Even today's "affordable" budget guitar's are truly priced as mid tier at best anymore. Sign of the times for sure.

Recently saw a Gibson Les Paul Standard 60's at Guitar Center for $3000. That blew my mind. Just a few years ago it was $2200 which seemed high then. Not a custom, collectors, or vintage model. The basic new model. Crazy.

People aren't buying the $70k trucks. They're just sitting on dealer lots. Same will happen on guitars. My fear is manufacturers will cut corners to keep prices in line and keep their margins. That would be bad for everyone.

You're right. Guitars are not an investment. They can be an "accidental" investment, with circumstantial events and history the cause of price increase. But, hording and resale for profit is killing guitar prices for the average player.

I appreciate your honesty, men. You just don’t see that in business anymore. Well done!

What drives me crazy about selling guitars myself on Reverb or other sites is that people will haggle down no matter how low the price is. I was trying to see a decent LTD for $250 and I would get offers for $150, $175. I gave up and took it to Guitar Center and they have me $250 for it. They hung it on the wall for $399 and it sold in a few days. Insane.

You guys should do "the history of casino guitars" about Baxter starting the store.

Just bought a used telecaster from my local guitar store really happy with my purchase they worked with me on the price glad I did it.

They really are for the rich in this day and age. I’m glad I bought most of my guitars years ago.

Guitar prices are crazy ! High . I now only look at the used market

One problem that I run into is that I’m left handed. It’s nearly impossible to find a good used lefty which forces me to buy new when I want one

Guitars are not getting more expensive. Our money is getting weaker.

somebody has been going hard at the steampunk section of hobby lobby

Love the content and diverse subjects you guys have been covering! The topic about custom orders coming early spoke directly to me as I had a recent purchase with an unsaid larger company arriving 6 months early 😅! Lesson learned haha!

Came for the monocles, stayed for Baxter & Jonathan doing… whatever it is they do 😅

this video was excellent btw.. stuff most places avoid talking about (at least publicly), you choose to address.. so refreshing

The Bowler hat suits Jonathan well. The monocle is a nice touch.

I got an email from my Sweetwater rep saying Fender and Gretsch products were about to get a pretty high price increase. I'm a Gibson guy anyway but I 99% of the time buy used and with the gear I currently have I'm set and happy. I'm not gonna overpay just to scratch a g.a.s itch

"Fancification" is what Epiphone is doing with their 150th anniversary models, and others. Because they have a fancy "new" (old) Sheraton, GC is unloading the Sheraton Pro II for $470. Gonna pick one up at lunch!

Idk if it’s breen brought up, but Sweetwater sent an email a few weeks ago about Fender and Yamaha having price increases starting on August

As far as the used market is concerned, for guitars (or anything else), the worth of an item is what the buyer is willing to pay, not what the seller thinks it's worth. I understand the need for mfrs. to raise prices, but mfrs. are driving customers more & more to the "after market."

LOL Re - Jonathans Silverado and costs - Here's my story - Craigslist Mechanics Special This truck is located in Lake City Florida. It is in great shape other than the repairs needed. I bought this truck about 6 weeks ago and paid $8K for it. I had it gone through by a local shop. I had the valve cover gaskets (and one valve cover) replaced. I had the rear main seal replaced (because there was a small leak). The oil was changed 1000 miles ago. It has a new AC compressor and blows very cold. I put in a K&N air filter. It has new tires. Interior is immaculate and comfortable with vinyl seating. It has a new serpentine belt. I put on a new roll up tonneau cover and a replacement LCD cargo light. The truck has the V6 4.2 engine that is fuel efficient. It has the rear doors for access to the larger “contractor storage” behind the seat space. The truck is in great condition as you can see by the photos. It runs great, shifts great, has good brakes. It was running hot on Hwy 75 and when I got to Hwy 10 I pulled off and got it to a repair place in Lake City. The guy checked it for a bad thermostat and used his pressure tool to check for a head gasket leak. Nothing showed up but a code reader said it was a top end overheat. He said its likely it needs head gaskets and should have the valve seats replaced. It is really nice but obviously needs work. I couldn’t wait for the work to be done because I am moving so I bought a new truck - but I will keep this one if I don’t get what I need from it and have it repaired later. I have $10K in it and I am only looking for $2K and if someone can fix it for a few grand they will have an amazing truck. Let me know what you are interested in and I will get back to you quickly. Thanks for looking.

