Negative Guitar Trends From Manufacturers - 2022

[@Journey-of-1000-Miles]

A trend I dislike, is the trend for manufactures to give a bag instead of a case.

[@CurrieNerd]

I'm ok with this, if the price is adjusted accordingly. I only ever use my PRS gig bag.. and have a shelf full of unused cases. I'd rather $200 off the price than a flash case.

[@guitrr]

The only thing I use a hard case for anymore is shipping an instrument I’ve sold; haven’t taken a guitar in a case to a gig, rehearsal, or jam session in over twenty years.

[@danieltilleru3528]

I remember not to long ago you could buy a Epiphone for 400 and it came with a hard case

[@DjREVERENDSCAR]

Hell I just bought a Fender acoustic bass from my local shop not only did it not come with a bag the shop didn’t even have one in stock to sell.

[@TheRealMarxz]

if even that - I've bought 6 Fender/Squier and 2 Gretschs in the last few years and only one came with a gig bag (a MiJ precision bass) I mean I only gig/jam with one or two basses or guitars so having 2 cases for each is enough but around the house gig bags are needed to keep them scratch and ding free while handling and storing them.

[@ElJafaz]

FAF is my number one pet peeve! When my whole KZbin list is everyone and their dog reviewing a newly released product on the same day, it automatically makes me not even want to consider buying it.

[@CurrieNerd]

It always seems to be a big push for something that I don't want, to start with :)

[@JackRoadkill]

I'm willing to bet that Fender's employees won't see a 15% pay rise in order to cope with the huge rise in the cost of living.

[@midorisumi]

As a former luthier for Fender, I’d put money on you being right.

[@cimmeriakurt]

These guys missed that 60 percent of "inflation" has gone to PROFIT.

[@jeffreyhutchins6527]

@@cimmeriakurt No it hasn't. Just stop. The price of materials has increased. I've built guitars from scratch, you should see the price increase on good tone woods. Honduran Mahogany has gone through the roof. Koa and Rosewood might as well be Diamonds and if you want Ebony fretboard you can forget it. Don't even get me started on the hardware. When you accuse a company of gauging prices , you need to know what you are talking about.

[@cimmeriakurt]

@@jeffreyhutchins6527 I'm speaking broadly as corporations have had record profits.

[@cimmeriakurt]

@@jeffreyhutchins6527 capitalism failing you the bootlickers. Very sad

[@rickydulieu563]

That feeling when you get home from work, and one of your favourite youtube channels has a new video that isn't just trying to get me to buy a certain new guitar that I can't have for another month. :D Keep doing what you do guys, love it!!

[@CasinoGuitars]

Thanks A bunch Ricky and we’ll keep on being he same silly cats we are:) appreciate your support!

[@Dram1984]

I had forgotten the Silver Sky SE was coming out today. Can’t wait to watch 12 million KZbinrs telling my how great it is.

[@Jerrys_missing_finger]

My feed looks like a SE webpage.

[@TennisOnion]

Yeah I saw one gal practically crying over how awesome it was....

[@rottingcorpse6565]

Almost as much fun as when the new acoustasonic came out with 4 million videos

[@jassieblue]

The prs silver sky se is made of the cheap wood they talked about. Poplar.

[@markferguson3745]

I don't take the opinion seriously of anyone who made content for the acoustic Jazzmaster.Unsubbed to several of them.

[@rileydavis739]

01:35 Prices Increases 04:43 Material Quality 06:34 Online Forum Policing 10:10 Online Marketing Campaigns 15:43 Product Life Cycles

[@positivelynegative9149]

Thank you. 👍

[@bryantwalley]

My biggest problem with all music equipment now is preorders. Glad you talked about it. Preorders and artificial limited quantities just create artificial inflation.

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

That is because the "Collector" and "Invester" part of the community would start crying if regular people got something cool

[@seniorjuanvaldez]

you are discounting the supply chain issues

[@bryantwalley]

@@seniorjuanvaldez I did not. The manufacturer supply chain is considered here as well as all the other aspects of the process.

[@bryantwalley]

@@nocturnal101ravenous6 yes indeed. And the flippers.

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

@@seniorjuanvaldez The supply chain issues are artificial at best. Talk to NY and California governors the only reason why we are having issues is because politically they are causing issues like the trucker driving rules in Cali and the dock workers in NY. There are more than enough American Manufacturers they could use as alternatives if they are going to hike the price it shouldn't be for foreign chinese junk we have to swap out.

