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RG770 DX Reissue

8K views 31 replies 13 participants last post by  Rich 
#1 ·
Hi all, you would think that after all of these years of being ripped off blind here in Australia that I would be used to this sort of thing by now. Can someone explain to me how come the new RG770DX reissue ends up $3000.00 AUD?? Our dollar has never been stronger, currently about 95-97c to the US dollar - nearly 1 for 1, so even allowing for outrageous shipping costs and some dealer mark-ups (ha... have I answered my own question I wonder?) how does a guitar with a list price of $1700USD and I have seen outlets, online avertising it for just over $1200, end up costing $3000AUD?????? at best this should cost around $2K, maybe a little more, but this is just a blatent rip-off. When the Aussie dollar was down in the 50 - 60 cents per US dollar we (kind of) accepted this - whats the excuse now and just a thought, imagine the price if our dollar was only worth what it was a few years ago.

Anyway, Im finished my rant for now!!
 
#3 ·
Dude
I hear ya
its a load of crap, and I say boycott Australian music stores until they get their **** together.


I have obstained from buying anything from Australia. If your a smart man take a trip to lovely thailand go to the music district in bangkok, buy from the official Ibanez store which has 100's of amazing hard to find models, for a fraction of the cost and you get a holiday out of it.

The Satriani is gona cost around 10 to 12 grand in Australia. What a laugh ....
 
#4 ·
Thanks DaveyH for the link, I didnt really search for a similar thread, although its hardly suprising that Im not the only one steamed up about this blatant ripping off we are forced to endure down under - I think that we begrudgingly accepted this when our dollar was so low in comparison to the US dollar, but thats not the case anymore and buying things off the bay has blown the lid off the good old "oh its the shipping mate" to explain the grossly inflated prices here. Why am I so steamed up about this? - I have secretely dreamed of a reissue of the 770, a Lazer Blue model would really do it for me, I am even one of the rare bunch that prefers the Square heel as opposed to the AANJ, but the price is ridiculous. It makes most of us (almost) cry to see the retail prices in the US - want a Mesa Road King - yours for a mere $7795.00 - no, thats not a misprint, fancy a Triaxis - $4895. This is the crap we have to put up with. A guitar from Rich is looking really good at the moment. P.S thanks for the tip IbanezFreak777, sounds like a plan and I agree about boycotting the stores, to quote the great Ozzy Osborne " I like to be kissed when I'm being f**ked" and we are being royally screwed!

Rock On
 
#7 ·
Amazing , i was thinking here in France we were really screwed up on the price and stock, like the Dimarzio Pickup extreeeeeeeeemly over priced here (120euros each pickup imagine in Dollars i can get a FULL SET!!! In any color i want!!! ) and only available in black, if you want zebra, cream or white it's so hard to find and i don't talk about the other color they don't exist at all... but finally i can see it's a pain in the ass by just looking how much anything related to music cost in australia...

Sorry for the bad English long time without practicing.

PS: And if someone have an idea how i can buy DM pickup from U.S.A (i want my Green paf pro!! =( ) please P.M.

Johann
 
#8 ·
Hey, your English is very good. Easily understandable.

Regarding the green PAF Pro from the USA, I'm pretty sure someone around here would help you to buy one. If you have a PayPal account this would help. I've been helped by a couple of the guys here, they have shipped me various guitars, DVD's etc. Stick around and ask an established Jemsite member. You'll find most people here are helpful and friendly.
 
#9 ·
Hey Dee--long time--you ever use that white Tone Zone I sent you? I actually got a nickel-covered one in an Epi Les Paul and it sounds pretty good. I've got a deposit down on the re-issue 770DXRR that will complete my set of LB, VM, and RR. Did they make the 770DX in any other color?

Cheers,

Race
 
#10 ·
Bob! Wow, where you been?! Hope all is well. The white TZ ended up in my girlfriend's Strat copy and it sounds great, it totally transformed the guitar. I wanted to use it in the 550 it but it looked weird with one white pickup and also it wasn't F-Spaced, unfortunately.

