Drove by the Sam Ash in Jacksonville yesterday and they had a gigantic “store closing sale” sign outside. Walked in hoping to get a good deal ant it was literally- this section of guitars 5%off. Disappointed 😢
When I started playing guitar Epiphone was a bit of a mixed bag of quality. My Sheraton is a solid, well built guitar with a good sound, but my Epi Les Paul is noticeably less quality than my Gibson LPs. I tried an Epi SG that felt like I could snap it like cardboard. They were £250-£450 guitars as opposed to £800-£1500 Gibsons. Now looking around guitar shops it’s obvious the quality of materials, finish, and options on Epiphone are very close if not better than Gibson. Really all you’re paying for on a Gibson is the name that shows it’s a US product.
Apparently Epiphone thought "Inspired by Gibson" meant the prices. That being said, it appears that a $1,500 guitar is considered "budget" these days. Just sad.
It's brutal ... The Epiphone name has been synonymous with "point of entry" for years ... now Gibson is signaling to beginners that want a budget Les Paul or SG that they're too poor to play a Gibson.... I find it REALLY REALLY insulting. It's almost like they're saying " (Expletive) you , We dont need you " ... go buy a fender. on that note , you can buy a decent fender for $1500 . Id rather give them my money anyway.
I just don't see how Epi is the bad guy here. They still offer great budget guitars much like Fender there have entry, budget, and more premium options before you get to USA made guitars
@@belongtoit They still have low quality budget guitars. They made the mid range and better than base model USA stuff more expensive to match what other brands like ESP are charging. It made no sense that epiphone would be low end stuff, but then randomly have similar priced better than USA products. If you look at anything since about 2018 with USA pickups they are better than a gibson USA (not custom shop.)
@@belongtoitYou can still buy cheap Epiphones. You can buy USA Gibsons for a little over $1000. The demand is so high for the DG335 they could have asked for more. But the prices of the high end USA stuff is over the top and I've noticed the price of Standards and 335s start to come down a bit again, I guess they weren't selling many.
When I worked on a software department of a company we had a well respected product for a certain price. When a bank took a share in our company they sent some consultants to give us some free advise. They told us we should raise our price to five (!) times the then current price. The reason was potential customers would consider our product (that was good, reliable and useful) far better, having a higher quality than with the affordable price we sold it for. We needn't change anything about the product, just the price and probably the presentation (more shiny, maybe fancier name).
These prices are killing small town USA . The wages are not keeping up with inflation so these price seem unfair . The DG signature would have been $700 in 1998 . I paid $1500.00 for a 1998 Gibson Les Paul Standard in 1998 and that would be close to $3k . The problem is low wages . I made close to $450 -$500 in 1999 . That's $950ish in today's money and I bring home $100-$150 less .
The problem isn’t just your wages-.its also the ongoing onslaught of inflation, which over the past 3 years have been rampant-worst inflation period we’ve had since the late 1970s-early 1980s. There is always some baseline annual inflation-and when its low say 1-2%, it is much easier for wage growth to keep pace or outpace inflation and hence not result in loss of buying power. But when annual inflation rate hits 6-9% it is likely that most peoples wages growth will not keep pace and they will not be able to buy what they could before that bad period of inflation. And its especially frustrating when your wages go up 3-4% but you experience inflation of 6,,7, 8, or evn 9% during that period (which you could also call negative real wage growth-a situation when you are earning more money but actually can buy even less than before because prices of goods amd services have out paced your increased income. That’s where are right now. Supply and demand always play a role in any economy-regardless of level of inflation-something that becomes in short supply with persistent demand (or even growing demand with no acceptable alternative) will cause price for that thing to rise, and even substantially, even when overall average inflation is pretty low. Essential items like food, shelter, energy are particularly painful to deal with during a period of high inflation because everybody needs them-.regardless of their income level. But wealthy individuals are much better able to absorb those higher prices without altering as much of their standard of living. In reality inflation functions like a tax on the entire population and has a greater detrimental effect to the standard of living of the middle and lower income folks than the very wealthy. It affects all of us-but its worse and more difficult for all but the richest among us. And expecting employers to solve this problem for society by raising their labor costs to increase the wages they pay their workers to keep pace with high inflation of 5-9% per year is unrealistic and actually can just add more fuel onto the bonfire of inflation. Because employers themselves almost always have to pass on those increased labor cost onto the customers that buy their products. So you raise minimum wage from $11 to $15 and McDonalds has to raise all of the prices on every item on its menu due to increases labor costs-that adds to increased prices for everyone who buys food there. Magnify and multiply that across the whole economy and its fueling inflation even more. And this is where government actions can have detrimental effects on economy and inflation. If the government borrows more money for govt spending (and adding to govt deficit) they are in essence printing more money for govt to pay to add additional employees and or give their job force a raise, or to purchase goods or services for government purposes, or to give free “gifts” of government money in form of grants for certain projects within the US or to foreign governments for projects or aid, or even to low income students to help them pay for college (Pell grants) it all results in an increase in the circulating money supply. When you increase the money supply, you make every dollar in circulation worth less than it was before you printed all that new money. Your dollars are now worth less and buy less than they did before-bingo-inflation. If the government thru policy causes an induced shortage of supply of an essential component of the economy-say energy-.gasoline and diesel fuel-.it will cause the price of gasoline and diesel to go up unless there is a corresponding and equal drop in demand for these fuels. Majority of goods in this country are moved to market from site of production via diesel powered truck or train. Be it agricultural or manufactured goods, this increase in transportation costs is going to be passed on to the end consumer. And petroleum products are essential in manufacturing of many many things, not just for transportation but actually in the manufacture of the products themselves-.fertilizer, plastics, synthetic rubber for tires, paint, medicines even-so you energy costs drive the prices of most things. And if you have a service company-.your fleet of vehicles that burn gas or diesel now are going to increase your operating expenses, again pushing you to pass on that cost to customers. And prices for EVs (like all modern vehicles make use of large amount of plastics in their construction) and are also going to face increased manufacturing costs and upward price pressures from rising petroleum prices. And its very disingenuous to blame higher gas, diesel, and petroleum prices and record income for gas and diesel producers because though there revenue may have increased significantly they too are affected directly by high inflation, their operating costs are also rising like most other manufacturing companies, and the cash they sre earning, just like yours, is worth less than it was before that inflation. So this is why we should all worry about what our government does ( and the folks we elect to run the government) that actually causes inflation by expanding the money supply by ever increasing deficit spending or by regulations that significantly restrict the supply of fundamental products whose availability and prices have a broad ripple effect on large areas of the entire economy and become drivers of accelerated and prolonged inflation. Suggested read/book: “Basic Economics” by Dr Thomas Sowell, professor emeritus at Hoover Institute of Stanford University.
Lol, me either. I'd rather save up and buy something made here in the US. I own a bunch of MiC guitars and after minimal TLC they're pretty awesome guitars. That said they range from 350 to 600. 8 Epi's some Ibanez, and others in that category. Gibson done lost their minds, again. Lol
I love hearing people talk about pricing of new gear. Look toward used/vintage. I bought an all original 87' Torino Red USA made Strat last week. All I did was throw on new strings and it is magical and ran me $1,100.
Epiphones are where they should have always been.. epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson..in 2019 JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back..the Epiphone Quindoa facility is completely American owned and operated Scott Lewis is the facility manager along with American and Asian luthiers its also state of the art and only Epiphones are made there.. Epiphones just like there little brother Gibson are 70% made by hand and people like me will continue to buy the legendary Epiphone brand..
Absolutely right , I just wished Epiphone was made in Korea, like back in the day. They were better , real rosewood . I really don’t care about the new headstock… I’m trying not to buy Chinese made guitar. I’m not in love with PPC government… but you are completely right . Epiphone is a true force now❤👍🏻
@@nicolasbeaudry6158 the Epiphone Quindoa facility is completely American owned and operated Scott Lewis is the facility manager along with American and Asian luthiers..if it was made in Korea not one American luthier would have even touched it..at the Quindoa facility they are and every day..and the quality is superb..the Epiphone Quindoa facility is also state of the art.
@@nicolasbeaudry6158 the specs of a recently discontinued epiphone limited run modern figured Sgs and now on sale what's left of them.. this model will rise in value and price as time goes on....The SG Modern Figured from Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson™ Collection has the classic SG™ body profile made from mahogany and a maple cap with an AAA-figured maple veneer. Powered by a pair of Epiphone's ProBucker™ humbucker™ pickups with coil-splitting, phase switching, and a treble bleed circuit for a multitude of tones. It also features an ebony fingerboard, asymmetrical SlimTaper™ neck profile with contoured heel, world-class Grover® Locking Rotomatic® 18:1 ratio tuners, and a Graph Tech NuBone™ nut. Hardshell Body Style SG Body Shape SG Body Material Mahogany Top 3/4" Maple with AAA Flame Maple Veneer Body Finish GlossProfile Asymmetrical Slim Taper Scale Length 628.65 mm / 24.75 in Fingerboard Material Ebony Fingerboard Radius 304.8 mm / 12 in Fret Count 24 Frets Medium Jumbo Nut Material Graph Tech® Nut Width 43.0 mm / 1.692 in Inlays Trapezoid Joint Glued in, Set NeckFinish Nickel Bridge LockTone Tune-O-Matic Tailpiece LockTone Stop Bar Tuning Machines Grover locking Rotomatic; 18:1 Truss Rod Adjustable Control Knobs Clear Top Hats with Ridge Switch Tip Black Strap Buttons 2 - bottom and shoulder Pickup Covers NickelNeck Pickup ProBucker 2™ humbucker w/coil-splitting Bridge Pickup ProBucker-3™ humbucker w/coil-splitting Controls 2 Volume (2 Push/Pull coil-splits); 2 Tone (1 Push/Pull Phase) Pickup Selector 3-way Epiphone toggle Output Jack Epiphone Heavy Duty 1/4"
The job apps was a real eye opener…when people rag on Gibson quality, it’s my belief that management is pushing the workers so hard to reach numbers, thats why you occasionally see sloppy work…I don’t know for certain but that would be my best guess
I bought a $900 Epiphone Noel Gallegher Riviera in November from Sweetwater for about $800 because of the tiniest flaw on the edge of the treble pickup cover. It is a beautiful guitar and, with a hardshell case, a good bargain.