[@GrayEdenfield]

I’ve been collecting guitars since 2003, and the latest price bumps has finally cured me my addiction. So thank you Fender and Gibson. I have around 20 guitars and I never see myself buying new again.

[@metalliholic]

Same, I have about 12-13 that I bought the last couple years. Now it’s hard to buy seeing the insane price hikes

[@markferguson3745]

I started building my own a decade ago, and no longer even own anything from a factory.The last one I sold was a Vintera Jazzmaster, after realizing the one that I built for half the price,- was twice as good.

[@timwalls7944]

Same here. Also it is hard to buy used gear (at least on reverb) at decent prices as those have skyrocketed as well

[@TurfShifter]

I guess the PRS videos are about to all hit the street anytime now. At least Phil McKnight was upfront on his live show and made it clear the Silver Sky was his to keep. He is about the only reviewer I totally trust to be upfront and honest.

[@PaulieHo]

Yeah he's definitely one of the best reviewers, totally transparent and honest.

[@joeking433]

Hard to make a living being an honest and upfront KZbinr.

[@sysop007]

I’m not even a guitar player guitar player I play bass but probably the #1 reason I watch the show besides info on new gear or the insider stuff that’s interesting as a musician in general is that you guys are honest. Which is very rare nowadays so keep it up.. So love the show. 👏🏼

[@baileywatts1304]

Much love to a fellow bassist

[@EchoApexFirstEcho]

Don’t follow KZbin trends y’all, keep it your own. That’s what makes the Casino channel so awesome.

[@CasinoGuitars]

Didn’t know if this was a trend, we were just talking with our friend gabriel and the idea spawned

[@EchoApexFirstEcho]

It’s an elusive thing for sure. Maybe the core is Not staying on topic but to continue to talk naturally. Maybe it was the countdown that prompted my remarks.

[@stephenstgo]

I am really appreciative for you guys always just being honest in reviews.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

Tonewood is a mere belief, and sufficiently debunked! So, are they really honest but ignorant on the physics, or do they know better and are perpetuating the myth for personal gain of some kind? I have to be skeptical on that one, since there was a huge "Tonewood war" here on youtube a few years back that was very hard to miss. I have been building and repairing guitars for more than 4 decades now, and understood the related sciences way back in the beginning. "Tonewood' may have been thought to be a thing before Newton and a few others put reality to the related sciences, and even forgivable into the early 1800's, but after that was mainly perpetuated as a marketing ploy instrument builders held onto for dear life in order to swoon players and potential customers. Mahogany was so abundant and cheep (grows on 4 continents, yet marketed as exotic and superior for everything and it's prices jacked up in order to profit from it hard by spreading bullshit. It got it's start in instrument building that way. As for it's physical properties, there are a lot of woods near equal and even better, some so close from entirely different genus and species they have been sold under the name Mahogany too, and still are! The marketing works so good, it has a strong placebo effect, and people fall for it in droves. People also believe what they want to over what they aught to, as in truth and reality, and when they want to hard enough, belief has more weight than the truth.

[@stephenstgo]

@@Bob-of-Zoid yeah I was talking about honest reviews of guitars as a whole, not tone woods. I don’t play tone woods. I play guitars.

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

@@stephenstgo When one is honest, it's cool, but just remember that one can be honestly mistaken! This will never change: If you play as many guitars you can, in as many stores as you can, sooner or later, something will speak to you, and it really doesn't matter as much why, only that it does. No one can tell you what is right for you (but they will), only you can tell. Buying a "Good guitar" can take years! Mail order is a terrible idea. Even within 50 of the same brand and model, only one may stand out. You are better off having a sufficient stash set aside for just the right one. You can always have something to fill the gap until then, and sell it once the right one comes along, but never compromise.

[@YaYousef5]

I do, too, but, in the video, they say that they've taken down videos when manufacturers ask them to. 8:55 Their allegiance is to the manufacturers (for business purposes), not us, the customers/audience. So can you trust them? I won't.

[@michaeljoyce3286]

This is one of my favorite KZbin channels keep it real guys just guitar talk and it’s good for the public to know .

[@WeDoAdventure]

In the early 2000s I bought a Fender Deluxe Telecaster. It felt like a big deal back then. It's meant less and less with every subsequent name change. Regardless of what that has done to resale value, Fender have managed to devalue how I perceive their product, which back then I was prepared to pay a premium for. Sad but true!

