I had to unload a few guitars, recently. Looked into selling and changed my mind. Gave them away. Smiles, laughter, and surprised faces lighting up were priceless!
I’ve never bought a guitar with the thought of selling it later. I have traded in the past, but any guitars I buy now are keepers that my kids will inherit.
I have been doing this too for kids, who are in need in my neck of the woods. The local instrument shops have been lowering their intake for trades, let alone purchases of used or b-stock gear. Trades tend to be a better method. Guitar Center has been inconsistent for years on their intake of used gear.
@brianhansen-hj3ml - yeah, I had those plans as well. An unplanned surgery, 30+% inflation, car insurance went from 75 bucks a month to 262 dollars a month,
I've known my closest mom & pop guitar dealer for years, and we always talk about when people try to sell him their guitars, and they use the "Well, Reverb says this worth X amount" line. To which he says "To me, not you. I have to make a profit on it first. Try selling it on your own first and it you don't have any luck, call me....I'll be here." As far as "investments" go, Terry (my dealer) says, "They're meant to be played, not bought and stashed away!" - I agree on that, too.
This is why ive bought every used guitar off reverb and saved thousands over used guitar shops. If they dont show up looking right, I send back. Sadly this is horrible for your buddy.
@@kcsvantasticvoyages9729Take it from me; you're going to lose money selling your gear, unless all you own is vintage Les Paul's, Teles, and the like. You should never expect to profit by selling your used gear, only getting some of your money back. Your guitars and Amps won't Devalue like a Car, but they certainly do not command brand new prices Either sell them and know you're recouping only some of your expenses, or keep them and pass them down to your family. I simply do not understand the mentality of "My used item should net me a return exceeding it's original value" on anything that's NOT a vintage or collectors item.
Man i have really super nice "partscasters" laying under beds, in closets, & in cases. All of my guitars I put lovking tuners on & new pickups I love so f much. But now I've been traveling for many months. On & off going back home. I want to play them so bad but I don't want to get robbed of them if I take them with me. I need to oil the fretboards and take care of them. I feel so bad
@@jarhead3038 I think it might be the GC exclusive in Honeyburst from 2019 which had the Nashville bridge. I came close to getting one back then. I actually liked the fact it didn't have the wraparound figuring from an intonation standpoint it would be better but after getting a Junior awhile back, I found I'm pretty happy with a wrap around. No noticeable intonation issues and I feel like the wrap around is a big part of the guitars unique sound.
Hey Mark. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos. Your insight and willingness to share what you know is invaluable. I live in Canada but if I ever find myself in your area I would love to pop in and check out your store. Cheers!
Gary , nice talk . I'm encouraged . I would really like to buy some more guitars . Old guitars selling for the price of new guitars sounds great to me . 👍
Anyone who thinks you are going to get a bargain on reverb is deluded. Due to the large chunk they want it is as good as putting it on consignment in a shop. Hopefully now evilbay has had to let you sell for free due to FB market place competition will not be long before Reverb starts getting quieter and quieter.
I saw your original 2 videos when I was looking for a Tele earlier this year. I went to the HOG in Rochester and found what you were describing almost. A barely used 2021 American Pro II tele in Mercury. It was used and knocked down a few hundred dollars. Knowing that someone probably bought it during the pandemic, I talked them down to 1400 which is about 500 of the original. So the HOG had sold it to someone who thought they would learn during the pandemic, ended up not, sold it back to the HOG, which then gave me a good deal. Thanks for heads up, it helped me talk them down a little extra and got a good deal on a great player that had barely been played.
Several retailers over the last year have put American Professional II's (Strats, Teles, basses) on sale for $1100-1300. That's a really good price- just wasn't in the position to buy.
It's a similar story here in Australia. Every week local stores shut up shop as very few people are buying due to the economic nightmare we're suffering here. My shop is hanging on by a thread thanks to repair and service work, but unknown how long that'll hold on for. We never really had the massive VC money types pouring into companies here like over in the US, but that's recently changed. One person has bought up the 3 largest independent instrument and gear distributors, AND the two largest retail chains and rolled them all into one company. Same deal, she's from a VC background and the companies will be gutted and sold fort scrap after the balance sheet is inflated. Meanwhile, smaller retailers can't compete on the prices and our dealership requirements are so burdensome that there are very few independent stores who bother carrying the mainstay brands. My shop went used gear only this year and the downturn is so massive I've stopped taking in consignment stock and stopped doing trade ins entirely as I could only offer 10% of what I'd sell it for because it takes so long for it to move.
@@ibanezlaney CMI/Australis/Innovative and SDJ/Mannys have morphed into one company (Sound Services). They've also bought Derringers. It will all go to shit and the industry will start again. But at the moment it is just souless VC c***ting, just as Six described. Dicker Data ain't going that great either...lol
@drgeaustralia Howdy, Mate! Sorry to hear of the struggles down under, and I sure pray you keep the lights on, economies shift upward, and you’re flourishing in the future! 🙏🏽✌🏽💙 from Minnesota, USA
Dude, I got this massive Hartke full stack for the bass for like 400 and the bottom cabinet for my old solidstate Marshall half-stack. I run my guitar through the Marshall and then output it to the Hartke. Sounds like I’m in a stadium.🫠
You're not wrong and the Black Friday/Holiday discounts have created even more pressure on the used market. Why buy a used Made in Mexico Fender Strat for $450 (which used to be a good price) when you can buy a brand new one for $549. I buy/sell a lot of gear so I am always hyper-aware of market shifting. Here is my observation - the more expensive gear is definitely harder to sell and it has to be right; the right color, the right options combinations, the right condition. The cheaper used gear is easier to sell but there is less margin and it has to be clean. My challenge is finding gear to resell at the right price. I have had to pivot toward buying gear that needs some kind of work; fret work, paint work, electronics - something that makes the seller just want to get rid of it. My margin then comes from the labor of making it a great player. As just one example, I used to be able to buy Squier Affinity strats for $75 - $100, clean them up, change strings and give them a set up and sell them for $150ish. Now I have to buy them for between $25 and $50 to sell them for $100. Those are a bit harder to find at that price without something more complex to fix, and new Squier Affinity strats are on sale for less than $200. What I am finding right now is that my margin is basically in my setup and service work. I am my own service client and make up the service cost on the resale of the guitar (if that makes any sense). I make the most margin on the weird stuff - more rare, special color, etc. Great video!
