don't work in some dreadful sweatshop.

So, what you pay for the guitar you buy reflects to a large degree the quality of life that the builders live. I have to assume you'd rather that the people who work at Fender, or Gibson, or PRS can afford to live somewhere better than a tarpaper shack on Tobacco Road - like you yourself would like to I hope, so as a result, you pay for your guitar in US, or Japanese salaries - simple as that.

while there is of course a fairly decent margin in a guitar (that's why a company chooses to build 'em, eh?), the raw materials are getting pretty costly - a AAA Maple top has gone from about $40 worth of wood to $500 - you get the pleasure of paying that increase, somewhere along the way!

Cheers

David

yeah but the big companies like that buy thier wood in bulk and probably do pretty well on prices .

yeah i am sure that those guys are schooled and trained but how much of that do you think is done by hand ? It makes it easy when you have a CNC or automated router. i am sure there are a few hands on steps and all but technology has made it so that the costs of paying someone to hand make something is gone , computers are cheaper and faster but yet the prices dont exactly reflect that . I suppose since wage rates have gone up so much it evens out because what few workers you do have are probably paid very well .

i dont know , there is more to it then i guess i see but i still wont pay that much for a guitar . the guitar i have now i am totally happy with and i paid 788 shipped for it , i got a hell of a deal and it is total quality . I dont see myself wanting anything more then a used Dean pro which sell for around 750-800.

[Rotti]

It would be interesting to see the profit margin on one of those $8000.00 PRS's. The only way I can justify a price like that is with a custom builder who turns out a couple of guitars a month and has a long waiting list of customers.

[Gex]

Originally Posted by elcid

or does everyone expect something for nothing?

In alot of cases, you get nothing for alot of something! (cash)

[ibanezcollector]

Originally Posted by Gex

In alot of cases, you get nothing for alot of something! (cash)

hahaha perfect turn around there Gex..

And I agree unless those PRS are hand carved which most arent anymore thats why the pre CNC models are worth a hell of alot more. I wouldnt spend it..

Its wood, some metal, and a couple dudes programing a cnc machine.

The only thing probably not done by machine is the finish.

[Dee]

I don't like to complain too much, but certain guitars are so overpriced it's insane. Take Charvel, for example. They really are not worth what they cost and I don't understand how they justify the prices, or why anyone is prepared to pay so much for them. I don't really think Ibanez are overpriced, in fact that's one thing that attracted me to Ibanez in the first place -- I know I can get a nicely built guitar that plays well and will last a long time for a reasonable amount of money. Maverick are another brand that look impressive. I have never tried playing one, but from what I have read, they seem like a good deal. But as for a maker like Charvel, they're truly taking the p*ss.