How Will The New Epiphone Prices Affect Gibson Guitars
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- Опубліковано 27 бер 2024
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I agree with Philip. He is right they want us o pay the high prices we pay for USA guitars but for foreign made guitars.
My issue isn't so much that import guitar prices are rising, it's that companies like Epiphone (and Jackson, etc.) are finding ways to manufacture them as cheap as possible, then raising prices instead of lowering them and still giving you things like "Indian Laurel" fretboards. Shifting production to China is a cost saving measure, especially for Epiphone since Gibson owns their own factory over there. Instruments are made in China because labor and materials are cheaper than anywhere else, there are no regulations, "mahogany" can be almost anything and they can mass produce instruments at a much higher pace. It doesn't cost them more in China compared to Japan, Korea, Indonesia or Mexico, it costs much less... so why are they charging more than ever? The fact that you can still buy a "Chibson" for $200-$300 proves there are hefty markups on Epiphones.
I agree 100% !
There are regulations for American companies operating in China above what the Chinese regs are. Same with Korea. I imagine it's the same in most countries. They are imposed by the US government.
You lost me at Chibson.
@@Relayer6a Interesting. So, what regulations are imposed at Epiphone that affect workers, materials and things like wood species? I know the US government regulates things like tech for security and import/exports. Gibson/Epiphone were actually sued in China last year for allegedly misrepresenting their woods in a 1959 Les Paul. A lab revealed that the body wood was made out of "Olive wood" and the top was a form of birchwood. Epiphone and Gibson China argued that there isn't regulatory or statue standard on solid body guitar making in China.
I won't buy Chinese...ever.
I was just on the Fender Build you own guitar page and built up a lefty Telecaster wondering how much it would cost. The final price was like $1299.00, this is for a custom built Fender. Correction, my bad the price was like $2099 ,sorry for the mistake.
The plan is " To Make More Money " .
That's life in the big city. It's what all businesses do. If you aren't growing your business you're losing.
In 2016 I bought a brand new Gibson Firebird V from Sweetwater. It was $1050. It’s the sunburst so you can see the wood they used. Now, $1699 for the made in China Epiphony that is solid color… so who knows what wood they are using. And thick poly finish. It’s ridiculous.
Sold my Fender Performer Jazz bass for a Japanese bass. US doesn't mean anything nowadays, except for suckers who's still in honeymoon phase lol. The Japanese bass I bought is legitimately better in every way. Luckily, some sucker still bought my unit for my price. Planning to minimize my gear.
$1400 for MIC guitar is ridiculous. USA made Kiesels, Gibsons and many more can be had for that much or less. Who buys these?
The flip side of higher profit margins is opening yourself up to cheaper competition. Epiphone became Gibson's way of selling guitars to people who couldn't afford a Gibson guitar. You got a guitar that is owned by Gibson but made in Korea, as is my '92 Les Paul that I bought out of college and still love to play today. Now if they raise the Epiphone price point to roughly where a cheaper Gibson would be, or just slightly below it, some folks will just pay the extra for the American made real-deal but more will just go to another brand that will offer a decent $500-$700 option. I think it's fine to make them overseas, but there should be a proce point to reflect it.
Do you think if people stopped buying imported guitars would the American made guitars be selling for the current import prices?
I'm not all that old. I'm a 90's kid in fact. I remember a time where a top end Epiphone was $700ish back in the mid-late 2000s. It's absolutely insane to know that they've nearly tripled in price, whilst the QC, and build quality have absolutely tanked.
It sure says a lot when you can get a Kiesel custom made to your specs for not much more than what the average Epiphone goes for these days.
The average Epiphone is probably around 3 or $400.
as long as you don't buy a signature, the higher-end ones are still not that much. The new SG Modern Figured and Les Paul Modern Figured that were introduced a month or so back are $800, so 14% price bump in ~15 years? Not too shabby.
Quality has tanked??! I owned epiphones back in the 90s and hated them. Bolt on necks, questionable quality, really hit and miss stuff and it was mostly miss.
Now, they're set necks, better quality, and there's a hell if alot more variety.
While I agree their pricing is becoming rediculous, I can not argue their quality has stepped up. I also own many gibsons, and in some cases, the playability and quality can be indistinguishable.
Gibson are becoming more and more greedy, no doubt about it, I don't know what the answer is but people will vote with their wallets.
At least we're spoilt for choice I guess?!