I picked up a Shinichi Ubukata ES-355 in non-working condition at auction. I paid about half of retail cost, pulled the harness out of the F-hole, did some soldering, and have one of the best guitars in my collection. The Varitone was removed but I probably will just put a dummy switch in and not even connect it back up. Still, this guitar is likely worth retail. Not sure I would have paid that, but I don't think anyone should feel bad about it if they do. It really is awesome in form, fit, and function.
Hey Phil don’t feel like this was a “downer”. You have a unique perspective that’s why we’re here. Can’t not discuss things because they are a drag, at least some of the time.I’m a bit out of the loop maybe, I feel like I am not as much of a gearhead as some, but I love my partscaster and try and find happiness with progress in my playing abilities and not my spending abilities!
The average Fender executive compensation is $217,036 a year.The median estimated compensation for executives at Fender including base salary and bonus is $219,721, or $105 per hour. At Fender, the most compensated executive makes $518,000, annually, and the lowest compensated makes $36,655.
I bet, banking involves things like Roth IRA accounts and such 🤣 Meanwhile, the lowest wage job out of college is educator. Hope all these rich bankers are nice enough to teach the rest of you math ☕
Here’s the thing. Outsourcing drives down wages. But that’s how you get cheap guitars. So buying cheap guitars drives down wages, which then makes the guitar less cheap relative to what you make. Do you want to make more money and have higher prices, or do you want to make less money and have cheaper stuff? I would take the first option every time, because you get to choose how you spend your money, and the products are higher quality. Globalization removes that option. And as you saw in this video with Epiphone, they’re going to raise the price of lower quality foreign made guitars until they cost the same as the ones made in the US anyway, except most of the money will flow out of the country and never come back. Inflation and globalization are the issues at play. If you want to complain about what guitars cost, or what people get paid, blame the politicians who made that happen. Not the guitar companies. I support Gibson and Fender. They’re part of the few good things the US still makes. If the race to the bottom with globalization continues, the US itself is going to collapse, and then nobody will care about guitars. P.S. $220k isn’t all that much in California. I’m surprised they make that little. That’s a mid-level employee in Silicon Valley.
After about two years of owning an S2 594 I exchanged the pickups a month ago. I the stock pickups were good. The replacements have made the guitar one of my favorites. Happy swapping and I hope you love the results as much as I have.
@@shanetx81 My S2 594 is crazy light for a guitar with a maple cap. I am not sure how that impacts its tone compared to other 594s. That being said, the sound with the stock pickups was good but it was muddy on the low end and also a bit shrill on the top end. Overall I would say the original pickups felt dark. I was looking for a pair of pickups that would bring out clarity while retaining a PAF vibe. I put in a pair of PRS 57/08 pickups that I got an amazing deal on. I love the sound. They have brightened the guitar without being shrill. They have added clarity. They are also more responsive to changes in the volume knob. Only down side for my playing style is the bridge does not have quite as much push as hotter pickups. All that being said, they have made my S2 594 my #1 electric since they were installed. What did you put in your 594? How do you like it?
@@TheRealChristopherRyan I went with a set of SD Pearly Gates. I also emptied the control cavity and put in some tight tolerance CTS pots and 50's wiring. I had to enlarge two of the pot holes with a reemer which was a first, but was easy. I've only had a few hours on it, but I'm really pleased. I don't heap praise lightly, been playing for over 20 years. I spent a lot of time listening to videos on A2 humbuckers and I wanted something a bit like a 57 classic but more mid range and less dark at the same time (more pleasing treble and bite when driven). Didn't want to drop $400 on super boutique stuff, got a deal through Guitar Center of all places. I really think PG nails what I was after. Neck HB is articulate, not even close to muddy at 7.3k. The bridge jumps up a bit to 8.2k and the balance is real nice. Sounds great from Zeppelin to GnR to Foos
@@VintageRadius Awesome! It looks like we both went with 50s voiced Alnico 2s. I am sure that the 50s wiring mod sounds great. I found the Alnico 2 pickups to be incredibly versatile and articulate. All I know is if your 594 sounds anything close to mine you will be in for hours of inspired playing. Enjoy!
Again, some valuable "nuggets" in here, Phil! Yes, I too am glad that I hit those great MIM, MIK, MII and even MIJ builds in the recent past--'cause they sure ain't there NOW! Also, I too have received "unsolicited" offers for "like products" that were on my "Watch List" on Reverb. A real advantage to such offers is that you then have a "Counter Offer" option. I've made some killer deals this way on listings that hadn't even shown up on previous "searches"!
I have to admit I bought one of the Marshall Bluetooth speakers a few years ago and it one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. The battery life is still excellent and the sound is fantastic for such a small speaker.
I've got a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone 62 335 it is awesome Gibson pickups it plays and sounds amazing. And it comes with a nice case I'm glad I got it,and I think it was worth the price
Hello from Canada. First off Phil I love your channel. Your candour and knowledge is absolutely refreshing. For perspective I am in the twilight of my playing years. 78 years young having purchased my first Telecaster in 1964 while working weekends at Toronto’s largest music/guitar store. Price was $295.00 with a tweed case. Paid it off in 3 months at $25.00 per week. I am no longer a buyer as I have more than I need. But I still follow with interest, trends in the guitar world. One thing is clear. The term “guitar sale” in Canada is an oxymoron. Watching your channel is like secretly listening to a voice from an alternate universe. Canada is a small market controlled by less than a handful of large retailers. Smaller retailers have either closed their doors or are forced to compete with the big stores by throwing gear on reverb with a “make an offer”. Buying from a US retailer makes no financial sense due to the exchange rate of approximately 37% plus duty and sales tax once it crosses the border. Even our own major manufacturer, Godin, has increased prices dramatically and in my opinion, losing sales to offshore manufacturing. I still possess four of Godin’s top of the line models purchased prior to 2018. To purchase something equivalent now would be approximately 50% more. So I guess the point I am making is that Canada is not a guitar buyer’s market. And secondly, why the price hikes at a time when young people have less expendable income? I can’t help but think that there are more guitars being produced in the world than there are hands to play them. So I understand your point about Epiphone pricing. Trying to extract the most $ possible from those who cannot afford the real deal. Not sure if Newton’s law, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” fits here but young people may come to the conclusion that a guitar purchase is just a leap too far. Keep up the good work.
Sorry had to missed the live show but...was at band practice using my new to me 2022 PRS S2 Custom 24 in emerald green and it has an amazing figured top.
@@rjh1226 I don't see why it matters, where something is manufactured, as long it is done properly. I own American, Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese etc. All of it does exactly what it is supposed to do, at its price point. Some of it actually does better than it should. I own gear from $500 up to $20k... I have no issues with any of it.
With CNC it hardly makes a difference, not to mention the fact that the Chinese Builders are getting much, much better. People used to make fun of Japanese guitars in the'80s and now those guitars are selling for massive premiums. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the people who are making the big bucks from those made in China guitars are Americans and people in the west who are working for these guitar companies. Not the chinese.
I like Kiesel guitars. I don't own any, but I used to have a bunch of Carvins. They made great amps too. I don't know if they do it or not, but it would be nice of they could do some affordable budget guitars made here. Keep it bare bones, but route the bodies for modding.
I think smaller amps are the key. I have a Marshall Origin 20 and a Marshall DSL1 head. And I use an attenuator for both. Marshalls are best cranked so attenuation and lower wattage is key going forward. The other thing is you can't stack amps like you can hang guitars on the wall. Gibson's new amps didn't break 20 watts and had attenuation built in.
When you mentioned companys that don't double dip. Suhr used to, with the Rasmus line. Just figured I'd throw that out there. Although they're all strictly made in America now, at one point they did have an import line.
As an Epiphone fan I covet the fact that Eastman is Made in China and Indonesia but doesn’t get the same scrutiny. The new Epiphone Firebirds are fantastic.
Abut the Plek: after having used one for my instruments for several years now, I can say with absolute certainty and from customers feedbacks that it is not only a matter of consistency, it is also a matter of precision over several aspects of the guitar neck and response of the instrument across the entire neck. It will be quite long to explain in detail on a comment, but a deep dive on this might be intresting. However I would like to point out two things: 1- as also Phillip said, it is a machine that needs to be operated and a plek work is only as good as the technician behind it. You can screw a neck with a plek if you don't know what you're doing. 2-just to point out that this is an unbaised opinion: i dont own a plek (yet?😅), I pay for every single service of my instruments and if the advantages were not significant, trust me I would be gladly acoid doing it
Guitar tube amps have entered their sewing machine/fountain pen phase. Practically obsolete tech that then becomes a luxury item. (And I say that as someone who has a tube amp and fountain pens.) They’ll continue to be around but the price/value ratio will go up. There may come a time when the availability of parts and the size of the market does mean they aren’t being made. But that’s a very long time away, and there’s a good chance that even if that does happen, eventually they come back. But the majority of guitar players-as far as I can tell-already either don’t have any tube amps or don’t use them day-to-day.