[@danoverfield8923]

I see this point. I have an 03 studio LP that I still enjoy. Only in the last two years have I realized that it’s not seen as “a real Les Paul”. But yet it’s still excellent despite it not being a traditional customized classical standardized accessible mid century modern deluxe tributary model. It may or may not be weight relieved too.

[@GDawg2K2]

Same issue.. I finally switched to boutiques.

[@CurrieNerd]

@@danoverfield8923 I have a Studio too. I played about a dozen spendier LPs before buying this one. It's definitely weight relieved.. but still weighs a tonne!!

[@pmscalisi]

@@danoverfield8923 guitar players are in general the biggest snobs on the earth.

[@bobilly]

Re: product "life cycles," Gibson lost me on that long before Fender did. Remember the Les Paul Studio, Classic, Standard, Premium Plus range? After they changed the names I never bothered to learn the new terminology. Same thing happened later to Fender. I could follow the American Vintage line being changed to "American Original," but with all the changes in recent years they've completely lost me. When you have 4-5 or more tiers in your product line, changing the names of all of them to some new arbitrary term becomes tiresome to re-learn.

[@DRChevalier]

Well said and there is no customer benefit of all this renaming. It's done solely to make foolish owners think that their current instrument is not good enough. Psychological warfare, no facts involved

[@Ottophil]

@@DRChevalier we live in a post fact society. Capitalism can’t be based on facts.

[@DRChevalier]

@@Ottophil Hello sir. True capitalism can only exist on facts. Sadly as you have clearly elocuted the noun is often misunderstood or inaccurately applied. These makers may be perceived as capitalists but they are seeking profit with no return on value, which is not capitalism. Be well sir.

[@Ottophil]

@@DRChevalier what I meant is in order to keep buying shit we all have to believe the lie that we need more shit. That in order ti survive ourselves we must not help others in need. The greed of capitalism will lead to its fall. That greed was causes by the 1% lying to the working class

[@pmscalisi]

@@Ottophil I think consumerism is a better term. That “gotta have the latest and best” and more expensive is better mindset is ridiculous. The best thing to do is realize you don’t have to buy anything if you’re happy with what you have, in general, Americans are the least happiest people on the earth especially now.

[@cutez0r]

Could someone please elaborate more on the substandard woods and quality points? It would be good to know what to look out for as a novice in the guitar world.

[@jdl2180]

I think they are talking about Poplar and basswood, they are alot cheaper and softer then the normal tonewoods like alder, mahogany, Maple, ash.

[@dontdoit6986]

Alamo Music Center did an excellent video on tonewoods. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2GXhaOOo8d-iMk

[@joeking433]

What's bad is that they're all made overseas with cheap labor so the cost savings is definitely not going to the consumer, which has been the case since they've went overseas!

[@markferguson3745]

Not going to the workers building them, overseas, either, - which is the real tragedy.

[@JtotheP68]

As someone who works in the bicycle retail industry it’s exactly the same here, the constant reinvention/new product for no real reason. I get it, it drives sales, but at the same time it’s rampant consumerism, we cannot keep consuming like this. The sheer amount of choice of product is bad for small independent retailers too. Back in the 70/80’s if a shop wanted to stock the entire fender range (as an example, not singly them out) they probably had to stock maybe 10 guitars. Now it’s probably closer to 200 guitars maybe! Only the big shops can afford to do this, most of them mail order outlets.

[@FrankLafone]

I'm getting a little burned out by all the "Signature" guitars. I mean, I get when your favorite artist has a signature model it can be cool and all, but there's so many of them out there now. It just feels like "Buy our standard guitar with a couple of tweaks one famous person really digs... for only 20% more!"

[@richardfranklin9139]

I’m a 53 year old, reasonably successful guy. And somehow I bookend my day by watching two dudes talk about guitars when I wake up and again after work. This doesn’t feel right. You guys rock

[@thejovialpanda]

Thanks for this great video, and all the other videos you do. I'm in total agreement with the problem of increased costs. The way the Fenders have been going up, I don't see me ever buying a new one again. I'm a bedroom player and I've bought easily a dozen Fenders over the past decade, but the prices have gone up way too far. The Players are too much money for the a guitar that I'm going to have to upgrade the pickups on, since I've always been underwhelmed with the stock pickups on them. And for the American Fenders, they're hitting Gibson prices, and I'd rather have a Gibson at that price. I just feel that Fender's prices have gone up well beyond the price of legitimate inflation and have entered the "we're raising prices because we can" zone.