Great episode, nice monacles, but I really dig the laurel and hardy hat. Thanks guys

I bought a Kramer pacer deluxe in 1988, I paid £800 for it. The equivalent price now would be £2880. I think we have it much better now.

I’ve bought used & new, so no issues doing either Pros & cons to both It’s been several years since I bought new, but the last 2 times I bought new, prices went up about 30 days after I bought, and likely wouldn’t have bought them at the new price. Last purchase was used and was the least I ever played for a guitar or bass, even without adjusting for inflation- and I love it

Just when I thought you guys couldn't get cooler, you went and got monocles! 😎🎸

I saw this trending years ago for the top-of-the-line models. Tom Anderson, Suhr, Paul Reed Smith, James Tyler Guitars, Fender Custom Shop, Gibson Custom Shop, ESP, Ibanez Prestige, LsL, and others are nice but very expensive. I ended up buying a Kiesel custom-made electric guitar over an off-the-shelf, high-end, electric guitar.

Great video! I think this is the right time to start looking for alternative brands that offer same or better quality than big brands. Bought 4 masterbuilts years ago and it seems someday I will sell them and to buy a new house.

The thing that irks me with a lot of these price hikes is that the companies are trying to sell the same models at way higher prices. At least give me a better reason to spend more, like some more colour options or rewound pickups.

Glad to be in this premiere 👍🏻

There are so many cheap but good guitars available these days. All you need is a good setup and the sky’s the limit. Honestly it’s never been better.

You might be right about the price hikes for new guitars, but I have noticed the prices for premium used guitars is higher now too. Across the board. For example, old 1960s Guilds are now quite pricey, which is great if I decide to sell my’66 Starfire lll. But common Gibson used SGs( recent models) and LPs are also climbing in prices.

The truth of this struck me a few weeks ago, when I bought a new Gretsch from Baxter at Casino Guitars. Baxter and I discussed the price of new electric guitars (among other things) for a good 45 minutes. He acknowledged that, as a comfortable but far from rich retired physician with no family money, I'm on the lower socio-economic end of the scale of people who buy new guitars from him. Fascinating and perhaps sad.

So glad I bought most of my guitars before the financial crisis and price hikes. I can't understand how anyone could buy a made in Mexico for over a thousand dollars. They aren't bad guitars, but my American standard strat was 1100 bucks in 2015, which I regretfully sold in 2019 for 850 or 900. Now the MiM are at that new price.

Great conversation.

About 3 years ago I was going to buy myself a Gretsch Sparkle Jet, and the price for the model I wanted went way up before I pulled the trigger. It took until a few weeks ago to find one used for what I originally wanted to pay

I have a nice lefty collection so if I don’t buy another guitar in my life I’m good. The one thing missing from my collection is a Fender Jazzmaster. If a MIJ or MIM crossed my path I might be tempted, but Fender are only currently producing the American Pro 2 RRP two grand. For a plain, bolt on neck guitar I think that’s way over the top.

Record profits come from actual sales. The guitar manufacturer's are pricing themselves into a self made recession. The working musicians I know can't afford these price increases. The hobbyist bought big during Covid, but with everything else rising just as fast (like cars, energy, food, utilities, etc.) that market segment cannot continue with the same growth. The laws of economics say a market "correction" is on the way.

I used to be more of a have a couple really nice guitars. Like a nice Taylor and a PRS. The foreign guitar market is insane right now though. The past year or 2 I’ve been picking up whatever goes on close out sale at Sweetwater. It’s typically a color no one wanted or an anniversary type guitar that didn’t sell. They are pretty great guitars with some tweaks and maybe a replacement bridge or tuners but those are mostly personal preference. The guitar market will need to crash for me to buy a new high end American made guitar again. I feel the used market will be back to 50-60% of retail by the end of the year.

