COVID-19 related guitar and string shortage?

[Rev Roy]

Alamo Music’s take on how the lockdowns have effected inventory. Yet another excuse to pull the trigger...as if we needed it.

[tbeltrans]

Fortunately, I finished my trades/selling/stocking up just before the panic set in. For me, it wasn't COVID-19, but instead just execution of my planned sequence of actions well before we even knew what a COVID-19 was. The timing couldn't have been better. I seem to have been very fortunate many times in my life with the timing being right for retirement, when I graduated from college, and a host of other events that just came out right due to just plain good fortune.

I have no guitars I need to get rid of and would be perfectly happy sticking with what I have, and owe nothing on any of it. I have enough strings to last me a very long time, and plenty of learning materials for anything I could possibly want to explore. In short, I am currently completely independent of outside influences of any kind and not dependent on any web site subscriptions. I have it all right here at home.

There seems to be an awful lot of "panic talk" going on these days. The sky is falling, unemployment unmatched since the Depression of the 1930s, homelessness in unprecedented numbers. Public Radio has been all over this daily.

A few weeks ago our (US) President was all over the media saying that the "next two weeks" (at that time) were going to be very tough and we needed to be strong, with nationwide deaths for that period between 100,000 and 200,000 people. Since that was a very recent prediction for a time that immediately followed the prediction, we have seen it come and go, and not happen.

Note to moderators, this isn't a political statement, but instead an example of a very visible and specific prediction that simply didn't come to pass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmcozVbmplE

My own suspicion is that much of these terrible calamities will never come to pass, or if they do, it will be far more moderate than the extremes being touted everywhere.

So relax, your guitars will be ready when you are and you will be able to get guitar strings. There may be a waiting period for some of these things as the OP video indicated, but it isn't the end of the world.

Tony

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

So relax, your guitars will be ready when you are and you will be able to get guitar strings. There may be a waiting period for some of these things as the OP video indicated, but it isn't the end of the world.

Well said, Tony. Also, as has been pointed out elsewhere, it's a great opportunity to try some strings that you may not have thought of looking at before. Given what most people here have sunk into their guitars, $6-$12 on a set of strings doesn't seem like much of a gamble, even if you do have to wait (gasp) 3-5 days more for delivery.

[Brucebubs]

Story on the news here last week - with the lockdown preventing people going to the gym the sales of home gym equipment increased 3,000 %.
I'm not kidding, three thousand percent!

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Story on the news here last week - with the lockdown preventing people going to the gym the sales of home gym equipment increased 3,000 %.
I'm not kidding, three thousand percent!

I thought you were going to say that, since people couldn't get to the gym, their weight increased 3000%!!!

Tony

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

I thought you were going to say that, since people couldn't get to the gym, their weight increased 3000%!!!

Tony

Last time I stepped on a set of scales the readout said, "One at a time please!"

[Deliberate1]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Last time I stepped on a set of scales the readout said, "One at a time please!"

LOL!
My wife and I do video aerobic classes every morning. It is bringing us closer together. Sometimes a little too close....

David

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Last time I stepped on a set of scales the readout said, "One at a time please!"

Nice one!!!

Tony

[brencat]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Story on the news here last week - with the lockdown preventing people going to the gym the sales of home gym equipment increased 3,000 %.
I'm not kidding, three thousand percent!

It's happening here in the U.S. too. I literally cannot find a high quality set of 40 and 45 lb commercial dumbells for home use. Out of stock everywhere. Fortunately I've had a Bowflex and Landice commercial grade treadmill for years, so was well prepared for not being able to go to the gym in my work building.

[tbeltrans]

On the bright side, there seem to be a lot of NGD posts lately, so clearly folks have plenty of spending money (or good credit...).

Tony

[John5]

It looks like Alamo Music are alarmo'd about decreasing sales and desperate to get these back up by making this video. His entire spiel is about supply decreasing, but he doesn't talk about the corresponding decrease in demand. He makes the assumption that demand is unlimited and supply not being able to meet this unlimited demand.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by John5

It looks like Alamo Music are alarmo'd about decreasing sales and desperate to get these back up by making this video. His entire spiel is about supply decreasing, but he doesn't talk about the corresponding decrease in demand. He makes the assumption that demand is unlimited and supply not being able to meet this unlimited demand.

You are not supposed to notice that.

Tony

[jklotz]

Originally Posted by John5

It looks like Alamo Music are alarmo'd about decreasing sales and desperate to get these back up by making this video. His entire spiel is about supply decreasing, but he doesn't talk about the corresponding decrease in demand. He makes the assumption that demand is unlimited and supply not being able to meet this unlimited demand.

Maybe, but I spoke with the owner of my local B&M shop, who I try to support when I can, last week. Family run, 1 store, small fish, good guys. He say's online sales have been through the roof since this all went down, which has been great, but.... His concern was what are they supposed to do when all their inventory is sold out and the factories have been closed? Martin, Taylor, Eastman, etc. are not taking new orders at the moment. Sure, they will eventually, hopefully soon, and product will start to ship again. But the rent and electricity bill aren't going to wait. There will be some fallout as a result of this thing, and I don't think that is good news for any of us.

[loco gringo]

There is currently a nation wide shortage of freezers. It was likely brought on by the full page " the sky is falling" ad Tyson foods took out in the NY Times and other papers saying the food chain is broken, causing a run on meat. Who would stand to profit from such an ad? I'm tired of hyperbole.

Even NPR, who I have regarded as one of the last bastions of journalistic integrity, is wearing me out. There are several companies airing commercials on TV right now that are convincing me that I don't need their products.

I've never heard of Alamo Guitar before this post, but I can tell you I won't be looking them up for a guitar or anything else.

[tbeltrans]

We are seeing all manner of NGD posts around here and in the carbon fiber forum, people ordering Emerald and McPherson carbon fiber guitars. Now we hear of online orders "through the roof".

Where is all this consumer money coming from? This is at a time when I am continually hearing that many people are out of a job, though I suppose many are working from home IF they can do so. It is hard to imagine $1200 being enough to buy any of the carbon fiber guitars and many of the wood guitars folks seem to be getting. Ours went toward property taxes, not guitars.

Does any of this make sense?

Thanks,

Tony