[@anthonyvalentino9483]

Love the 2021 high end Epiphones Customs Moderns and prophecy Models.they are high end and craftsmanship is remarkable yes they are going up in price again but these are worth the price hikes

[@richardgarcia406]

Just love how the used market is keeping in line with supply chain influenced inflation.

[@will2181]

Is that sarcasm I’m sensing?

[@ElliottK865]

There was a channel I used to love because it was a good mix of gear reviews, some guitar lessons, and generally useful info for guitarists. Now it's a pay for promo channel where it's all gear reviews where all the gear is "great" and has 1 or 2 nitpicky knocks against it.

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

Whoooo 🤭

[@BCarpenter2314]

As a retailer in the golf industry it sounds like our shops are fairly similar. The exception being when our manufacturers roll out new product usually the one before it becomes discontinued. There may be a few items that carry over but nothing runs on more than a 2 or 3 year life cycle.

[@jekempton62609]

My guess is the cheap tonewood they are referring to is the ne PRS Silver Sky SE being made of Poplar.

[@glenngertz9429]

Yes you are correct

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

Headless guitars are a scourge. 😂

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

@nydefect agreed

[@TVsGringoStarr]

What about headless guitar players?

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

@@TVsGringoStarr I’ve known a few. 😂

[@smelltheglove2038]

Holy moly!!! I’m totally on board with getting rid of this obscene trend that has gone in way too long. I thought it was over in the 80s but I guess some people refuse to admit it is gross.

[@danoverfield8923]

I've learned a lot in the last 2 years. First, there aren't shortcuts to getting good gear and second I am going to keep what I have and be happy. The price increases do hurt since there were plenty of things I'd wanted and things that I've been working towards. I can't justify spending at this new level since I am not a lekking peacock. No one cares if I have this or that.

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

Getting something good and being happy with it, making it yours over time and giving it time is key. I have chased guitars/amps/pedals, etc. Now that I am moving I am realizing that a room full of gear is work to sell! (Can't take them all with me.) Price increases thankfully slowed me into choosing my top few and letting the rest go! Cheers!

[@paulthorn6437]

Amen! Fortunately guitars aren't like cell phones where you find one you like and then it's obsolete in a couple years, and then the battery dies. If you find one you like, it'll always be there for you. I bought a Player tele a few years ago as my first "good" guitar and I have no interest in letting if go or upgrading to a newer model. FOMO fades if you give it time.

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

Yes there are shortcuts my friend. You just haven’t used them or know about them. It’s how I managed to get great gear these past 4 years

[@thesmellycatjazz]

@@MrDream-zm1pw I agree. The deals are there. You just need to work a little harder to find them

[@Rogijimbex]

Really like to spend time watching you guys. Always fun and comforting. Honesty is becoming an outlier in the new "orange crush" world. Glad you try to bring integrity to our guitar world. Thanks

[@klinks67]

Why wouldn’t they increase the price and lower quality, guitars are still flying of the shelves. Demand has increased not just because of the new players but mainly, I think, because of the number of guitars we feel the need to own.

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

For me the biggest improvements in guitars in 40 years are stainless steel frets, roasted maple necks and fretboards. Fretboards with rolled edges. Lastly single coils size humbucker pickups with dual blades on Telecasters. If I ever get enough money to get one with all of that maybe I'll get one. Never having to worry about getting my guitar a fret job would be nice. Fender isn't the only company doing it.

[@supernothing77]

SS frets are only a thing from less then 10 years ago... Well beyond Uber expensive custom models

[@danjolly9505]

This is a new world to me. It sounds like a bunch of traditional business men got their hooks in the top jobs and now are following the same models in other industries

[@cmays555]

You guys are absolutely spot on with everything you said in this video, number three is a big deal. Without being political, censorship is a big problem. I recently ordered a not really top of the line guitar, but a nice guitar, made by a brand that I guess I won’t say, but they are a major brand that begins with a capitol g. A version of a guitar I’ve wanted for some time too, and this will speak to the price problem too, $1400.00 guitar after all was said and done. When I received it it was a beautiful guitar, but it looked like a team of beavers had chewed up and down the neck! It was literally unplayable because of the rough area where the fretboard and neck meet, it was awful. That guitar should have never made it out of the factory, or the dealer. Sent it back and milled around for a couple weeks before I reordered the same guitar, got the new one and it is playable but still had a rough neck where the fretboard joins the neck. So far I have kept it for close to the allowable time to send it back. Going to keep it and just have it worked on I guess since I’m not comfortable that I could order one that’s not messed up in some way. Started asking around about quality control and all I got was “well you know how things are right now”, so all said and done, hopefully like you guys said it’s just a trend and not the norm.

