Why The Guitar Industry ls Forcing Everything To Be Sold Direct
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- Опубліковано 7 бер 2024
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These are reasons why I recently changed my shop to dealing in used and vintage. When companies started undercutting their own dealers (Fender especially), I saw the writing on the wall.
I can make more on used gear and vintage and my repair side than I could on new products.
I used to work for a company that was also a distributor/agent for a number of international brands who could always undercut our prices because they were the manufacturer.
The only way to compete with such suppliers is to by doing something they can't, such as adding value in providing better after sales service or offering deals that include other manufacturers' products.
Direct selling is done on the basis of "Here's our product. Take it or leave it", while an independent dealer is better placed to advise individual buyers on a one to one basis and create greater customer satisfaction.
@@Kevin-mx1vi problem with that is getting the people in the door for that advice and to be able to show them. Our primary thing now is vintage and used gear and being a repair business. It's easier than dealing with greedy distributors and manufacturers and I don't have to deal with their abysmal QC and warranty processes.
Manufacturer direct means no local support when there are issues. And there are always issues, no matter how good the manufacturers are.
Johnny Dibble might be a case to look at to see how Fender handles that’s.
I buy used on reverb 100%. So for me guitar stores are useless. But i think there needs to be more good - not flaky - luthiers to help people. I have one awesome one. But most people don’t.
Direct sellers are pretty good about customer service. Honestly from personal experience better then retailers. That's the story retailers try to hold onto to maintain their value. I think the big sellers should invest in a generic brand like thomann and buy and sell used gear. And small guitar retailers can focus on creating a music scene with events, shows, local lessons, boot camps, and cultivate local music culture. That's the real value of the local retailers.
@@rethinktoneit's a limiting factor though and doesn't scale up with the volumes of sales we're talking about with Gibson and Fender.
Look at the likes of Kiesel and EBMM who suffer this problem, which affects market penetration and therefore actual product sales, particularly internationally.
Just make me a straight guitar and I’ll do the rest with mods
It isn’t the guitar industry, it’s the natural progression of the internet. It’s literally every industry.
Exactly. It's so easy for any product / content etc. to be lost in the vast internet static.
This thing where you cut out the juicy bits from a podcast and upload them seperately is awesome!!!
Pioneered by Joe Rogan.
@@stanknugget who's joenrogan?
You mean clips? Yeah it's great!
@@billhicks9056Whats clips? Sure!
@@stanknugget ha ha, yeah right. Try Howard
Anderton’s was so wise with their UA-cam videos. They were able to market their brand and also support their suppliers.
If and when everyone goes direct, we'll see the rise of pawn shop purchases, because that's where you'll be able to physically pick up a guitar and play it before buying.
It's like moving well back in time, in a way.
I bought a cheap hollow body off of Amazon about a year ago and everything about the guitar was perfect, loved the tone, finish was cheap but flawless, the only problem was it had a baseball bat neck on it. I've got smallish semi crippled up hands and decided I'll never buy another guitar without test driving it first. It was too bad too that was a great git-fiddle for under two bills
I remember a while back I was buying some pickups from Seymour Duncan, and when I asked if there were any deals to be had the sales guy told me straight out that he'd have to check if there was any dealers in the area because they had a deal that they would absolutely not undercut their retailers. He ended up referring me to a local shop that could special order the pickups for me at a discount, but they were pretty serious about keeping their stores happy and healthy.
How far back was "a while back" ? If more than 10 years things could be changing. A lot of stuff seems to be going to hell in the last 10-15. Thanks!
@@ronj9448 I think it was around 2018. It feels like the summer a year before Covid hit, not the summer just four months before it hit.
@@baileywatts1304 okay, not too long ago. Thanks for the reply
Carvin sold axes, amps, fx and other gear direct and STILL went out of business.