You mean did they make the reissue in any other colour? They made those in red and blue only. The originals also came in black, I think. I could be wrong and maybe only the 670DX was made in black. Not sure, I'd have to check the catalogs.

Nice to see you man. :)
 
#11 ·
...whats the excuse now...
The excuses haven't changed. I've recently been told that it's both the shipping and exchange rates, both of which are bull**** as we all know. The answer is simply profit.

I recently wanted to buy a JS1000 ($3500 list price) and the best price I was given was $2700. I contacted Ishibashi and they would deliver it to my door for $1500 ($160 of that is air freight, so that excuse is removed). After GST and duty it worked out to roughly $1800 at the end. I'd love to support my local store as I've known them for years, but I'm not throwing away nearly $1000 just because I like them.

The last guitar I bought from them was a 2027xvv for $1700 as it had a small ding on the back edge. That was under half the sticker price and they still made money on it.

It's not just music retailers though. I collect graphic novels and Borders wanted $42.95 for one of them despite the printed US price stating $14.95. When I asked they also claimed shipping and exchange rates. They have their stuff shipped by boat.

Not long ago I was in a Kollectable Kaos store and they still had a sign by their comics displaying the exchange rate. Basically it's a list that says: $1US = $2AU ... $2US = $4US etc.

I run a retail store so I understand that we need to make a living, but I can't bring myself to **** people over the way some stores do in this country.
 
#13 ·
Your not the only one pissed of my friend, everyone of us is. Your better off makeing a contact online and buying your gear from someone like Rich, who will help you out and will slash prices on everything. Dont pay the stupid $4999 for a JEM that AUS dealers expect pay the $2500-$2600 from Rich!
 
#14 ·
That's insane! I feel for my Aussie Ibanez friends! What is REALLY crazy is how much money music stores make from the sale of Ibanez guitars. For many stores, the Ibanez line is what pays the bills because the cost to purchase the guitars from Ibanez is fairly inexpensive. Ibanez guitars are usually marked up 40, 50, sometimes 60% above what the dealer has paid for the guitar. So, the Ibanez guitar that is in the music store and is being sold for $2kUS, probably cost the dealer somewhere between $900US-$1200US.

So to charge these outrageous prices in Australia and the UK is crazy!

Somebody is making a lot of money and it isn't the Ibanez fan!
 
#19 ·
When I used numbers like $2000, $1000, $10, $15...I was just using numbers...but. for Rich, I will get specific...

I worked at Guitar Center and everyone knew the guitars that made lots of money. Ibanez was one of those. Schecter was another. So was Jackson. Fender and Gibson didn't make as much.

What does "make lots of money" mean? It means that these guitars cost Guitar Center less to buy...therefore...the guitar made money.

Example: (trying to be as specific with my numbers as I can for Rich) Fender USA Strat. Street Price $999 Guitar Center Price that was paid to Fender for the guitar $600

So this guitar makes $400.

Now, you can sell an Ibanez guitar...say an RG2550...Street Price $999...Guitar Center Price they paid to Ibanez for the guitar $400

So that guitar makes $600

Now, to get even more specific, Guitar Center buys guitars and ships them to a warehouse in Kansas City. Then, (for tax purposes) the "sell the guitar to themselves." So, in all actuality, they paid EVEN LESS for the USA Strat and EVEN LESS for the Ibanez.

It is also COMMONLY KNOWN that signature model guitars make a lot of money. And yes...THERE ARE GUITARS THAT SELL FOR $2000 but only cost the owner $1000. One that comes to mind is the Brian Setzer signature Gretsch. And yes, I know it's ahrd to believe, but Ibanez does it to. All the companies do.

Now, Rich, obviously a mom and pop store is not going to get the same deal as Guitar Center...but you can ask any Ibanez rep and they will tell you that the Ibanez line keeps MANY small mom and pop stores open. Why? Because the guitars make money. If you don't understand "making money" please re-read above.

You should call your Ibanez rep and ask for a better deal. You'll never get rich selling guitars the way you are.