I bought or ordered some nice guitars during the pandemic, and it helped the shops I bought from and the folks I (volunteer) play for (memory care, nursing homes, assisted living...those who can't get out). My wife, just before she died from leukemia, allowed me to get a nice guitar for myself for my birthday, Christmas, or anniversary, and have it come from her. These would be heirloom guitars for the kids and grandchildren that "Grandpa played." Fortunately, many of them play something, except the 2 still in diapers. I have given some guitars already, although some are nice starter guitars or firefighter camp guitars. They ARE an investment in the future, just not necessarily a financial one. Thanks
I just purchased a limited run Rickenbacker 48XC and it was not cheap. I had a 480 some years ago and missed it. The new 480xc did not disappoint me. But i would still buy an older one after I recover from this recent purchase. Just wanted to send some positivity out there, people still buying guitars! Obviously from my perspective.
Haha! I had to look up that model. I have a 1967 365 six string (same age as me!) And, while the bassist in my first high school band played a blonde Ricki, I have not followed the newer model designators. I WILL have both a Rickenbacker bass AND 12 string before I exit this planet. (At least, that’s what I say looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror while shaving in the morning 😳)
Great video and amazing comments. I’m a simple guy. Started playing during lockdown and got addicted to Reverb. I like what I found and am keeping them. To me the price of something is what I’m willing to offer and pay. My general tip is to get a guitar that has been offered for sale 6 months to a year ago and is Very Good with a few small pictured dings.
Hi Mark, .. thanks for the frank presentation. It's been a rather strange stretch of years, hasn't it, COVID, and all .. Fortunately, I've not been in the market to buy guitars, for awhile. But, I still look in on prices, occasionally. It seems like new Epiphones prices have climbed to what they are really worth, now. But, go a few years back .. sheew, they were bargains.
I'm 62. I bought my first electric in 1977 - a Fender Music Master II for $45. The electric guitar market then was Gibson & Fender, then copies. The lawsuit MIJ's were pretty good / affordable, but they still weren't the real thing; i.e. there was a status to having a Gibson LP or a Fender Strat, but for a kid they were pricey. Now there is a MASSIVE glut of them. Unless you lived through those times, you cannot even begin to appreciate how stark the difference is between then and now.
@@AuntAlnico4 The difference in the availability of Gibsons and Fenders from then to now is in the sheer numbers of them made since 1977. I don't know what that number is but it has to be MASSIVE. While there weren't as many people learning to play back then, the sheer volume of what has been produced since 1977 must be STAGGERING.
@GTX1123 Beyond less demand for the instruments then, as you suggest, less folks were picking them up. The band in which I played in upper school-1981-1985-in retrospect, had an easy time making local and regional traction. There just weren’t as many young bands out there. Within one year-our freshman year-we gelled, and played enough paying gigs to buy our own “Peavey Powered” P.A. More established bands would pay us to open for grad. parties, proms etc. as we brought the system, and it was almost cheaper for them than renting. Sadly, the high point of my life was age 16, haha. Have an awesome day!
Here in the Washington DC area, the late 70's saw the birth of the used band equip store. Up until then it was either pawn shops or music stores that sold both new and used. By 1978-79 there was just enough gear floating around for a small store to sell exclusively used. Now we've got multiple stores here that only deal in used. One of them is GIGANTIC (Atomic Music - Beltsville Maryland).
Local shops are the only way to go. Guitar center is great for putting them 15' in the air with a lock. There's a mom and pop in town that has all the right brands across all price levels and I can go in there and try anything and these guys are just cool and the place is beyond comfortable. I took a $5k Custom Shop ES335 off the wall and plugged it into an AC30 once - no problem and no locks. Those guys get all my business.
I love how you help sellers understand the situation 🙂 I spent 30 plus years in the car business and it’s similar when it comes to up and down markets. People would come in and say xyz dealership said my trade is worth x. “ Ask them if they’ll buy it for that.” And 100%. When you have 50 used Camry’s that aren’t selling you don’t pay market for the 51st. Cheers!
Boomers don;t understand that we are in a new global paradigm of central bank economic warfare, things will never go back to the normal cycles unless your talking about world war and another great depression. Nissan, Volkswagon, and Stellantis are the dying canaries in the coal mine just as the DJT MAGA guitar being made in Indonesia is symbolic.
Once the baby boomers are gone I guarantee NO One will be paying $6,000 for a 1970 ES-355 or $30,000 for a 59 LP. No way. I've laughed when other musicians say they're gear is an investment. Rule 1, Don't buy a guitar or amp (vintage or not )because you think its an investment, buy it because you really have wanted it for a long time or you need it.
The true collectibles like real 1959 LPs and Pre-CBS Fenders will be ok. It will hold its value. But the stuff from the 1970s and beyond, when guitars were just instruments, or even commodities? Nah. When you look at those used prices, they’re basically at the same price level they were when they went on the used racks. Just adjust those prices for inflation, and bang-there’s your price now. Or less.
Just like Model T/Model A cars- they were what guys wanted in the 50’s-70’s and prices were high but now that those guys aged out of the market the stuff gets sold cheap by their descendants
Old Gibsons and Fenders will ALWAYS be collectible, they are more than a guitar they are a piece of American and music history. Go study the vintage market people pay thousands for old Levi's jeans that are found in old mining camps and can't even be worn their so beat up and aged, look at how band shirts from the 90's go for thousands. There will always be people willing to pay you just need the right buyer.
Crazy looking back on the bands I liked in the 90’s. You had AIC, SG, PJ all using LP customs, Nirvana using 60’s Jazzmasters/Jaguars, Sonic Youth too. And they were like “this is all we can afford, pawn shop stuff 🤷♂️” lol
I was looking to trade a guitar in on a purchase where they are a dealer for the trade in. (Boston). The was explained that value of the guitar is capped by the their cost of a new guitar (if they still make a similar model). Makes sense and I kept the guitar and later sold on marketplace.
Seriously, a guitar is 99% a set of pickups. The actual value is in the pickups. The thing that can be easily swapped out of any guitar. The Boomers are aging out of guitar ownership, and they're the one's who were big into guitar ownership in the first place. Look at the demographics and you quickly see that we're about to have a never ending onslaught of guitars going up for cheap. Younger people are less interested in having certain guitar models and are spending more money on things like synths/7 string guitars/electric drum kits/recording equipment etc.There's more things worth buying that actually serve a purpose or a function. The appetite for multiple guitars is nosediving, especially as amp simulation gets better and better.
