Guitar shop pricing gone mad!

State of Epicicity said:
People see curated snippets of others' lives and think they represent this accurate reality in which every person but you is in the leisure class, world hopping, displaying opulent luxury at the height of taste, and never even having to work! So depression goes through the roof, and keeping up with the Joneses becomes keeping up with the Musks or something like that.

The young people especially suffer terrible effects on their self esteem because of these things, and adults don't faire much better. I've heard so many interviews with social scientists who specialize in this, and the analysis makes you just weep for what's lost.

On the other hand, social media does also provide places where some people can find like minded individuals they couldn't otherwise, and that's a miracle for those people, especially those who are marginalized, targeted, ostracized, etc.
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Yeah, it's 1928 all over again here. The robber barons are, any day now, going to quote Britney Spears (oops, I did it again) and disappear with all of our money....
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Yeah, it's 1928 all over again here. The robber barons are, any day now, going to quote Britney Spears (oops, I did it again) and disappear with all of our money....
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Maybe… There’s a lot of evidence for it… Equally I could say that we’re close to the apocalypse and the rapture. 😉
 
State of Epicicity said:
And often people of limited means will go into large debt forever for those big purchases, but they're fulfilling a dream, which makes it worth it.
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Is it though????

My wife and I put into our vacation fund all year long to be able to afford to go. A week for the both of us is roughly 5k. I think 5k is worth a nice all inclusive and we thoroughly enjoy it and feel we deserve it BECAUSE we worked for it.
In no uncertain terms is that vacation worth 15k: 5 to the resort and 10k to the bank by the time it’s paid back at now near 20%. My dream (which is also my reality) is for bankers to get ZERO of my money. If I had to go into debt to go I wouldn’t enjoy it because I’d know it was a terrible decision. I’d rather save and go less often. Even if it’s once every 5 years. A grand a year is 80 bucks a month. That’s a night out to dinner, and a cheap one these days.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
I can’t speak for anyone else but my new toys come from busting my ass 80 hour workweeks. Many people are unwilling to work hard or work long hours and resolve to getting by on whatever it is they make. I’ve never been that way and I’m not saying my way is the right way. I have a bunch of nice gear but I drive a 6 year old car and don’t have a boat, either. I’m just middle class. Seems you have to work 2 full time jobs to stay comfortable these days. But yea, anyone who wants a 60k dollar bike, I say simply go get it. Put in extra hours, save/invest and buy the bike. The ‘how’ is the easy part. Work for it. The work is the hard part.
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Again from my conversation with my friend yesterday I touched on about when I decided to knuckle down and get a mortgage(when I was a lot younger) I worked my butt off. At the time I had a good job in an engineering company that had me working 7 days a week on a building contract. I earned a great wage and was very lucky. And then the sh*t hit the fan. It was decided that we would bring more people in which had the knock-on effect of putting me on a 4 days on 4 days off situation. Which cost me a big loss in earnings. So I registered with an employment agency, telling them in advance the days I was free, and then on my days off I worked wherever the agency sent me. And then I was picking up evening shifts washing dishes in a restaurant. So I agree, if you can, bust your ass off if you are able to and want to achieve something. Try telling that to a young person today and they will think that you are stupid. I worked hard enough to get myself a 10-year mortgage. And I paid that off earlier than the 10-year contract. At the moment I am not working due to a health issue, I don't receive any helping hands from the govt in the form of any benefits and I am surviving on my life-long savings. I have had a good life and would not change anything from my past, but I do hope and wish that things could improve for me now. I know that they will in time and today's issues will have just been a blip on life's radar. Onward on upward, I say. As best we all can.
 
Dixiethedog said:
Again from my conversation with my friend yesterday I touched on about when I decided to knuckle down and get a mortgage(when I was a lot younger) I worked my butt off. At the time I had a good job in an engineering company that had me working 7 days a week on a building contract. I earned a great wage and was very lucky. And then the sh*t hit the fan. It was decided that we would bring more people in which had the knock-on effect of putting me on a 4 days on 4 days off situation. Which cost me a big loss in earnings. So I registered with an employment agency, telling them in advance the days I was free, and then on my days off I worked wherever the agency sent me. And then I was picking up evening shifts washing dishes in a restaurant. So I agree, if you can, bust your ass off if you are able to and want to achieve something. Try telling that to a young person today and they will think that you are stupid. I worked hard enough to get myself a 10-year mortgage. And I paid that off earlier than the 10-year contract. At the moment I am not working due to a health issue, I don't receive any helping hands from the govt in the form of any benefits and I am surviving on my life-long savings. I have had a good life and would not change anything from my past, but I do hope and wish that things could improve for me now. I know that they will in time and today's issues will have just been a blip on life's radar. Onward on upward, I say. As best we all can.
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Aside from today’s youth, I think this would be an uncommon story for most Europeans but maybe I’m wrong. Aside from some Asian cultures, I don’t think anyone else normalizes working yourself to death quite like us Americans.

Please reach out to whatever programs you may be entitled to based on whatever you have going on. YOU PAID FOR THEM ALREADY. It’s your money, not a gift and not a handout. I wish you a full speedy recovery and comfortable retirement if that is your choice.
 
Dixiethedog said:
I think that is interesting to hear what other people think and share any thoughts that they have on "things".
I am going to scrimp and save and buy myself a more modern Fractal device. And give my AX8 a nice retirement.
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Sell it. I gave someone a great deal on mine here to soften the FM9 blow. I rarely flip gear but saw no use for the AX8 anymore. I got years of reliable service out of it and the FM9 was just bettererer.
 