I have an epiphone 59 lazarus, its a fine instrument with awesome specs. I waited a long time to buy a Les paul and epiphone was in the back of my list. Until I played it, sounds amazing with my marshall sv20h. My point is, cnc machines make it possible to build a great spec guitar that doesnt cost an arm and a leg, and as for the made in china, no one complains when there is an apple icon in front of our fancy laptops and phones.
@@Rod_Serlings_wristwatchi think he refers to people complaining about stuff made in china overall, cos we have a lot of those.
@@Rod_Serlings_wristwatch Yea, guitars are a lot less complicated especially electric guitars.
Show me, where I can buy a made in America iPhone?
I've got three Chinese-built guitars currently. An Eastman semi-acoustic, which is hand-made to a level that I simply couldn't afford from the US, and a Gretsch, which is pretty good and was an affordable way to try the distinctive pickups. In many ways, though, the star of the show is the Squire J. Mascis Jazzmaster which I bought a couple of weeks ago - it would be a great guitar at any price, and is almost insanely good value for money at around £450.
Eastman's are EXCELLENT value.
The important thing is to play music you can suck on an expensive guitar sound like shit and play a cheap guitar and sound good either way keep ducking playing 🤘
@@user-gu6uh3nk7g Absolutely! Great players can make anything sound good, and getting great gear isn't going to suddenly transform us. The important thing, at every level, is to keep "ducking" playing and enjoying it. 😎
💯💯💯💯 Except for my 00s USA/corona fenders, all of my favorite guitars are either Korean made or Indonesian made. Buuut, I’m scared that even the Indonesian stuff will be up there with Korean/Japan stuff _price wise_ . Need to get them all now before they go up to MIJ/MIK prices
I have an epiphone 335 block inlay pro model that I love so much that I don't have a need for the US made for triple the cost
If you look at reverb right now. The $1700 epiphone firebirds have only sold one of them. I’m wondering if that has to do with it being reverb or if they aren’t selling too well.
Everyone was busy buying the Dave Grohl
The guitars I have now I'll die with! Have 12, that's enough ❤🎉
Phillip do you think we’ll start seeing solid flame maple caps on epiphones? No veneer? I’d definitely buy one
The way i see it, there are always going to be Gibson, Fender USA guys and so those brands will always have a market. I do see more and more people leaning towards imported guitars as a huge margin of them have quality made guitars, a lot more so than back in the day like 20yrs ago where imports meant you were getting crappy quality for the most part. That and the fact that US made guitars are going up in price so much so that a lot of buyers are turning to used made in the USA gear or imported guitars.
The point of an Epiphone was a guitar that split between affordable and quality. They're not going to see sales on the guitars that are no longer affordable.
It really depends on the factory it's made. I went to get a new Jazz Bass...ended up buying the Squier CV 60s bass instead of the Fender RI 60's because the Squier had a better setup, frets, and sound over the Fender..I was shocked because I was fully prepared to buy the Fender 60s RI...but the Squier was just better.. Now I'm looking at a Fender Johnny Marr sig Jaguar for 21-2500...and debating on buying the Squier 60's 400ish and putting the JM pickups and electronics in it.
Hey Phil, I have about a dozen Chinese Guitar kits I purchase pre and during covid. All for less than $150. I'm now retired and looking to start working for joy. Should I just resale these or is there a market for well built, Luthier and hardware upgrades?
I'm glad I bought my Epiphone 60's Les Paul Standard GT 3 years ago. Things are getting CRAZY! It's Excellently made, plays like a dream and was only $500.
Standard Epi LP retails for $700 now (and you can still deal). Inflation is real. But don't let yourself be led to believe that all Epiphones are $1300-$1700 dollars.
The thing I don't like about this video is that Phil doesn't stress the huge quality bump in Epiphone that begin under the leadership of JC and continues under Cesar. These aren't your Epiphone's of the early 2010s, granted, they still build those models and still sell them sub $500. But the new "high end" Epiphones have USA Gibson electronics: pots, caps, Gibson USA pickups, Switchcraft hardware. Of course you have to pay more for those features. I see the new more expensive Epiphones as really a new category of high-end Epiphone... I think for some people this is just obvious, but seeing comments here and elsewhere it's clearly not that obvious.... Their "Inspired By Gibson" all solid wood acoustics are the very best Epiphone has built in the last four decades. I have one of the first year (2020) Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J-45 acoustic models and it's "opening open" in a way I've only experienced on Nitro finished guitars, in spite of being a buffed out poly finish.