Love your videos. It’s nice to hear the unvarnished truth. I buy non-vintage guitars and other gear (amps and pedals) that look like the ones that artists use or just plain have the sound I want. I’ve sold a couple of guitars in trade ups, but I do not buy my guitars for their economic value…I buy them because they look cool and inspire me to make my cover videos. This includes tribute guitars. Hell I still own my first electric (an lp firebrand) and a gorilla amp from 1980. At that time they were bought with the intent to play and I still use them occasionally. A guitar is a tool, an amp is a tool, a pedal is a tool. The tools in your tool chest are not investments
Good insights. We have the same issues in the piano business. People call everyday trying to offload their 75 yr. old piano. People are giving them away or selling cheaply on FB Marketplace. We can't afford to fix up some of these pianos for resell because we can't make any profit. Don't buy a piano as an investment. Those days are over. Find an instrument you really want and enjoy it the rest of your life.
How do you think demographics and changing music states will play into this? The generation that was a fan of guitar music from the 1960s to 1980s is retiring. Will there be as many younger guitar players interested in buying used guitars?
I love used cheap guitars I like fixing them up and playing them all day long I've got about 20 of them I didn't buy them to sell them I bought them to play them I don't care if I can't get my money back out of them some of them were $200 -$300 and they're still great guitars some of these are amazingly beautiful instruments the cool thing is I get them cheap so cheap I don't worry about it it allows me to collect them and have them around and have all the fun like a kid in a candy store.. Epiphone Ibanez fenders Taylor Martin Cordova and many others quite a few of these instruments had never been played even though I bought them on the used Market
I wish to come buy a guitar at your store, Mark. You are awesome, the store looks like a few that have closed in the Twin Cities, and I could always use another Rickenbacker like the one behind you. 🙏🏽✌🏽💙 from Minnesota
Sigh...at Knut-Koupee I considered a 400. purple metalflake Mosrite that Bob Mould traded in after getting his Flying Vee...in, what, '84 or thereabouts. A little Husker souvenir...
My local guitar center stopped buying pretty much any and all gear for awhile. I haven’t stopped in there in a little bit now but they had the same used guitars on the wall for months on end. Weird time for music
In my city, used guitars are almost as much as new ones. A les paul studio here is $ 1200. A used strat is about the same. Prices are way up here in the middle of the country. I am always looking,I have the bug. I have been buying and selling for 24 years now. Prices have never been higher.
For sure. How many younger people are actually playing guitar anymore? Guitar based Rock music is definitely a fading genre. I'm actually really curious to know.
Great video. Old England here; seems a generational wave of sales (from those born 50's and 60's) presumably looking to raise cash. Youger cohorts not playing in bands as much... Auctions offering very large volumes... fully agree non vintage, dropping precipitously...
This is interesting. I favorited a few Ibanez Vai Pia guitars on reverb and saw the used ones were being sold for $2,799 from $3,499 msrp. I was offered $2,799 for a brand new one and scooped it up. Weird times
I’m convinced guitars are going to be like old Pianos in my lifetime- grampa or dad had it but I never learned how to play it. Now it’s just old and in the way so I have to give it away to get the space back 😢
Interesting to hear this. Being a cyclist, not a musician, I've seen this same thing with regards to good used bicycles. The pandemic resulted in a delay in supply, then an explosion of oversupply when manufacturers got back into full swing and overproduced. The used market exploded during the pandemic to fill the void. Manufacturers failed to acknowledge that.
As a buyer, its not all bad! Was able to get a guitar that has been on my wishlist for years recently and after negotiating, got it for significantly less than what was its original asking price and what ive seen others listing theirs for.
I think non vintage guitars are where it’s at. Buy new or slightly used and make it your own. I bought a 2014 AVRI Jazzmaster on Reverb back in 2017 and I just love it. Honestly to me it’s such a value. A quality vintage feeling instrument for a fraction of the cost.
That could be a great thing for people who didnt buy any gear during the pandemic. Unfortunately with costs being high on everything from homes to cars to insurance and repair, there's just no money for more junk... I mean guitar related items...
We love real guitar stores! Former Mainer. I have no problem selling guitars if I'm willing to go lower than the comps. I'd rather have them out in the world and I can buy something else to experiment with. Thanks.
I recently sold a good number of guitars and amps. They all went fairly quickly. The difference? I was selling FCS, Suhr, Two Rock level stuff. As per usual, the wealthy are better insulated from economic downturn. I was into guitars around the time of the 08 recession too and while even vintage prices went down a bit rich guys were hoovering up all the good stuff. Lots of people with 5 or 6 bursts all of a sudden had 15.
Yes - I did wonder when I walked into a local thrift store and purchased the full range of electric guitars (excellent copies of - a 335, a tele and two strats) for $50!
I was the dummy who bought a bunch of used guitars to repair and customize and sell them off for a profit. Well, now I have a bunch of guitars that aren't selling.
I had to sell a lot of my non vintage and a couple of my vintage guitars in late 2021… I was able to keep the ones that I purchased during the pandemic. Now that I’m settled in with my move ( the reason I sold ) I have the space and the ability to shop marketplace for some different gear, I typically hang on to stuff for decades and a couple I would never sell
I have said for a long time the whole guitar marketplace is a race to the bottom. So many cheap imported named and clone guitars. Gibson now doing cheap version of their classics to compete with the knockoffs. Not sure why anyone would buy a Les Paul as a wacko under the bed investment, surely Gold is always going to be a far safer bet. If US resellers are looking for a prime place to sell guitars are a high price aim for Australia. A population stuck on an island who have for decades been in a trapped closed marketplace where high prices are the norm.
Gary, apparently it carries over to new guitars. I have bought ten guitars in the last 90 days and all were listed between 2k and 3k and In every case i got at least 30 percent off and averaged 35 percent off. Sometimes if took six or seven offers to different dealers but eventually one of them takes the offer because they have a ton of 2023s and 2024s that have not sold. Of course guitar center never cuts a good deal and that is why they will fold.
@@andy_182 I've found ProAudioStar tends to really try to move inventory. Sometimes they have deals so good I get tempted to buy things I don't even want, just because I know the once the glut is over it'll retain its value.
I get good deals at Guitar Center all the time on both used and new gear. You just have to know the right person to deal with. I am a former GC Assistant store manager from back between 2003 and 2006. Also, just in the past couple of months, Guitar Center has changed their operations to cater to the professional musician. They have unlocked all the guitars on the wall and the high end stuff is now within reach and not needing a ladder to get to. This is just another cycle of the music instrument retail. It doesn't help there is a shit ton of fake and cheap guitars out there also. It's called competition. And the fact that people are getting tired of the outrageous prices for American made Fender's and Gibson's. I play upper end Epiphone stuff for this very reason.
i've played at guitar center many times for fun to try out all the gear. i never noticed amps much until i played on genzler. it was a tiny amp 800$ but i turned it up plugged in an acoustic and this part i wrote the amp would feed back in the most beautiful way it was the most beautiful sounding amp
When I needed a guitar, I bought a new one. It had no issues, worked right out of the box and played magnificently. (A prs.) I got money, can afford good vintage stuff. But didn't want to deal with lots of unknown factors. Reminds me of my other hobby. Fountain pens. One can buy a new one and it is a great writing tool. What about those fabled Parkers, Sheaffers and waterman people wax lyrical about? I bought some. It's cool to own stuff that's almost 100 years old but they are just not reliable or good writers. Most of them are worn or spent. Anyway, thanks for this reality check video.
