R8 Peach Deal

Twinfan

meltedbuzzbox said:

I'm really surprised at the response from some people on here.
Buying online is pot luck whatever. Yes weight and pictures are very nice but surely the thing to do is go and play one of them first? It's 2.5k, that's worth a 2+ hour drive surely?

Me to Peach is a 4.5 hour drive each way, plus traffic delays.  I'll take a chance on mail order based on weight thanks 

With distance selling regs I can return it in the unlikely event I don't like it, so I'm only courier costs out of pocket.  Petrol would cost me a bomb in my motor to do that trip!

horse

meltedbuzzbox said:

I'm really surprised at the response from some people on here.
Buying online is pot luck whatever. Yes weight and pictures are very nice but surely the thing to do is go and play one of them first? It's 2.5k, that's worth a 2+ hour drive surely?

 True. I think the thing that has surprised me is the number of purchases and speed in this fairly small community - it's made me realise I'm relatively even more stingey than I already knew I was!

It's not that I couldn't afford one, just that it would be over £1k more than Ive ever spent on an any single instrument in over 30 years of playing, so there's no way I'd do that on impulse.

That's not a criticism of anybody who has - more of an observation of how mentally 'restricted' I must be comparatively.

grappagreen

I've watched this thread with some interest as an innocent bystander.

I can see why people are going for these as they actually seem to represent great value in the current vastly overpriced market.

What does amaze me however is the feeding frenzy.. I would never have believed that guitars that cost £2.5k would move that quickly. Let's face it, it ain't pocket money..

Anyways - great news for those that purchased and hope you get a lot of joy out if the guitars.

Si

Twinfan

Finance was/is available which has helped some folk obtain one, and everyone's financial circumstances are different i.e. some people have more disposable cash than others.

Porsche doesn't build enough 911 GT3s at £130k for the UK (we got around 600 last time) and people fight over them to get an allocation.  £2500 is therefore nothing to that kind of person!

grappagreen

I get that and of course am more than aware of differing financial circumstances.

I appreciate it's all relative but suggest that the average income of a potential GT3 purchaser is probably significantly higher that the peops who purchased these R8's. I could be wrong of course.

mort

It was quite a big leap for me - the most I've ever spent on a guitar is £1150

I wanted a Dirty Lemon and I'm a 6 hour drive from Peach!

grappagreen

I'm sure it'll be have been worth it!

Si

impmann

I'm stunned by this.

For all the "Gibson quality is crap" threads on here and now this...

A 'feeding frenzy' is a good description and I understand the bargain chaser mentality - I genuinely wonder how many would have bought these guitars if the launch price had been £2.5k in the first place and how many have taken a punt thinking they can flog theirs on for more than £2.5k in six months time when the frenzy has died down (if they don't particularly like the instrument).

I get that there was finance available - but its not chicken feed and debt isn't a nice thing. I don't do debt any more - been there, nearly been drowned by it... its not clever.

Good luck to all those who splurged - and well done to the retaillers, who have genuinely had a windfall during a historically quiet time of the year.

Whitecat

Peach do a full setup before it goes out the door too so unless you have strange requirements it’s gonna show up close to as well as it can play. Easy to make a judgment fairly quickly - the only downside is you can’t compare, but as has been said, that’s the strangeness of this whole event with these selling faster than people can enter payment details...

Twinfan

grappagreen said:

I get that and of course am more than aware of differing financial circumstances.

I appreciate it's all relative but suggest that the average income of a potential GT3 purchaser is probably significantly higher that the peops who purchased these R8's. I could be wrong of course.

So do GT3 owners not play guitar and frequent forums?

impmann said:

A 'feeding frenzy' is a good description and I understand the bargain chaser mentality - I genuinely wonder how many would have bought these guitars if the launch price had been £2.5k in the first place and how many have taken a punt thinking they can flog theirs on for more than £2.5k in six months time when the frenzy has died down (if they don't particularly like the instrument).

I get that there was finance available - but its not chicken feed and debt isn't a nice thing. I don't do debt any more - been there, nearly been drowned by it... its not clever.

I would probably already own one if they'd be £2499 at launch.  I've had my eye open for a good Les Paul for a while but wasn't prepared to pay over £4.5k for one.

