Charvel USA price jump

bluebuddha · December 2017

Now that Charvel have gone back to USA production for the San Dimas/Pro Mod, will my USA San Dimas be worth more again?

New ones are £1500-£2000!

I keep contemplating selling it, then I play it and change my mind...

Funkfingers · December 2017

Everything under the Fender umbrella is going up. Again.

guitars4you · December 2017

Funkfingers said:

Everything under the Fender umbrella is going up. Again.

I've seen some of the 2018 price lists already and not all pleasant reading

Musicman20 · December 2017

Thing is, will there become a point when the consumer (not all) just doesn't want to pay that, and won't?

guitars4you · December 2017

Musicman20 said:

Thing is, will there become a point when the consumer (not all) just doesn't want to pay that, and won't?

it is a question I'm sure many of us have asked many times before - I know I have - Like when in the late 80's a Gibson LP Standard was around £800 and in the mid/late 90's when it hit a £1000 and so on - I don't disagree but we keep hitting these high asking prices with appropriate sales - granted the health of the market place comes into play as well

Schnozz · December 2017

There's many alternatives out there - Get looking!

Wood is wood.

darcym · December 2017

is fender doing a gibson ? price keeps going up but nothing new is coming in for the money

breakstuff · December 2017

I would REALLY like to pull the trigger on this..

https://beta.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/charvel_usa_custom_shop_rtm_san_dimas_1h_olympic_white/

but at £1800 I really can't justify it.And I can't honestly imagine it being THAT much better than my Jap San Dimas that cost a third of that brand new.

guitarfishbay · December 2017

My understanding is that guitar sales have slowed?

A lot of people only buy used stuff, which is understandable for money reasons but used sales don't help maintain companies.

Even if they were to freeze their prices (which I assume against inflation would mean a reduction in margins) it probably wouldn't lead to increased sales.

I'm not convinced a US guitar is intrinsically better than anything else by default anyway, though companies clearly tend to structure so their premium instruments are made in the US... I can only guess this is for historical reasons, and the fact Americans tend to be quite patriotic and that's surely the biggest guitar market anyway

Kebabkid · December 2017

You can pick up some Charvel Pro Mods for £499 (reduced from £799)

bassbora · December 2017

Does that mean I am underselling my MIJ Charvel? Should I up it to £1k?

stonevibe · December 2017

breakstuff said:

I would REALLY like to pull the trigger on this..

https://beta.richtonemusic.co.uk/product/charvel_usa_custom_shop_rtm_san_dimas_1h_olympic_white/

but at £1800 I really can't justify it.And I can't honestly imagine it being THAT much better than my Jap San Dimas that cost a third of that brand new.

I think you are probably correct with your assumption and as usual with guitars 'higher cost' for 'USA built' doesn't really mean anything in 2017.

If you can't go and try it out and had to buy blind then I wouldn't take the punt.

prowla · December 2017

guitarfishbay said:

My understanding is that guitar sales have slowed?

A lot of people only buy used stuff, which is understandable for money reasons but used sales don't help maintain companies.

Even if they were to freeze their prices (which I assume against inflation would mean a reduction in margins) it probably wouldn't lead to increased sales.

I'm not convinced a US guitar is intrinsically better than anything else by default anyway, though companies clearly tend to structure so their premium instruments are made in the US... I can only guess this is for historical reasons, and the fact Americans tend to be quite patriotic and that's surely the biggest guitar market anyway

I prefer to buy used; I figure if a guitar has had a few years then any teething problems are going to have surfaced.

andyp · December 2017

Kebabkid said:

You can pick up some Charvel Pro Mods for £499 (reduced from £799)

Ive just done this. In my limited experience of guitars overall, it is incredibly well built and spec’d for the list price of £750-800. Never mind the £499 I paid. I reckon it feels worth like every bit of a £1200-1500 guitar. I’m not sure how the USA models could be any better built than my Mexican one.

jeztone2 · December 2017

Isn't this because there's no Charvel US factory so the FMIC custom shop makes them? I'm sure I read that somewhere, could be baloney.

MattFGBI · December 2017

jeztone2 said:

Isn't this because there's no Charvel US factory so the FMIC custom shop makes them? I'm sure I read that somewhere, could be baloney.

They are made in the workshop next door.

The vast majority of price increases in the industry are currency driven. In the Euro zone prices have been pretty stable for ages.

Doug · December 2017

andyp said:

Kebabkid said:

You can pick up some Charvel Pro Mods for £499 (reduced from £799)

Ive just done this. In my limited experience of guitars overall, it is incredibly well built and spec’d for the list price of £750-800. Never mind the £499 I paid. I reckon it feels worth like every bit of a £1200-1500 guitar. I’m not sure how the USA models could be any better built than my Mexican one.

I've just bought a MIM Pro Mod So Cal Ocean Green from GG @£499 ~ lovely guitar, the spoke wheel trussrod adjustment is perfect, although I would have preferred the 1/4 sawn one piece neck from the previous MIA/MIJ Pro Mods with 'Skunk Stripe' + the Spoke Wheel TR adjustment.=Cost saving!I , it plays/sounds great, though I wish they would cut the Floyd nut shelf lower and install shims under it for a nicer adjustable action/playability, though this also applies to to the USA/MIJ models.The MIM's dont even come with a gigbag, MIJ's came with an SKB moulded case, better neck/frets attention to detail for not much more.

andyp · December 2017

Yip, that’s true. There’s money saved there for sure, but in terms of build I think it’s superb. I’m sure the cost spirals quickly with upgraded hardware, more attractive timbers etc.

I’m really wary of saying this as there’s always contention on here about it... but I thought the exchange rate had stabilised over the last few months. Don’t shoot me, I’ve not looked - this is based on info at work.

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