I've been buying really fine mid 70s and 80 Japanese guitars lately for dirt cheap. Good time to buy inventory . To sell later or in a different market .the stores who have excess of inventory may find it difficult these days . We guitarist s need to support the small guy in our. Neighborhood
The massive influx of counterfeits only helps brick & mortar places like this, shying people away from eBays & Craigslists. A knowledgeable vendor helping you navigate is now a definite plus.
I am in guitar buying mode and have made offers on used guitars. Most people are still asking too much. Example a 2014 Gibson sg standard for $1700 when you can buy a new one for $2000.
Guitars are a liability. Not a commodity. For me, that became a reality when my home flooded last year. I had to scramble to find 'higher ground' for my 20-something basses, many of which ended up on my kid's beds. Most are/were sub 1k in value except for an Alembic and Custom Shop Jazz Bass, but the incident prompted me to start selling some off and keep a manageable number. So a year later I'm down to 18🤦🏻♂️. Great video and the voice of reason. Subscribed.
I've mainly got Martins, and a coupld of boutique guitars. I bought them to play, but I also thought if I could get most of the money back, then that's a fair price for playing them for a couple of years and enjoying them. So if I do ever decide to sell one, even getting back over 60% would make me pretty happy. If I'm more patient, I think I can still get more. Also, the guitars I've got are quite rare in Australia, and it shouldn't be hard to be much lower than retail prices, and still make a little on the sale.
That Les Paul Special behind you was (I think) a great limited run from Gibson at Guitar Center. Same price as the entry level Specials but came with a Nitro finish, non-button tuners, and tune-o-matic bridge. I tried to buy one at my local Guitar Center and they said they found a "NIB" model at another store, but when it arrived at my store of course the other store sent the floor model, which looked like it had been dragged through a junior high band room for a year, so I didn't buy it.
Given the precise manufacturing automation available even to smaller builders, they can turn out quality instruments faster than the affluent can or will buy them. At some point prices have to give, especially as fewer people stay in “affluent” category.
Very good video series Guitar Apocalypse parts 1,2,and 3. Everything well explained and made clear. I am curious however how the Guitar market is going to be affected once Trump takes office and places high tariffs on everything produced in foreign markets coming into the country. We know that means Guitars too.
That’s what happens when you flood a market with CNC-made instruments for a decade. There are only so many guitarists in the world. Yet these companies keep pumping out hundreds of thousands of new instruments a year. Economics 101, guess what happens?
Agreed. A guitar is definitely not an investment for the average person. I still have the first nice used guitar I could afford. A '73 Gold Top Deluxe that I paid $250 for. Was it a good financial investment? Nope. But it's offered a damn fine return of enjoyment over the years 😁
I had to unload a few guitars, recently.
Looked into selling and changed my mind.
Gave them away.
Smiles, laughter, and surprised faces lighting up were priceless!
Irony. Every Guitar I have sold I have regretted. Every guitar I’ve given away I have never thought twice about.
I’ve never bought a guitar with the thought of selling it later. I have traded in the past, but any guitars I buy now are keepers that my kids will inherit.
I have been doing this too for kids, who are in need in my neck of the woods. The local instrument shops have been lowering their intake for trades, let alone purchases of used or b-stock gear. Trades tend to be a better method.
Guitar Center has been inconsistent for years on their intake of used gear.
you probably inherited money. entitled pos.
@brianhansen-hj3ml - yeah, I had those plans as well. An unplanned surgery, 30+% inflation, car insurance went from 75 bucks a month to 262 dollars a month,
Bought many basses over the years. Sold only one. Landed some crazy good deals but never thought of them as investments.
To me they are tools, very nice tools that I love, but tools all the same.
I've known my closest mom & pop guitar dealer for years, and we always talk about when people try to sell him their guitars, and they use the "Well, Reverb says this worth X amount" line. To which he says "To me, not you. I have to make a profit on it first. Try selling it on your own first and it you don't have any luck, call me....I'll be here."
As far as "investments" go, Terry (my dealer) says, "They're meant to be played, not bought and stashed away!" - I agree on that, too.
This is why ive bought every used guitar off reverb and saved thousands over used guitar shops. If they dont show up looking right, I send back.
Sadly this is horrible for your buddy.
I can never seem to get it right, have way too many from COVID era now, and will actually lose money if I sell them in flooded market. Any advice?
@@kcsvantasticvoyages9729Take it from me; you're going to lose money selling your gear, unless all you own is vintage Les Paul's, Teles, and the like.
You should never expect to profit by selling your used gear, only getting some of your money back. Your guitars and Amps won't Devalue like a Car, but they certainly do not command brand new prices
Either sell them and know you're recouping only some of your expenses, or keep them and pass them down to your family.
I simply do not understand the mentality of "My used item should net me a return exceeding it's original value" on anything that's NOT a vintage or collectors item.
Man i have really super nice "partscasters" laying under beds, in closets, & in cases. All of my guitars I put lovking tuners on & new pickups I love so f much. But now I've been traveling for many months. On & off going back home. I want to play them so bad but I don't want to get robbed of them if I take them with me. I need to oil the fretboards and take care of them. I feel so bad
OOPS! I did my off the top of my head math wrong I meant to say $800 about the Les Paul, and not $500
I was about to ask where?
I see them near me sub 800 with case good condition regularly
Les Paul tribute or studio faded.
Les Paul studio gloss
I will pay you 350 and that´s my final offer.
You have a good head on your shoulders with business and hope you the most success.
Subscribed. Never seen ya but dig your vibe and non emotional takes.
50 year old lifelong guitarist from Memphis.
Non emotional takes- Because it's just business.
Thank you for posting these analysis videos, much appreciated!
Nice Paul with the Soap Bars right behind you in the vid, very cool!
Yeah, that one got my GAS flared up! He did that on purpose. I bet he has already sold it too.
I couldn't take my eyes off that LP Special. Awesome looking guitar.
That's a special but not an accurate one. Real specials don't have a bridge.