Not sure that's an unbeatable marketing strategy...
now I only buy guitars, mostly old Harmony and Kays, that I can repair, refinish, setup, and possibly sell for fun. For over forty years I only bought in store, from small shops (both new & used), because I would never buy any instrument without seeing and trying it out first. For this I didn't mind paying extra
Damn I’ve bought so many guitars on reverb over the past two years, guitar center was the only bad purchase in years arguably two bad purchases one amp one Les Paul dc.
@@LucasJRice that's fine, and I never had a bad purchase, because I always knew exactly what I was buying before I bought it
Well, it's a catch 22... There are fewer and fewer outlets to sell guitars now because the end consumer (aka, us) buys everything online and are killing ma & pa guitar shops. Strings, tools, straps, picks, stands, amps, cables, mics, as well as guitars - all being purchased largely online now (we've all guilty of it)... One of a guitar manufacturers only cost effective options to stay alive at this point is to sell 'direct to consumer.' The sad truth.
Just got a new PRS SE Custom 24 for 290 under list (34%) with free shipping from one of the sellers who offers gear as used or open box to get around retail price restrictions. Even with that discount they are still making a profit. Just to show how much of the price you pay is for the middleman who does little more than put up an online catalog.
Lessons, and accessories like pedals and strings and such, and competent guitar luthiers to fix issues are not to be forgotten here... which this move takes away.
I wasn't aware a retailer was doing that. That wasn't one of the new SE CE's? How do they list the quality of the guitar so you know it wasn't a preowned guitar. Thanks.
@@WindsurfMaui SE Custom 24. There are a few sellers who do this. I wrote them and asked about the condition since it was listed as used. The response was that it was a customer return and had been inspected and was in excellent condition, When it showed up, it was obvious that the tape on the original box was never cut and that it had not been handled by any human since it was packed up at the factory. I've seen a few videos where the presenter received a response from the seller that it was new, but just listed as used. I got an Epiphone SG listed as open box for 400, list is 500. It was new when I received it.
So, how do you know? You really don't unless you write and they admit it. For best results, probably go for the open box listings vs used. I did get a Schecter C-6 FR from amz that was listed as Used - Like New. It turned out to be a 2012 and was beat up. I asked for a price reduction and they granted it. Figured it was worth the risk at the price I got. Later discovered it had 2 loose frets that would need to be replaced or glued down, so I should have returned it. I guess the bottom line is you have to know which people you can trust to make these types of purchases.
@@WindsurfMaui The youtube dicks just deleted my 2 paragraph response to you. So, the short answer is you just need to know who to buy from and ask questions before you pull the trig.
I've seen the same thing happening on Reverb...new sold as used or open box and it arrives in a manufacturer unopened box....the downside is warranty only cover original purchaser.....so the downside in No Warranty!
I look for the Gibson shop at Walmart! Oooo I know.. but its a fun thought..
The good news is now there are millions of phenomenal electric guitars out there in the $200 - $500 range.
Back when I was teenager in the 1980's, cheap guitars were crap. Now I play a $ 250 Ibanez.
@@enigmanemo9352 I started in the early 90s and I remember all the old timers were shocked at how nice my Squier Strat was. I think that was the beginning of the nice guitar under $500 era that we still see today and its become better with so many choices.
But since so many people play guitar, it’s a skill that’s nothing special or unique. And nobody really cares if you play guitar. Being a good piano player is more rare and special
But try carrying around a piano. The convenience of a guitar is that you can travel with it.
@@456MrPeople True. A piano is too heavy
Phil, thanks for making these clips! I don't have the patience to watch anyone's unedited podcasts. These clips are very helpful for me.
I would imagine CoreTek would have a bigger problem with doing a factory tour than Keisel simply because CoreTek makes so many guitars for so many other companies. I'm sure there's a ton of NDAs and things that would prohibit a video tour of the factory. They'd be too scared of something being recorded that shouldn't have.
Intersting. Small town here, tehachapi, ca.., never leave, local shop has minimal guitars, walk in one day for strings and 2 used acoustics are hanging: a J200 epiphone and a Fender Kingman made in china... Time and place utility.. I would never have ordered that guitar, they were their and I picked the Kingman w/Elvis signature decal .. with a pickup in it.. paid 600 for it.. way more than it was worth.. i think, point is It was in my face, local, could take it home and let the shop make a few bucks to stay in business...