As per my other comments, £2.5k might not be chicken feed for you but for other people it's not something that puts them into debt.

johnl

What a weird turn this discussion has taken. Of course these would not have been so popular if the price was £2.5k in the first place, the whole point was that it was not and many suspect it won't be again - particularly for this spec (True Historic plastics; hide glue, top carve etc.).

Whatever happens with prices in future; these were well-specced R8s for the price of a new Les Paul Standard. I very much doubt that anyone who has bought one on here had to decide between buying an R8 and putting food on the table. 

Buying online gives you (at least) two weeks to try a guitar in the comfort of your own home with your own amp etc so there's very little risk from that perspective either. 

johnl

mli3 said:

I caved..

Congrats - what did you get?

Twinfan

johnl said:

What a weird turn this discussion has taken. Of course these would not have been so popular if the price was £2.5k in the first place, the whole point was that it was not and many suspect it won't be again - particular for this spec (True Historic plastics; hide glue, top carve etc.).

Whatever happens with prices in future; these were well-specced R8s for the price of a new Les Paul Standard. I very much doubt that anyone who has bought one on here had to decide between buying an R8 and putting food on the table.

My point exactly.  Some may have stretched themselves given the circumstances, but certainly not most buyers I suspect.

roberty

Bridgehouse said:

JerkMoans said:

thomasross20 said:

So what's the verdict for those who've bought one?

Wonderful timbre.

Finally! See? We can change the world one R8 at a time

Honestly, it's something else.  No regrets whatsoever

Today is going to be interesting with all the bank holiday Peach orders arriving

Can't believe there are still more being sold to forum members now!

Legionreturns

It is, I suspect, the deal of a lifetime. For me, I've wanted an R8 for quite some time and have come close to dropping around the same price for a used one. The opportunity to get a well specced, brand new one, with interest free finance, was just too good to miss. It's certainly not a buy to sell purchase. This should be a lifer. 

I also don't get that some people seem to have only come to this thread to have a pop at people jumping on the deal. Maybe I'm reading the inflection wrong, maybe I'm right. Live and let live! 

Bigsby

impmann said:

I'm stunned by this.

For all the "Gibson quality is crap" threads on here and now this...

A 'feeding frenzy' is a good description and I understand the bargain chaser mentality - I genuinely wonder how many would have bought these guitars if the launch price had been £2.5k in the first place and how many have taken a punt thinking they can flog theirs on for more than £2.5k in six months time when the frenzy has died down (if they don't particularly like the instrument).

It seems Peach did a thorough job on weeding out the QC rejects Gibson let slip through - 8 out of 50 - but then they also took time to weigh and photograph. I do wonder if we'll be hearing of any issues from GG customers. It sounds as if their stock simply got distributed across their stores, and some of those may not have got around to opening the box before it sold!

Knowing you're buying a new guitar at close to secondhand prices is certainly a safety net, and the idea of grabbing a never-to-be-repeated bargain is quite irresistible! (Though we may well see repeats due to Gibson's state/current practice of clearing stock).

Perhaps what puzzles me more is that these seem to come up used at slightly lower prices - and as CS guitars, no doubt they're usually in pretty good nick. That suggests anyone who really, really wanted one could've afforded a used one. Surely the feeding frenzy can't be all down to available credit? I think the bargain chasing must've played a big part.

mark123

when are peach getting the next batch in ??

terada

Indeed. This is a guitar that sells at nearly 4 grand, that is an aspirational instrument for guitarists, and by a quirk of Gibson's financial position is bring got rid of at a bargain price.

It really doesn't surprise me that people want in.

Just because the reduced price is still a lot of money, doesn't change the fact that it is a bargain.

roberty

Bigsby said:

It seems Peach did a thorough job on weeding out the QC rejects Gibson let slip through - 8 out of 50 - but then they also took time to weigh and photograph. I do wonder if we'll be hearing of any issues from GG customers. It sounds as if their stock simply got distributed across their stores, and some of those may not have got around to opening the box before it sold!

There was a nick on mine behind the nut (GG).  Posted it a few pages back.  I sent them a photo and they offered a part refund off the bat.  Couldn't bear the thought of such a nice guitar being decapitated and pulped

grappagreen

Twinfan said:

grappagreen said:

I get that and of course am more than aware of differing financial circumstances.

I appreciate it's all relative but suggest that the average income of a potential GT3 purchaser is probably significantly higher that the peops who purchased these R8's. I could be wrong of course.

So do GT3 owners not play guitar and frequent forums?

I do yes...

Si