@@jarhead3038 I think it might be the GC exclusive in Honeyburst from 2019 which had the Nashville bridge. I came close to getting one back then. I actually liked the fact it didn't have the wraparound figuring from an intonation standpoint it would be better but after getting a Junior awhile back, I found I'm pretty happy with a wrap around. No noticeable intonation issues and I feel like the wrap around is a big part of the guitars unique sound.
Funny. That’s the first thing I saw. 😊
Hey - thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! Really enjoy these.
Hey Mark. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos. Your insight and willingness to share what you know is invaluable. I live in Canada but if I ever find myself in your area I would love to pop in and check out your store. Cheers!
Gary , nice talk . I'm encouraged . I would really like to buy some more guitars . Old guitars selling for the price of new guitars sounds great to me . 👍
Reverb prices are still fucking bonkers high
Anyone who thinks you are going to get a bargain on reverb is deluded. Due to the large chunk they want it is as good as putting it on consignment in a shop. Hopefully now evilbay has had to let you sell for free due to FB market place competition will not be long before Reverb starts getting quieter and quieter.
@ interesting. Hadn’t thought about the reverb cut of the sale price. Thanks for the info.
Which is why most of the stuff just sits there... it's not selling/moving.
It's not a small cut either. I try to do locally on Craigslist where possible
@@NHBEY39 I hate Reverb. Hope they go bust.
I saw your original 2 videos when I was looking for a Tele earlier this year. I went to the HOG in Rochester and found what you were describing almost. A barely used 2021 American Pro II tele in Mercury. It was used and knocked down a few hundred dollars. Knowing that someone probably bought it during the pandemic, I talked them down to 1400 which is about 500 of the original. So the HOG had sold it to someone who thought they would learn during the pandemic, ended up not, sold it back to the HOG, which then gave me a good deal. Thanks for heads up, it helped me talk them down a little extra and got a good deal on a great player that had barely been played.
do they still pile guitars on guitars in bins, so all the guitars looked reliced from the get go?
Several retailers over the last year have put American Professional II's (Strats, Teles, basses) on sale for $1100-1300. That's a really good price- just wasn't in the position to buy.
It's a similar story here in Australia. Every week local stores shut up shop as very few people are buying due to the economic nightmare we're suffering here. My shop is hanging on by a thread thanks to repair and service work, but unknown how long that'll hold on for.
We never really had the massive VC money types pouring into companies here like over in the US, but that's recently changed. One person has bought up the 3 largest independent instrument and gear distributors, AND the two largest retail chains and rolled them all into one company. Same deal, she's from a VC background and the companies will be gutted and sold fort scrap after the balance sheet is inflated. Meanwhile, smaller retailers can't compete on the prices and our dealership requirements are so burdensome that there are very few independent stores who bother carrying the mainstay brands.
My shop went used gear only this year and the downturn is so massive I've stopped taking in consignment stock and stopped doing trade ins entirely as I could only offer 10% of what I'd sell it for because it takes so long for it to move.
Which 3 distributors have been sold?
@@ibanezlaney CMI/Australis/Innovative and SDJ/Mannys have morphed into one company (Sound Services). They've also bought Derringers. It will all go to shit and the industry will start again. But at the moment it is just souless VC c***ting, just as Six described. Dicker Data ain't going that great either...lol
@@ibanezlaneyFiona Brown bought Australis and CMI
E-commerce has destroyed a lot of brick and mortar businesses!
@drgeaustralia
Howdy, Mate!
Sorry to hear of the struggles down under, and I sure pray you keep the lights on, economies shift upward, and you’re flourishing in the future!
🙏🏽✌🏽💙 from Minnesota, USA
Great show. I miss your weekly show. Watched it every week. The nest 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😮😮😮😮😮😮🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤PAUL
Glad to see you back Mark! I very much appreciate your videos. More please!
The anthropology of economics does not vote. It does what it does. That is the smartest thing I have heard in a long while. Well done sir.
I've been patiently waiting for this moment... I've already grabbed two amps(used) for 70% below msrp
Dude, I got this massive Hartke full stack for the bass for like 400 and the bottom cabinet for my old solidstate Marshall half-stack. I run my guitar through the Marshall and then output it to the Hartke. Sounds like I’m in a stadium.🫠
Thanks for the video Mark! I always enjoy them!
Thanks for what you're doing, you do an amazing job - I'm in Houston, TX and I'd go to your store to buy guitars
You're not wrong and the Black Friday/Holiday discounts have created even more pressure on the used market. Why buy a used Made in Mexico Fender Strat for $450 (which used to be a good price) when you can buy a brand new one for $549. I buy/sell a lot of gear so I am always hyper-aware of market shifting. Here is my observation - the more expensive gear is definitely harder to sell and it has to be right; the right color, the right options combinations, the right condition. The cheaper used gear is easier to sell but there is less margin and it has to be clean. My challenge is finding gear to resell at the right price. I have had to pivot toward buying gear that needs some kind of work; fret work, paint work, electronics - something that makes the seller just want to get rid of it. My margin then comes from the labor of making it a great player. As just one example, I used to be able to buy Squier Affinity strats for $75 - $100, clean them up, change strings and give them a set up and sell them for $150ish. Now I have to buy them for between $25 and $50 to sell them for $100. Those are a bit harder to find at that price without something more complex to fix, and new Squier Affinity strats are on sale for less than $200. What I am finding right now is that my margin is basically in my setup and service work. I am my own service client and make up the service cost on the resale of the guitar (if that makes any sense). I make the most margin on the weird stuff - more rare, special color, etc. Great video!
I bought or ordered some nice guitars during the pandemic, and it helped the shops I bought from and the folks I (volunteer) play for (memory care, nursing homes, assisted living...those who can't get out). My wife, just before she died from leukemia, allowed me to get a nice guitar for myself for my birthday, Christmas, or anniversary, and have it come from her. These would be heirloom guitars for the kids and grandchildren that "Grandpa played." Fortunately, many of them play something, except the 2 still in diapers. I have given some guitars already, although some are nice starter guitars or firefighter camp guitars. They ARE an investment in the future, just not necessarily a financial one. Thanks
I volunteer to sing at retirement homes too... great people to play for...
Bought an used Traditional pro Epiphone SG from GC for half price, $240, with a case. Guitar still had the plastic over pickups.
That used to be the standard price of used gear. Then take 20 dollars off per 'ding'.
I wish more people who are subject matter experts like this would put out similar videos. These were great.
" GUITARMAGEDDON " looking forward to part 4, great channel !!!!
Looking forward to your next LIVE video!
Spot on discussion on the guitar economy, and the economy at large, especially on the private equity side.