I think there is a need and desire for "shops with repair and musician supplies.
Mr. phillip, you are so correct with your statements. I also will add that to me and others/etal... It doesn't matters how old or who previously has owned or whom prefers to play. All of this doesn't count in the cost. Because in the end. " A guitar is just the sum of its parts and workmanship"! A person paying a large sum of money has more dollars than sense. Common sense does know a true value.! For both the material used & the workmanship performed/accomplished.! Thus only this can state the common sense value. Sncrly.,r.l.g.iii.
That would mean one of the only ways to know about new models from your favorite companies would be You Tube Uggh. No offense Phil lol. Nothing like seeing touching and hearing a instrument at your favorite shop.
in the uk , the banks and shops are closing . we are fighting to keep cash . i think this is part of it. thanks for the video :)
I've gotten a Kiesel LB76W, Cordoba and Traveler guitar off the interwebs. Fender Mod shop isn't much more expensive than my Dlx US Fender was. It's gone well so far, but I sure miss guitar stores.
At some point it might be easier to get people’s attention by dumping the marketing and removing that overhead from the cost of the product. In fact, brands like Behrenger seem to be doing this and getting their appeal based on radically undercutting the competition because their products don’t have this enormous marketing overhead. I’m not saying Behrenger is the best brand, but I have a bunch of their stuff simply because I bothered looking for a cheaper alternative and their stuff was a good value for the price. There’s a diminishing return effect on marketing costs that a lot of brands are blind to.
I’ll never buy direct from fender again. Single boxed, fender logos showing, footprints on box, zero padding. Never again.
Proof?
Thanks for your honesty, once again.
Phil, whats youre thoughts on how local stores can pivot to stick around? Music lessons, service/repair, used niche inventory? These little stores need some coaching.
I like to support my favorite music store. I also like my Gibson and Kalamazoo made Heritage.
And Hartley Peavey in the eighties and nineties said he would never sell outside a dealer network and never go abroad...how did that turn out?
Hi Phil. I really like what you do. Can you please tell me what guitar is hanging on the wall directly above your head? Looks like a quilted maple, 2 humbuckers, with a white tipped trem arm?
Why would a company want you to try before you buy? Hmmmm 🤔 they don’t. They want your money. You buy, and they have draconian return policies. Even guitar center wants to hide returns In a Monthly gear service.
Sure consumers don’t care. They want to buy the guitar. They don’t know what money is worth.
The only guitar I’ve purchased direct was an American Professional II from Fender this past Fall. They were giving out 10% off codes like Halloween candy, and I just assumed that was part of the strategy for making the shift to direct sales. I DID feel kind of dirty doing it. (But it did save me about $160, so not THAT dirty!)
They also have a lot of sales, which goes hand-in-hand with their much more ‘progressive’ marketing, getting gear into the hands of younger, more diverse, and less wealthy players. I don’t see Gibson being willing to tarnish their “Only a Gibson is good enough” prestige and mystique, especially as they as clearly going after the old money, the guys thoughtlessly paying the better part of a grand to see Eagles or Metallica or Billy Joel up close.
I bought a Gibson SG from Bizzar Guitar in Reno, Nevada. The manager said 90% of their guitars are sold direct.
Thank you.
The flipside of that marketing coin is turning on youtube and every guitar channel has the same product at 8AM when the NDA or whatever it's called gets lifted. Nothing screams louder to me, "DON'T BUY THIS YET!" than that. Right now it's the '54 Strat reissue, and the Grohl Epiphone. The used market is where it's at right now.
I think Epiphone is about five years too late on the Grohl signature, and ANY excitement I might have reflexively felt about it (love the Foos) was instantly snuffed out by the oppressive ubiquity of the marketing onslaught, like being surrounded by a bunch of carnival barkers all yelling at you from ONE FOOT AWAY.
