I muat have jist woke from a coma. Why the F**k are some ESP guitars in the $6000 to $10000 range???

[Rackman]

What strategy, to artificially inflate the market so idiots think that their gear is actually worth these ridiculous asking prices?

No, to wait for someone who really wants the 1 of 1 item you're selling.

Sometimes it works. Someone just has to have that configuration, or that top, or whatever and is willing to pay $6K for it. And sometimes it doesn't work. But there's no cost to list something on Reverb if it doesn't sell.

 

[Laputan Machine]

The people who buy these are in the top 15% income, the economy is better than ever for them, they don't bat an eye at these prices.
No point in getting butthurt over these guitars, theres literally thousands of options that are affordable to choose from that are every bit as good.

 

[Jccobb2]

Can you reasonably conduct business with guitar shops in English? I'm going to our offices in Fujisawa at some point, and I thought I might take the train up and do some guitar shopping but I know about 10 words of Japanese and won't likely improve before then.

I've had good experiences buying from Japanese shops like Ishibashi on Reverb but presumably they're self selecting for wanting American business.

yeah, they love your money. there are a few places where they will act annoyed at having to stoop to english, but it's likely from all the window lickers. if you are respectful i've never had an issue and have bought plenty.

 

[SonVolt]

The people who buy these are in the top 15% income, the economy is better than ever for them, they don't bat an eye at these prices.
No point in getting butthurt over these guitars, theres literally thousands of options that are affordable to choose from that are every bit as good.

I mean sure, but what tan pants lawyer w/that kind of disposable income is buying an ESP? Those guys are snatching up all the Murphy Labs and Fender Masterbuilts. ESP doesn't conjure up wealth and status. It's the guitar for 40 somethings who still wear cargo shorts.

 

[Rackman]

I mean sure, but what tan pants lawyer w/that kind of disposable income is buying an ESP? Those guys are snatching up all the Murphy Labs and Fender Masterbuilts. ESP doesn't conjure up wealth and status. It's the guitar for 40 somethings who still wear cargo shorts.

I'm 44, currently wearing cargo shorts, and own two USA ESPs. And an Edwards for that matter. I don't give a shit if they "conjure up wealth and status" but they play nice and sound good.

I didn't pay any $6K for them though.

 

[SonVolt]

Exactly.

 

[Rackman]

Exactly.

Exactly what? You've found a person who likes ESP? Yes, yes you have.

But if you're looking for someone who's paying $6K for an ESP, you'll have to look elsewhere.

 

[VonBonfire]

I mean sure, but what tan pants lawyer w/that kind of disposable income is buying an ESP? Those guys are snatching up all the Murphy Labs and Fender Masterbuilts. ESP doesn't conjure up wealth and status. It's the guitar for 40 somethings who still wear cargo shorts.

My guess is dudes in their mid 40's to mid 50's are entering the beginnings of the phase of their life with more disposable income than the previous 25 years so that dream ESP they always wanted but settled for an LTD at the time is now possible for them to own.

I'm 44, currently wearing cargo shorts, and own two USA ESPs

Are the cargo shorts tan by any chance?

 

[Rackman]

My guess is dudes in their mid 40's to mid 50's are entering the beginnings of the phase of their life with more disposable income than the previous 25 years so that dream ESP they always wanted but settled for an LTD at the time is now possible for them to own.


Are the cargo shorts tan by any chance?

I think they were "coyote brown" or some shit.

Basically tan

 

[SonVolt]

Exactly what? You've found a person who likes ESP? Yes, yes you have.

But if you're looking for someone who's paying $6K for an ESP, you'll have to look elsewhere.

It's not that deep, dude. Just saying ESP tryin' to position itself as a premium brand worth that kinda cash is a dumb business strategy, IMO. I'm right outside of Nashville and even modestly expensive E-II's take a HUGE loss in resale value. Way more than the American brands. Maybe they sell better on the West Coast... but I can't imagine by much.

 

[Rackman]

I mean full price Gibsons have bad resale at this point too.

Our ability to complain both that guitars are too cheap AND too expensive is remarkable when you think about it...

 

[SonVolt]

I just want ESP back on the headstock of their Standard line.

 

[Rackman]

I just want ESP back on the headstock of their Standard line.

If we could get it on the headstock and off the 12th fret, I feel like it would open up new vistas of profitability for ESP

 

[Devin]

Remember the plastic-bodied LTD Devil Girl guitar?

I could have bought one of those for like $300 from a local shop back in the day.....and there's one listed on Reverb right now for $4000


I seriously doubt anyone is actually paying those prices but still.....crazy

 

[nightlight]

The whole thing boils down to the time value of money. Assuming you had $100 today, it would be worth less 1 year from now because of inflation, plus you would be missing out on the investment return you would have earned.

If we look at some of those old guitars, a similar logic applies.

I bought a Jeff Hanneman LTD Eclipse for about $800 in 2013. When I sold it a couple of years ago, I earned a couple of hundred dollars more than I paid for it. So the investment panned out. It'll also pan out for the buyer, because as the guitar becomes harder to find, there will be some people willing to pay a premium for a Jeff Hanneman signature guitar.

Oh, and it was MIK, but superb to play. I really liked it and only moved it to finance something else.

I have a couple of ESPs now, and I have no doubt that if I ever try to move them, I'll make money. But my Warwick Vampyre bass, on the other hand, is hard to move.

In that regard, sometimes situations occur that increase the desirability of things like guitars. Could be the death of an artist, or rules on certain species of trees. That's a good time to cash out, if you want/need to.

 

[jabps]

Actual gold parts? Gary Holt's DNA in the battery cavity? Each guitar played at every show on a tour?

I can't imagine, even if a small Japanese man hand carved each guitar in a candle lit dojo and then each artist signed it and was hand delivered to each customer, why these are so damn much. I'm obviously out of touch.

And they still can't touch the stuff they made in the late 80's. I had six real ESP's and never paid more than 1k for them. I get it, everything is expensive, hell my two main guitars (PRS) ain't cheap but I just can't spend that kind of coin on ESP's.

I was a massive ESP fan, long before most people even knew them I already had several guitars. They're so overpriced now I won't even look at them not to mention I have always hated their pointed headstock once they had to move to that after the Jackson lawsuit headstocks.

Maybe it's because I had real Horizons, Mirages etc... that I never spent more than 1k on and those were the better, cheaper alternatives to Jackson years ago that it's just where they are priced in my head, as a better made cheaper alternative. I don't know. More power to you if you dig 'em.

 

[Techdeth]

We live in a fucked up world my bros . We got dudes buying baseball cards for 5 million .
$ is out of control
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48881993/victor-wembanyama-card-sells-511-million-private-sale

 

[BABMusic]

TGP Dentists and Lawyers.

They are the ones to blame.

And they are the ones that will look down at you by saying, "Guitar is a midrange instrument -- do not scoop your mids."

 

[jchrisf]

I've got an ESP LTD Mirage that is the best guitar I've ever played. I'm wanting to try some more of these LTDs.

But isn't Grassroots and FGN made by the same ESP warehouse in Japan?

 

[Laputan Machine]

I mean sure, but what tan pants lawyer w/that kind of disposable income is buying an ESP? Those guys are snatching up all the Murphy Labs and Fender Masterbuilts. ESP doesn't conjure up wealth and status. It's the guitar for 40 somethings who still wear cargo shorts.

Techbros?