Thank you
I just purchased a limited run Rickenbacker 48XC and it was not cheap. I had a 480 some years ago and missed it. The new 480xc did not disappoint me. But i would still buy an older one after I recover from this recent purchase. Just wanted to send some positivity out there, people still buying guitars! Obviously from my perspective.
Haha!
I had to look up that model.
I have a 1967 365 six string (same age as me!)
And, while the bassist in my first high school band played a blonde Ricki, I have not followed the newer model designators.
I WILL have both a Rickenbacker bass AND 12 string before I exit this planet.
(At least, that’s what I say looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror while shaving in the morning 😳)
Great video and amazing comments. I’m a simple guy. Started playing during lockdown and got addicted to Reverb. I like what I found and am keeping them. To me the price of something is what I’m willing to offer and pay. My general tip is to get a guitar that has been offered for sale 6 months to a year ago and is Very Good with a few small pictured dings.
Good to see you back ion great info , thanks
Hi Mark, .. thanks for the frank presentation.
It's been a rather strange stretch of years, hasn't it, COVID, and all ..
Fortunately, I've not been in the market to buy guitars, for awhile. But, I still look in on prices, occasionally. It seems like new Epiphones prices have climbed to what they are really worth, now. But, go a few years back .. sheew, they were bargains.
Climbed to what they're worth ? You must be from China
You mean The Lockdowns
@@aunch3 Yeah, sure .. people have different terms for it. I lost several acquaintances to it, then.
Hi. Just visited Portsmouth in November to see the Brit Pack show. Very cool place. Next time I'll visit your store. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Loved it. I wish we had a knowledgable guitar shop owner like you in Wyoming.
I'm in Basin Wyoming. I get my guitars an stuff in Billings.
@ Hansen’s and Guitars & Amps. Cool stores for sure
I'm 62. I bought my first electric in 1977 - a Fender Music Master II for $45. The electric guitar market then was Gibson & Fender, then copies. The lawsuit MIJ's were pretty good / affordable, but they still weren't the real thing; i.e. there was a status to having a Gibson LP or a Fender Strat, but for a kid they were pricey. Now there is a MASSIVE glut of them. Unless you lived through those times, you cannot even begin to appreciate how stark the difference is between then and now.
😮
I'm still trying to figure out your point.
@@AuntAlnico4 The difference in the availability of Gibsons and Fenders from then to now is in the sheer numbers of them made since 1977. I don't know what that number is but it has to be MASSIVE. While there weren't as many people learning to play back then, the sheer volume of what has been produced since 1977 must be STAGGERING.
@@AuntAlnico4 Old people just like talking about how cheap they got things back in the day lol
@GTX1123
Beyond less demand for the instruments then, as you suggest, less folks were picking them up. The band in which I played in upper school-1981-1985-in retrospect, had an easy time making local and regional traction. There just weren’t as many young bands out there. Within one year-our freshman year-we gelled, and played enough paying gigs to buy our own “Peavey Powered” P.A.
More established bands would pay us to open for grad. parties, proms etc. as we brought the system, and it was almost cheaper for them than renting.
Sadly, the high point of my life was age 16, haha. Have an awesome day!
Here in the Washington DC area, the late 70's saw the birth of the used band equip store. Up until then it was either pawn shops or music stores that sold both new and used. By 1978-79 there was just enough gear floating around for a small store to sell exclusively used. Now we've got multiple stores here that only deal in used. One of them is GIGANTIC (Atomic Music - Beltsville Maryland).
Local shops are the only way to go. Guitar center is great for putting them 15' in the air with a lock. There's a mom and pop in town that has all the right brands across all price levels and I can go in there and try anything and these guys are just cool and the place is beyond comfortable. I took a $5k Custom Shop ES335 off the wall and plugged it into an AC30 once - no problem and no locks. Those guys get all my business.
Exactly
I love how you help sellers understand the situation 🙂 I spent 30 plus years in the car business and it’s similar when it comes to up and down markets.
People would come in and say xyz dealership said my trade is worth x. “ Ask them if they’ll buy it for that.”
And 100%. When you have 50 used Camry’s that aren’t selling you don’t pay market for the 51st.
Cheers!
Boomers don;t understand that we are in a new global paradigm of central bank economic warfare, things will never go back to the normal cycles unless your talking about world war and another great depression. Nissan, Volkswagon, and Stellantis are the dying canaries in the coal mine just as the DJT MAGA guitar being made in Indonesia is symbolic.
Once the baby boomers are gone I guarantee NO One will be paying $6,000 for a 1970 ES-355 or $30,000 for a 59 LP. No way. I've laughed when other musicians say they're gear is an investment. Rule 1, Don't buy a guitar or amp (vintage or not )because you think its an investment, buy it because you really have wanted it for a long time or you need it.
The true collectibles like real 1959 LPs and Pre-CBS Fenders will be ok. It will hold its value.
But the stuff from the 1970s and beyond, when guitars were just instruments, or even commodities? Nah.
When you look at those used prices, they’re basically at the same price level they were when they went on the used racks. Just adjust those prices for inflation, and bang-there’s your price now. Or less.
Just like Model T/Model A cars- they were what guys wanted in the 50’s-70’s and prices were high but now that those guys aged out of the market the stuff gets sold cheap by their descendants
Old Gibsons and Fenders will ALWAYS be collectible, they are more than a guitar they are a piece of American and music history. Go study the vintage market people pay thousands for old Levi's jeans that are found in old mining camps and can't even be worn their so beat up and aged, look at how band shirts from the 90's go for thousands. There will always be people willing to pay you just need the right buyer.
Same with most baseball cards
@@powerdog242nah, you're already seeing it with collectible cars. As boomer collectors die the so called values are not realized at auctions today.
Remember when used guitars weren’t expensive?
Crazy looking back on the bands I liked in the 90’s. You had AIC, SG, PJ all using LP customs, Nirvana using 60’s Jazzmasters/Jaguars, Sonic Youth too. And they were like “this is all we can afford, pawn shop stuff 🤷♂️” lol
@randall They didn’t know how good they had it.
Everyone thinks they have a collector item, especially on older guitars, and it’s a joke.
Like RVs they are about to get less expensive for sure
I paid $300 for my first strat and saved for a year for that guitar. Different times, washing dishes at 16 for $6 an hour.
I was looking to trade a guitar in on a purchase where they are a dealer for the trade in. (Boston). The was explained that value of the guitar is capped by the their cost of a new guitar (if they still make a similar model). Makes sense and I kept the guitar and later sold on marketplace.
I really enjoy this informational content
Thanks for the great information
Honest down to earth video, thanks mate 🎸🎸🥃🥃
Hi there, it would be nice after your video you would lead us through your shop showing what you have in stock. Thanks mike
I love your videos 🎉 please release some more 😊
Love your analysis. Subscribed!
