Members Mercer Posted July 8, 2006 Members Share Posted July 8, 2006 "I think they are actually made in a hollow tree....along with fudge stripes...." I didn't know keebler elves were in the guitar business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mercer Posted July 8, 2006 Members Share Posted July 8, 2006 Korean guitars seem to be pretty reliable, especially for imports. Fender makes a pretty expensive Korean strat around 600, and all Reverend guiars are Korean if I remember correctly, and those are pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members book_of_lies777 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 maybe the question should be: why do other companies charge so much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members exafro Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by blackmoreisgod maybe the question should be: why do other companies charge so much? Quality materials, labor cost(good quality control=$$$), supply and demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members book_of_lies777 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by exafro Quality materials, labor cost(good quality control=$$$), supply and demand. you might wanna do a little more reading around here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members exafro Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by blackmoreisgod you might wanna do a little more reading around here... I don't need to read to know the reasons one guitar costs more than another. People have a problem with expensive guitars because they expect to be wowed, and when it doesn't fit their pre conceived notions they come here and bitch about it. Its the total opposite with a cheap guitar, people have low expectations and are usually suprised when they play it. Its all about your mindset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tonemeister87 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Is this thread about soccer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larryguitar Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 A few years ago I had some guitars made to my specs by a Korean factory. The costs are astonishingly low, or were then-but the hassles are also huge. FWIW-four years ago or so, I had a Chinese company offer to sell me 'Epiphone' Les Pauls-although they were adamant that I couldn't use the Epi headstock or refer to them in advertising-for $88 EACH in quantities of 200 or more. :eek: Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mateo150 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Sorry to say, but I went to rondo last week and I think you guys hype them up here and people get caught up in the hype. I'll probably buy an AS820 when they do the christmas blowout though, try different PU's and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members id-man Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by larryguitar FWIW-four years ago or so, I had a Chinese company offer to sell me 'Epiphone' Les Pauls-although they were adamant that I couldn't use the Epi headstock or refer to them in advertising-for $88 EACH in quantities of 200 or more.Holy Christ, you couldn't buy wood, electronics and hardware for $88. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larryguitar Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by id-man Holy Christ, you couldn't buy wood, electronics and hardware for $88. Yeah, but you have to get it shipped to the US from China (loooooongggg way off!) and get it through customs. Monster headache, trust me. Plus you have to cash up for all this (200 guitars, shipping customs, etc.) for about three months before you're going to see a single guitar. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members id-man Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 No, I get that. I'm saying, an investment of roughly $20-some thousand would put 200 guitars into a warehouse - guitars that could sell for the low $200 range and still fetch over $100 revenue each. That should be able to cover a lot of overheads and still be profitable, which is probably something like Rondo's formula . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members magentaplacenta Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 It's probably that simple, actually. There was a guy on ebay a couple years ago that was selling lists of asian guitar factories where you could basically have your own line of guitars made. It's pretty much as described above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pigsinzen Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 But how well was these guitars made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members greenbeef Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 I doubt they even open the box. I doubt they do any setup work before shipping. The may open the box but, only to make sure its in one piece. I was at Rondo in April, bought an SX bass, and the staff literally just brought out unopened boxes of basses for me to try out. As what everyone has said, the combination of... Cheaper labor Cheaper materials A highly automated manufacturing process Buying in bulk Next to nothing advertising budget Low-cost internet mail order (with the exception of their one store...minimal brick and mortar) I would assume the biggest savings compared to other Korean made guitars is in the last two...you're not paying for a brand name and you're paying for someone's commission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members book_of_lies777 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by exafro I don't need to read to know the reasons one guitar costs more than another. People have a problem with expensive guitars because they expect to be wowed, and when it doesn't fit their pre conceived notions they come here and bitch about it. Its the total opposite with a cheap guitar, people have low expectations and are usually suprised when they play it. Its all about your mindset. I have owned a Gibson SG - and I have owned(still do) a $150 Epiphone Les Paul Special II... yes, the SG had the set-neck and different shape, there was NOT enough of a difference in quality to warrant 5x the price. Sorry Gibson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dimmypage Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by blackmoreisgod I have owned a Gibson SG - and I have owned(still do) a $150 Epiphone Les Paul Special II... yes, the SG had the set-neck and different shape, there was NOT enough of a difference in quality to warrant 5x the price. Sorry Gibson! I bought mine(LP SPECIAL 2) in 1995 and it cost me $285:eek: but I bought it after playing several dead Gibson Smartwood and Gem Les Pauls.and talk about Gibsons frets at that time:confused: Hopefully their back on track! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bbreaker Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by primemover12 in a word: sweatshops. Seriously, it's Korean made. The better question would probably be, how does Gibson do it? They pound out the same designs they did in the 50s, but with more automation and less quality, yet the prices skyrocket. You would think that more automation and less quality would yield a cheaper guitar, but not the case. With Agile, you're not paying for a logo and a brand name status. If there wasn't a Gibson, Agile wouldn't have much to clone. I forgot, Agile clones Fender too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members iamrobk Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by Bbreaker If there wasn't a Gibson, Agile wouldn't have much to clone. I forgot, Agile clones Fender too. You could say the same for PRS, Anderson, Suhr, and lots of other manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spadoctor Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 As for Rondo checking each guitar....nope....they take one off the shelf and ship it out and never even look at it unless you order a hardshell with it. They open the box, put it in the case and out it goes. As for the lack of tone. Can't say that about my 2800. It weighs in at 9lbs....not bad. Also had a friend that has owned a Gibson LP since '82 use it at one of his gigs. He said there wasn't a hugh difference playing and felt he was able to get his usual sound from it. And it is stock. I think a lot has to do with the headstock period Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xlrocks Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 i guess you gotta see for yourself, I have an Al-3000 prestige with that slim tapered neck. i wanted a les paul cause i fell in love with a gibson with a slim tapered neck, 60's i think i don't know whatever else. the agile that i've got ways heavier, and to be honest sounds better and feels better than the les paul that made me want one. it's got a very clear solid paf tone, not overwhelming garbling bass like alot of the beautiful gibsons i love. it seems to have more output and drives the amp alittle better than your average gibson. and the cleans are wonderful. and one thing i noticed is that it's pretty bright compared to a gibson. it sounds like a paul but not as laid back sounding due to the darkness of it (atleast the ones i tried) i like my guitar better than all of the gibsons i pick up. not {censored}ting on gibson, but i dont want to pay 3000 dollars for a guitar, especially when this agile feels better to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members primemover12 Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by Bbreaker If there wasn't a Gibson, Agile wouldn't have much to clone. I forgot, Agile clones Fender too. Big deal. I don't care if my guitar was innovative, I care if it stays in tune, has decent fretwork, and has a price proportionate to it's quality rather than the status some yuppie derives from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members machine gunner Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Don't really know how they can do it for so cheap- maybe dirt cheap labor? I will say this- my AL2000 P90 Goldtop stacks up very favorably to the Epi version which would have cost me $450 more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bbreaker Posted July 9, 2006 Members Share Posted July 9, 2006 Originally posted by primemover12 Big deal. I don't care if my guitar was innovative, I care if it stays in tune, has decent fretwork, and has a price proportionate to it's quality rather than the status some yuppie derives from it. Status...........Yuppie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jjpistols Posted July 10, 2006 Members Share Posted July 10, 2006 $200 is way too much for a decent electric guitar these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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