Every new Epiphone guitar I've purchased has required fret work right out of the box. The price raising is pure greed, nothing more. Epiphone guitars have never been the highest quality imports, in fact they're far from it. Then again, the most expensive Epi's I've purchased were 2 of the Epi inspired by Gibson 50's LP's. I bought them over the phone from Sweetwarer during gearfest for 519 per plus tax. They're $699 per street price. At 519 they're a decent buy, but certainly not a steal. These newer Epi's at 1300 to 1500 are a joke. I think the initial pop on them will be well received by people who have to have one. After that I see the entire high end Epiphone portfolio collapsing price wise. These 1300 to 1500 MiC guits will be widely available for well under a grand. Even at those prices, they're silly. There are so many much higher quality import guitars out there, I'm shocked Epi is selling at these prices. My personal opinion on Squire is that they're total junk. I have a CV 50's Strat. The only thing nice about the guitar is the pickups. They sound better than the American Standards. The rest of the guitar is a toyish feeling el cheapo el junko. I paid 350 for mine new. The fact that Epi is bragging about CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch is laughable. The Burst Buckers are awesome sounding humbuckers, but there are cheaper clones out there that sound every bit as nice or even better. Think about this too, the high end Epi's are still sprays with thick gloppy coats of poly. Nope, not happening. A straight up ripoff.Buyers who want to sell a few years down the line will lose 40 to 50% of their investment. At the end of the day, it's still a MiC guitar, not a MiK or an MiJ. It's funny, PRS set the bar higher on price for his imports and now the others are trying to out PRS, PRS...LOL The huge difference is, PRS are made in Indonesia and the fit and finish are simply miles ahead of anything I've seen from Epiphone. The only thing that sucks bigtime on PRS imports, the pickups. They're soulless and lifeless sounding. That's my opinion as an owner. My MiK Epi's as well as Agile's are so much better made it's apples and oranges.
I've bought a few of GuitarFetish's pickups over the years..they're very good for the $$! I changed the pups in an old Epi Les Paul I had and amazing difference.
I have just bought a J-45 cutaway Inspired by Gibson Epiphone for the price of a MIM Telecaster. Having owned and swapped lots of rubbish cheap Epiphones 20 plus years ago, I can say that this is a different guitar altogether. After 23 years I wore out my Seagull S6+Spruce so bought the Epi. It's a whole different level of quality and ease of playability. It feels more like an electric than an acoustic and has definitely got me back playing unplugged a lot more. The only difficult part is that every time I tell someone about my new guitar I have to preface it with 'I know it's an Epiphone but it's not rubbish!' I just can't stretch to a Gibson and the Epiphone is great value, sounds great plus is lovely to play. So badge snobbery is the only thing holding those Inspired by Gibson guitars back. Incidentally it was a new guitar in its box that was cheaper (after haggling!) than any used ones available in the EU right now.
The echo effect you pulled off made me laugh so hard, I ended up spitting soda all over my screen! Evil genius, Phil! 😄 PS: Hey man, when it comes to surprising your girl, get creative! Have Ralf help you out or buy a decoy present to throw her off the scent. It's all part of the fun, right? And don't limit yourself to birthdays or Christmas - mix it up a bit! I know it can be challenging, but just like mastering a difficult riff, the satisfaction of pulling off a surprise is so much sweeter. After all, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing your loved one's face light up with happiness. PPS the guitar of the weak is a cool idea
Hey Phil. Take a look at used Harley Benton’s on reverb. I am shocked than anyone would actually buy a used Harley Benton on reverb when new ones are at a fraction of the price, even with shipping.
On 50’s prices vs. current prices…based on the way they were made, the materials they were made of, and who they were made by wouldn’t it be more fair to compare 50’s prices to modern custom shop prices?
Long ago before all the big box stores and even smaller chains everyone ordered stuff through mailorder catalogs. It was the only way to get certain items that weren't at your local general store. Almost full circle.
I've noticed if I mark an item on watch I will get offers from a handful of other sellers on the same item. It happens pretty consistently so I think it's something reverb offers for sellers.
For what it's worth, I bought 2 Epiphones a few months back - The Marty Schwartz 335 and a Les Paul Studio. The Marty Schwartz is the best sounding (and playing) guitar I have, beating out a variety of guitars $2k and up. It's a 335, so it's not a modern sounding guitar, but it sounds more like a Gibson Les Paul than my 59 Reissue (which was $5k). I A-B'd my Epi Les Paul Studio vs my Gibson Les Paul Studio, and the Epi beat it hands down, so I sold the Gibson. The fact of the matter is, Epiphones are amazing at this moment in time. Anyone bashing a $1000 Marty Schwartz (with case) should A-B it against a Gibson 335. I'd really be amazed if you can hear the $2500 difference between the two. The Epiphone beats out the Sire H7, the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, or the Sheraton Pro 2 without breaking a sweat. I know, because my friends and I own all these guitars, and we A-B everything to really see if they match the reviews from Anderton's or Phil. The Les Paul comparison is just stupid. $1700 for a GIbson Les Paul Studio vs $550 for an Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and the Epiphone just sounds better to me. I'm not saying the long term value on Epiphones will match the Gibsons, but at some point, it IS about the tone, and today's Epiphones are absolutely great.
I agree. There seems to be little to gain by creating another new tube amp. I know people can argue this point, but a tube amp is a well understood device with limited need for new designs. Digital amps have a lot of headroom for innovation.
I hope some other "good import guitars " don't follow suit also raising prices. Just from last year many of the import brands or big names affordable series have raised prices a lot way faster compared to other years ago. Prices are going thru the roof.
PLEK Machines are investments. They require an operator. They cannot replace the luthier's artistry. They provide consistency in representing the averaged quality a set of experienced luthiers. The service provided by them is currently overpriced compared with a luthier's time. In addition they do not do everything required to bring the instrument to full treatment and many points of personal attention can be provided - by even the novice who can learn and pay attention to the quality of their work. A machines' output is subject to the operators attention. Personal care requires a caring person - with or without the use of technological aids. The concept will continue to fall short on result relative to cost without sufficient artistic component.
Not all epis have gone up in price like what we are seeing now... most of epis inspired by gibson have only gone up $50 over the last few years because of economies around the world..... other than that..epiphone is taking over the lower end market for gibson.. as gibson has and will still drop all there lower tear guitars... like the firebirds... i have a epi inspired firebird that i put all gibson hardware on and put a bone nut with new electronics and handwound vintage spec bird pickups.. at the end of the day i love that thing and was cheaper than buying the new epi firebirds ... where for the same ones from gibson will cot 3-3.5k you can get them for half the price through epi with kluson banjo tuners ... that i wish i had on mine
Not gonna by the Gibson OR Epi version so this isn't my fight but on the price I offer this question. What would a MIM Fender vintage re-issue strat with hard case retail? I would say $1099 maybe on sale more like $1199-$1250 minimum. So is Epi out of line for wanting a similar percentage for their version?
This is a good point. Fender seems to get away with the same profiteering in a way Gibson doesn't, and LPs and 335s require a lot more work, time, and money in the manufacturing process than a Tele or Strat.
The location of LA Sunset Blvd Sam Ash is insanely expensive real estate. Without getting too much into the politics, it is just where all the (mostly) foreign investment is going. As an Angeleno it isn't cool. What will likely go up there will be uncool. The whole thing is uncool. I love that store, we are losing a piece of local culture and history. All of this uncoolness will eventually backfire. I can't wait for that.
?Hi Phil. Thanx for your channel. I've been following you for years. I did a partscaster and found the string length (Nut to the bridge) 6mm short. The neck has a pocket with screws it could be lengthened. It's my 1st build. So I need to lengthen the string space between the nut to the bridge with 6mm. Should I add to the back of the neck (it has a large overhang) or move the bridge further. Both involve a lot of work. Reason = lack of funds. Thank you in advance.
Hey, Phillip. I have a question: are there amo kits that one can purchase, get the wood to built the cabs and sort of build your own amp combining the features you can find in the brand name ones? Thanks. I really enjoy your videos.
Great explanation of business profit model over anything else. Apple makes everyone want to be a billionaire, no matter how many children work the factories. They weren't the first, but definitely the worst.
I saw an ad on FB that had Joe Walsh in the picture, cannot remember the company's name but they were selling new Gibsons from LP's to Flying V's for $89.00 wondering if that is a scam of for real.
Phil, which brands would you suggest players also look at for firebird inspired guitars now that epiphone is competing with American prices of other brands? The only group ive found so far seems to be Baum
Yes, that happened to me today. I was looking at an Eastman from one shop but never put it into my watch list. Then a different shop sent me a killer deal but not exactly the model I want.
