OmegaSlayer
Well-Known Member
Something something capitalism...The guitar brand lifecycle seems to be the same as every other product niche:
- Incumbents are expensive and lack features the community wants
- New or overseas brand enters the market offering cheap alternatives with premium specs (or just putting in cheap parts with the intent of the user replacing them like old Ibanez V series pickups)
- Those brands build a rep and start offering actual premium specs for slightly more than the original runs cost, but still significantly less than the incumbents who still want 2x the price
- Over the years their rep builds and you end up with $2200 MIK Schecters
Same story with non-guitar stuff like Uber or Walmart. Come to town > undercut the competition > position yourself as the "best" or only game in town offering the thing you sell > raise prices to match incumbents the moment they're gone or you're able to. That's not to say brands like Ibanez and Shecter aren't "allowed" to do this, they aren't mass-evil like Walmart, it just sucks for us when their prices catch up.
In 15 years we'll be defending or trying to justify $3500 Sawtooth and EART guitars![]()