string prices

[BuckMahoney]

Theirs a local store here in my small town that sells guitar strings and a few low budget guitars.I went to buy a set of dean markley blue steels the other day and was amazed at the price.It was almost 2x what they retail for!This morning i called up dean markley customer service to tell them,their answer was"theres nothing we can really do".On the bright side they are sending me a free set "for my troubles" but this has got me thinking.I thought that it was illegal to sell anything above the MSRP in Canada or anywhere for that matter.I know this applies to guitars but what about strings?Before anyone says "just go somewhere else" i have to say it's not that simple since the only "store" in my community that sells strings is the culprit.So,is it ethical to sell a single set of guitar strings for 2x what their worth?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by BuckMahoney

Theirs a local store here in my small town that sells guitar strings and a few low budget guitars.I went to buy a set of dean markley blue steels the other day and was amazed at the price.It was almost 2x what they retail for!This morning i called up dean markley customer service to tell them,their answer was"theres nothing we can really do".On the bright side they are sending me a free set "for my troubles" but this has got me thinking.I thought that it was illegal to sell anything above the MSRP in Canada or anywhere for that matter.I know this applies to guitars but what about strings?Before anyone says "just go somewhere else" i have to say it's not that simple since the only "store" in my community that sells strings is the culprit.So,is it ethical to sell a single set of guitar strings for 2x what their worth?

Hi Buck...
Ethical or not, it is curable...I have ordered string online for years because of the unwillingness of local stores to compete price-wise with online sources.

I understand a local store's overhead expenses, and still shop online...I also go through at least a couple dozen sets of coated strings a year and about 30-45 sets of non-coated strings.

For me shopping locally is not an ethical issue, and I owe no allegience to local shops just because they are local. My approach is if local stores cannot provide service well above and beyond what online sources provide, I don't shop locally.

[Martinesque]

Originally Posted by BuckMahoney

Theirs a local store here in my small town that sells guitar strings and a few low budget guitars.I went to buy a set of dean markley blue steels the other day and was amazed at the price.It was almost 2x what they retail for!This morning i called up dean markley customer service to tell them,their answer was"theres nothing we can really do".On the bright side they are sending me a free set "for my troubles" but this has got me thinking.I thought that it was illegal to sell anything above the MSRP in Canada or anywhere for that matter.I know this applies to guitars but what about strings?Before anyone says "just go somewhere else" i have to say it's not that simple since the only "store" in my community that sells strings is the culprit.So,is it ethical to sell a single set of guitar strings for 2x what their worth?

If you remember the days when the gettin was good in the auto industry, sought after models went for far above the MSRP. Nothing new there....not about ethics or legality. Just market forces at work Happily for you there are many other purchase point options available.

[L20A]

Just by online.
Best prices and you don't even have to leave the house.
Here is one place that I use.
http://www.hotworship.com/euphonon/acoustic.html.

[Coke_zero]

I generally try to buy everything I can from my local store even driving out for very cheap things, however I go trhough a lot of strings and only buy them online. I actually use eBay shops at the moment.

[muscmp]

try stringsandbeyond, juststrings or webstrings. all have decent prices and sometimes real good deals.

[Christian Reno]

It sucks that this store is pricing their strings that high, but it certainly is not illegal, at least not in the USA. MSRP means manufacturers suggested retail price, so it is simply a guidline for distributors to use. When market forces are at work, pricing usually goes below MSRP. The internet has caused some market prices to go down because of the internet competition. It sounds like this store can get away with selling at that price, but you can keep them from getting your hard earned dollars.

[BuckMahoney]

Thanks guys,i do use strings and beyond when i can,money's a little tight right now.It just floors me what these guys can get away with,most musicians i know arent the richest people and are making a meager living at it,and to be the only string retailer in town with so many guitarists around selling for so much just makes me sick to my stomach.I have a mind to get a grant and open a string and guitar repair shop,but my music career comes first

[mmmaak]

Well, a set of D'Addario EXP16 costs USD15 here in Malaysia

[HHP]

The "S" in MSRP is "suggested". Otherwise it would be MMRP or Maunfacturers Mandatory Retail Price. You can try and get more but with the vast number of online dealers offering them for far less, it would not be a good strategy.

[Monsoon1]

Originally Posted by muscmp

try stringsandbeyond, juststrings or webstrings. all have decent prices and sometimes real good deals.

+1 for Juststrings.com

I love that you can fully customize a set of strings for the same price that you can buy most normal full sets.

I'm looking to get a dozen sets of a super light guage for my current project, and they've got a better selection than any other place i've found.

[M.D.Smith]

Online is the way to go.
Get better deals than GC or Sam, don't have to burn fuel, time getting there and bringing proof, just click and ship and sometimes the tax you would pay/not pay ends up being used as shipping and some left over if your purchase is over a certain amount.

I buy Elixers by the dozen
A dozen for the 855 per year.
A dozen for the Jumbo per year
And a dozen for the 815 a year.
That adds up, but so does the savings in time and fuel and getting them for less online.

It's too bad, I remember a time when I would go to GC and get some killer deals, them days are long gone.

[cc132]

Originally Posted by BuckMahoney

It just floors me what these guys can get away with,most musicians i know arent the richest people and are making a meager living at it,and to be the only string retailer in town with so many guitarists around selling for so much just makes me sick to my stomach.

Most guitar store owners I know aren't exactly rich, either.

It's not as though the guy who runs the shop is doing lines of cocaine off of Paris Hilton's stomach with all the cash he is raking in from the extra $4 he charges on strings...he's probably just barely making it and charging what he has to to stay in business.

[Steev]

Originally Posted by mmmaak

Well, a set of D'Addario EXP16 costs USD15 here in Malaysia

I can beat that quote:
Retail price in Australia USD20 !! Elixirs - USD33.

Steve

[mmmaak]

Originally Posted by Steev

I can beat that quote:
Retail price in Australia USD20 !! Elixirs - USD33.

Steve

What the???

And people actually buy them?