Not ready to buy yet plus it wasn’t the exact model I wanted. Declined the offer, put a different guitar in watch list and then got an offer for that. Mulling over my options…
The Sam Ash by me in Clearwater is closing. I can see why as well. I was there last week (before the closure announcement) and it was a ghost town as usuall. The staff there has always been slack or non existent. You literally have to go looking for sales staff for assistance. I've left there a few times in disappointment only to go to Guitar Center. I don't like that place too much either. I usually go to Guitar Center just to physically check out a product before buying from Sweetwater.
Regarding hourly wages. At Fender at least the worker is working a set shift with 40 plus hours. Retail places like Panda your schedule is all over the place and you will be lucky to get 40 hours. Why any Guitar manufacturer is in California is beyond me. Except Fender I understand that connection.
I was watching a PRS SE CE24 in gloss blood orange with a maple top on eBay for $699, thinking about it then the seller sent me on offer. I took it for $530
I can't catch the show live so I got all the ads that you missed = you're welcome. I like the "Guitar of the Week" segment. Dang it, I love the sound of those pickups. 99 guitars on the wall, 99 guitars. You take one down, pass it around, 98 guitars on the wall... I would like to see someone who complains about the price of guitars try to make a guitar of that quality for less. Thanks for talking about that even though it's unpleasant. Guitar builders should get paid more and the cost of guitars should be higher. (Says a guy who is happy with 5 student grade electric guitars.)
Regarding the "Sharpen My Axe" videos..... Charge for your Labor (along with parts not provided and shipping if needed) if someone would like to participate...and their benefits are a better playing guitar and their guitar is featured on a Major Channel video! No one should expect you to do this for FREE! Sweet! PRS Hollowbody II.
Any thoughts on PRS finally deciding not to make bass guitars anymore? I went looking to see if the Kingfisher had gotten an update, and all the bass was gone. I know that bass was never Paul's main thing but it still feels a little odd that they've dropped it entirely.
Reverb offers are not a fluke, Phil. I can't look at a major brand guitar, amp, or pedal used or new without being offered two or even three discounted new gear offers from other sellers. I think part of it speaks to consumer confidence being down and other inflation aftershocks. Even happens on eBay.
@@trailblazeratv6306 agreed but I also think in the case of guitars it's oversupply without enough buyers. Factor in price increases that far exceed consumers' willingness and need to buy, and manufacturers and stores are forced to discount product. And even then, people aren't buying, because, like you say, the economy is not as healthy as some claim.
Interesting. Somone told me years ago that Ferrari don't make any money selling Cars, they make all their profit in Keyrings and baseball caps. Don't know how true that is but it kind of makes sense.
Wow, that's crazy. I created my account in January and have received offers on everything that I've Watched, except a Marshall Astoria... I'm still watching.
No one ever talks about inflation. 249 dollar Fender Strat in the 70's compared to 1,399 Strat now? It took two and a half weeks of paychecks in the 70's to buy a Fender made in America, compared to two and three quarters weeks of paychecks now to buy one. But the way the guitar market is going, inflation in the guitar market is about to get very bad. Maybe it will take months of paychecks to buy a guitar in the future. It might be cheaper to buy a used car in the future. Wait. I bought a nice used Pontiac in 1976 for my one-week paycheck; used cars were cheaper in the 1970s than a new Fender.
Oops, in the 70s, a fender Strat was 330.00. So with inflation, Fenders are about the same price. It's other guitar brands going crazy, calm down Gibson.
What I don't like is how Plek prices have jumped up so much. It's like you're paying a premium to just say it was "Plek'd". It used to only be $200, which was comparable to having someone do it. Now places are charging $300. What makes it worse is depending on where you are, you may not get an option to have it Plek'd or have someone do it. It's becoming a lost "art" and stores are now going the automated route.
I predict this move by Epiphone will not work out well for them. If they wanted to start concentrating on mid-tier guitars- which I totally understand, it's getting increasingly difficult to really stand out in the budget range- that's fine- but they needed to add some real value to the product if they wanted to raise prices- and they didn't. No one wants to pay over a G for a Chinese made guitar with a laurel finger board on it. They upgraded the electronics- better pots, better pickups, better switches and output jacks. Think about that- that's literally the cheapest, easiest upgrade they can make- nothing changes really. They just restock the line with the new parts, and everyone carries on as usual. I expected better materials, better fit and finish, and maybe even better finishes on the guitars. You know- stuff you really can't do yourself without running into major costs and needing major skills- I can change my own pickups and pots, for far less money than they've decided to charge. I think the DG guitar will be a hit- because it's limited, it's Dave, and the old Dave Gruhl Gibson TL- some go for like 20Gs now-- so ppl see this as an investment. And they're great guitars-but if you took Dave's name off and made as many as the market would bear- they wouldn't be nearly as successful. If you want to make mid-tier guitars- use rose wood or ebony boards, Tusk or bone nut and string trees, give us a nitro finish, and you can go back to the old pickups just give us CTS pots and a switch craft jack and toggle switch. Then I would pay what you're asking- oh- and have it made in Indonesia or Korea- not China.
Hendrix had his Stratocaster volume knob set very low & kept his Marshall amps full-out dimed! Stock off the rack Fenders., too. All part of his unique sound.
@@nedim_guitarGo to Fender and the history of the stratocaster. By the time Jimi got his hands on a good one it was basically coming out of its 1st decade of design and tweeking toward perfection which continued decades after his passing. I believe he may have added to its design by sticking a match pack or something in the pickup selector switch,( which in the beginning was only 3 position) to keep the pickups in phase for the 2 and 4 positions according to a story told by Eric Clapton.
@@Ripprock1 yes I see Jimi preferred the later 60’s CBS Strats with maple cap fretboards (these guitars had no walnut skunk stripe on the back of the neck and possibly gray bobbin pickups.) Very cool.
I stretched my budget to the limit, picking up a new Epiphone Les Paul '59 reissue (in collaboration with the Gibson custom shop) for $849 (on sale). And I love the guitar. But these $1,300+ Epiphones... NFW. My next guitar is going to be an Eart. I'll put in a set of killer pickups and tuners and out the door it will be $600-650 tops. And destroy those high end Epis all day, especially the fretboard/frets. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Epiphones, I'm just not going to blindly pay THAT kind of premium. My guitars are for playing gigs, not wall art, collection pieces.
I fully understand they don't need my money when everyone else is giving them theirs,but I for one shan't be giving Epiphone the satisfaction. If I'm going to buy an overpriced guitar (which is all of them) im buying "American".
Actually, inflation in America isn't the same as in other countries. A person in China working in a guitar factory makes far less than someone here in the States does. But the money the person in China makes goes a lot farther in China; China has less inflation, and the same thing can be said for many other countries. Money doesn't have as much purchasing power in the West (Europe and North America) as it does in the so-called poorer countries.
Drove by the Sam Ash in Jacksonville yesterday and they had a gigantic “store closing sale” sign outside. Walked in hoping to get a good deal ant it was literally- this section of guitars 5%off. Disappointed 😢
When I started playing guitar Epiphone was a bit of a mixed bag of quality. My Sheraton is a solid, well built guitar with a good sound, but my Epi Les Paul is noticeably less quality than my Gibson LPs. I tried an Epi SG that felt like I could snap it like cardboard. They were £250-£450 guitars as opposed to £800-£1500 Gibsons.
Now looking around guitar shops it’s obvious the quality of materials, finish, and options on Epiphone are very close if not better than Gibson. Really all you’re paying for on a Gibson is the name that shows it’s a US product.
Apparently Epiphone thought "Inspired by Gibson" meant the prices. That being said, it appears that a $1,500 guitar is considered "budget" these days. Just sad.
It's brutal ... The Epiphone name has been synonymous with "point of entry" for years ... now Gibson is signaling to beginners that want a budget Les Paul or SG that they're too poor to play a Gibson.... I find it REALLY REALLY insulting. It's almost like they're saying " (Expletive) you , We dont need you " ... go buy a fender. on that note , you can buy a decent fender for $1500 . Id rather give them my money anyway.
I just don't see how Epi is the bad guy here. They still offer great budget guitars much like Fender there have entry, budget, and more premium options before you get to USA made guitars
@@belongtoit They still have low quality budget guitars. They made the mid range and better than base model USA stuff more expensive to match what other brands like ESP are charging. It made no sense that epiphone would be low end stuff, but then randomly have similar priced better than USA products. If you look at anything since about 2018 with USA pickups they are better than a gibson USA (not custom shop.)
I don't get some of these prices. GC is overflowing with guitars and the prices are just bad
@@belongtoitYou can still buy cheap Epiphones. You can buy USA Gibsons for a little over $1000. The demand is so high for the DG335 they could have asked for more. But the prices of the high end USA stuff is over the top and I've noticed the price of Standards and 335s start to come down a bit again, I guess they weren't selling many.
When I worked on a software department of a company we had a well respected product for a certain price. When a bank took a share in our company they sent some consultants to give us some free advise. They told us we should raise our price to five (!) times the then current price. The reason was potential customers would consider our product (that was good, reliable and useful) far better, having a higher quality than with the affordable price we sold it for. We needn't change anything about the product, just the price and probably the presentation (more shiny, maybe fancier name).
These prices are killing small town USA . The wages are not keeping up with inflation so these price seem unfair . The DG signature would have been $700 in 1998 . I paid $1500.00 for a 1998 Gibson Les Paul Standard in 1998 and that would be close to $3k . The problem is low wages . I made close to $450 -$500 in 1999 . That's $950ish in today's money and I bring home $100-$150 less .