Just to prove that there can be good deals to be found, let me indulge you with a shameless plug for my sale happening now in the FOR SALE section.

If perhaps the mods find this post offensive or going beyond FOR SALE rules, I'll be more than happy to delete this individual post.

Here's the link:

It's entirely possibly that this link will no longer connect if a change in post title occurs. If that is the case, you know where you can find the FOR SALE post.

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...llent-condition-2095-obo-plus-45-ship.198805/

You may ask, why the sale? My plans are to raise funds for a entry level model PRS SE, and to fund a new business suit (I've gained too much weight for my others that have reached their limit of tailoring adjustments) for my niece's wedding next year. I'd like to look well-dressed but not like I was stuffed into a sausage...
 
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bleujazz3 said:
Just to prove that there can be good deals to be found, let me indulge you with a shameless plug for my sale happening now in the FOR SALE section.

If perhaps the mods find this post offensive or going beyond FOR SALE rules, I'll be more than happy to delete this individual post.

Here's the link:

It's entirely possibly that this link will no longer connect if a change in post title occurs. If that is the case, you know where you can find the FOR SALE post.

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...llent-condition-2159-obo-plus-45-ship.198805/

You may ask, why the sale? My plans are to raise funds for a entry level model PRS SE, and to fund a new business suit (I've gained too much weight for my others that have reached their limit of tailoring adjustments) for my niece's wedding next year. I'd like to look well-dressed but not like I was stuffed into a sausage...
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I hear ya. I’m currently in the stuffed into a sausage look with delusions of fixing it via fitness and better eating.
 
Bruce Sokolovic said:
I hear ya. I’m currently in the stuffed into a sausage look with delusions of fixing it via fitness and better eating.
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Yup. With potential sleep apnea, the daytime fatigue wipes me out. Working part-time helps maintain the weight, but the weight will creep up occasionally and it's tough work keeping it off.

Nuff 'bout me. Back to guitars and finding good deals...
 
the PRS 20% sale currently on is a good sign - I think it's taken product makers a very long time to get back to thinking (and/or being able to think) "hi volume / lo margin", as opposed to the survival mode "lo volume / hi margin" angle necessitated by pandemic effects.
 
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sprint said:
the PRS 20% sale currently on is a good sign - I think it's taken product makers a very long time to get back to thinking (and/or being able to think) "hi volume / lo margin", as opposed to the survival mode "lo volume / hi margin" angle necessitated by pandemic effects.
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Far be it to know what corporate business models are doing these days...the 20% discounted SE models were the reason for my gear downsizing, and the need for more appropriate formal clothing...to clarify, the 20% SE discount is good through 12/31/23, and there are some nice pieces if you can find them...
 
TheRedDevil said:
In Germany you can buy more and more cheap but great chinese guitars - flooding the market. After 30 years of guitar playing I replaced mostly all of my guitars from Gibson and Fender with chinese ones (and I have much much more than in past), e.g. the SGs with maple neck are better then Gibsons. I also sold my Gibson '69 SG. Currently I try to sell my Lucille and later possibly my Angus Young SG.

Is it no topic in the USA?

Good asian e-guitars available in Germany:
Thomann Shop: Harley Benton
Kirstein Shop: Rocktile Pro, e.g. the Les Paul
Music Store Pro Shop: J&D
Ebay in past: Vision Strats

Price: Around 150-300€!

But plan to exchange the pickups for the last 20% of sound, but the modern ones are much better than in past.

I often bought the SGs used, because in past the SGs had a more original shape like the originals, e.g. the J&D GG1S (not usable/comparable anymore) or Rocktile Pro S-Red (here the shop images are still the old ones).
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do you have a link to the maple neck SG's? Sounds interesting? But i have no idea where id find something like that.
 
TheRedDevil said:
In Germany you can buy more and more cheap but great chinese guitars - flooding the market. After 30 years of guitar playing I replaced mostly all of my guitars from Gibson and Fender with chinese ones (and I have much much more than in past), e.g. the SGs with maple neck are better then Gibsons. I also sold my Gibson '69 SG. Currently I try to sell my Lucille and later possibly my Angus Young SG.

Is it no topic in the USA?

Good asian e-guitars available in Germany:
Thomann Shop: Harley Benton
Kirstein Shop: Rocktile Pro, e.g. the Les Paul
Music Store Pro Shop: J&D
Ebay in past: Vision Strats

Price: Around 150-300€!

But plan to exchange the pickups for the last 20% of sound, but the modern ones are much better than in past.

I often bought the SGs used, because in past the SGs had a more original shape like the originals, e.g. the J&D GG1S (not usable/comparable anymore) or Rocktile Pro S-Red (here the shop images are still the old ones).
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The Rocktile Pro S-Red has one (like the expensive and real Angus Young Signature SG limited edítion).
But like I said, the body design changed and the images got no update on the webpage. The new design has not much to do with the classic SG design :(
https://www.kirstein.de/en/Electric...-Pro-S-R-Electric-Guitar-Heritage-Cherry.html
1.jpg
 
Dixiethedog said:
It is the same in the UK.

... But with your comment about being barely able to be able to afford food and gas, I totally get it. Diesel fuel here is at about £1.60 a liter (5 liters to a gallon) ($9.75 a gallon) and they say inflation is at 9% yet I see food doubling in price for some items. I won't see any new Gibson in my house ever again.
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It's okay to spell litre correctly... the Americans will still understand! ;)
 
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