I know that’s been the industry standard for a few years now, but this one had the added obnoxious layer of spinning the delay in its release as all the more reason to be ready to spontaneously combust over it. It’s just a 335 with less ornate soundholes and a goofy headstock. (Shrugs.)
The deals that are being offered right now on new gear are making them cheaper than used gear. New gear is really where it's at right now.
I agree on the used. On Reverb I've picked up some crazy deals such that I had to get rid of stuff (gave to my nephew for his birthday ha).
Basic issue - there are just plenty of guitars. And no one really needs fancy, just a good neck and good pickups.
If they sell direct, a percentage of that dealer's cut they save, has to be spent on a different kind of warehouse and distribution setup, surely..? I mean, they'll still save a chunk of change per guitar, but they'll possibly need to pay for more warehouse staff on the sales and distribution, side of things. If they're normal set up is, load big trucks, send to A, B and C dealer warehouse or shop. I'm not in that business, so I could be wildly off base here.
One thing I noticed while researching a specific brand and model for a couple weeks here on YT is that
8/10 reviews are really bad. Even videos made by the manufactories are bad. Bad in the sense of the player and sound.
It takes effort to make a guitar sound like it should, not just noodling around with some random licks without dynamics, touch and feel
and probably using the nearest amp available. I've heard reviews of guitars I know sound good and they butcher it totally. I don't mean "Hey, look, I've got a new guitar" stuff, but music stores trying to sell their stuff and someone in the staff tries to demo it. Then I've seen and heard excellent demos where they don't try to be SRV or any other guitar hero but maybe just playing chords with a light and nice touch, where you can hear the sound without the slap of a heavy picking hand all the time.
If I where a brand, making and selling guitars I would be anxious about how bad their guitars are presented here on YT sometimes. Good sound and playing, then we can talk specs.
PRS has been selling accessories direct for awhile.. it’s the first step. Fender started with accessories.
With my limited budget, over time I have collected all the Gibson replicas from China, from an EDS 1275 doubleneck, Peter Frampton's Black Beauty, an LP custom w/green quilted top, to Johnny Smith's hollowbody w/spruce. Also an L7c w/abalone binding throughout, & an SG custom w/full binding. Both have triple gold p/ups. I even bought the perfect copy of the Martin custom shop OM-41. I got 'em set up & run 'em through TC Electronics G-Major into a Marshall half-stack. You set the tone, and you're good to go on any of these instruments-all for under 3 grand. Processing can make any decent guitar sound wonderful! But those bargain days are gone now.
A lot of retail stores have to have so much of the merchandise in and it's a ridiculous amount to sell. For example they want you to have maybe seventy five Jackson guitars on hand It's a high inventory it's hard to sell. I just missed the day going to my Local music store. It's in the guitar that I really wanted. Put it my hands in tried. That's how I ended up with so many JACKSON guitars. Unfortunately JACKSON is owned by fender. I missed a day to go out to california at the jackson plant and really look and all the stuff. Not good now.
I like the sky blue axe over yer shoulder… N that semi looks playable….
So many resellers are moving online, or resell on Amazon. Amazon has it's own headaches for manufacturers and resellers. Then again people love Sweetwater's support. Will brands start adopting sales/support techs a la Sweetwater? Something a bit more robust than your average customer support.
Admit it, it's just greed. And those companies are already direct. Companies have WAAAY too many models, too many employees, and too much costs incurred.
Greed? Can't run a business without profit.
You do realize that the number 1 reason and main reason to own a business is to turn a profit right?
If the greed is too disliking, then stop buying gear. This will continue as long as all of us suckers keep buying.
Hello Phil. Behind you to your left, the strat like guitar ABOVE the Fishman what model and make is that guitar hanging on the wall?
Kiesel Theos
I have to say there’s a massive gong somewhere that’s bonging the bong bong and shifting the woggle pimples until the cat shoes merge with the tusk boppers.