The problem isn’t just your wages-.its also the ongoing onslaught of inflation, which over the past 3 years have been rampant-worst inflation period we’ve had since the late 1970s-early 1980s. There is always some baseline annual inflation-and when its low say 1-2%, it is much easier for wage growth to keep pace or outpace inflation and hence not result in loss of buying power. But when annual inflation rate hits 6-9% it is likely that most peoples wages growth will not keep pace and they will not be able to buy what they could before that bad period of inflation. And its especially frustrating when your wages go up 3-4% but you experience inflation of 6,,7, 8, or evn 9% during that period (which you could also call negative real wage growth-a situation when you are earning more money but actually can buy even less than before because prices of goods amd services have out paced your increased income. That’s where are right now.
Supply and demand always play a role in any economy-regardless of level of inflation-something that becomes in short supply with persistent demand (or even growing demand with no acceptable alternative) will cause price for that thing to rise, and even substantially, even when overall average inflation is pretty low. Essential items like food, shelter, energy are particularly painful to deal with during a period of high inflation because everybody needs them-.regardless of their income level. But wealthy individuals are much better able to absorb those higher prices without altering as much of their standard of living. In reality inflation functions like a tax on the entire population and has a greater detrimental effect to the standard of living of the middle and lower income folks than the very wealthy. It affects all of us-but its worse and more difficult for all but the richest among us. And expecting employers to solve this problem for society by raising their labor costs to increase the wages they pay their workers to keep pace with high inflation of 5-9% per year is unrealistic and actually can just add more fuel onto the bonfire of inflation. Because employers themselves almost always have to pass on those increased labor cost onto the customers that buy their products. So you raise minimum wage from $11 to $15 and McDonalds has to raise all of the prices on every item on its menu due to increases labor costs-that adds to increased prices for everyone who buys food there. Magnify and multiply that across the whole economy and its fueling inflation even more.
And this is where government actions can have detrimental effects on economy and inflation. If the government borrows more money for govt spending (and adding to govt deficit) they are in essence printing more money for govt to pay to add additional employees and or give their job force a raise, or to purchase goods or services for government purposes, or to give free “gifts” of government money in form of grants for certain projects within the US or to foreign governments for projects or aid, or even to low income students to help them pay for college (Pell grants) it all results in an increase in the circulating money supply. When you increase the money supply, you make every dollar in circulation worth less than it was before you printed all that new money. Your dollars are now worth less and buy less than they did before-bingo-inflation. If the government thru policy causes an induced shortage of supply of an essential component of the economy-say energy-.gasoline and diesel fuel-.it will cause the price of gasoline and diesel to go up unless there is a corresponding and equal drop in demand for these fuels. Majority of goods in this country are moved to market from site of production via diesel powered truck or train. Be it agricultural or manufactured goods, this increase in transportation costs is going to be passed on to the end consumer. And petroleum products are essential in manufacturing of many many things, not just for transportation but actually in the manufacture of the products themselves-.fertilizer, plastics, synthetic rubber for tires, paint, medicines even-so you energy costs drive the prices of most things. And if you have a service company-.your fleet of vehicles that burn gas or diesel now are going to increase your operating expenses, again pushing you to pass on that cost to customers. And prices for EVs (like all modern vehicles make use of large amount of plastics in their construction) and are also going to face increased manufacturing costs and upward price pressures from rising petroleum prices.
And its very disingenuous to blame higher gas, diesel, and petroleum prices and record income for gas and diesel producers because though there revenue may have increased significantly they too are affected directly by high inflation, their operating costs are also rising like most other manufacturing companies, and the cash they sre earning, just like yours, is worth less than it was before that inflation.
So this is why we should all worry about what our government does ( and the folks we elect to run the government) that actually causes inflation by expanding the money supply by ever increasing deficit spending or by regulations that significantly restrict the supply of fundamental products whose availability and prices have a broad ripple effect on large areas of the entire economy and become drivers of accelerated and prolonged inflation.
Suggested read/book: “Basic Economics” by Dr Thomas Sowell, professor emeritus at Hoover Institute of Stanford University.
I will NEVER spend that kind of coin for a chinese guitar. Period.
Lol, me either. I'd rather save up and buy something made here in the US. I own a bunch of MiC guitars and after minimal TLC they're pretty awesome guitars. That said they range from 350 to 600. 8 Epi's some Ibanez, and others in that category. Gibson done lost their minds, again. Lol
I love hearing people talk about pricing of new gear. Look toward used/vintage. I bought an all original 87' Torino Red USA made Strat last week. All I did was throw on new strings and it is magical and ran me $1,100.
Epiphones are where they should have always been.. epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson..in 2019 JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back..the Epiphone Quindoa facility is completely American owned and operated Scott Lewis is the facility manager along with American and Asian luthiers its also state of the art and only Epiphones are made there.. Epiphones just like there little brother Gibson are 70% made by hand and people like me will continue to buy the legendary Epiphone brand..
Absolutely right , I just wished Epiphone was made in Korea, like back in the day. They were better , real rosewood . I really don’t care about the new headstock… I’m trying not to buy Chinese made guitar. I’m not in love with PPC government… but you are completely right . Epiphone is a true force now❤👍🏻
@@nicolasbeaudry6158 the Epiphone Quindoa facility is completely American owned and operated Scott Lewis is the facility manager along with American and Asian luthiers..if it was made in Korea not one American luthier would have even touched it..at the Quindoa facility they are and every day..and the quality is superb..the Epiphone Quindoa facility is also state of the art.
@@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zg make sense you def changed my mind , seriously. 👍🏻💯
@@nicolasbeaudry6158 the specs of a recently discontinued epiphone limited run modern figured Sgs and now on sale what's left of them.. this model will rise in value and price as time goes on....The SG Modern Figured from Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson™ Collection has the classic SG™ body profile made from mahogany and a maple cap with an AAA-figured maple veneer. Powered by a pair of Epiphone's ProBucker™ humbucker™ pickups with coil-splitting, phase switching, and a treble bleed circuit for a multitude of tones. It also features an ebony fingerboard, asymmetrical SlimTaper™ neck profile with contoured heel, world-class Grover® Locking Rotomatic® 18:1 ratio tuners, and a Graph Tech NuBone™ nut. Hardshell Body Style
SG
Body Shape
SG
Body Material
Mahogany
Top
3/4" Maple with AAA Flame Maple Veneer
Body Finish
GlossProfile
Asymmetrical Slim Taper
Scale Length
628.65 mm / 24.75 in
Fingerboard Material
Ebony
Fingerboard Radius
304.8 mm / 12 in
Fret Count
24
Frets
Medium Jumbo
Nut Material
Graph Tech®
Nut Width
43.0 mm / 1.692 in
Inlays
Trapezoid
Joint
Glued in, Set NeckFinish
Nickel
Bridge
LockTone Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece
LockTone Stop Bar
Tuning Machines
Grover locking Rotomatic; 18:1
Truss Rod
Adjustable
Control Knobs
Clear Top Hats with Ridge
Switch Tip
Black
Strap Buttons
2 - bottom and shoulder
Pickup Covers
NickelNeck Pickup
ProBucker 2™ humbucker w/coil-splitting
Bridge Pickup
ProBucker-3™ humbucker w/coil-splitting
Controls
2 Volume (2 Push/Pull coil-splits); 2 Tone (1 Push/Pull Phase)
Pickup Selector
3-way Epiphone toggle
Output Jack
Epiphone Heavy Duty 1/4"
Probably your best show Phil. Thanks
YES !! I marked a used pedal to my watch list and within an hour had an offer from a dealer for a new pedal.
On Reverb? That happened to me a few times last week.
@@zenlandzipline yes on Reverb.
The job apps was a real eye opener…when people rag on Gibson quality, it’s my belief that management is pushing the workers so hard to reach numbers, thats why you occasionally see sloppy work…I don’t know for certain but that would be my best guess
I bought a $900 Epiphone Noel Gallegher Riviera in November from Sweetwater for about $800 because of the tiniest flaw on the edge of the treble pickup cover. It is a beautiful guitar and, with a hardshell case, a good bargain.
I picked up a Shinichi Ubukata ES-355 in non-working condition at auction. I paid about half of retail cost, pulled the harness out of the F-hole, did some soldering, and have one of the best guitars in my collection. The Varitone was removed but I probably will just put a dummy switch in and not even connect it back up. Still, this guitar is likely worth retail. Not sure I would have paid that, but I don't think anyone should feel bad about it if they do. It really is awesome in form, fit, and function.
Hey Phil don’t feel like this was a “downer”. You have a unique perspective that’s why we’re here. Can’t not discuss things because they are a drag, at least some of the time.I’m a bit out of the loop maybe, I feel like I am not as much of a gearhead as some, but I love my partscaster and try and find happiness with progress in my playing abilities and not my spending abilities!
The average Fender executive compensation is $217,036 a year.The median estimated compensation for executives at Fender including base salary and bonus is $219,721, or $105 per hour. At Fender, the most compensated executive makes $518,000, annually, and the lowest compensated makes $36,655.
dude in the executive world that is peanuts. a young banker in nyc is making that after 4 years out of college.
