What is going on with the industry???

[Beyond Black]

Was I livin in the golden age? I remember walking into tons of high end stores( w/ 1600-1800 to blow on a high end axe) circa 87'- 95 and gawking at the custom shop jacksons,charvels,Strats,pauls,& hamers in the "do not touch" section.
Most of those were in the 2500 range and just out of reach for most of us.Not much Suhr back then. So is 4500 the old 2500?

Those were glorious times. The nearest Guitar Center to me in Chicago had wall to wall Marshalls, USA BC Riches and Jacksons. And everybody that worked there was a ripping player that knew their shit about gear.
Around 87-88 I bought a used/mint white Warlock identical to Mick’s in the Looks that Kill video for $575.

 

[Iamnada]

Also in the past 5-7 years, all the quick easy financing options that are now available like Afrim, and AMS, zero percent easy pay system. This helps drive up cost because it allows more high-ticket price items to sell. The auto/truck industry went the same way when 7-12 year loans started to become common place.

Huh. Never thought of this, but that does make quite a bit of sense.

 

[Shask]

Huh. Never thought of this, but that does make quite a bit of sense.

Yeah, makes sense as a lot of people are living off of credit cards and financing these days.

 

[BenoA]

Yeah, makes sense as a lot of people are living off of credit cards and financing these days.

It's sad. And car loans of 7 years and more are crazy. The vehicle will start breaking and need more maintenance and you still owe money on it. And at the interest rates these days, 7 years adds a lot of money over the price paid.

 

[DanTravis62]

Those were glorious times. The nearest Guitar Center to me in Chicago had wall to wall Marshalls, USA BC Riches and Jacksons. And everybody that worked there was a ripping player that knew their shit about gear.
Around 87-88 I bought a used/mint white Warlock identical to Mick’s in the Looks that Kill video for $575.

Not even most people on RT rip and know shit about gear now

 

[Beyond Black]

Not even most people on RT rip and know shit about gear now

Which makes them perfect employees for today’s Guitar Center

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

How?????

 

[harddriver]

Those were glorious times. The nearest Guitar Center to me in Chicago had wall to wall Marshalls, USA BC Riches and Jacksons. And everybody that worked there was a ripping player that knew their shit about gear.
Around 87-88 I bought a used/mint white Warlock identical to Mick’s in the Looks that Kill video for $575.

I bought a couple guitars from Guitar Center on 95th and Western, 1983-1985. I remember always haggling on the prices like a middle east Bazaar market!

This was long before the company went corporate like today.

I paid $600 bucks out the door for a brand new 1983 Kramer Imperial with maple neck and case at Ricks Music Store in Plainfield IL, he was the only Kramer dealer in the area. I guess that would be a $2500-$3500 guitar these days....

I also used to shop at the Guitar Shack in Steger, IL I bought a Marshall combo amp there.

Yes, glorious times Mr Beyond Black!

 

[Beyond Black]

I bought a couple guitars from Guitar Center on 95th and Western, 1983-1985. I remember always haggling on the prices like a middle east Bazaar market!

This was long before the company went corporate like today.

I paid $600 bucks out the door for a brand new 1983 Kramer Imperial with maple neck and case at Ricks Music Store in Plainfield IL, he was the only Kramer dealer in the area. I guess that would be a $2500-$3500 guitar these days....

I also used to shop at the Guitar Shack in Steger, IL I bought a Marshall combo amp there.

Yes, glorious times Mr Beyond Black!

Yes, that was the GC I spoke of! That place was the shit back then. Used to be able to haggle them down 40% off list!
Bought my first Marshall head there in 86 for $375. Lol

 

[The~Kid]

Boomer guitars.

Boomer guitars...... This. I mean so much stupid shit out there now that cost so much..... It makes zero sense

It's inflation, man.

It's everything. Guitars are just worse because of the way COVID worked. Guitar market got all fucked up by a gigantic surge of hobbyists spending money on guitars they never play.

This too....... Lots of people just buy these as investment pieces or are just so damn stupid and have more money than they know what to do with or both.

 

[The~Kid]

How?????View attachment 433788

I'd pay for that though vs Suhr or whatever other lawyer/dentist guitar or other dumbass hipster shit *_*

 

[Philo Beddoe]

Suhr guitars are made California, one of the heaviest taxed, regulated and highest cost of living states in America..

 

[nightlight]

It isn't for all companies though, I'd note.

I paid 60,000 Indian rupees for an Ibanez RG1820X Prestige guitar in 2007-08. It was the first guitar I bought brand new. Around that time, the dollar was about 40 rupees per USD. So about $1500.

Superlative guitar. I once took it for pleking and the guy at the shop said it had some of the finest fretwork he'd seen and the machine agreed. The bridge had a piezo system, and it had an output for the mag pickups as well as one for the piezo pickups, and you could obviously blend. Came with hardcase too.

Nowadays, you have to pay about $2,299 for a base Ibanez Prestige, which is still a great value, but the specs on that guitar (which I gave to my brother) were amazing, and it sounded great with the Wilde Bill Lawrence L500XL and L500R pickups I had put in.

Now remember, the dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.38% per year between 2007 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 56.32%. This means that today's prices are 1.56 times as high as average prices since 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.

So 156% of $1500 is $2344.8. So those Ibanez Prestiges actually cost about the same now as they did in 2007, after factoring in inflation.

And that's something, given how good the Ibanezes are. I'll note that their AZ range is supposed to compete directly with Suhrs.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

How?????View attachment 433788

they're off their fucking rockers.