The whole marketing thing hit me with the $379 kramer LP with a floyd rose. I had 0 idea that guitar existed and I probably would've bought one a long time ago had I known haha
Its not a matter of it could happen. Its a matter of WILL happen. Inflation is putting HUGE pressure on EVERYONE. Manufactors are looking to be LEAN that is what happens in tough economic times. Cost cutting occurs and they can radically reduce the cost of advertising their products by doing the marketing through reveiws and cutting a sizeable chunk out of of the marketing departments budget by getting their products review and seen. The manufactor wins and the consumer wins. Thats called a Win-Win.
That’s why I like keisel, they have best prices for a custom guitar.. what you want
Often half the price of making a movie is advertising it. If I was a pro recording musician, I would be spending way more than half my costs in advertising. Music videos were commercials for songs and
one video could cost more than recording the album.
This happens frequently when the economy gets squeezed.
It happened to me in the Restaurant Equipment industry, particularly with the big-ticket items, such as walk-in boxes.
While I called the manufacturers and they directed me to their "authorized distributors", when I went to the supermarket to present my quote - there were salesmen from the factories themselves selling direct. The same one who'd directed me to go through their authorized distributors.
Needless to say, I was livid. I even called a couple of the manufactures and told them about it - to no avail. They needed a sale as desperately as did I.
I reckon this happens in all markets maybe. I am in the medical equipment arena and the same exact things happen there. Although probably not a big deal in the guitar market, in my market (and maybe your market), the factories don't have the installation, setup and maintenance covered, only sales. So who do you think they call when THEY make the sale? AND, we pretty much provide the above at whatever we can negotiate for, because we are all needing to feed our families at that point! If it keeps going long enough, the factories will invest in permanent 3rd party labor, or bring it in-house to cope. That's to no one's advantage, but it will keep the lights on for them. I'm pretty sure all this stems from making too much profit and growing fat; it all will come to an end some time and we see this kind of thing happen. Or, maybe not.
I do not recommend buying a guitar without trying it first. And i mean that particular unit.
A guitar can look the part and have all the features you want, there's no guarantee it will sound good. I's rather buy a good sounding guitar than a good looking one.
The only problem with the direct argument is that replicating the infrastructure Sweetwater, Thomann, Anderson’s have built, both shipping and service has a cost that is currently spread across many brands. I could easily see the smaller shops getting squeezed though, and you might get small volumes through likes of Gibson Garage.
A good few brands will have to seriously sort out their QC before I would consider ordering one untested. I can't see Gibson being an easy company to accept quality complaints after shipping.
Nah, I have all of mine built.
I pick the wood, the hardware, the electronics, etc. I can't complain.
10 so far.
8 for me
2 for others.
I will walk into a guitar shop with no intention of buying a guitar, accidentally find one I really like and bingo I've bought another one... Staring at an image and I'm ok.
I doubt selling direct saves them much money. All the resources going towards distribution shifts to building and maintaining infrastructure built around direct shipping. Different storage needs, different packaging needs, and different sales and marketing, but they still need those elements.
"Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of guitar players." - P.T. Barnum
😁
A nice solid couple years of crashes sales will be nice. The used market needs a hard correction.
Nuts, I have to watch it again. I was looking at a guitar and not paying attention. 8) --gary
Imagine being able to purchase a new guitar 30 to 40 % off what is now retail ;.I’d imagine the Gibson custom shop would sell huge amounts unless they put their prices up …then we all loose out .
If they can sell for $4,000 do you think they'll drop to $2,000? Nope. Maybe $3600. They want to cut other out and make their own money too.
I bought both my strats from Fender.
Only Gibson and Fender? Sounds like Trogly.
That stupid guy who can't play?
and then some of us will spring up and and refuse to bow to Fender and Gibson and review stuff we like. There are other outlets who do not follow the trends.. you see tons of channels all reviewing the same crap.. and there are others who never hop on that train.. and the ones who don't hop on that train will be the ones with the audience.
with the Film industry, say you make a film for 4 Million, the marketing will often be 5 Million. The reason films go for the "brand" or series is the demands of marketing are much less, its already an established brand.