I bet, banking involves things like Roth IRA accounts and such 🤣 Meanwhile, the lowest wage job out of college is educator. Hope all these rich bankers are nice enough to teach the rest of you math ☕
Here’s the thing. Outsourcing drives down wages. But that’s how you get cheap guitars. So buying cheap guitars drives down wages, which then makes the guitar less cheap relative to what you make. Do you want to make more money and have higher prices, or do you want to make less money and have cheaper stuff? I would take the first option every time, because you get to choose how you spend your money, and the products are higher quality. Globalization removes that option. And as you saw in this video with Epiphone, they’re going to raise the price of lower quality foreign made guitars until they cost the same as the ones made in the US anyway, except most of the money will flow out of the country and never come back. Inflation and globalization are the issues at play. If you want to complain about what guitars cost, or what people get paid, blame the politicians who made that happen. Not the guitar companies. I support Gibson and Fender. They’re part of the few good things the US still makes. If the race to the bottom with globalization continues, the US itself is going to collapse, and then nobody will care about guitars.
P.S. $220k isn’t all that much in California. I’m surprised they make that little. That’s a mid-level employee in Silicon Valley.
I don’t disparage anyone for making money as long as you’re not screwing someone else. We are getting screwed with no Vaseline
@blackiecat7195. $200 k isn't a ton of money. They guy can pay a mortgage and have a some investments.
I love that guitar of the week guitar......sweet
I love my PRS Guitars
Kids are in bed and about to watch while doing a pickup swap on my S2 594 😂 Hard to beat that Friday night! Thanks Phil!!
After about two years of owning an S2 594 I exchanged the pickups a month ago. I the stock pickups were good. The replacements have made the guitar one of my favorites. Happy swapping and I hope you love the results as much as I have.
What’d you switch to? How do you like it?
@@shanetx81 My S2 594 is crazy light for a guitar with a maple cap. I am not sure how that impacts its tone compared to other 594s. That being said, the sound with the stock pickups was good but it was muddy on the low end and also a bit shrill on the top end. Overall I would say the original pickups felt dark.
I was looking for a pair of pickups that would bring out clarity while retaining a PAF vibe. I put in a pair of PRS 57/08 pickups that I got an amazing deal on. I love the sound. They have brightened the guitar without being shrill. They have added clarity. They are also more responsive to changes in the volume knob. Only down side for my playing style is the bridge does not have quite as much push as hotter pickups. All that being said, they have made my S2 594 my #1 electric since they were installed.
What did you put in your 594? How do you like it?
@@TheRealChristopherRyan I went with a set of SD Pearly Gates. I also emptied the control cavity and put in some tight tolerance CTS pots and 50's wiring. I had to enlarge two of the pot holes with a reemer which was a first, but was easy. I've only had a few hours on it, but I'm really pleased. I don't heap praise lightly, been playing for over 20 years. I spent a lot of time listening to videos on A2 humbuckers and I wanted something a bit like a 57 classic but more mid range and less dark at the same time (more pleasing treble and bite when driven). Didn't want to drop $400 on super boutique stuff, got a deal through Guitar Center of all places. I really think PG nails what I was after. Neck HB is articulate, not even close to muddy at 7.3k. The bridge jumps up a bit to 8.2k and the balance is real nice. Sounds great from Zeppelin to GnR to Foos
@@VintageRadius Awesome! It looks like we both went with 50s voiced Alnico 2s. I am sure that the 50s wiring mod sounds great. I found the Alnico 2 pickups to be incredibly versatile and articulate. All I know is if your 594 sounds anything close to mine you will be in for hours of inspired playing. Enjoy!
PRS just released a $499 SE guitar so I wouldn’t include them in the pricetopic
I like how Phil actually plays vibrato instead of just wiggling the entire guitar, pretending he's doing something. 🤣
I know when players do that it's the la Croix of vibrato come on
Again, some valuable "nuggets" in here, Phil! Yes, I too am glad that I hit those great MIM, MIK, MII and even MIJ builds in the recent past--'cause they sure ain't there NOW! Also, I too have received "unsolicited" offers for "like products" that were on my "Watch List" on Reverb. A real advantage to such offers is that you then have a "Counter Offer" option. I've made some killer deals this way on listings that hadn't even shown up on previous "searches"!
I used to buy clothes and stuff at Marshalls. I never saw any amps there, so I bet the number of amp sales at Marshalls is closer to zero.
Good one buddy
And worthless trolls have entered the conversation.
My first guitar was a 1954 Strat. it was 1st week, Friday, May 6. S/n 00249. It was a piece of crap! Any current Squire is much better!
I have to admit I bought one of the Marshall Bluetooth speakers a few years ago and it one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. The battery life is still excellent and the sound is fantastic for such a small speaker.
Yeah, the build quality is pretty impressive and they look really cool
I've got a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone 62 335 it is awesome Gibson pickups it plays and sounds amazing. And it comes with a nice case I'm glad I got it,and I think it was worth the price
Hello from Canada. First off Phil I love your channel. Your candour and knowledge is absolutely refreshing. For perspective I am in the twilight of my playing years. 78 years young having purchased my first Telecaster in 1964 while working weekends at Toronto’s largest music/guitar store. Price was $295.00 with a tweed case. Paid it off in 3 months at $25.00 per week. I am no longer a buyer as I have more than I need. But I still follow with interest, trends in the guitar world. One thing is clear. The term “guitar sale” in Canada is an oxymoron. Watching your channel is like secretly listening to a voice from an alternate universe. Canada is a small market controlled by less than a handful of large retailers. Smaller retailers have either closed their doors or are forced to compete with the big stores by throwing gear on reverb with a “make an offer”. Buying from a US retailer makes no financial sense due to the exchange rate of approximately 37% plus duty and sales tax once it crosses the border. Even our own major manufacturer, Godin, has increased prices dramatically and in my opinion, losing sales to offshore manufacturing. I still possess four of Godin’s top of the line models purchased prior to 2018. To purchase something equivalent now would be approximately 50% more.
So I guess the point I am making is that Canada is not a guitar buyer’s market. And secondly, why the price hikes at a time when young people have less expendable income? I can’t help but think that there are more guitars being produced in the world than there are hands to play them. So I understand your point about Epiphone pricing. Trying to extract the most $ possible from those who cannot afford the real deal. Not sure if Newton’s law, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” fits here but young people may come to the conclusion that a guitar purchase is just a leap too far.
Keep up the good work.
Sorry had to missed the live show but...was at band practice using my new to me 2022 PRS S2 Custom 24 in emerald green and it has an amazing figured top.
At least half of the items I've put on a watchlist on Reverb result in an offer from another vendor with a deal. At least for 3-6 months now.
“1,299 for the Dave Grohl made in China China China” 😂😂 I almost spit my drink
, I add Made in USA too my Google searches whenever I look to buy anything.
We made this mess
@@rjh1226 I don't see why it matters, where something is manufactured, as long it is done properly. I own American, Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese etc. All of it does exactly what it is supposed to do, at its price point. Some of it actually does better than it should. I own gear from $500 up to $20k... I have no issues with any of it.
Keep in mind that shipping is nearly 1/3 the cost of Asian guitars.
With CNC it hardly makes a difference, not to mention the fact that the Chinese Builders are getting much, much better. People used to make fun of Japanese guitars in the'80s and now those guitars are selling for massive premiums. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the people who are making the big bucks from those made in China guitars are Americans and people in the west who are working for these guitar companies. Not the chinese.
I like Kiesel guitars. I don't own any, but I used to have a bunch of Carvins. They made great amps too. I don't know if they do it or not, but it would be nice of they could do some affordable budget guitars made here. Keep it bare bones, but route the bodies for modding.
I have 2 I really enjoy them but I can't help but look for more guitars to buy. It's a sickness
Customer is not ALWAYS right, but they are ALWAYS the customer.
I think smaller amps are the key. I have a Marshall Origin 20 and a Marshall DSL1 head. And I use an attenuator for both. Marshalls are best cranked so attenuation and lower wattage is key going forward. The other thing is you can't stack amps like you can hang guitars on the wall. Gibson's new amps didn't break 20 watts and had attenuation built in.
Many years ago I picked up a used 2000 McCarty just over $2k. 10 top birds, IRW neck. New guitar prices are insane.
You still can now! I bought my custom 24 for 1900 EUR and it was pretty much new!
When you mentioned companys that don't double dip. Suhr used to, with the Rasmus line. Just figured I'd throw that out there. Although they're all strictly made in America now, at one point they did have an import line.
Hi Phil! Love guitar of the week! Cheers 🍻
Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI may result from any repetitive physical motion regardless of intensity.
As an Epiphone fan I covet the fact that Eastman is Made in China and Indonesia but doesn’t get the same scrutiny. The new Epiphone Firebirds are fantastic.
Abut the Plek: after having used one for my instruments for several years now, I can say with absolute certainty and from customers feedbacks that it is not only a matter of consistency, it is also a matter of precision over several aspects of the guitar neck and response of the instrument across the entire neck. It will be quite long to explain in detail on a comment, but a deep dive on this might be intresting.
However I would like to point out two things:
1- as also Phillip said, it is a machine that needs to be operated and a plek work is only as good as the technician behind it. You can screw a neck with a plek if you don't know what you're doing.
2-just to point out that this is an unbaised opinion: i dont own a plek (yet?😅), I pay for every single service of my instruments and if the advantages were not significant, trust me I would be gladly acoid doing it
Guitar tube amps have entered their sewing machine/fountain pen phase. Practically obsolete tech that then becomes a luxury item. (And I say that as someone who has a tube amp and fountain pens.) They’ll continue to be around but the price/value ratio will go up. There may come a time when the availability of parts and the size of the market does mean they aren’t being made. But that’s a very long time away, and there’s a good chance that even if that does happen, eventually they come back. But the majority of guitar players-as far as I can tell-already either don’t have any tube amps or don’t use them day-to-day.
