Is there such a thing as a "Christmas Guitar" cycle?

[ChiyoDad]

Does it exist? Someone mentioned to me that there's a Christmas Guitar Cycle that goes something like this:

 

[Gary Palmer]

I suppose so, but there's also an element that swiftly places new guitars in the back of closets after the first few strums, failed attempts at tuning and/or finger tip pain.

[rhancox]

I would think there's some truth to the notion.

Probably a similar one for boat owners too. Sort of like this:
January: reading magazines, scouring classifieds
February/March: pull trigger on boat purchase
May-July: Enjoy boat
August/September: disgruntled boat owners take out ads to sell boat
September/October: serious boat owners looking for off-season storage

[Stackabones]

Does it exist? Someone mentioned to me that there's a Christmas Guitar Cycle that goes something like this:

There is a similar cycle at music schools.

University of North Texas (an acclaimed jazz school) is just up the way and every semester change over there is an increase of guitars on craigslist, especially classical guitars. Guitar majors are required to enroll in classical guitar, and once they finish the class (or transfer out of the music program, which is more likely) they need to dump their guitars.

[ChiyoDad]

There is a similar cycle at music schools.

Yeah. That's probably the University Semester Guitar Cycle . It is, naturally, limited to the perimeter of acclaimed music colleges. The only ones who don't sell are those who focus on Classical Guitar.

I imagine that the Christmas Guitar Cycle is more easily experienced by guitar instructors in every community. The person who described this cycle is a local-town teacher.

[Hudman]

I never noticed a Christmas guitar cycle.

 

I think the guitar Christmas gift to Ebay / garage sale status would take longer than one year. Being that the guitar was a Christmas gift, I think most people would hang on to it a while before selling it. I also think the "upgrade to a new guitar" process may take many people longer than 12 months.

 

Interesting concept.

[Melodeous]

Yea, being a gift it would show ingratitude to dump a guitar without obliging some unspoken passage of time or luxury of distance. Sounds like a reasonable theory though. The idea that students dump their guitars after the classical guitar course is interesting. Seems like a source for that philanthropic guitar thread.

[mikeyy]

I was wondering if MF will have a large influx of scratch & dent items right after Christmas so I've been keeping an eye out.

[Hudman]

There is a similar cycle at music schools. University of North Texas (an acclaimed jazz school) is just up the way and every semester change over there is an increase of guitars on craigslist, especially classical guitars. Guitar majors are required to enroll in classical guitar, and once they finish the class (or transfer out of the music program, which is more likely) they need to dump their guitars.

 

Do you find good deals on decent classical guitars or are most of them cheapies?

[Stackabones]

Do you find good deals on decent classical guitars or are most of them cheapies?

 

 

It's a good mix. Most of them don't want to get something that makes them look like they are not serious, so they get something in the $200-400 range. You see plenty of Yammies and sometimes a La Patrie or two. And since most of them aren't too serious about playing classical guitar, the guitars are usually in decent condition (dorm to class to dorm).

[sjepstein]

I was wondering if MF will have a large influx of scratch & dent items right after Christmas so I've been keeping an eye out.

If I remember correctly, I think MF/GC was advertising a holiday return deadline of January 31. So look for Presidents' Day Special Clearance Sales?

Scott

[guit30]

What I wonder is why MF has such a large bevy of srcatch and dent guitars and pedals now?

[stormin1155]

Not sure about the cycle. Based on other "New Year's Resolutions" the cycle may be shorter. I do know that a lot of people got guitars for Christmas this year. Yesterday I was in my little local music store. Their walls were nearly bare... it was like they were going out of business. Only a handful of Squier electrics and lower end Alvarez and Fender acoustics were left (which they stock a lot of), and even the high-end stuff moved well.