Feel you on the price of pick up trucks. A new Silverado actually costs almost as much as I paid for my first house. There is NO way I will part with that much cash for one.

So glad I have everything I need. I have no more money 😅 but I already have every piece of gear I need.

I don't own any premium gear and I buy a lot of it used. Buying used can be a hedge against devaluing if you buy the right gear 😉A few of my guitars have increased in value due to their short original availability. I haven't tried to sell any but I've seen the asking prices. NOS and any low end Gibsons bought new or used are a good bet to increase in value. 2019 Junior Tribute DCs, 2014 LP Melody Makers, Reissue '59 Melody Makers 2007-2013-ish. Not necessarily huge jumps, but you shouldn't lose. Any premium guitars I had was long ago and I didn't keep them long enough to be aware of their value.

Jonathon cracked me up with his tie you can't see----LOL!

My first guitar was a Squier with plywood body. It cost $250 in 1990. That’s $580 adjusted for inflation. Get some perspective.

I’m glad I got my gear way back when it was cheap.

Looking for a house myself and waiting for the market to cool. Gonna move somewhere between Sweetwater and Casino Guitars!

Then Taylor released the GS-Mini Sapele with Spruce top for $500. I bought one yesterday to complement my GS Mini Mahogany. Everybody needs at least two Minis. Right? For the guitar that sits by my desk and I can pick up anytime inspiration strikes it doesn't get better than a Mini. I paid $600 for a Mahogany one 3 years ago. I've ordered the Taylor EZ-Go pickup to trick my new one out. You can get deals but on the other hand Feder increased the price of a pedal I wanted to buy by $50 before it could be shipped so I canceled that.

Unless there’s a specific grain,weight, flame that HAS to be there, then I can see paying the new price tag. I’ve done it before. Otherwise, going used is the most ideal especially for big brands like Gibson. There are so many used Gibson guitars, especially custom shop out there. There’s no shortage and Leaves little to no reason to buy new unless you have a specific criteria.

If you waited ... it's getting good in the used. Be patient

The primary market for gear is middle aged middle class folks with a little disposable income. The market reflects its aging demographic. (Even accounting for recent pandemic and supply constraints) Young players are moving to modelers and are less obsessed chasing vintage instruments. There will be a hollowing of the market to both extremes in price brackets.

Johnathan looks very dapper in the hat & tie. Lol

Glad I got the bulk of my Custom Shop stuff before the boom and shit went absolutely nuts

You can still get a Gretsch Electromatic at decent prices and get a lot of guitar for the money. I just added the 140th anniversery model. My luthier set it up and put on a roller bridge I wanted. He said, "You've got a really well made guitar there.' I bought it on sale for $200 less than retail

Totally cool look

I recently bought a used basically mint Martin Custom Shop D-28 for 2500. Was probably well over 5000 to order new from the factory. I don’t see myself buying anything new. You can get great value on the used market.

Similar comment from the earlier video: So much depends on credit. I've tracked Jazzmasters and Firebirds for decades, and NEVER have I seen prices of new custom shop guitars clock in over 1960s vintage models. In some cases new custom shop models are selling for $10k - $14k, while excellent mid-late 60s models are $5k-$7k. That suggests to me a split rate on high quality products - people are buying new because they have no clue as to what they're doing, and have no end of credit. This is a bubble, and it will pop. Or maybe deflate. Either way, I'm looking forward to it. I like the concept of "premiumification". It makes intuitive sense. The most obvious "basic economics, duh", point is custom shop models can always expand in supply. Vintage cannot. And it makes no sense at all that a Fender custom shop model costs twice what my Trussart Steelmaster did.

It's only money. I'm keeping everything I buy (4 guitars in the last 3 years) after years of selling off guitars after the excitement wore off. My kids will inherit a buttload of guitars I promise you.

It sounds like US shops give a better deal on part ex - in the UK you typically get 1/3 of what you paid for it regardless of condition so does feel a bit excessive!