Good to see you again. 🙂
I've watched a couple of your videos..I'd happily buy a guitar from you. All the best and happy holidays.
Buying guitars as an investment is liken to buying a boat.
Seriously, a guitar is 99% a set of pickups. The actual value is in the pickups. The thing that can be easily swapped out of any guitar. The Boomers are aging out of guitar ownership, and they're the one's who were big into guitar ownership in the first place. Look at the demographics and you quickly see that we're about to have a never ending onslaught of guitars going up for cheap. Younger people are less interested in having certain guitar models and are spending more money on things like synths/7 string guitars/electric drum kits/recording equipment etc.There's more things worth buying that actually serve a purpose or a function. The appetite for multiple guitars is nosediving, especially as amp simulation gets better and better.
Thanks for the video. We’ll have to go for a ride and visit your store.
Thanks for sharing.
Love your videos. It’s nice to hear the unvarnished truth. I buy non-vintage guitars and other gear (amps and pedals) that look like the ones that artists use or just plain have the sound I want. I’ve sold a couple of guitars in trade ups, but I do not buy my guitars for their economic value…I buy them because they look cool and inspire me to make my cover videos. This includes tribute guitars. Hell I still own my first electric (an lp firebrand) and a gorilla amp from 1980. At that time they were bought with the intent to play and I still use them occasionally. A guitar is a tool, an amp is a tool, a pedal is a tool. The tools in your tool chest are not investments
Your store looks amazing.
Good insights. We have the same issues in the piano business. People call everyday trying to offload their 75 yr. old piano. People are giving them away or selling cheaply on FB Marketplace. We can't afford to fix up some of these pianos for resell because we can't make any profit. Don't buy a piano as an investment. Those days are over. Find an instrument you really want and enjoy it the rest of your life.
Very much enjoyed this content very knowledgeable.
Good video, well presented and informative. Thanks
How do you think demographics and changing music states will play into this? The generation that was a fan of guitar music from the 1960s to 1980s is retiring. Will there be as many younger guitar players interested in buying used guitars?
Thanks, I loved your vids on capos, I found my orginal 35+ years old Shubb about a year ago needs new rubber (duct tape for now) but works fine
was just having this discussion w a fellow collector spot on
I love used cheap guitars I like fixing them up and playing them all day long I've got about 20 of them I didn't buy them to sell them I bought them to play them I don't care if I can't get my money back out of them some of them were $200 -$300 and they're still great guitars some of these are amazingly beautiful instruments the cool thing is I get them cheap so cheap I don't worry about it it allows me to collect them and have them around and have all the fun like a kid in a candy store.. Epiphone Ibanez fenders Taylor Martin Cordova and many others quite a few of these instruments had never been played even though I bought them on the used Market
I wish to come buy a guitar at your store, Mark.
You are awesome, the store looks like a few that have closed in the Twin Cities, and I could always use another Rickenbacker like the one behind you.
🙏🏽✌🏽💙 from Minnesota
Sigh...at Knut-Koupee I considered a 400. purple metalflake Mosrite that Bob Mould traded in after getting his Flying Vee...in, what, '84 or thereabouts. A little Husker souvenir...
My local guitar center stopped buying pretty much any and all gear for awhile. I haven’t stopped in there in a little bit now but they had the same used guitars on the wall for months on end. Weird time for music
In my city, used guitars are almost as much as new ones. A les paul studio here is $ 1200. A used strat is about the same. Prices are way up here in the middle of the country. I am always looking,I have the bug. I have been buying and selling for 24 years now. Prices have never been higher.
For sure. How many younger people are actually playing guitar anymore? Guitar based Rock music is definitely a fading genre. I'm actually really curious to know.
Great video. Old England here; seems a generational wave of sales (from those born 50's and 60's) presumably looking to raise cash. Youger cohorts not playing in bands as much... Auctions offering very large volumes... fully agree non vintage, dropping precipitously...
This is interesting. I favorited a few Ibanez Vai Pia guitars on reverb and saw the used ones were being sold for $2,799 from $3,499 msrp. I was offered $2,799 for a brand new one and scooped it up. Weird times
good informative video. Thank you
I’m convinced guitars are going to be like old Pianos in my lifetime- grampa or dad had it but I never learned how to play it. Now it’s just old and in the way so I have to give it away to get the space back 😢
Interesting to hear this. Being a cyclist, not a musician, I've seen this same thing with regards to good used bicycles. The pandemic resulted in a delay in supply, then an explosion of oversupply when manufacturers got back into full swing and overproduced. The used market exploded during the pandemic to fill the void. Manufacturers failed to acknowledge that.
As a buyer, its not all bad! Was able to get a guitar that has been on my wishlist for years recently and after negotiating, got it for significantly less than what was its original asking price and what ive seen others listing theirs for.
Thanks for the update, Mark. Good to hear someone shoot it straight. We're hanging in there down here in Portsmouth, VA. Peace.
I think non vintage guitars are where it’s at. Buy new or slightly used and make it your own. I bought a 2014 AVRI Jazzmaster on Reverb back in 2017 and I just love it. Honestly to me it’s such a value. A quality vintage feeling instrument for a fraction of the cost.
At a local GC last week I saw a 594 McCarty CORE for $1300 and a 10 Top Custom 24 for $1700. Crazy.
That could be a great thing for people who didnt buy any gear during the pandemic. Unfortunately with costs being high on everything from homes to cars to insurance and repair, there's just no money for more junk... I mean guitar related items...
We love real guitar stores! Former Mainer. I have no problem selling guitars if I'm willing to go lower than the comps. I'd rather have them out in the world and I can buy something else to experiment with. Thanks.
I recently sold a good number of guitars and amps. They all went fairly quickly. The difference? I was selling FCS, Suhr, Two Rock level stuff. As per usual, the wealthy are better insulated from economic downturn. I was into guitars around the time of the 08 recession too and while even vintage prices went down a bit rich guys were hoovering up all the good stuff. Lots of people with 5 or 6 bursts all of a sudden had 15.
Yes - I did wonder when I walked into a local thrift store and purchased the full range of electric guitars (excellent copies of - a 335, a tele and two strats) for $50!
I was the dummy who bought a bunch of used guitars to repair and customize and sell them off for a profit. Well, now I have a bunch of guitars that aren't selling.
Yeah, that doesn't work. Customized guitars for your preferences, but don't expect your modifications to increase value.
That's an awful way to try to make money for so many reasons 🤦♂️
As others have said and you have found out, customizing guitars for profit is a losing proposition.
