Guitar Prices Through The Years

[Jim]

Taylor increases their prices pretty much every year and usually at a substantially higher percentage than the cost of inflation. They do this because they can. Their guitars are so popular people are willing to pay ever higher prices for them.

Perhaps the worst case of price gouging by a guitar maker was several years ago when James Olsen increased his price for a basic level guitar from around $4,000 to $15,000 all in one day. He could do this and not lose any demand for his guitars because they are so exceptional. He did do this because people were buying his guitars at his list price and the next day were selling them for multiples of what they paid since demand was so high and he was only making a limited number each year.

Guitar makers charge as much as they can for their guitars so long as their overall demand and sales stay the same or keep increasing. It is capitalism 101

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by SpiderTrap

It's instant gratification and acoustic guitar is NOT . The market's flooded now , People carrying a guitar case around will be considered out-dated or worse. It's the Bell Curve and it's headed down . Acoustic saw it's hey Day in the 70s.

Electronic music isn't instant gratification. Let's see you or anyone make music worth listening to on a DJ rig in a day. Ableton Live is a very complex piece of music making equipment.

Acoustic guitar sales are increasing, and by all accounts inexpensive guitars today are infinitely better than they were in the 1990s, let alone the 1970s.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...old-in-the-us/

http://www.musictrades.com/census.html

Many very popular young artists play acoustic instruments and guitars: Ed Sheeran, the Avett Brothers, Taylor Swift, Jewel, a lot of country stars, John Mayer.

The good old days weren't, by and large.

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by Jim

Perhaps the worst case of price gouging by a guitar maker was several years ago when James Olsen increased his price for a basic level guitar from around $4,000 to $15,000 all in one day.

Calling this price gouging is pretty disrespectful. You could just as well said he wasn't being fair to himself and his family before the price increase.

[Jim-W]

The last year or two prices have increased significantly. Most notably the Gibson J-200 ($3600 to $5000) but Taylor's as well, Martin's seemed to have stayed pretty much the same. I may be in the market next year but I am now looking seriously at alternatives like high end Breedlove and Yamaha's and ? Also considering used as well. I really like the 814 - 816.

So who do you think makes great guitars but at more competitive prices?

[JBCROTTY]

Originally Posted by jojobean39

Some guitars go up substantially. Taylors have gotten really popular over the last ten years. I’ve noticed in worship bands, it’s nearly a requirement to have a Taylor guitar. Playing anything else is like playing a telecaster in a death metal band.

I have no opinion on the OP's question, but this quote was funny!

I have no knowledge of either worship band culture or death metal band culture but the comparison, and my visualization of the potential discussions among each group if an offending guitar was brought to the mix, was quite funny.

Thanks for making me laugh.

[Pitar]

The new D35 I bought in 73 was about $750.00 out the door. With the dealer pricing off the MSRP, it has gone up $22.00 a year over the last 45 years. The Guild F412 I bought a year later was $800.00 out the door. I can't find a ready reference on a price on it now but the last time I did I saw it to be about $3000.00 MSRP.

[jojobean39]

Originally Posted by Jim-W

The last year or two prices have increased significantly. Most notably the Gibson J-200 ($3600 to $5000) but Taylor's as well, Martin's seemed to have stayed pretty much the same. I may be in the market next year but I am now looking seriously at alternatives like high end Breedlove and Yamaha's and ? Also considering used as well. I really like the 814 - 816.

So who do you think makes great guitars but at more competitive prices?

In my opinion, the best bang for the buck is Larrivee. Their guitars, to my ears and hands, far outplay Taylor, Gibson and Martin. I am not a fan of Gibson acoustics at all and Martins are just 'meh' to me. I bought a friend who was moving a used Larrivee for $600. It was one of the Canadian ones. It sounded superb. Played amazingly. I could not have bought an equivalent guitar from the top three brands for twice that. Their American line is wonderful. I used to have an OMV-09 that was my first venture into higher end acoustics. I think I paid $1200 new (which was a stellar price in 2004 or so).

Originally Posted by JBCROTTY

I have no opinion on the OP's question, but this quote was funny!

I have no knowledge of either worship band culture or death metal band culture but the comparison, and my visualization of the potential discussions among each group if an offending guitar was brought to the mix, was quite funny.

Thanks for making me laugh.

I played in both a hard rock/metal band and numerous worship bands. I assure you, a telecaster would not have flown during my time in the metal band. Today, they have become more accepted in metal (thank to Stabbing Westward and John5).

As well, the worship music scene just adores Taylor. You cannot play anything else. My guitars are frowned upon.

One of the worship leaders I know had $3k to spend on a guitar. I told him to take a look at some other brands besides Taylor because, in my opinion, you can get a heck of a guitar for $3k. But it was lost on him that he would buy anything but a Taylor. I am not knocking Taylors. They are good guitars. But to not even consider anything else was just mind boggling to me.

[KarenB]

Originally Posted by Dwight

Taylor's went up alot! Maybe Bob pay's his people more.

'

One can only hope.