[@rikkousa]

@cmays555 i’m glad you brought this up. You and I may have totally different beliefs and I may be totally wrong or you might be totally wrong but I will defend that freedom of speech -to my death if need be.The fact that far too many are tolerating censorship-. The Chinese have an expression, “kill a chicken and let all of the monkeys see. When I hear about people being canceled, deleted from Twitter , paypal, go find me, LinkedIn or KZbin for that matter- It It leads to self censoring which is nearly as bad. Fortunately many many many people are waking up. The question is, what are we willing to do about it?

[@MinivanMegafun100]

@@rikkousa You're free to say anything you want. The company being bad mouthed is also free to say to a dealer that's slagging them publicly, "Well if that's how you feel then you won't be one of our dealers anymore." It's like if you go around shit talking one of your friends, they might not want to be your friend anymore. You're free to do so though.

[@kennethh2430]

I've had very good experiences buying used Gibson's. Providing everything is photographed, potential issues described, etc...you will save a ton of money, and be happy knowing you got a hell of a deal. I've purchased 2 new Gibson's within the last year which were both promptly returned due to quality issues, they were not VOS, relic, or Murphy labs, so imo should have been pristine.

[@jdl2180]

I would get some sandpaper and fix it yourself.

[@Ottophil]

@@rikkousa some people think that being asked to stop being racist is censorship. But my grandfather censored a bunch of nazis in Ww2 with a bullet

[@LitoLevenbach]

Regarding quality control: even before the pandemic hit I was surprised at how the QC of some big brands seemed to be slipping, whether they be made in USA, Mexico or Asia. However some more recent examples I've tested have been particularly dire in terms of shoddy assembly or just cheaper feeling components compared to their predecessors from a few years ago. Lots of good stuff still out there, but the tone certainly has changed from a while back when people acknowledged that we were living in the golden age of affordable gear haha. Appreciate the openness from a dealer's perspective.

[@gkott78]

Man I sincerely love your honesty guys. You have quickly become my one of my favorite channels.

[@kere92]

Seems like partscasters are the way to go, at least for me.

[@DigitalChemistryBand]

Rebuilding a G&L tribute myself... exceedingly hard to find for it though.

[@PaulieHo]

Interesting y'all mentioned the lesser quality woods on guitars the same day a pretty expensive guitar made of poplar just dropped! Loved the chat as always guys, rock on.

[@metalliholic]

Was just thinking that too.

[@andrewroberson4042]

When I started looking at upgrading to a deluxe reverb it cost $1200-1300. By the time I bought one the price was $1400-1500. Now they’re $1600 all within one year. Hard to keep up with the constantly increasing prices and the idea of saving for a new guitar is hard when the price changes every few months

[@TVsGringoStarr]

A negative trends video on the same morning as the SE Silver Sky launch.

[@CasinoGuitars]

Were actually pretty hopeful of the old SE launch:) Here's to hoping and thanks for tuning in!

[@paulcowart3174]

@@CasinoGuitars hopefully they are well under a K but probably not

[@JeremiahHartmanPhotography]

#3 I think this is part of the new trend of "the customer is always wrong"...weather it's movies, tv, products whatever... the new trend seems to be trashing the customer instead of listening to the complaint and (if valid and doable) fixing the problem. Basically if you're not praising something...you're toxic and should not be listened to.

[@aray887]

Id love to see a video expanding on the inferior woods and what to watch out for

[@ProfVonW]

As someone who’s only occasionally interested in Fenders, I never know which model is the one I want. It’s almost comical. Do I want the American Player Pro or the Standard Ultra Vintera? Or do I want the Plus Performer II?

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

Go custom shop at this point haha

[@duanewelsh5611]

As Norm Harris says " I paid too much so you can too"

[@MrPDTaylor]

Seriously excellent production value for a KZbin channel with only 38,000 subs

[@msspi764]

All spot on. I bought a couple new guitars a few years ago. No more. I see the same quality issues you see. I understand costs are up and supply chain and all that, but the manufacturers are pricing themselves away from me. But that isn't the biggest worry. New players want inexpensive guitars. If the quality is not there at the price point or the sub-$300 price point evaporates there will be fewer new players. The manufacturers' future customer base evaporates with it. BTW everyone should have a GS Mini. But $600 ++ for a largely laminated guitar is a problem. $1100 is just stupid.

