Ibanez price hike in effect already?

[AdamBilz]

I remember Rich mentioning something about an increase, but at Guitar Center today the Jem 7vwh was going for $1989!! I remember I laughed when it was $1789 there, but I think the hike has begun Anyone else notice this or did I just see a fluke?
~Adam

[Rich]

July 1st

[kennydoe]

Originally Posted by AdamBilz

I remember Rich mentioning something about an increase, but at Guitar Center today the Jem 7vwh was going for $1989!! I remember I laughed when it was $1789 there, but I think the hike has begun Anyone else notice this or did I just see a fluke?
~Adam

$2,000 for a 7v while a J-custom RG8670 is $1600 on ishibashi is laughable. The 8670 is far superior in wood, craftsmanship and playability.

SSV must be making some serious $$$ on the sale of every Jem for that kind of markup.

Meanwhile, if you want an Ibanez in the US and you don't want a Jem (or a low-end JS), you're stuck with GC/Sm-ash inventory which is mostly rg270s and lower.

It's ironic that I have the best-quality guitar of anybody in my neighborhood, yet i feel somewhat embarrassed that I play Ibanez....sadly, the rest of the world (at least the US) outside this site see our guitars as toys because Ibanez doesn't sell the good stuff over here.

Who's fault is that? They should be fired, whoever it is.
~k

[Rich]

Originally Posted by kennydoe

$2,000 for a 7v while a J-custom RG8670 is $1600 on ishibashi is laughable. The 8670 is far superior in wood, craftsmanship and playability.

A VWH is $1850 at Ishibashi, no case

[kennydoe]

LOL

...aaaaand the winner of the 'Missed the point by the furthest' Award today goes to...

[Rich]

Then was this

"The 8670 is far superior in wood, craftsmanship and playability. "

your point? If so that would be your opinion, many times not borne out in fact.

[dex]

Kenny ment that for less money you can get a much better constructed guitar but unfortunately not in the US.
It's a small market though because very few people will pay Gibson/PRS money for a J custom when someone like Carvin or Jackson will make you a better guitar for even less $$$.

It's all ice cream and considering how EMS don't pay import duty and taxes - I don't know what's stopping you from ordering anything your heart desires.

ilia

[Rich]

"Better constructed" doesn't always apply. In the long haul and on the "average" the fine points on a JC will be just a bit better than on a MIJ Signature, but it is not a blanket statement. I've had plenty of JC's that were no better in the fine points than many MIJ Sigs

[kennydoe]

Originally Posted by Rich

Then was this

"The 8670 is far superior in wood, craftsmanship and playability. "

your point? If so that would be your opinion, many times not borne out in fact.

The point of my post did indeed lie in my opinion...yes...I never said my post was full of facts (I see what posting facts did for Kevan )

I find the RG8670 to be far superior in every aspect to any Jem I've ever played. This isn't to say I don't still love my Jem...I just think it's silly that a new Jem is considerably more expensive than a better non-sig guitar. You're basically paying $200 for a handle and a little extra routing in the bridge cavity...oh...and those three script letters on the headstock.
That's one point.

The other point was that Ibanez is cheapening their name by only making the lower-end models readily available in the US.

~K

[Rich]

The VWH is their lower end model?

[kennydoe]

The S-A's and GC's where I live have a ratio of about 20-1 low end Iby's to Jems...AAAAND...the Jems that are hanging on the wall are 2002 and before...no new ones have been stocked (or displayed, anyway), because they're not selling. Why? Because A)you can buy much better guitars (other brands) for less money AND B) the brand's 'name value' is low because most of what is displayed in the stores is crap.

I love Ibanez guitars...I've always played them and they're all I play now. I just think it's a shame that average-joe-guitar-player looks at Ibanez as a cheap/crappy/toy guitar. The Ibanez advertising/marketing dept. should be ashamed of themselves for letting this happen.

~K

[Rich]

B, what is displayed in the stores is crap. And why it's displayed in the stores is because that's what the stores order, because that's what SELLS! Hoshino USA gets right about 30 VWH's every 2 months, yet they ship out 19,000 guitars to dealers a month. Junk is what's being ordered because junk is what's selling. A store isn't going to stock an RGT3020 if they can't sell it, while at the same time they'll sell 50 170's and 270's. It's called economics

[kennydoe]

Originally Posted by Rich

B, what is displayed in the stores is crap. And why it's displayed in the stores is because that's what the stores order, because that's what SELLS! Hoshino USA gets right about 30 VWH's every 2 months, yet they ship out 19,000 guitars to dealers a month. Junk is what's being ordered because junk is what's selling. A store isn't going to stock an RGT3020 if they can't sell it, while at the same time they'll sell 50 170's and 270's. It's called economics

Thanks for the lesson Rich...I didn't know any of that.

But...why are other companies able to sell more higher-price-tag guitars while Ibanez is just happy to cater to the 170/270 market?

~K

[Given to Fly]

The only companies that I know of that sell more high end guitars, are the ones that only make high end guitars. Ernie Ball is a good example. I think Jackson, ESP, Fender, etc.. Follow the same business stratedgy as Ibanez. I may be wrong, but that's what I have always thought to be true.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by kennydoe

But...why are other companies able to sell more higher-price-tag guitars while Ibanez is just happy to cater to the 170/270 market?

~K

You think Gibson sells more Gibson's or Epiphones? Does Febder sell more USA Custom shop models or more Mexican Strats ?

Ibanez is happy to cater to the segment of the market that sells the most be because like every company it wants to survive and profit.