Cause they are fucking cool
23:12 I will always think “Applephone” when I see an Epiphone now
Every new Epiphone guitar I've purchased has required fret work right out of the box. The price raising is pure greed, nothing more. Epiphone guitars have never been the highest quality imports, in fact they're far from it. Then again, the most expensive Epi's I've purchased were 2 of the Epi inspired by Gibson 50's LP's. I bought them over the phone from Sweetwarer during gearfest for 519 per plus tax. They're $699 per street price. At 519 they're a decent buy, but certainly not a steal. These newer Epi's at 1300 to 1500 are a joke. I think the initial pop on them will be well received by people who have to have one. After that I see the entire high end Epiphone portfolio collapsing price wise. These 1300 to 1500 MiC guits will be widely available for well under a grand. Even at those prices, they're silly. There are so many much higher quality import guitars out there, I'm shocked Epi is selling at these prices. My personal opinion on Squire is that they're total junk. I have a CV 50's Strat. The only thing nice about the guitar is the pickups. They sound better than the American Standards. The rest of the guitar is a toyish feeling el cheapo el junko. I paid 350 for mine new. The fact that Epi is bragging about CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch is laughable. The Burst Buckers are awesome sounding humbuckers, but there are cheaper clones out there that sound every bit as nice or even better. Think about this too, the high end Epi's are still sprays with thick gloppy coats of poly. Nope, not happening. A straight up ripoff.Buyers who want to sell a few years down the line will lose 40 to 50% of their investment. At the end of the day, it's still a MiC guitar, not a MiK or an MiJ. It's funny, PRS set the bar higher on price for his imports and now the others are trying to out PRS, PRS...LOL The huge difference is, PRS are made in Indonesia and the fit and finish are simply miles ahead of anything I've seen from Epiphone. The only thing that sucks bigtime on PRS imports, the pickups. They're soulless and lifeless sounding. That's my opinion as an owner. My MiK Epi's as well as Agile's are so much better made it's apples and oranges.
The Epiphone Elitists guitars are really well made
I've bought a few of GuitarFetish's pickups over the years..they're very good for the $$! I changed the pups in an old Epi Les Paul I had and amazing difference.
Yes!!! To ripping the tutorial clips. I’ve been thinking the same as others. I know you have shown us but then I had no idea which video it was in!
Are Epiphone prices up, or is your US dollar down 20% from 2021?
Hmm, I wonder.
Cheap guitars are made so well today it doesn’t even mean what it used to.
I have just bought a J-45 cutaway Inspired by Gibson Epiphone for the price of a MIM Telecaster. Having owned and swapped lots of rubbish cheap Epiphones 20 plus years ago, I can say that this is a different guitar altogether. After 23 years I wore out my Seagull S6+Spruce so bought the Epi. It's a whole different level of quality and ease of playability. It feels more like an electric than an acoustic and has definitely got me back playing unplugged a lot more. The only difficult part is that every time I tell someone about my new guitar I have to preface it with 'I know it's an Epiphone but it's not rubbish!' I just can't stretch to a Gibson and the Epiphone is great value, sounds great plus is lovely to play. So badge snobbery is the only thing holding those Inspired by Gibson guitars back. Incidentally it was a new guitar in its box that was cheaper (after haggling!) than any used ones available in the EU right now.
"Machines don't have a bad day "......as I look over at printer ...... lol
"Hi, I'd like you to print something for me" "I'm out of Cyan" "Oh, don't worry, it's black and white" "No, F.U. I'm out of Cyan"
@@JuanJaim hahah yes!
Phil - you are wise, funny, and you are super ethical. A rare combination in 2024. Thank you and your “staff”.
The PRS singlecut hollow body 2s are insanely great guitars… and PRS doesn’t make them any more. Thanks for sharing
You know, legal fees for bullying practices don't pay themselves
The echo effect you pulled off made me laugh so hard, I ended up spitting soda all over my screen! Evil genius, Phil! 😄
PS: Hey man, when it comes to surprising your girl, get creative! Have Ralf help you out or buy a decoy present to throw her off the scent. It's all part of the fun, right? And don't limit yourself to birthdays or Christmas - mix it up a bit! I know it can be challenging, but just like mastering a difficult riff, the satisfaction of pulling off a surprise is so much sweeter. After all, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing your loved one's face light up with happiness.
PPS the guitar of the weak is a cool idea
Hey Phil. Take a look at used Harley Benton’s on reverb. I am shocked than anyone would actually buy a used Harley Benton on reverb when new ones are at a fraction of the price, even with shipping.
PRS. Unliked. Unsubscribed! Just kidding. Lol.
On 50’s prices vs. current prices…based on the way they were made, the materials they were made of, and who they were made by wouldn’t it be more fair to compare 50’s prices to modern custom shop prices?
Not really, they are two different things.
Long ago before all the big box stores and even smaller chains everyone ordered stuff through mailorder catalogs. It was the only way to get certain items that weren't at your local general store. Almost full circle.
I've noticed if I mark an item on watch I will get offers from a handful of other sellers on the same item. It happens pretty consistently so I think it's something reverb offers for sellers.
Fast food minimum wage in California is now 20 bucks. So Fender should be giving a lot more.
Fast Food thinks it's sit down now
For what it's worth, I bought 2 Epiphones a few months back - The Marty Schwartz 335 and a Les Paul Studio. The Marty Schwartz is the best sounding (and playing) guitar I have, beating out a variety of guitars $2k and up. It's a 335, so it's not a modern sounding guitar, but it sounds more like a Gibson Les Paul than my 59 Reissue (which was $5k). I A-B'd my Epi Les Paul Studio vs my Gibson Les Paul Studio, and the Epi beat it hands down, so I sold the Gibson. The fact of the matter is, Epiphones are amazing at this moment in time. Anyone bashing a $1000 Marty Schwartz (with case) should A-B it against a Gibson 335. I'd really be amazed if you can hear the $2500 difference between the two. The Epiphone beats out the Sire H7, the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, or the Sheraton Pro 2 without breaking a sweat. I know, because my friends and I own all these guitars, and we A-B everything to really see if they match the reviews from Anderton's or Phil.
The Les Paul comparison is just stupid. $1700 for a GIbson Les Paul Studio vs $550 for an Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and the Epiphone just sounds better to me. I'm not saying the long term value on Epiphones will match the Gibsons, but at some point, it IS about the tone, and today's Epiphones are absolutely great.
Does Fender really need to bring out new amps? Probably not. As much as we hated it at first, digital is the now and the future.
I agree. There seems to be little to gain by creating another new tube amp. I know people can argue this point, but a tube amp is a well understood device with limited need for new designs. Digital amps have a lot of headroom for innovation.
I hope some other "good import guitars " don't follow suit also raising prices. Just from last year many of the import brands or big names affordable series have raised prices a lot way faster compared to other years ago. Prices are going thru the roof.
PLEK Machines are investments. They require an operator. They cannot replace the luthier's artistry. They provide consistency in representing the averaged quality a set of experienced luthiers. The service provided by them is currently overpriced compared with a luthier's time. In addition they do not do everything required to bring the instrument to full treatment and many points of personal attention can be provided - by even the novice who can learn and pay attention to the quality of their work. A machines' output is subject to the operators attention. Personal care requires a caring person - with or without the use of technological aids. The concept will continue to fall short on result relative to cost without sufficient artistic component.
Not all epis have gone up in price like what we are seeing now... most of epis inspired by gibson have only gone up $50 over the last few years because of economies around the world..... other than that..epiphone is taking over the lower end market for gibson.. as gibson has and will still drop all there lower tear guitars... like the firebirds... i have a epi inspired firebird that i put all gibson hardware on and put a bone nut with new electronics and handwound vintage spec bird pickups.. at the end of the day i love that thing and was cheaper than buying the new epi firebirds ... where for the same ones from gibson will cot 3-3.5k you can get them for half the price through epi with kluson banjo tuners ... that i wish i had on mine
Not gonna by the Gibson OR Epi version so this isn't my fight but on the price I offer this question. What would a MIM Fender vintage re-issue strat with hard case retail? I would say $1099 maybe on sale more like $1199-$1250 minimum. So is Epi out of line for wanting a similar percentage for their version?
This is a good point. Fender seems to get away with the same profiteering in a way Gibson doesn't, and LPs and 335s require a lot more work, time, and money in the manufacturing process than a Tele or Strat.
Fender Vintera MIM have those price
The location of LA Sunset Blvd Sam Ash is insanely expensive real estate.
Without getting too much into the politics, it is just where all the (mostly) foreign investment is going.
As an Angeleno it isn't cool.
What will likely go up there will be uncool.
The whole thing is uncool.
I love that store, we are losing a piece of local culture and history.
All of this uncoolness will eventually backfire.
I can't wait for that.
?Hi Phil. Thanx for your channel. I've been following you for years. I did a partscaster and found the string length (Nut to the bridge) 6mm short. The neck has a pocket with screws it could be lengthened. It's my 1st build. So I need to lengthen the string space between the nut to the bridge with 6mm. Should I add to the back of the neck (it has a large overhang) or move the bridge further. Both involve a lot of work. Reason = lack of funds. Thank you in advance.