[@RoadKing-ky2bs]

Your #1 point is my biggest grip about instruments and gear. We understand in a free market things can go up or down depending on supply, demand, devalue of the dollar, hyperinflation, etc. But this clock work of every 6 months scheduled increases over the past 2 years in just insane and smells like greed in many ways.

[@darthsensei3838]

I think as an example. Harley Benton is the new Epiphone where as Epiphone is slowly creeping to a higher end brand again. I can’t believe the prices of used gear let alone new gear.

[@USTTRM]

I totally agree with that point. Harley Benton guitars do have QC issues sometimes but the quality, particularly in their DC custom line a copy of the Epi prophecy, it completely surpasses Epiphone in every aspect at a fraction of the price.

[@darthsensei3838]

@@USTTRM That’s a great point. I think that’s what I was getting at. People used to say that about Epiphone like 10 years ago. I enjoy your Chanel btw! ✌️

[@djangomaxfield]

Fenders and gibsons are so expensive that new rickenbackers are starting to be pretty comparable in price

[@schlep4730]

Nicely done, straighfoward and from the heart, thanks.

[@larryalexander900]

It's not just product trends by youtubers, it's also ideas. Remember the "stop noodling" trend some while ago? Recently there was the "that's not Hendrix's guitar" trend, after the first guy corrected Paul Davids vid on a Hendrix strat, everyone followed.

[@jed1166]

Due to the rapid price increases, I ordered a RainSong carbon fiber Jumbo for $3,000, because it will never need to be replaced… greatest hedge against guitar inflation…I was looking at a wooden acoustic made in North America, that increased 15% from 2020 to today…

[@ThisOldGuy3]

Nothing turns me off more to a new product or product release than seeing every YT influencer pimping it the first 2 weeks it's out.🤘🎸😎

[@paristhalheimer]

I've noticed that Fender is putting less case candy in the case. When I got my 2018 American Original 60s Telecaster, it didn't come with a strap or a cable.

[@DRChevalier]

Hey guys. I watch all your videos. This one just rang every bell for me. Personally I am exhausted being used as a pincushion for every organization that wants another piece of me. These manufacturers, whether they make good stuff or not, have become scumbags when it comes to business practices and while you are very kind to the big mover stores, real musicians tend to prefer to deal with a local shop where possible for better service and the opportunity to create a longer term relationship. If this were not true, everyone would buy off Amazon. Here are my corollary rules to your own. 1. Announce a product but do not actually ship it until two weeks before you announce the replacement. 2. Always use weasel words like authentic, iconic and Made in the USA in your advertising and marketing because they don't actually mean anything other than a higher price tag. 3. Be sure to force your dealers to raise the prices on inventory that they already have in stock when you do a price increase and threaten them if they do not do so. Every guitar in every local store went up in price this month, even though they may have been hanging for months. 4. Be sure to force your dealers to buy a number of your newest piece of innovative junk before you send them anything that customers actually want. Like Acoustasonics. No real player actually wants to spend that kind of money on a guitar that is a lousy acoustic AND a lousy electric. 5. Make sure that your dealers buy a lot of your overpriced made in Asia hats, shirts and other sweatshop products because you aren't shipping them any guitars. After all putting your logo on a tuner worth $1 sure makes it worth $20. Always remember to treat the end customer like he or she is a complete idiot and believes all your BS, all the better to butt bang them every chance you get. Bitter? Nope. Just honest.

[@steveoconnor7069]

#4 really irritates me sometimes. The "Inspired By Gibson" series Epiphones and Sire's Larry Carlton 335 copy come to mind. These models get hyped & hyped only to be told "Sorry they are made out of the new tonewood, unobtainium."

[@rontheguitarcollector]

When is Casino Guitars going to open a second location? Maybe here in Texas… Jonathan could run it and institute a Texas vs. NC rivalry. Just thinking out loud.

[@HSet77]

FAF... Yes we've noticed that phenomenon. Not just the biggest companies, even smaller boutique pedal companies.

[@thatguy9211-q8o]

Thank You. You guys are very good at showing a different side of these type of Guitar and amp Pods. Best to You!

[@bradleysmith2021]

The closest I’ll get to a “new” guitar is one that I’ve built, either from a kit or raw materials.

[@jaorte10]

Makes me happy that I purchased handwired boutique amps a dozen years ago. And even then I thought nobody should be paying that much for amps. But now the same things would cost you $5000+ each.