@@jazzymichael seriously. Terrible idea
Facebook is terrible for gear. All I get is trade offers. Insightful video.
...Also it's a huge scouting ground for burglars... They use marketplace as well as stealing info from posts. Best thing anyone can do is delete it.
Or people that want more for their beat up used gear than new...
I used to have good luck on kijiji in Canada now it's dead af.
Glad this popped up on my feed. I'm not too far from Portsmouth and would rather go to an independent shop than GC.
I had to sell a lot of my non vintage and a couple of my vintage guitars in late 2021… I was able to keep the ones that I purchased during the pandemic.
Now that I’m settled in with my move ( the reason I sold ) I have the space and the ability to shop marketplace for some different gear, I typically hang on to stuff for decades and a couple I would never sell
I have said for a long time the whole guitar marketplace is a race to the bottom. So many cheap imported named and clone guitars. Gibson now doing cheap version of their classics to compete with the knockoffs. Not sure why anyone would buy a Les Paul as a wacko under the bed investment, surely Gold is always going to be a far safer bet. If US resellers are looking for a prime place to sell guitars are a high price aim for Australia. A population stuck on an island who have for decades been in a trapped closed marketplace where high prices are the norm.
Gary, apparently it carries over to new guitars. I have bought ten guitars in the last 90 days and all were listed between 2k and 3k and In every case i got at least 30 percent off and averaged 35 percent off. Sometimes if took six or seven offers to different dealers but eventually one of them takes the offer because they have a ton of 2023s and 2024s that have not sold. Of course guitar center never cuts a good deal and that is why they will fold.
Which company cut you a good deal at 30% off?
@@andy_182 I've found ProAudioStar tends to really try to move inventory. Sometimes they have deals so good I get tempted to buy things I don't even want, just because I know the once the glut is over it'll retain its value.
@@andy_182 Most of them will.
I get good deals at Guitar Center all the time on both used and new gear. You just have to know the right person to deal with. I am a former GC Assistant store manager from back between 2003 and 2006.
Also, just in the past couple of months, Guitar Center has changed their operations to cater to the professional musician. They have unlocked all the guitars on the wall and the high end stuff is now within reach and not needing a ladder to get to.
This is just another cycle of the music instrument retail.
It doesn't help there is a shit ton of fake and cheap guitars out there also. It's called competition.
And the fact that people are getting tired of the outrageous prices for American made Fender's and Gibson's. I play upper end Epiphone stuff for this very reason.
@@truthwinseverytime8805😂 exactly like he said, guitar center doesn't cut good deals.😂 you got a fresh deal because you knew someone working there !
i've played at guitar center many times for fun to try out all the gear. i never noticed amps much until i played on genzler. it was a tiny amp 800$ but i turned it up plugged in an acoustic and this part i wrote the amp would feed back in the most beautiful way it was the most beautiful sounding amp
Interesting, but what does that have to do with the point of this video?
Enjoyed your article
Seems like new high-end basses are having a downturn, too. Thanks for the video!
Holy crap, I haven't lived in NH since 08. I remember Gary's! Pour one out for Daddys RIP
When I needed a guitar, I bought a new one. It had no issues, worked right out of the box and played magnificently. (A prs.) I got money, can afford good vintage stuff. But didn't want to deal with lots of unknown factors.
Reminds me of my other hobby. Fountain pens. One can buy a new one and it is a great writing tool. What about those fabled Parkers, Sheaffers and waterman people wax lyrical about? I bought some. It's cool to own stuff that's almost 100 years old but they are just not reliable or good writers. Most of them are worn or spent.
Anyway, thanks for this reality check video.
I've been buying really fine mid 70s and 80 Japanese guitars lately for dirt cheap. Good time to buy inventory . To sell later or in a different market .the stores who have excess of inventory may find it difficult these days . We guitarist s need to support the small guy in our. Neighborhood
The massive influx of counterfeits only helps brick & mortar places like this, shying people away from eBays & Craigslists. A knowledgeable vendor helping you navigate is now a definite plus.
Good one brother!
I am in guitar buying mode and have made offers on used guitars. Most people are still asking too much. Example a 2014 Gibson sg standard for $1700 when you can buy a new one for $2000.
Guitars are a liability. Not a commodity. For me, that became a reality when my home flooded last year. I had to scramble to find 'higher ground' for my 20-something basses, many of which ended up on my kid's beds. Most are/were sub 1k in value except for an Alembic and Custom Shop Jazz Bass, but the incident prompted me to start selling some off and keep a manageable number. So a year later I'm down to 18🤦🏻♂️. Great video and the voice of reason. Subscribed.
Yea its a liability if you have freakin 20 of em jesus. I barely have enough room for the 6 i have
I've mainly got Martins, and a coupld of boutique guitars. I bought them to play, but I also thought if I could get most of the money back, then that's a fair price for playing them for a couple of years and enjoying them. So if I do ever decide to sell one, even getting back over 60% would make me pretty happy. If I'm more patient, I think I can still get more. Also, the guitars I've got are quite rare in Australia, and it shouldn't be hard to be much lower than retail prices, and still make a little on the sale.
new subscriber from Australia 👍 looks like youve got some great guitars there
That Les Paul Special behind you was (I think) a great limited run from Gibson at Guitar Center. Same price as the entry level Specials but came with a Nitro finish, non-button tuners, and tune-o-matic bridge. I tried to buy one at my local Guitar Center and they said they found a "NIB" model at another store, but when it arrived at my store of course the other store sent the floor model, which looked like it had been dragged through a junior high band room for a year, so I didn't buy it.
Given the precise manufacturing automation available even to smaller builders, they can turn out quality instruments faster than the affluent can or will buy them. At some point prices have to give, especially as fewer people stay in “affluent” category.
Very good video series Guitar Apocalypse parts 1,2,and 3. Everything well explained and made clear. I am curious however how the Guitar market is going to be affected once Trump takes office and places high tariffs on everything produced in foreign markets coming into the country. We know that means Guitars too.
That’s what happens when you flood a market with CNC-made instruments for a decade.
There are only so many guitarists in the world. Yet these companies keep pumping out hundreds of thousands of new instruments a year. Economics 101, guess what happens?
I enjoy your store!
Agreed. A guitar is definitely not an investment for the average person.
I still have the first nice used guitar I could afford. A '73 Gold Top Deluxe that I paid $250 for. Was it a good financial investment? Nope.
But it's offered a damn fine return of enjoyment over the years 😁
I love used guitars. Bought some real gems for cheap. Havent sold any of em.
I believe the term you are looking for is “Guitarmageddon”. 😊