Another Guild reissue

[gweimer]

And I paid $225 for this way back when...

[4stringer77]

Perhaps the folks at Guild know something we don't about the future value of the US dollar. They're just trying to stay ahead of the Zimbabwe like inflationary curve we will be experiencing in the not to distant future.

[Dave W]

It's only $4500 MSRP, the shock must have made you misread it.  

I think Guild just booted Gretsch into second place in terms of pricing stupidity.  Mass produced or not!  

Remember, this is all Fender marketing and pricing. Since Fender owns Guild and owns the marketing rights to Gretsch, they'll have to kick themselves.

This is an American made limited edition, the equivalent of a Fender Custom Shop piece. Have you priced any FCS instruments in the past two or three years? There's nothing available at a street price under $3K. I think MSRPs start at $4300 now, and those are for the "regular" CS models. How about a Pino Palladino Precision at $5800 MSRP, or the Limited Edition Geddy Lee 1972 J at $7600 MSRP?

Hell, at $4500 MSRP this is a bargain! I'll take two!  

[drbassman]

Sorry, I meant to say Fender has its head up its ass when pricing RIs. 

[Dave W]

The prices sure seem outrageously high to me. OTOH the FCS prices have been up there for two or three years now, which tells me they must be selling well enough to keep that pricing. It's hard to imagine this happening with the Guilds, but time will tell.

[dadagoboi]

Due to the exclusivity $4500 makes more sense to me than a $2000 street price off the shelf 2014 Thunderbird.  Not that I'll be buying either.

Marketing 101, create a demand then fill it.  The $1500 - $2000 Korean version will look reasonable if/when it gets made.

[drbassman]

Yep, the korean one will look pretty reasonable in comparison.

[Pilgrim]

I think Guild just booted Gretsch into second place in terms of pricing stupidity.  Mass produced or not!  

I meant Guild but had Gretsch on the mind so I Gretsched when I should have Guilded.  No matter, I think the overpricing is consistent with them thar G-brand instruments.

And for what Fender charges for CS instruments, they ought to be hand-carved by a dedicated captive cadre of Master Craftsman Leprechauns.

[dadagoboi]

I meant Guild but had Gretsch on the mind so I Gretsched when I should have Guilded.  No matter, I think the overpricing is consistent with them thar G-brand instruments.

And for what Fender charges for CS instruments, they ought to be hand-carved by a dedicated captive cadre of Master Craftsman Leprechauns.

On the subject of overpricing:

Yesterday a drummer buddy and I were reminiscing.  We both entered the University of Florida in 1964.  In state tuition was $226 a year.  A new EB-3 was  $285.  Tuition is now $6300 a year and an SG Standard Bass is $1000.

BTW, $300 in 1964 adjusting for inflation (4.18%) was $2,118 in 2013.  $226 was $1680.

Are they building a better education these days?

[Pilgrim]

Are they building a better education these days?

That can be debated, but expenses have gone up because institutions are being required by legislation and market competition to provide more and better facilities, and a whole range of services which weren't included a few decades ago. Also, funding for public institutions at the federal and state level has been reduced an average of nearly 50% (from the mid-60% level in the 60's to the mid-teens percentage recently). It's not meaningful to compare the two because the cost factors in each industry are very different.  

That isn't to say that tuition hasn't gone up incredibly, and much more at some schools than others. I think that all the add-ons schools have done over the past 20 years have been important in driving the cost up.  Better dorms, more workout facilities, more food options, upgraded student centers....there's a long list.  Students won't settle for the same kinds of facilities we did in the 60's and 70's.  This is also a reason that many Greek houses are in trouble - they can't afford to update their buildings, create private sleeping rooms (instead of barracks-style dorms), upgrade kitchens, remodel bathrooms so a dozen people aren't sharing them...a long list. I've been in President's foundation and board meetings where these factors have been discussed.

I remember that my first semester at WSU as an undergrad, I wrote a check for $176 tuition for 15 credit hours.  I don't recall the fees associated with that.  Last year one semester's tuition and fees at the same institution were $5693.  I should note that just in the last four years, the state reduced funding to WSU more than 50%...and they have had to raise tuition by double digit percentages more than once as a result. Still, the increase is mind-blowing.

We got our daughters through college with no debt, but we got a discount for their attending the university where we worked, we had a savings plan with funds ready, and they both worked 20-30+ hours a week every week throughout college.  It's REALLY hard to get a kid through college without debt these days.

That's probably more than anyone here wants to know.   

[drbassman]

Are they building a better education these days?  Good question Carlo.  At the primary and secondary levels, the answer is a definitive "no" based on student outcomes and world competitiveness. At the college level, it depends.  I'll start a new education thread if you want to chat about this in detail.  Lots of variables and issues in this topic!

[Pilgrim]

Are they building a better education these days?  Good question Carlo.  At the primary and secondary levels, the answer is a definitive "no" based on student outcomes and world competitiveness. At the college level, it depends.  I'll start a new education thread if you want to chat about this in detail.  Lots of variables and issues in this topic!

I'm with you on the comment about primary and secondary levels, Bill.  There are some areas where students are definitely weaker than decades ago.  Start a thread if you wish - wouldn't mind sharing observations with you and others.

[Chris P.]

I've never seen one in real life, but according to Rob this new reissue has a much deeper body than the original. it's very light. Of course it's made in the Gretsch Electromatic factory, so it could be a Gretsch 6120-ish body, without f-holes and with Guild hardware mounted...

[Chris P.]

The body of the black one above (not my NAMM pic, but the one on the ground) has quite a deep body, but not as deep as this one I think.

[Pilgrim]

The Gretsch 5123 reissue that came out thru GC was about an inch deeper in the body than a standard  335-style bass.   Might come from that "family ".