Cost aside, I prefer buying used off Reverb, Ebay, or whatever, because then I can get upgraded instruments at a lower price. It seems illogical that upgraded guitars (improved pickups etc.) sell for less, and usually they are good guitars otherwise the owner wouldn't have upgraded them. I've gotten some great guitars at low prices shopping for them that way.

Living in Japan, I have never needed to spend more than $15,000 on a new car.

I have these conversations all the time with other guitar players. I just got a Mod Shop Strat and while certainly not cheap, not unreasonable for the market in 2023 and really in line with what I've been paying for guitars in the last decade. The Gibson prices. It hurts me to say this because I've been a Gibson guy the entire time I've been a player, but those guys are out of their minds with the pricing on even the cheaper models. A Les Paul Studio is going to cost someone $1500 these days. That's nuts. Forget Murphy Lab stuff or these ridiculous remakes of celebrity guitars. The Noel Gallagher 355 is GORGEOUS. WAY out of my price range (not that I'd buy that if I had the money...I'm not Noel, I'm never going to sound like Noel...why bother with those?). Before you know it guitars will be like NBA and MLB uniforms with ads to get the cost down. At that point I 100% quit.

You guys nailed the title for this one. I really wanted to purchase a Fender Ultra Luxe, but over the past 3 yrs Fender just kept increasing prices. I had to look for something else, I could not justify $2600+tax for a strat with S/S frets. I looked hard for alternatives with similar specs. Found it, a really great guitar line, the Ibanez AZ Prestige line. You can find these new for $1600 (just wait for holiday discounts), or used for $1400, and they are strat killers. As a longtime Fender Strat player I can't justify paying their prices any longer, they lost a customer after 50 yrs of playing. Remember, most guitars are made from wood, and wood is still cheap! And don't get me started on the MIM Fender or offshored Gibson prices... disgusting!

Hi, you should try buying a guitar in the UK. Martin ceo7 £3,300,om28 £3,700+,its ridiculous!

A guitar shop told me that they pay 40% of the original price and sell for 60%.

I bought a Collings for $1550, and both an R6 and an R8 for $1800 some years ago. Imagine if I hold on to them and sold them now 😂

I personally enjoy buying a decent used guitar with good bones and modding it with used parts. I can always get it exactly the way I want for a fraction of cost of a new guitar with the same specs.

The manufacturers are going to price themselves out of business. I can't wait for the clearance sales that will happen in about a year or so. ✌️❤️🎸

I feel attacked with those monocles 🤣

If it has to have certain brand names on the headstock this is probably true. There are many guitars being made in other countries that are very good, including their QC. Many of these guitars are around $1K, some from Japan are around $3K. It's your money, buy what you want. Some of the traditional American guitar makers are counting on you to keep buying like you always have without question.

This agrees with my own; anecdotal, not evidential; observations. As best I can tell, you can’t take a guitar off a wall at your Friendly Local Guitar Store, with a price tag under $3K, and get a piece assembled correctly, out of quality components, that’s a set up away from being a legit player. There are always “for the money…” guitars at different price points, but to get a player off the wall or out of the box? It’s not cheap out there.

There are plenty of good guitars in the $500 - $`1000 range (Epiphones, Squiers, PRS SE, etc.), but that's real money for a lot of people, especially younger players. Nice, USA-made stuff is in the $3K - $6K range any more which is a LOT of money for something that technically isn't significantly better at playing a gig than the affordable stuff (once it's set up to your liking). Shop for deals on used guitars to find that nice stuff at a discount. There's always some well off player with a bunch of nice guitars that wants to "thin the herd" or just unload something to buy something new. TBH, my $400 Epi SG Special with new pups is just as good a gigging machine as my PRS core that cost 10X as much.

I am about to purchase a monocle.

Great video guys! My biggest bust right now is the Brad paisley Esquire. I’m not sure if I can even give it away 😅

Yeah, but I bought one of those Squiers they accidentally put an Epiphone branded bridge on. When that becomes collectible I will be lighting cigars with hundred dollar monicles!