No pun intended.

People mark up stuff. It's capitalism. People make money on guitars. End of story. For you to even THINK that people don't make LOTS of money on guitars...YES EVEN MORE MONEY THAN YOU because they get BETTER DEALS from the manufacturer...well...jeeez....gimme a break
 
#20 ·
I'll spell this out specifically for you. You're daft if you think anybody but the mass merchs are getting anything better. There is only one other buying group I even know of, the discounts are not great, you get what you get when you get, and there is a buy in fee. The rates are set, in stone.

GC is NOT buying 2550's for $400, that's less than the DISTRIBUTOR cost. So you can try to play it off and be as big a jerk about it as you want, you made a specific reference that a $900 cost IBANEZ sells for $2000, and the bottom line is, only if you sell it for LIST or more. Because STREET PRICE of a $900 cost Ibanez to every mom and pop is $1300. I could care less what any other manufacturer is doing, you made specific Ibanez references that are pure bullzhit.

Otherwise, back it up with facts of where all these $1300 street price guitars selling for $2000 :roll:
 
#22 ·
I'll spell this out specifically for you. You're daft if you think anybody but the mass merchs are getting anything better. There is only one other buying group I even know of, the discounts are not great, you get what you get when you get, and there is a buy in fee. The rates are set, in stone.

GC is NOT buying 2550's for $400, that's less than the DISTRIBUTOR cost. So you can try to play it off and be as big a jerk about it as you want, you made a specific reference that a $900 cost IBANEZ sells for $2000, and the bottom line is, only if you sell it for LIST or more. Because STREET PRICE of a $900 cost Ibanez to every mom and pop is $1300. I could care less what any other manufacturer is doing, you made specific Ibanez references that are pure bullzhit.

Otherwise, back it up with facts of where all these $1300 street price guitars selling for $2000 :roll:
P.S. GC deals with Hoshino USA. They don't buy Ibanez guitars through a 3rd party distributor. So distributor cost is irrelevant.
 
#21 ·
I'm done with this. I made a statement and you flamed me for it and now you're mad at me because you can't believe that places like GC and Sam Ash are buying Ibanez, Jackson and Schecter guitars for real cheap and selling them for a lot more than they paid. It's called capitalism and making money. I love Ibanez and own quite a few and will own more. Don't know why you're mad at me. Maybe you should be mad at your Ibanez rep for giving you a bad deal.
 
#27 · (Edited)
No, they didn't buy 2550's for $400, unless they were buying blems or closeouts.

First it was GC that was buying them for $400. Now it's the mom and pop you worked at.

$200 on a JEM? Are you just stupid? Margins are very good on $3000 guitars.

Back up your claim of the cost $900 Ibanez [that's SMAP of $1300] being sold at $2000, or don't bother replying. You haven't backed it up in 3 posts now, you just keep piling on the bull.

The only problem I have with you is your bogus numbers, and the fact you replied to me like an azz. You're the one making the $900/$2000 claim, BACK IT UP.

Your true colors are really showing through now. If you don't know where the door is we can show you the way.
 
#28 ·
First of all, anyone can see that YOU sir were the one that started this by replying to MY post in this thread.

If MAP on a guitar is $1300 then it is sold at $1300. I have never been around any store that sells guitars above MAP.

As far as the $900/$2000 thing goes, I explained earlier that I was using numbers to make a point. YOU were the one who took the numbers so seriously and made a big deal out of them.

It was at that time that I explained to you the situations I have been in, what I have seen guitars bought and sold for.

People make 40 and 50 points on Ibanez ALL DAY LONG. If you don't I'm sorry. Call your Ibanez rep.
 
#32 ·
Wow, I just figured out maybe you're bringing up ANCIENT HISTORY, when straight cost on a 2550 was $465 + S&H to begin with! 2004, first year, which is 5 price increases ago.

What exactly did that have to do with the cost of tea in China to begin with? That's about as meaningless a point as using numbers like $900 cost selling for $2k......
 
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