Bullsheet my dude epiphone made the 2009/2010 epiphone les paul 1960s and 1959 v3 models and they came from the factory with switchcraft switch switchcraft jacks gibson burstbucker pickups cts pots mallory capacitors and a long neck tenon look it up, back in 2014 they also did a lot of amazing stuff, what they are selling you in 2024 is nothing but overpriced i highly encourage you to get more knowledgeable about the topic before you start to say things that just are not true, epiphone has been having their guitars coming out of the factory with USA components for a really long time, they may have been limited editions but they exist
@@ernestochang1744 yeah, i see now they have offered Gibson USA electronics before, but those models weren't selling for $500 even then. Maybe you paid a few hundred less than the $999 Les Paul 59' Limited, but you have to have your head pretty far up the ass to not see everything has shot up in price like this.. check car prices recently... The base model vehicle I bought new in 2016 for $30,000 now has its base model for $39,000. It's universal inflation.
Wow. $1400 for an Epiphone??!! I had no idea. I'm a huge Gibson fan, but I will admit every Gibson guitar I own is custom shop or "golden era" vintage. I know, now you despise me. But I also own my share of MIM and MIJ Fenders (and yes, some very "exclusive" Fenders) and I really love my inexpensive Fenders. MIJ Fenders are the best bang for your buck in all of guitardom. But I've never liked Epiphones or off the rack Gibsons. Quality, inexpensive guitars are Gibson's biggest liability. And now Epiphones are $1400. Insane.
I paid $1300 for my Rickenbacker 320 a few years back. I will not drop anything over $500 for an Epiphone. I'd rather get a Gretsch.
Guitars are so easy to build yourself... I've built 3 and even using SD pickups, locking tuners and semi descent hardware it cost me like 500€ a piece and it's completely custom. You can make the radius you want, the frets you want (I have a tele with 14 to 16 inch radius and tall & narrow frets, absolutely great to play fast) and the design you want.
ESP Ltd EC1000. Blows away Gibsons for half the price. I have tried playing epiphones. Maybe it’s the ones GC gets. I just can’t get into them. They feel cheap. Even the higher end ones. Maybe it’s me.
Aside from the china thing Epi charging high dollar with indian laurel fretboards - the fretwork is shit. Im not paying 1200 and 1500 for lousy fretwork. Gave up on them.
Ok let’s say for some reason Gibson starts making all their guitars with Indian laurel fretboards, would you still buy them at $2-$3k?
@@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020
Absolutely not.
@@xMaoxoaMx ok cool. Fair enough, rosewood is better.
Well, I bought an Epihone inspired by Gibson line Korina Flying V (because I couldn’t justify paying $9900 for the Gibson version) and I can tell you the quality is very high, no veneer but full korina body, fretwork is top notch, Gibson hardware. Well worth the money. And yes it has an Indian laurel fretboard, but it feels great. I can compare because my 3 other guitars are Gibson custom shop guitars. ( goldtop, junior and 335)
I really don’t understand the aversion against Indian laurel ( or pau ferro). These are great sustainable alternatives to rosewood and they don’t affect the playability or sound of the guitar in any way imho.
Funny to see imports reaching those prices, but the U.S. guitars prices have been out of line for quite awhile now. 🤔
Suhr, The Heritage, Rickenbacker, who else? Do acoustics count?
Keisel
Everybody hates the import guitars that they don't stop buying in volumes.
"Why aren't they making more American guitars?"
It's truly a mystery.
My Epihone 60's Tribute Plus is a very nice guitar. Plays and sounds beautiful. I feel it is a quality instrument. Much better than my chibson gold top lp.
I own two Gibsons and an American made strat. Also a USA made Charvel. I believe the US made guitars will simply end at some point and I want to own as much equipment from the country that invented rock and roll as I can. I’m sure the other stuff is more affordable and better, because everyone says so, so it must be true. I just love American made and I’ll continue to buy and own as much of it I can get.
I really love the Epiphone inspired by Gibson and I have a few… however for a guitar made in China I prefer the used Eastman and if I bought a new one it would be from the German company Maybach
I imagine these big US companies lean on their Asian imports because more people buy them - because they’re more affordable. If the imports become as expensive as US priced guitars, won’t less people buy them and make them less profitable? I think that’s a great plan.
I bought a Custom Color series Gibson SG Standard from Sam Ash on Reverb that was listed as used "mint" but was really new. Got it for $1300 a couple of months ago. I will never pay that or more for a made in China Epiphone!
