Dizzying prices

[hamburg325]

https://reverb.com/item/36477796-fro...-german-spruce

Not to pick on Froggy Bottom (nor Eddie's Guitars--a first-rate dealer), but it's a little surprising how prices have so steeply escalated for non-Brazilian guitars from mid-sized (as opposed to true boutique) builders. The guitar pictured above is doubtless wonderful in every way, but is it really a $13K instrument?

I'm glad I was able to own new Froggys, Santa Cruzes, and Goodalls in the past, because those builders now reside in the unreachable stratosphere with respect to price.

Then again, in a world where Martin and Taylor charge $5K and above for a premium--although factory-made--guitar, perhaps a $13K, off-the-rack Froggy makes perfect sense.

[Martin_F]

After the pandemic, all these guitars may come on the market as people go back to their lives. I don’t see guitars maintaining these prices for too long. Considering you can buy a cheap car for the price of a guitar, I think things are a little skewed. Inflation is one thing that we all have to live with. However, outlandish price hikes because people want guitars right now is a little off-putting to me. Before too long it will be a buyers market again. Follow the ebb and flow.

Martin

[SuperB23]

Prices have really gone up steeply for a lot of brands in the last 10-20 years! I remember when a new McPherson was $3600 and a new Santa Cruz D/PW was $1995.

I had a Goodall Brazilian Rosewood TRD guitars years back that was made in 2003 and new it was about $4300 and now it would be $14k+.

To get really high quality instruments its expensive now to keep the quality of crafts people and materials at a high level like these brands have!

[hamburg325]

Originally Posted by SuperB23

Prices have really gone up steeply for a lot of brands in the last 10-20 years! I remember when a new McPherson was $3600 and a new Santa Cruz D/PW was $1995.

I had a Goodall Brazilian Rosewood TRD guitars years back that was made in 2003 and new it was about $4300 and now it would be $14k+.

To get really high quality instruments its expensive now to keep the quality of crafts people and materials at a high level like these brands have!

All true.

But I don't quite understand how a Froggy M Deluxe I bought in 2004 for $3800 is now $13,000.

[hamburg325]

When one sees ads for Froggy Bottom and Santa Cruz that proclaim themselves as "true custom shops," the translation seems to be: we're positioning ourselves to be able to charge really big bucks. Wow! A true custom shop. So, I'll take that nicely appointed, although hardly extraordinary, OM guitar for $13K. But honey: it's from a custom shop.

[jazzereh]

So I'm going with supply/demand, basic economics. If no one buys at these prices, the price will come down, if not, they won't.

Personally I've bought really nice guitars for far less and, while I can afford that price, just will not for a variety of reasons. I have recently purchased a 'custom' for about $4000 that I thought was nuts [for me] but really enjoy it. I've also bought another from a small boutique builder of guitars for about $1000 used and have one on his custom build list that I won't get until 2022 but nowhere near 5 figures.

I read about excellent boutique builders on this forum but just cannot, and will never, be in that kind of price range. Far too many excellent guitars at much more reasonable prices for me.

[Bluemonk]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

All true.

But I don't quite understand how a Froggy M Deluxe I bought in 2004 for $3800 is now $13,000.

If you'd bought a Kim Walker guitar in 2004, it would have cost you, I dunno, maybe $2,500. Now it'll cost ya $40,000 if you can find one.

Supply & demand.

[J Patrick]

It’s not a 13K guitar until somebody slaps their money down....or whips out a credit card. Which someone likely will do. Good for them. The good news is that there are hundreds of Froggies,Collings, Santa Cruz,Goodall, Bourgeois, and many other small shop and independent luthier built guitars on the used market. They can be had for much less. So there’s plenty of great guitars for those who are looking to spend less.

[dnf777]

Its a market. And just like the NYSE, its valuations dont necessarily make any logical sense at times. If buyers can move inventory, prices will react... i think that market is greatly over valued at this time, therefore my piggybank is safe for a while...

[RP]

Originally Posted by Martin_F

...Considering you can buy a cheap car for the price of a guitar, I think things are a little skewed...

Martin

This made me recall that my first new car, a VW Super Beetle cost $1995 and my first house cost $16,000. This was in the early 70s...

[warfrat73]

I honestly think that both Richard Hoover and Mike Millard have raised their prices to intentionally drive down demand so that the can look towards retirement, but still make a few guitars and make some money without having to work as hard as they used to.

[Mr. Jelly]

There are some strange things going on in our economy. There's some really bad data at the base of our economy and allot of liquidity. Meaning people are unemployed and businesses are not operating yet there are many people that have allot of money to spend. It's unsettling. There are many people on AGF that have bought numerous guitars that are so expensive they aren't even carried in most guitar stores. I talked with a luthier the other day, with beautiful guitars, that doesn't have any orders and his base priced guitars go for $4,500. Strange times indeed.

[Rmccamey]

I agree. Maybe prices are in line but some of these uber-boutique builders seem to price themselves for collectors rather than for players.

Originally Posted by hamburg325

https://reverb.com/item/36477796-fro...-german-spruce

Not to pick on Froggy Bottom (nor Eddie's Guitars--a first-rate dealer), but it's a little surprising how prices have so steeply escalated for non-Brazilian guitars from mid-sized (as opposed to true boutique) builders. The guitar pictured above is doubtless wonderful in every way, but is it really a $13K instrument?

I'm glad I was able to own new Froggys, Santa Cruzes, and Goodalls in the past, because those builders now reside in the unreachable stratosphere with respect to price.

Then again, in a world where Martin and Taylor charge $5K and above for a premium--although factory-made--guitar, perhaps a $13K, off-the-rack Froggy makes perfect sense.

[Mattface]

Originally Posted by RP

This made me recall that my first new car, a VW Super Beetle cost $1995 and my first house cost $16,000. This was in the early 70s...

Back in about 1990 as a college student I pulled a used guitar down off the wall of a guitar shop in Burlington Vermont, and fell in love. It was a 1938 D-28, and I could barely believe how good it sounded. Of course I couldn't afford it, but I considered selling my car to buy it. Of course that didn't seem like a wise idea at the time and in a certain way it probably wasn't since truly couldn't afford it, but today I'd much rather have a 1937 D-28 than a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix. I still can't afford a 1937 D-28, and at this rate I probably never will be able to.

[Maryc-k]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

https://reverb.com/item/36477796-fro...-german-spruce

Not to pick on Froggy Bottom (nor Eddie's Guitars--a first-rate dealer), but it's a little surprising how prices have so steeply escalated for non-Brazilian guitars from mid-sized (as opposed to true boutique) builders. The guitar pictured above is doubtless wonderful in every way, but is it really a $13K instrument?

I'm glad I was able to own new Froggys, Santa Cruzes, and Goodalls in the past, because those builders now reside in the unreachable stratosphere with respect to price.

Then again, in a world where Martin and Taylor charge $5K and above for a premium--although factory-made--guitar, perhaps a $13K, off-the-rack Froggy makes perfect sense.

TME has a barely used one, $8500.