[@2000SkyView]

No matter where you go --- There you are.

[@benlogan430]

Lost in time like a bug in a jar, no matter where you look there you are. Song from the movie Waxworks. It immediately came to mind when seeing your comment. Ahahaha good bad movie and worse song.

[@docdaytona108]

Maybe I’m in the minority, but the way Fender has handled promoting the Acoustasonic series has pretty much guaranteed I’ll never buy one. (Full disclosure: they aren’t my bag, anyway, but I would have at least been intrigued enough to keep an open mind, had they not been omnipresent for a week after release.)

[@docdaytona108]

Annnnnnd…it looks like PRS just ripped that page out of Fender PR’s (get it?) playbook. Probably the default marketing for reasonably affordable guitar releases going forward. Terrific.

[@Irg1570]

Due to a positive career move, I've had a lot more money to spend on guitars in the last few years. I took advantage of that and bought, sold and traded a number of guitars until I settled on a handful that I really love. I'm so glad I had the chance to do that when I did. With prices going the way they are, it's becoming less appealing to chase after new gear. I love gear. I'm just going the love the gear I already have for a while.

[@ibanez2010]

Yea. When a Fender Duo Sonic, a "student" guitar, is 800+ bucks, things are bad. If people just stopped buying brand new guitars would it get better? I personally cannot fathom paying these new guitar prices for 2022.

[@shanealan2995]

I just watched this video while my wife was watching tv. She perked up when she heard the Outlander scene referenced , proceeded to tell all about it. Thanks a lot a-hole

[@marksc1929]

Like like how these guys keep it real ....no agenda etc ...just keeping you informed within the world of guitar's .

[@RichardCowdrey]

"We are 'The Man' that's the sad part" hahaha

[@HeavyInHawaii]

One of my favorite videos so far. Just brutal honesty. We all know it and feel it. When Ola did the "Will it chug" with the jazzy looking acoustic, I did the same thing...."Awww c'mon!"

[@bucklberryreturns]

When component pricing comes back down, will we see an immediate reduction in the cost of products I wonder? 🤔

[@Ebadd9]

For bolt on neck guitars like Fenders, I think the prices are way too steep right now. It used to be that a mex strat was cheaper and had better parts then if you just put one together yourself.

[@mortenjohansen5781]

I tried out a couple of Fender acustics in a shop recently and they played excatly as my previous experiences, like so much dead wood, while their action was OK'ish. The Epiphones were better soundwise but the cheaper ones all have that lousy tendency of the neck actually rising/shooting up from about the 9th fret so you can't lower the action enough to make it truly playable. I find it astonishing that that type of poor assembly gets past QC. I suppose the conclusion is that the manufactures actually know this and have figured out that for the serious beginner this leads to a second sale and perhaps a third ect....

[@scottschmidt5198]

Inflation I get it , making money cool, but let’s try and keep it in check w wages which are not going up with the amount of inflation of products… quality goes down to pad earnings for company share holders….you are 100 percent correct and it’s a shame as a guy that loves to buy guitars

[@GuitarMav]

I don’t mind some price increases as long as quality improves or at least stays the same, but quality is decreasing in many major brands. Quality only seems to be improving in cheaper brands and models.

[@williamnichols6253]

the problem with Fender’s product line is that they’re all good. There’s no sweet spot. A Prof II is better than a performer to the exact extent that it is more expensive. The cost-benefit is linear, so there’s no way to decide which one to get. So I didn’t buy one. True story.

[@jackhood4448]

Ah if it isn’t the guy who stuck his fingers in a light socket and the grizzly bear back for another one. Love you guys!!!

[@crisp77s]

Biggest issue you didn’t touch on is the increase in scalping. Short supply guitars and pedals appearing on sales sites at inflated prices. The release hype without supply you talked about feeds that and is frustrating for real players and brand fans. So frustrating when it’s happening on your favourite player’s signature guitar. Great video though !

[@ryanandring2688]

I’ve been saving for a guitar for quite a while now, about two years, and the prices have gotten out of hand. The guitar I’m looking for is on SALE right now for 100$ more than they were looking for last year. And I think fender increased the American Professional models by 200$ at my GC :/ And the PRS online forum on Facebook can get pretty toxic at times

[@stratmagic6893]

Excellent on point video. This channel is one of the best out there.

