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

FAF is my number one pet peeve! When my whole KZfaq 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.

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.

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!!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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. 👏🏼

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

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

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

Nicely done, straighfoward and from the heart, thanks.

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.

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.

A) Love the channel! B) The pricing is one of the reasons I'm sticking with the 5 guitars I have. C) Off the subject... I'd like to see John demo guitars more. Baxter is great! I'd like to get gander @ his guitar style.

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

Sweet guys! Good topic...have discovered a few trends w manufacturing myself this year

You two crack me up! Huge fan of your content 👊 Can't wait to come see the shop in near future and buy a guitar.

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

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!

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!"

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!

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!"

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Thank you for my newest acronym that I plan to use frequently! I just wish I was young enough to use Baxter’s parenting advice, too. Great video guys!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Topic aside, I enjoy listening to you guys and spending some time here. Love your videos ✨🔊👍

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.

Headless guitars are a scourge. 😂

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.

Just got a GS mini (Koa Plus), and I totally agree. Everyone should have one, they are so easy to play and sound great.

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.

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

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.

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

your top 5 were so spot on, now i’m curious about what the other 15 were lol.

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.

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

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…

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

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.

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

I like big release days of a new product. Smart move on manufacturers part too, knowing the value in marketing isn’t an ad in Guitar World or whatever but, it’s on KZfaq. Plus getting reviews from some trusted channels.

This was a good one, thanks fellas.

I appreciate your candor.

Y’all nailed it! Great video!!!

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

this channel is best source of information guitar related

I love you guys. Awesome video. Bravo

I started playing young. Dabbled with it for years as my third wind of guitar playing rolled around I wanted a nice Fender. Shopping around I got confused on a lot of small differences. I am also easy at talking myself up in products to get a better thing. Got a Pale Moon Strat now and it truly is my favorite purchase for guitars. It really just takes playing a lot of guitars. Prices have begun to hike once again and it sucks. But I think its also helping me Enjoy my guitars more, Until I trade in my Ibanez Gio on a new guitar.

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

It's good to know there has been some form of arm wrestling prep going on. I made it halfway through outlander season 2 and that all I could take

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

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?

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

American Pro II necks are my fav! so good

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

I have a 1984 Ovation Ultra GS SSH which I had set up well, changed pickups to Suhr VS60LP in the neck, Suhr ML standard in the middle , and Thornbucker plus in the bridge (splitable), upgraded the bridge assembly with graph tech bridge saddles and brass block, new pots and cap, and it sounds like a million dollars................ Oh by the way the body is made of a plywood that looks like kind of a mahogany or korina type grain. The plywood doesn't make it sound bad at all. It sounds great......... I also have an Ovation UK II that has a body made of a very compressed foam material on and aluminum frame........ it is from 1982 and sounds great. Has to blade humbuckers with a series/parallel switch on each pickup....... sounds great............. so I hope they are talking about acoustic guitars if they are bemoaning cheap "tone wood".......

Totally agree! Waking up to all the SE Silver sky videos sucked. And the one store had one that looked like a paint chip along the pick guard. Great QC on that one. And the prices are getting nuts, I got two Gibson and a Bogner amp at a cost of a used car! Keep them videos rolling.

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.

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

Spot on with quality issues and odd selection of some "tone woods" lately. I have acute G.A.S but lately nothing is getting my interest in the 1000 and below range. I'm saving and holding off until something in the higher range that deserves my attention. Furch is one of those makers

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

I knew it! My money was on you from the beginning Baxter! Also, looking good in that sport coat

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.

This is the best video to date!!!! Price increases push out the average consumer trying to get into playing guitar… :-/

Thanks Brandon!

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

Really good show guys!

glad i ordered my kiesel a few months ago, avoiding all the price increases

You guys are great. They shouldn't police you at all. I'm more likely to try a guitar you guys praise. You're dead on with these. I want to hear the other 20! Lol

#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.

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

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.

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 !

So many amazing new guitars coming out, but these new prices have firmly cemented why I’ll stick to used gear. Still lots of great deals on fantastic gear out there

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.

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.

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

I enjoy your videos. Price increase & quality usually is 1 & 2. The tone woods i found interesting. Do you think all the wood substitutions companies are offering may be a look into the future where an all solid wood guitar may be a rare, expensive guitar? Brazilian rosewood is pretty much gone for new guitars. Top grade mahogany and ash seem to be an upgrade now, what if the other premium woods follow suit. Do you think one day a solid premium wood acoustic guitar will be as much a Martin D45 is today? One issue i have with fender is i wish they offer thier ultra & player plus with the option of real single coil pups. I have a 2010 American deluxe strat. Love the guitar but replaced the noiseless pups with Duncan California 50's.

Thanks for this video. Most of your points are what I’ve been saying for quite some time. I get really confused by all the models ; so much that my last 6 guitar purchases have been used instruments that I know exactly what they are. (All within the last 5 years). Since when is poplar a tone wood?

Great video. Maybe add a #6 for unfounded hype (marketing something that is common but advertising as new).

thankfully mY Double Fat 98 MIM Fender Deluxe Stratocaster w/texmex Humbuckers is not upset about things and still enjoying the sounds and the view