That's the business model known as Peavy
Prices are totally insane. I’ve been driven out of the market on principle.
I’ll still buy guitars when I feel like it but it will be second hand.
Guitars are incredibly cheap.
Great commentary, Phillip. Those of us who got in early with the Chinese market appreciate the expense then vs. today. They have some great artisans. It's just too bad that their ideology is even more corrupt than ours here. Like King Solomon said: "one sinner destroyeth much good."
From some reviews I have seen on Genuine Gibson quality the quality can be embarrassing. I saw a review on the silver V recently and it was tragic.
I don't hate WalMart. I like WalMart. I shop there all the time. I detest Amazon to the point that I closed my account there and quit doing business with them over five years ago. I vote with my wallet. I don't hate import guitars. I have a few nice made in Korea / Japan / Indonesia Epiphones. I have an 89 Epi Les Paul Custom that sounds and plays as well as any Gibson I have owned. I have a couple MIJ or MIM Fenders and Charvels. However, I will not knowingly purchase or own a guitar made in China. Personal preference. Again, voting with my wallet. As much as people love to hate Gibson (not saying you were in this video, Phil) I bought four brand new Gibson guitars between August 2021 and October 2023. An ES-339, a Flying V, a SG 61 Standard and a 70s Les Paul Deluxe. They are all great guitars. The 339 is custom shop quality. JC made a huge difference while he was at the helm. As far as import guitar prices go, your Apple analogy you made in another video was spot on.
Wait for the 10 000 dollar made in China Murphy lab 59 reissue les Paul
It won’t be long.
In 2016 I bought a new SG Standard (weirdly they were minus a case that year) for €1,000. With a Gibson case it was a bit under €1,200. I’ve had one small pay rise since then, everything has gotten more expensive (fuel, electricity, food everything) and now they want 1400 for an Epiphone? Uh, no thanks.
There is simply no value on buying an epiphone for more than $1000. For that price you better buy a Schecter or an Ltd, or even a Mexican Strat
As a guitarist with about 50 years experience, I have gone from being a Gibson/Epiphone mega-fan in my youth to being a fan of great quality builds. I don’t care who made them, where they were made, when they were made, etc. I care only about the sound and playability of the instrument. Harley Benton currently makes better Teles than Squire (and many Fenders, too), and at about half the price. I own both. But Gibson simply offends me now, because of their ridiculous pricing and the lack of quality control and proper setup on their instruments.
Blame the "collectables" market. It's making these guitars impossible for most working musicians to be able to afford. It's insane.
These brands really don’t care about up and coming musicians, their really mostly for upper middle class America with thousands of free cash. This is why new music is so bad, the only people affording this stuff are middle aged dudes playing oldies or dudes playing covers locally.
But any young person passionate about doing something new can’t even afford a small amp and decent guitar with a pedal.
They’re priced out instantly. I played with a crate and two sgs I acquired over a decade. Played that for 20 years and eventually had spare cash for a short window and bought many Gibson’s and some amps . Now
I’m back to broke .
I’m a songwriter too but have a vocal cord issue a while back and ear issues. It took me many years to get the cash to buy gear that sounded nice. I love to have spent my time writing instead of tone chasing but really music goes downhill because for someone with a humble life, you really don’t have many good options.
Even with expensive gear, most of it doesn’t sound good.
Beginners are stuck with maybe a katana which is a good beginner amp but I wouldn’t record an album with that. They’re left with mediocre sounds , only dudes who can afford to find a good setup are guys who probably have no intention other than to play covers in their bedroom or at noisy bars
nah man, it has never been cheaper and easier to get good quality beginner and intermediate equipment than nowadays. you get so so so much better stuff on a budget: 500 bucks and you can have a decent guitar and a really nice sounding modelling amp with all the effects you could ever want. Pedals are way way cheaper as well (and not even only with the oem chinese stuff, but also ehx and others that just weren't around or didn't do the whole range of pedals).
I can buy a decent guitar or an amp nowadays for the same price it took me to buy a tube screamer 20 years back.
Higher wages leave less room for quality control in a guitar that can be sold at an affordable price. Lower wages in China and Indonesia let them build a great value guitar that people want to buy, but that guitar will be competing directly with the lower end American made guitars from the same manufacturer.
Makes sense to only sell high end American made guitars that have enough profit margin to allow a higher level of quality control.
RIP Epiphone.
Maybe Gibson brand will move to China and Gibson Cutom Shop will be the only Gibson brand made in the US. The new Epiphone Firebird could be a Gibson with rosewood fretboard & nitro finish...
