Bourgeois, poor time to purchase?

[s2y]

There's likely going to be a Boomer selloff in the next couple years. Resale is going to be bad for most stuff. I'll have my eye out for bargains.

[cdkrugjr]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Eastman making Bourgeois guitars...

So, the new guitars would be under the Beastman name?!? It has a ring to it...

I like it!

Maybe a special edition with a cool paint job . . .

[RP]

Originally Posted by s2y

There's likely going to be a Boomer selloff in the next couple years. Resale is going to be bad for most stuff. I'll have my eye out for bargains.

I already have one well-worn Boomer (me) in my home. Don't need another...

[Maryc-k]

Originally Posted by s2y

There's likely going to be a Boomer selloff in the next couple years. Resale is going to be bad for most stuff. I'll have my eye out for bargains.

It’s already in progress.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

I owned and sold several great Steve Henderson Breedloves in the 90s, and they held their value exceptionally well. So you don't really know what you're talking about.

Well there is are always exceptions of course. BUT that was actually paraphrasing what the manager of the Acoustic section Of Apple Music in Portland Oregon said a number times. Who BTW sold Breedloves from the start , and sold more Breedloves than any other retail shop in the country for something like 7 or 8 years running . And I'll' take his perspective as being the more informed and knowledgeable of the used market value over your anecdotal "several" instances.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

You just made one of those generalizations you’ve criticized others for. It’s not factual at all.
Your presumption is based on nothing more than your opinion. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with everyone having an opinion.

Yes it is a generalization, and yes I am human with the typical faults including sometimes being inconsistent, But you will find, usually I choose my wording fairly carefully and notice I did say "arguably" recognizing it was an opinion , and it was in response to the generalization quoted, that most people view Lexus as just a "fancier Toyota" which is also opinion and not necessarily factual

But the analogy is questionable in relevance at best and is becoming a distraction.

So back to the actual question posed in the OP . I think the single fact of the partnership with Eastman per se, is at this point just as equally likely to have positive as negative, or no appreciable, effect on resale value going forward.

[hat]

A few good reasons to buy a nice used one -
1. It already has the depreciation factored into the price.
2. The woods have had time to dry/age/open up.
3. No need to guess what it will sound like once it's 'opened up'.
4. the first scratch is already there. No need to worry about it!

[Tony Burns]

I feel their guitars are great -
Thou their not my cup of tea -
Not a fan of buying imports
have always felt more pride in
buying USA - but many companies feel
the bottom line is the most important
-Being able to stay in business and turn a
profit.

Yes Used is the way to go -But
gentle used and well cared for
would be my priority -
and from a non smoker.




.

[jaycal]

Originally Posted by Dwight

I love my Bourgeois guitars and was disappointed to hear about the alliance but I'm happy that Dana was able to secure the resources to keep the doors open.

As a current Bourgeois owner myself, this is pretty much where I’m at, too. I don’t love the idea, although I’m sure these new Eastman models will be fine guitars. Just would’ve been cool if Bourgeois could’ve stayed on the small side forever, and still made everyone ample $. The Eastman affiliation definitely taints the brand, in my opinion.

[hamburg325]

Well, Dana has had the corporate lords of Pantheon–whatever that entity is–hovering over him for many years now, and his guitars have only gotten better and more adventurous.

I can't imagine that he and all those other leathery Mainers up there in the shop would succumb to the siren song of easy Chinese money that could undermine the tremendous, skill, dedication, and reputation they've built up over the years.

[HeyMikey]

Originally Posted by hat

A few good reasons to buy a nice used one -
1. It already has the depreciation factored into the price.
2. The woods have had time to dry/age/open up.
3. No need to guess what it will sound like once it's 'opened up'.
4. the first scratch is already there. No need to worry about it!

I couldn't agree more with everything you've stated, unless you're looking for something specific and the boutique maker is doing a custom job to your unique spec, or they've created something special that goes beyond their customary models, materials or features. Bottom line though as others have said is that most new guitars are going to depreciate significantly once you take ownership. That will have more impact on your resale potential then them coming out with a secondary budget line made overseas.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Dwight

I speculate that when Eastman starts making Bourgeois guitars they will be of excellent quality and they will make and sell a ton of them. (That's the only reason they would have gotten involved). I think the crew in Maine will be left alone to build premium instruments as long as they don't cost Eastman too much money. Since it is a high volume Chinese guitar company the brand value may be diminished but they'll more than make up for it in volume.

I love my Bourgeois guitars and was disappointed to hear about the alliance but I'm happy that Dana was able to secure the resources to keep the doors open.

This thread covers a lot of ground. Asian luxury automobiles, a deep dive into Breedlove, a shallow dive into the history of Guild, buying new vs. used, buying guitars with the intention of selling them later, and the risks of buying boutique guitars instead of established factory brands.

I don't have much to add, except to point out that Eastman is not "a high volume Chinese guitar company." And at the $3000-6000 targeted price points, I don't see them selling a ton of them either. Based on Bourgeois' 400 and Eastman's 4000 annual acoustic guitar volumes, I'd place my bets on them selling ~800 guitars, which would triple DB's business and add 20% onto Eastman's business.

As for cars, I owned four domestic cars: three with engine failure before 100k miles, the other got totaled in a head-on vs. pickup truck. I owned Mitsubishi cars for 18 years and drove them into the ground with minimal repairs needed (traded them b/c the leather interior gave out). Owned two pre-owned Mercedes-Benz, where my maintenance equaled my monthly car payments (ridiculous!), so I traded them back for... wait for it... used Lexus and Acura. Nearly two years in, and we have less than $300 in total maintenance / service (and since they're not new, they haven't depreciated much either).

I think that gets me caught up on this thread.

[guitar george]

My observation is that for the first 10 years, or so, guitars tend to go down in value after which their value levels off for another 10 years, or so, and then begin to increase in value. After about 25 or 30 years, a well maintained guitar might be worth close to, or more, than it cost new. A lot of this is due to inflation offsetting the effects of depreciation.

[Red_Label]

Originally Posted by sevenpalms

I think you have the right to worry and I feel the same way. I don’t think I would buy a new one right now. Possibly used If you can find a good deal. Everybody has an opinion on this but I look at brands like Breedlove and just hope Bourgeois doesn’t go down that same path.

Meh... Breedlove's biggest issue is their ever-confusing model lineup. As far as quality goes, they've always been amazing instruments. I just brought home my 13th Breedlove today (ranging from their old budget Passport line, to their Masterclass series). The new arrival is a stunning flamed koa Legacy Concerto E that sounds equally as beautiful as it looks. If I wanted high resale value, I'd stick with the true boutique brands. Even though I buy and sell a lot of instruments... I focus on instruments that move me when purchasing and don't factor resale into my decision. YMMV of course.

[archerscreek]

I think the risk is that in the future a consumer could get the same quality of build and tone in a new Bourgeois/Eastman guitar (and have the Eastman lifetime warranty) but only have to spend used Bourgeois guitar money to do so. And they may even get the new guitar for less than what a used Bourgeois guitar goes for now.

So if I'm a consumer, why would I spend X amount for a used guitar when I can buy a new one in better condition for the same amount, if not less?

I have no doubt the new guitars will equal what Bourgeois puts out now.