Cheap SG faded worn cherry

[Basvarken]

Why is this brandnew SG so much cheaper than the other SG basses we've seen lately?

http://www.musik-produktiv.de/gibson-sg-standard-faded-worn-cherry.aspx


The difference in price is substantial. Only 799 euro...

[Chris P.]

Rob mailed me about this one and the only things I see are the cheaper faded finish and a gigbag instead of a case.

Those German stores had a lot of P90-loaded Melodymakers in white, black and sunburst the last year, which weren't on the Gibson site and which only cost 325 euros to 499 of a 'normal' one. I think this was a special deal so I guess those German stores just order like 50 or a hundred ones for a special price.

[Dave W]

These were available over here in late 2007 and early 2008 from Musicians Friend and Music 123. IIRC they were $799 at a time when the regular finish SG Basses were a little over $1200. AFAIK the only differences were the finish and the gigbag instead of hard case.

[eb2]

The finish is kind of cool, but the mahogany is open grain, and the finish is a simple tinted sealer basically.  You take the grain filling and sanding out of the process, and then reduce the finishing and buffing process to half or less of the amount of labor, and there you go.  Cheap guitar. 

Sadly, it is not a good base to put a gloss finish over, with the grain being so open.  It would take many coats to build it up to a level smooth finish.

[Basvarken]

Yeah that was my thought too. That reduces the labour costs considerably.

[Dave W]

Several years ago at RickResource, John Hall said that 65% of their labor hours were spent in the finishing department. The figure might not be quite as high at Gibson. Still, you get the picture. The normal finish has multiple steps and takes days. It's easy to see how a simple finish that can be done and out in the same day could save a lot of labor costs.