@@Rod_Serlings_wristwatchSorry you're completely wrong. The latest Epiphone Firebird I & Vs have banjo tuners and what appears to be the correct Gibson headstock. In fact Gibson stopped using banjo tuners way back, instead first installing Steinbergers, more recently mini grovers. I guess you're thinking of the 2020 Inspired by Gibson F/birds which are nice guitars and fairly priced at $649.
Epiphone is starting to subtly creep the open-book headstock into it's product line, so maybe you're on to something
@@Rod_Serlings_wristwatch yess!
I mean Kramer, Ibanez,they have some pricey guitars ( just because of a STARS NAME!! LOL and it's made in other countries!! I'm not paying the outrageous 1,500 on up prices!! No way DUDE!! NO Way it's not just Gibson and Fender but a few more!! Up to 1000.$ sure but way more?? And THEN I DAMN HARDSHELL CASE??? Fugeddaboutit
Have a Japanese made Yamaha and a US Made Taylor.
I’m not sure I understand the phrasing of the title.
Right, like how are the prices of Epiphone guitars going to affect the quality or the build of Gibson guitars? Or their shape or their style I guess I don't know what he's asking.
If the people who make the guitars get paid fairly then I dont see a problem with the prices of the Epiphones going up. They're good guitars! And it's a common (and sad) misconception that a good high end guitar has to be made in USA. For me, as a northern european the "made in USA" tag is just another tag. If the guitar is well made then I'll gladly pay for what it's worth, no matter if it's made on the moon.
No Sweatshop Guitars for me! USA ALL THE WAY!!!
Asian import guitars are winning because normal folk don’t have 4000 and on up dollars to drop on an American made guitar. Especially when most guitarists are just playing for the hobby and love of music.
Yes money talks but peoples common sense talks also.
I’ll buy a few more expensive guitars and will in the gaps with Firefly guitars
IT WAYS THE EXACT SAME AS A FRIENDS SLASH EDS 1275 DOUBLE NECK THAT COST $13,999.00.
The retail prices are stupid high, while the used market is going down?
I think epiphone couldn’t stand it when Joe Bonamassa epiphones resold for above $2000.
I was excited to buy the Epiphone 58 explorer but I played one and it was an absolute piece of crap. I own 10 electrics and all are USA made except one Hamer which is a great guitar.
if people think that all chinese guitars are terrible the people who don’t understand cnc, and cad design. only issue is quality control which is also an issue for american made ones
As someone that has owned many Gibson guitars (both USA and Custom Shop) and a couple Epiphones, I can honestly say that the only advantage the USA Gibsons have over the Chinese/Indonesian Epiphones are electronics and fit/finish. But even that is marginal. The Gibsons are finished to a higher, more detailed level, but an Epiphone can be set up to play just as well as a Gibson. In fact, the best playing guitar I've ever owned was a 2005 Epiphone LP Custom. Wish now that I'd kept it. I won't pay Gibson prices anymore and am currently stuck with a Gibson LP Junior that at this point I would trade straight up, and at a loss, for an Epi LP Custom.
I vote with my wallet and I only own American guitars except for one PRS.
it’s about the wage bill
I have the EDS 1275 EPIPHONE DOUBLE NECK IN WHITE,,,LOOKS, SOUNDS, AND PLAYS JUST AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THE $7,999.00 GIBSON. I PAID $999.00 SHIPPED AND NO TAX. FREE DELIVERY. $150.00 FOR THE CASE, NO TAX FREE DELIVERLY.............. THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY
All those freaking out about the price of imported guitars, Chinese in this case because it's standard internet Gibson hate and disingenuous people want to clump Epiphone in with the Chinese sweatshop brands, someone else must do your grocery shopping for you. You don't look at Apple product (or Samsung or Oppo or... tech items. You must not realize there's massive inflation going on. Then we'll add that a key way to increase profits for any company is to raise the ASP (average selling price) of their products. And I'll close with you can still buy a $200 Epiphone SG. These signature products are not just Epiphone raising prices. They are a different market than their standard line.
Does anyone complain about the price of Eastman guitars being as expensive (or more) than these signature model Epiphones? They're actually a Chinese owned company making basically Gibson knockoffs (good quality knockoffs, mind you. And they've expanded into Fender territory too.). And they're bucking this perceived, don't want to manufacture in the US trend, because they just released a made in USA line. They run $3700-$4000 and are simple bolt-on designs made from second rate tonewoods, no binding, etc... Everything is getting more and more expensive, folks.
