alan67
Well-known member
I have a Kami IV LTD and for the 1200 I paid for it new it's really a great guitar - the quality of the finish and graphic surprised me- 1700 though? I don't know......
vultures
Well-known member
This one new for 2024? Because I think it's the one
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
Those prices aren't just ridiculous, they are incredibly stupid. Let's see....
2K for a USA made custom shop Chubtone, with any neck profile/finish combo you want.
2K for an Indonesian made LTD.
This isn't even a conversation, for me anyway. Chubtone guitars compare more to ESP Custom shop, yet they are priced like a freaking LTD??
Good lord.
Sorry ESP fans, I will do my very best to not laugh my ass off with the first 'NGD....2024 LTD for 2K!!!' post.
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
While I agree that 2K for an LTD is ridiculous (although the 2K ones are more than likely Korean), it's not hard to see that LTD has much more brand recognition than Chubtone.
I'm not trying to say that I don't agree with you, BTW.
I do, however, think that "Chubtone" isn't exactly a serious market-friendly brand name. Kinda like Krank, LOL.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
No, that's current production. '87 Mirage Deluxe.
This one new for 2024? Because I think it's the one
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
Krank? I don't think, with a guitar anyway, that 'brand recognition' has anything to do with it. It has everything to do with, how crappy/ok/good/great a guitar IS. A Krank isn't going to compare with a good boutique amp, period. I've played them, long ago. Like 2005-7 era...and you won't confuse a Krank with an SLO, or Naylor, or Bogner....
LTDs are beginner guitars. That's the LTD 'brand' recognition. Even though they have come a long way since the 200$ special LTD 100s, they certainly aren't going to be confused with the USA Charvels that were priced at 1K and very affordable when they came out.
Chubtones are built by ex Charvel/Jackson Custom shop guys. They are every bit a boutique guitar, built here in the USA. LTDs are Indonesian made, beginner 'I'll buy one for my 14 yr old' guitars. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but comparing a LTD to a Chubtone is like, well, comparing a Krank to a Naylor. Or a Bogner. Or a...well, you get my point.
Indonesia, Korea, Japan...still not built in the USA like Chubtones are.
I'm not saying that LTDs are crap guitars, they've come a long way...but paying 2K for an LTD is insane at best. When you can get a Chubtone for the same price. LTDs are clearly WAAAY overpriced, period.
Bram576
Well-known member
My only gripe with them is no neck thru, unless I’m missing something…
C
Chronic Narnia
Active member
$1,700 for an ESP 1000 Evertune is really pushing it. Evertune models have gone up every year by $100, it's getting ridiculous. Prices on new gear has to start falling soon. We're seeing it some on the used market but seeing them raise prices for 2024 is crazy.
Bram576
Well-known member
Additional issue I have with it is about half the “upper end” Ltd models are built in Indonesia.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
I don't doubt anything you say about the guitars it's just that people get very hung up on branding, see Gibson and Fender. That name recognition, like it or not, carries weight with consumers and drives the pricing. Until I came to rig talk I never heard of chubtone.
Aside that, I have seen so much shit workmanship from USA guitars that I discarded nation of origin (and brand) as something I value any longer. In fact, all my gigging guitars are of Japanese origin because price point and playability are all I care about now and that's what I wound up with. I tried to pass this info on to my Martin/Gibson acoustic obsessed wife with no results for about a year until she picked up a Yairi Alvarez built Hohner branded guitar that is now her favorite...
R
Racerxrated
Well-known member
Right, I get that but who in the righteous Fk thinks "Oh man! I can get a LTD, built in Indonesia and everything for.........What a steal!!" said no one ever.
It doesn't say ESP people..it's a friggin LTD.
For 2K.
V
VonBonfire
Well-known member
Agreed. At the 2k mark there are a lot of sweet guitars out there for the taking especially if you shop used which would make it hard to choose an LTD. But I would still judge a guitar on it's merits vs the name on the headstock or other provenance. Performance for the player should be the only consideration. But people shop with their eyes as much as their ears.Right, I get that but who in the righteous Fk thinks "Oh man! I can get a LTD, built in Indonesia and everything for.........What a steal!!" said no one ever.
It doesn't say ESP people..it's a friggin LTD.
For 2K.
C
Chronic Narnia
Active member
Yeah the ones I’ve gotten I made sure they were made in Korea.
Metalhex
Well-known member
Korean made LTD's are no more special than PRS SE guitars. I don't think either guitars are worth more than $1000 brand new. I remember just 10 years ago you can get a used PRS SE Custom for 300 bucks all day.
Bram576
Well-known member
Unfortunately doesn’t matter that we think this, that’s the market now. As long as people buy it’ll continue to go up.
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
My only implication comparing Chubtone to Krank was not that they're both good/bad quality, it's that both have silly names.
LTD's are not exactly beginner guitars, though. The first ones were made in Japan, and plenty of pros play them on tour and whatnot. I remember people were losing their minds at that pic of James Hetfield in the 2000's with the combed back hair and the handlebar mustache playing a goldtop LTD EC.
I'm not implying that LTD's are better than Chubtones, but a lot more people play LTD's on the road, and thus, get more exposure. That's what I meant by brand recognition. TBH, I don't think most people realize Chubtone even exists. I, for one, didn't know it was ex-Jackson/Charvel guys. I bet they're great.
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Rex Rocker
Well-known member
I disagree. They used to be made in the same factory, but the quality control standards are way different (in my experience for both). I've never played a terrible LTD, personally. And every PRS SE I've ever owned (except for one) has had at least one defect.
LTD's (the expensive ones) that is come with way better hardware and electronics too, for the most part. Electronics, especially.
That being said... 2K is still ridiculous for an LTD, agreed.
angelspade
RT Kimg
Guys...I hate to interject here on the priciing issue: but it's impossible to have the "overpriced LTDs" conversation without talking about inflation. Generally speaking, the costs of goods and services are inflated dramatically across the board. the materials, labor, storage, and shipping of guitars has risen over 30% in the last 24 months. Even the financing and credit facilities used to operate these companies has gone to sub 5.00% to nearly 11.00%. The manufacturers cannot maintain profit margins without passing these costs along to the consumer. The next time the government offers to dump 3 trillion dollars of fake, printed, fiat currency into the market and send everyone checks as essentially a bribe to stay home, not work, close their businesses, take their kids out of school and generally forfiet the majority of the liberties that the constitution garuntees them; well maybe we should all think twice and consider non-compliance as a patriotic duty.
OK...Sorry, I'm done.
OK...Sorry, I'm done.
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tementnoise
Active member
As someone else mentioned, they definitely have exactly that but they’re older. I had a white one back in the day but sold it once I got my full thickness four knob Eclipse I in gloss black. Can probably easily be had used as there were a lot around when they came out in 2013-14ish. Came with dimarzios. Here’s on for $700
https://www.musicgoround.com/produc...lectric-Guitar-Gloss-Black-with-Gold-Hardware