This comes at a really bad time too when economic downturn is going to hurt the market as a whole.
As a consumer, the direct to me is definitely cost efficient. Downside is not being able to play it first. Knock on wood, always been pleased, sometimes blown away. I'm sure not everyone's experience is the same.
Part of reason they will switch to direct is GC and Sam Ash are dying. They have to create plan B now. Wish Gibson or Fender had a store in NY!
While ya gotta make a profit, we're all succumbing to business models that have nothing to do with providing a good product. Everybody wants to be a millionaire every quarter of a fiscal year. Hopefully a technology like plek will cost less than $300 someday. I wonder what the margin is on that?
$288 dollars pure profit.
I can not believe a Gibson custom 1960 Les Paul Special double cut reissue is over $4K. Its a slab of wood with no binding and P-90s. Tinker toy tuning pegs and a rosewood neck with dots (and binding). That is absurd. You can get a Wolfgang special for only a little more. Or I can pay through the nose for an aged guitar that looks like it was left in an unheated shed. No thanks.
Where is the hands on customer support when buying direct and product is faulty
So, since Covid prices have artificially stayed high and will never drop. Inflation even though it drops it never goes back so one year it's 9% next drops to 3% the increase is still 12% in two years. That kills economy long term due to short term greed.
This means no local support and the prices you in the long run know are not going to be that much cheaper
Capitalism isn’t about cheaper.
These aren't toasters. How do you try these instruments out to see if you like them???
If everyone supported their local shops the way it used to be, then they'd become everything you want them to be again because of that support. Today, a local store only sees a fraction of all the gear being consumed within a reasonable proximity of their shops. Internet sales are killing the local stores, and the day will come when we all miss having the option to check out gear in person and/or buy a pack of strings the same day you need them. And remember, those stores support & contribute to your community by employing your taxpaying neighbors and probably help out the local school and music programs & events. How does Sweetwater and Amazon do that? They don't... at all.
@@pudgydaddy so true! Also you can't haggle or trade with an online corporation
This is another side of the coin that drives some people to buy online or direct, some areas just don’t have great guitar shops. I live in a top 25 metro area and we have one shop that carries only the highest end gear and is appointment only and was that way even prior to Covid. That shop has reputation for being major assholes. There are a few other “mom and pops” but a couple of those are actual regional chains in disguise. Then there are three guitar centers. From these stores, I wouldn’t buy a guitar from any of them. I actually believe that some college towns within three hours of my city have much better guitar shops. The local shops are either assholes, scam artists, or just don’t carry anything decent.
They are getting rid of shops.
Direct to consumer is great.
For decades hasn’t everyone been complaining about car dealerships?
Same idea.
That doesn’t mean car repair shops have gone away, they haven’t.
You win as the consumer.
And there are people in here who’d rather spend a few hours at a guitar shop so they can chit chat?
Huh? Fender has been selling direct to consumer in Aus since 2016 I reckon. Lately, I’ve noticed they have been promoting mainly FSR guitars you can’t get from retailers. I’m willing to be set straight on this, I’ve just got home from a night out. It sounded like you said, “pretty soon fender will go direct?”. Not happening in America? Confued
Factory direct from fender means no deals. You wanna deal? Get the hell out of here, knave, and don't come back until you're ready to acquire a Squire.
*THEE importance to me is - who's going give the guitar a "pro setup"? (what IF there's nobody around your area who can do a great setup, and you don't want to chance ruining your guitar doing it yourself).
When I got my Carvin back in 1997, it came fully setup from them. Will other companies do the same? (I highly doubt it).
If what he says is correct, then, it may be an advantage for manufacturers to sell direct, but I can’t see any advantage in buying direct. Unless there’s a cash saving on the product there’s no point. A couple of times I have bought online without trying the Guitars & it worked out, but that’s just luck!!