My old co-worker said it best.."The customer isn't always right, but the customer is always the customer."
Hard to find those PRs singlecut hollowbody
Hey, Phillip. I have a question: are there amo kits that one can purchase, get the wood to built the cabs and sort of build your own amp combining the features you can find in the brand name ones? Thanks. I really enjoy your videos.
Great explanation of business profit model over anything else. Apple makes everyone want to be a billionaire, no matter how many children work the factories. They weren't the first, but definitely the worst.
Mesa Boogie is still not available in Europe, it's been interrupted for +- 5y now. 🙂
I saw an ad on FB that had Joe Walsh in the picture, cannot remember the company's name but they were selling new Gibsons from LP's to Flying V's for $89.00 wondering if that is a scam of for real.
I get Reverb offers on things I'm watching from sellers I haven't visited, all the time. I haven't noticed that with things
i've only "viewed."
It is insane and won’t be buying epiphone at those prices.
Phil, which brands would you suggest players also look at for firebird inspired guitars now that epiphone is competing with American prices of other brands? The only group ive found so far seems to be Baum
Yes, that happened to me today. I was looking at an Eastman from one shop but never put it into my watch list. Then a different shop sent me a killer deal but not exactly the model I want.
So pardon me for asking, what happened?
Not ready to buy yet plus it wasn’t the exact model I wanted. Declined the offer, put a different guitar in watch list and then got an offer for that. Mulling over my options…
The Sam Ash by me in Clearwater is closing. I can see why as well. I was there last week (before the closure announcement) and it was a ghost town as usuall. The staff there has always been slack or non existent. You literally have to go looking for sales staff for assistance. I've left there a few times in disappointment only to go to Guitar Center. I don't like that place too much either. I usually go to Guitar Center just to physically check out a product before buying from Sweetwater.
Regarding hourly wages. At Fender at least the worker is working a set shift with 40 plus hours. Retail places like Panda your schedule is all over the place and you will be lucky to get 40 hours. Why any Guitar manufacturer is in California is beyond me. Except Fender I understand that connection.
I like deep dives mo betta
I was watching a PRS SE CE24 in gloss blood orange with a maple top on eBay for $699, thinking about it then the seller sent me on offer. I took it for $530
I can't catch the show live so I got all the ads that you missed = you're welcome.
I like the "Guitar of the Week" segment. Dang it, I love the sound of those pickups.
99 guitars on the wall, 99 guitars. You take one down, pass it around, 98 guitars on the wall...
I would like to see someone who complains about the price of guitars try to make a guitar of that quality for less.
Thanks for talking about that even though it's unpleasant. Guitar builders should get paid more and the cost of guitars should be higher. (Says a guy who is happy with 5 student grade electric guitars.)
Regarding the "Sharpen My Axe" videos..... Charge for your Labor (along with parts not provided and shipping if needed) if someone would like to participate...and their benefits are a better playing guitar and their guitar is featured on a Major Channel video! No one should expect you to do this for FREE! Sweet! PRS Hollowbody II.
Any thoughts on PRS finally deciding not to make bass guitars anymore? I went looking to see if the Kingfisher had gotten an update, and all the bass was gone. I know that bass was never Paul's main thing but it still feels a little odd that they've dropped it entirely.
Good decision. Those basses were horrid.
Haven't started watching the replay yet, but I noticed no POD Express on the shortcuts.
I’m not surprised about Marshall. They sell the Bluetooth speakers at Sam’s and Walmart so the volume is obviously there
That still comes out to be about $17 million worth of amplifiers for Marshall
Reverb offers are not a fluke, Phil. I can't look at a major brand guitar, amp, or pedal used or new without being offered two or even three discounted new gear offers from other sellers. I think part of it speaks to consumer confidence being down and other inflation aftershocks. Even happens on eBay.
Yup, the economy is not as good as the mainstream media is making it out to be. I work in the service industry.
@@trailblazeratv6306 agreed but I also think in the case of guitars it's oversupply without enough buyers. Factor in price increases that far exceed consumers' willingness and need to buy, and manufacturers and stores are forced to discount product. And even then, people aren't buying, because, like you say, the economy is not as healthy as some claim.
Interesting. Somone told me years ago that Ferrari don't make any money selling Cars, they make all their profit in Keyrings and baseball caps. Don't know how true that is but it kind of makes sense.
Good video, as usual good observations - kudos!
I have spent a ridiculous amount of time on reverb & have bought from there & have never, not once, been sent an offer.
Wow, that's crazy. I created my account in January and have received offers on everything that I've Watched, except a Marshall Astoria... I'm still watching.
Digital is not nescessarly Afordable, see the kemper, the Boss blues cube / artist or the Fender tone master dlx.
No one ever talks about inflation. 249 dollar Fender Strat in the 70's compared to 1,399 Strat now? It took two and a half weeks of paychecks in the 70's to buy a Fender made in America, compared to two and three quarters weeks of paychecks now to buy one. But the way the guitar market is going, inflation in the guitar market is about to get very bad. Maybe it will take months of paychecks to buy a guitar in the future. It might be cheaper to buy a used car in the future. Wait. I bought a nice used Pontiac in 1976 for my one-week paycheck; used cars were cheaper in the 1970s than a new Fender.
Oops, in the 70s, a fender Strat was 330.00. So with inflation, Fenders are about the same price. It's other guitar brands going crazy, calm down Gibson.
I had one I was watching and the seller I was watching did send me an offer. But it wasn't my time to buy....
??? What ranges of Ohms do you consider as "Low / med / high" outputs.... ???
What I don't like is how Plek prices have jumped up so much. It's like you're paying a premium to just say it was "Plek'd". It used to only be $200, which was comparable to having someone do it. Now places are charging $300.
What makes it worse is depending on where you are, you may not get an option to have it Plek'd or have someone do it. It's becoming a lost "art" and stores are now going the automated route.
I predict this move by Epiphone will not work out well for them. If they wanted to start concentrating on mid-tier guitars- which I totally understand, it's getting increasingly difficult to really stand out in the budget range- that's fine- but they needed to add some real value to the product if they wanted to raise prices- and they didn't. No one wants to pay over a G for a Chinese made guitar with a laurel finger board on it. They upgraded the electronics- better pots, better pickups, better switches and output jacks. Think about that- that's literally the cheapest, easiest upgrade they can make- nothing changes really. They just restock the line with the new parts, and everyone carries on as usual. I expected better materials, better fit and finish, and maybe even better finishes on the guitars. You know- stuff you really can't do yourself without running into major costs and needing major skills- I can change my own pickups and pots, for far less money than they've decided to charge. I think the DG guitar will be a hit- because it's limited, it's Dave, and the old Dave Gruhl Gibson TL- some go for like 20Gs now-- so ppl see this as an investment. And they're great guitars-but if you took Dave's name off and made as many as the market would bear- they wouldn't be nearly as successful. If you want to make mid-tier guitars- use rose wood or ebony boards, Tusk or bone nut and string trees, give us a nitro finish, and you can go back to the old pickups just give us CTS pots and a switch craft jack and toggle switch. Then I would pay what you're asking- oh- and have it made in Indonesia or Korea- not China.
Hendrix had his Stratocaster volume knob set very low & kept his Marshall amps full-out dimed!
Stock off the rack Fenders., too. All part of his unique sound.
Do some homework and look for custom shop stratocasters circa the 60s or 50s.
@@Ripprock1 Tell me more about that.
@@nedim_guitarGo to Fender and the history of the stratocaster. By the time Jimi got his hands on a good one it was basically coming out of its 1st decade of design and tweeking toward perfection which continued decades after his passing. I believe he may have added to its design by sticking a match pack or something in the pickup selector switch,( which in the beginning was only 3 position) to keep the pickups in phase for the 2 and 4 positions according to a story told by Eric Clapton.
@@Ripprock1 Great, I'll check out the history, I should find that fun!
@@Ripprock1 yes I see Jimi preferred the later 60’s CBS Strats with maple cap fretboards (these guitars had no walnut skunk stripe on the back of the neck and possibly gray bobbin pickups.)
Very cool.
I stretched my budget to the limit, picking up a new Epiphone Les Paul '59 reissue (in collaboration with the Gibson custom shop) for $849 (on sale). And I love the guitar. But these $1,300+ Epiphones... NFW.
My next guitar is going to be an Eart. I'll put in a set of killer pickups and tuners and out the door it will be $600-650 tops. And destroy those high end Epis all day, especially the fretboard/frets.
Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Epiphones, I'm just not going to blindly pay THAT kind of premium.
My guitars are for playing gigs, not wall art, collection pieces.
Thanks Phil, keep well🙏🏻
Epiphonev prices are now on par with our even more expensive than Gibson Les Paul Studio were in 2019.
51:15 please sponsor my enya nova go that I play in my garage
Last time I plek'd my NY Strip Loin, it developed steak sprout.
I fully understand they don't need my money when everyone else is giving them theirs,but I for one shan't be giving Epiphone the satisfaction. If I'm going to buy an overpriced guitar (which is all of them) im buying "American".
Actually, inflation in America isn't the same as in other countries. A person in China working in a guitar factory makes far less than someone here in the States does. But the money the person in China makes goes a lot farther in China; China has less inflation, and the same thing can be said for many other countries. Money doesn't have as much purchasing power in the West (Europe and North America) as it does in the so-called poorer countries.