Araising the prices of guitars made in China makes guitars made in the USA seem "cheaper".
If Gibson would make a USA Firebird I’d get one. No to these Epiphones
I think a firebird is one of Gibson's regular models isn't it?
I care about the American workforce.
as a dirt poor guitarist of 30 years who has never owned a "good" guitar, recent Chinese guitars have allowed me to enjoy a level of quality in my instruments that i would never be able to afford 20 years ago, even 10.
what's my opinion of $1000US+ guitars? the same as my opinion on Lamborghinis. there's no point wasting energy forming an opinion of a product i will never own.
You complained about a $100 guitar and got $10 knocked off and you have painted fret markers? Lol😮😮
I only buy USA guitars & amps, Gibson, Music Man & Fender. Mesa Boogie.
Gibson is ripping everyone off.
Absolutely.
China is no longer the world’s cheap manufacturing option for anything. The cost of production of goods from China have tripled since Covid and will not be returning to pre Covid pricing. So I suspect Indonesia and other south Asian country’s will step into that void over the next decade.
Epiphone is so overpriced it’s insane.
Sometimes, You just plain talk to fast.
you're dead right there Phillip....these 3 points count at the end of the day....and for those who are able to pay top $$$for their guitars....so be it...cheers....and yes...the people in the far east who make these "affordable" guitars want to earn more money too...one day....
All i can say, with so many new brands, better learn how to work on them yourself. Cant trust quality control from anyone. Ive seen great cheapos and ive seen crappy expensive guitars. Buyer beware.
There is nothing less inspiring than owning an army of tacky Chinese made guitars that exist just to make money. Players would be better off to have one or two expensive guitars and just leave it at that, why keep buying shit
Quit buying New Guitars.
Gibsons are way overpriced and Epiphone is starting to do the same. Occasionally China puts out decent products, but they have a reputation for selling cheap junk for a reason. Now that prices on everything are higher, Chinese products aren't worth anymore imo because the quality isn't good enough/consistent enough for the price you're paying. Might as well go with something else. Japan, Indonesia, Mexico etc.
They will make what ever you want at whatever price point your needs demand. With Quality Craftsmanship as well. It just takes knowing the company your dealing with.
If suckers pay for it, why not hijack prices? I would do that too!
"How Will The New Epiphone Prices Affect Gibson Guitars?"
Who knows & Who cares?
All I know is .. I hope they both go out of business.
Don't mind Chinese or Vietnamese, Mexican, or anything else ( that's racist actually when you really think about it ..many don't like to admit that) but if it's made in a cheaper country with WAT CHEAPER MANUFACTURING COSTS than why the HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO PAY TOP NOTCH AMERICAN MADE / MANUFACTURING COSTS RATE??? NOPE I WILL NOT
I won’t support China. I’m sorry, firstly the craftsmanship is no where near as good, secondly I don’t agree with the country and what it stands for so I would rather have a Japanese one.
Part of the issue is the devaluation of the dollar. The dollar will collapse this year when the NATO VS BRICS WW3 starts by summer.
Stock up by the way while you can.
I won't buy chinese guitars anymore, I have a few, they are good for the price, but I'm done.....now I'm shopping at Higher price points for USA, Japan or Korea stuff, I will pay the money for hand crafted......even Indonesia isn't bad, I own a few, I will continue to buy those at certain price points, But I refuse to buy China anymore.
here is yur Brownie badge
@@DE-GEN-ARThes got a point. I’m guessing you have a wall of guitars like phil, but they are all 75$ harley bentonsv
Good for you. Nobody cares. Epiphone makes a quality instrument.
I was told, years ago by several music store owners/managers, that Chinese labor in M.I. manufacturing is getting more expensive. This is long before Covid or the parts/materials shortages. Certain Squier models, like the Clasic Vibe (MIC), for example were only about 3-4 hundo then.
Good for you. American guitars suck people at the factory don't give a crap and their quality control is absolute garbage, but if you want ro spend your money and imagine that paying more will somehow make it sound better go ahead.
Japan on the other hand, has been producing flawless fenders and gibson clones for 50 years now and are still overlooked for some reason.
I got a Glarry guitar a couple of years ago, paid 119 USD free shipping -$10 because I complained about fret inlays were not inlays, they were just painted. Thin line Tele style, swapped pickups to fender deluxe...it sounds amazing!