Fender has already started selling online an offering them for 10 - 20 % less than they allow store to. They're undercutting the people who have been keeping them in business. One of the reasons guitar manufacturers aren't selling as many products is due to big retail store chain have wiped out the small stores. Less stores less sales. Guitar Center has already been in bankruptcy several times in the past 20 years and been involved in major class action lawsuits which they lost. They could no longer sell the top tier guitar gear and are pushing the cheaper brands. Gibson and Fender wouldn't send them their more expensive gear any longer. GC had to make customers order them and buy them site unseen and wait for them to be shipped to the store. Covid -19 helped give the guitar makers the idea of selling direct because the stores were shut down for weeks. The big online retailers picked up the slack and sold gear in huge record numbers. Now that the pandemic fear has faded somewhat. People can go back to the store, but many of what were left of the independent stores were forced to close. So to continue to operate the big guitar companies decided to go direct. They can eliminate the middle man (the stores and distributers). They were already a no show at The NAMM SHOW. They won't have to bother to advertise either they have their websites for that.
I found out about Harley Benton by watching UA-cam videos
I have always bought used.
My buying days are over.
When you think of Ferrari you think about fancy car, when a businessman thinks of Ferrari he thinks about brand capitalization.
I just dont see the advantages of local music stores. They often dont do repairs and send setups/repairs to a local luthier who has a website. High value used items are sold on their eBay/Reverb sites so its not like you'll get a deal. New prices are usually higher than online retailers so there's no advantage there. Marketplace/Reverb/eBay have made selling used guitars easy so there's no reason to take a retailer's trade in price. Where's the upside?
I'd rather buy MOST things directly from the manufacturer. Mfgs. need to go back to actually standing behind their own products and not blaming it on the middle men in between. Car dealerships are the best example, even Ford's CEO wants to get rid of them and sell directly to customers.
Why do I need to buy this and that before Sweetwater can (when they used to) throw a discount on my order? Imagine if Mfgs. who are ALREADY DEALING WITH SHIPPING COSTS if they just stopped giving money away to stores that couldn't care less about their products or brand reputation, imagine if they just made all that money themselves!
I like to buy from Sweetwater because they double box their guitars for shipping.
When is mitchell guitars going direct?! Asking for a friend? 😅
I started to buy direct for these reasons:
a) relationship with manufacturer is more important than reseller relationship. Who would you rather have a relationship with in the guitar world, Paul Miles, or Paul at Sam Ash? Especially when you want access to limited runs
b) fakes are everywhere, buying from OEM ensures no fakes
Dunno if you actually have a relationship with Paul Miles tho... If you have a relationship with a music store rep, or a Sweetwater rep for that matter, there's still a chance they might cut you a deal, throw in an extra, etc. Dont think that comes with direct yet.
Yeah if you're buying on craigslist or some shady site. Buying from a reseller, you don't have that, this is a non issue IMO.
Too many companies putting out too many things no one needs. A million pedals ton of new dumb guitars enough
Making a video for two sets of strings is like the old debate of having to pay to play a gig somewhere. It's up to you, but should you do it?
So... why?
Sounds like the computer industry back a few years ago.
Gibson, and to a lesser extent Fender, have screwed the pooch too many times over the years and have been superseded by other manufacturers with better products, better quality at (not always) more affordable prices.
Well this is really nothing new and why not by the wrecked I mean I've been buying books from Amazon for 20 years now I haven't been to a bookstore in that long so buying a guitar from a dealer around the country has been my go-to but now if they're going to do Direct you're going to lose all the customer service value all the value points that go with the personalization that you get in a store so so be it
Buying a guitar without trying it out first is like buying clothes without trying them on first. Only worse, because every piece of wood is different. Unless you're buying a graphite guitar, you have no idea what you'll be sent.
The natural end of this is that the only brick and mortar guitar stores there will be are pawn shops.
We'll see...
Heritage is direct.
One cannot conflate, labour and skill and knowledge and service with raw material.
Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you can't build a better mouse trap you there is always marketing.
Hmmm Carvin not looking so weird now eh?
Depressing
the number of registered dealers of big brand guitars is dropping now