A new Strat in the 60s would cost about as much as a American professional Strat does now, when unadjusted for inflation. Back then, you could not have dreamed of getting a guitar as well built as a Classic Vibe Squire for the price. Honestly, I don't think it's ever been this good for a starting guitar player; if anything, it's hard to justify the price of the expensive guitars when the cheap guitars are so dang good right now.

The real issue here is not the price of guitars, it's the belief that you can buy something that will complete you.

Been buying Guitars/Amps for 51 yrs. These days purchasing GREAT Guitars & Amps at affordable prices for us players is gone. Sadly the off switch has flipped for good, the music making experience for every player besides the rich is dead and there will be no saving that amazing feeling human beings used to get from playing Guitar driven music. The end will be complete within the next decade or two. The high quality suburb sounding Guitars and Amps will become a long distant memory and kept under lock and key to be enjoyed by those who couldn't care less for the true value of the instruments but just how much money they will be worth. Everything turns classic and then disappears from sight...the rich have to find things to buy to prove their own worth. It's like a cancer...nothing left but death.

Yeah, the prices are out of whack generally these days. When Squier Bullets are $200.00 guitars there's a problem.

Sadly none of the stuff I’m into seems to be dropping in the used market.

I’m house hunting, but with the prices… I’m basically without ammo.😢

I as a non home owner wish housing and food prices would drop

Good investment is relative tho, for someone who would spend the money on stuff that has no value long term otherwise

This summer I’ll be lucky to pay my electric bill given the heat wave. New guitars are a luxury not on the list! But I am retired and playing beyond my bedroom!

I guarantee you when Springsteen is playing ifo 15,000 people in a mix with 7 other musicians, no one can hear the difference whether he’s playing an 1100.00 , 2400 or 3800 dollar Tele…

I'll be driving our paid for cars until they won't go anymore thank you very much!

You can still get a Squier for $200 You can still get a Harley or other Chinese guitar for even less. No one needs a fancy Mexican Fender for almost/over a grand Vintera's at or above old American standard proces

Buying a guitar as an investment is a Ralph Kramden move. Unless it's a burst ,or 50's Fender. You're probably already well invested if you have that kind of coin to burn anyway.

Pick ups are 150.000.00 in Australia so 75.000.00 is not expensive look at the bright side

OMG, Jonathan is a beefy Mr. Peanut!

I am so glad I sell used stuff : the higher the prices get, the more I sell. Thank God for the exchange rate from USD to CAD.

All the guitar i like cost $1.5k and up, just to have a fretboard that isn't rosewood with dot markers, and pickups that aren't made by the manufacturer in china. I want to try an Ibanez but the specs I want they charge $2.5k and as a hobby there is no way.

People posting used guitars for the same price as new or higher blew my mind, I honestly want to send them a message on reverb laughing at their hubris, when I can link them 17 examples new from dealers that were willing to discount a bit even. Price hikes on everything seems absurd, especially the high end stuff. ESP USA went up $1700 overnight and cut their options in half and removed a few models for instance. I don't think that all of this is based on reality, people are just not letting a good crisis go to waste, and making as much as they can off it.

Martin can resist the price increases now because they were already charging too much for their entry- and mid-level guitars

You’re supposed to say “it’s a 2008….. but I keep it clean”

There are millions and millions of guitars now, not thousands.... just like there is now trillions and trillions of debt notes when there used to be gold back mediums of exchange.

I not a great guitarist or rich but have some beautiful guitars, I am investing in me not the guitar. I am buying guitars for the guitarist I will be not the one I am now … Additionally if you look at inflation ten years ago a Martin 000-42 cost two grand less than today. Inflation and products will always go up so I am getting the expensive guitars now I want to play for next twenty plus years…saving myself money on long run. That’s my theory lol

A new Strat in 1959 was about 2 weeks pay for a blue collar worker, a new American Strat today is also about 2 weeks pay…

In 1976 an f150 bare bones truck sold for 1995.00 😢

I paid $1300 for a '85 Fender fat strat in 2003. During the Pandemic, I discovered Harley Benton, and Grote, Glarry, and others. I'll never buy another Fender or Gibson.

the Vintera stuff fell by $250 this week