[@landonbailey]

American Pro II necks are my fav! so good

[@meanmrmustard7042]

Imagine being the kid who got a $50 or even a $100 gift certificate from mom/dad/grandma on Christmas to put toward that new guitar he’s been saving up for only to have it erased by the increase a week later. 😢

[@JiminTennessee]

None of these companies are non-profit, so when they see opportunities to increase revenues, they will usually take that road. My ask here would be to please don’t compromise on quality. As for how expensive things have gotten, well the only way to fix that is to decrease demand (stop buying) otherwise the prices are here to stay - with more increases down the road :)

[@rkoblues24]

I own and play PRS SE model guitars at gigs and like them but a Squire Strat is still an exceptional value and plays and sounds well.

[@incognito6799]

Often wondered about that Positive Grid Spark amp. Seemed all the youtubers were doing videos of it at the same time even though the amp was backordered for several months for the rest of the guitar community. I wasn't really impressed with it but that's my opinion.

[@zhangke1350]

I decided to subscribe and watch your video going forward. I have been feeling weird about all these youtube advertising and you just spoke my mind.

[@LuisMorales-xr1gm]

Baxter, I have some advice for you when you arm wrestle John. So when you are all set,hands all gripped up ready to go, lift your fingers up off of the back of John's hand, and grab a handful of the nearby Beard and listen for the word "Go!" You win Hands & Beard down

[@DigitalChemistryBand]

Prices... bought a Charvel San Dimas for xmas22... 1200 + 200 for the case... not bad.

[@Little960]

I have sub 1K Gretsch guitars and the wood is mahogany or maple and they sound great.

[@PaulieHo]

Widely available CNC machines have really changed the game for cheap guitars, quality is there on a lot of pricepoints that wasn't possible before. That being said, the cheaper Gretsches still stand above the rest IMO, some of the best at all pricepoints.

[@LeanBackMac]

Looking back I love that this video was released the same day as my feed getting spammed by Silver Sky Se videos 😂. Perfect timing

[@edwardbateman3957]

You guys have such a great relationship with Fender could you tell us if a frusciante strat is in the works?

[@timothypotter2137]

You guys are so right, the marketing saturation /frenzy of new products, good or not so..., is just frustrating. At least you can see it.

[@WayneMemphisMojo]

You have spoken true for us all ... sharing this frustration is helpful and healing

[@mattjackson7859]

The guitar(s) you own aren’t getting any more expensive to play. 🎸 Desire and need rarely partner.

[@TheWelhaven]

Seven years ago I was buying and selling used high end guitars like custom shop Gibsons, Collings +++ I love my MiMs, but I wished I held on to some of them, because now the price has doubled.

[@nalukeko]

2:01 per 'rule of 70'... if prices double in 10 years, then the approx. average year-over-year rate of increase is 7%. So yea, that's a bit steep when compared to inflation and the fact that most manufacturers are held to REDUCING manufacturing cost year-over-year in spite of labor and material cost increases. I think in the case of the Fender twin a chunk of that is dropping to the bottom line.

[@GaryKatz]

Whoa! 😆 Nice streak of articulate eloquence! Outta nowhere. Smooth verbal riffs. Whoosh.

[@natek53]

Do you remember why Gibson named it a 335?

[@csnide6702]

Case and point on prices.... Yes this was in 1988 but the guy I played a ton of guitar with wanted a Marshall stack. This was before the internet so we looked for a dealer in a guitar magazine (yes - millennials , we are old - almost 60 now!). Found one, a JCM 800 - 100 watt, with two 4 x10 cabinets and talked on the phone , went to the bank , got cashiers check, sent in the mail and waited. a couple weeks goes by & we are rocking out in his garage. A truck pulls up- guy gets out asks to make sure he has the right address- unloads 3 containers, like wooden crates- says his instructions are to help unpack , plug it in and make sure it works ! - after about a half hour or so , it did indeed work ( & works to this day). guy takes off in his truck . total cost with shipping was $886.00 . which make no mistake was a hefty sum in those days but look up what that same amp costs today..........

[@rikkousa]

My first electric guitar was a 1983 Fender Elite Telecaster purchased for $750 at Dales Music in STL by my Grandma. With inflation, Things don’t become worth more , the dollar becomes worth less.

[@martywilkinson6722]

Funny, my entire feed today is the SE Silver Sky!

[@jeanjoun2774]

Great video guys - agree with basically all the things you said here. I definitely learn so much from your content, y'all should know that we are super appreciative of your honesty in your videos! Even when you're getting yelled at for it haha