Why buy High End Up Here??

[markb]

I don't know why anyone would buy a high end guitar in Canada these days.

The store down the street from me wants $2500 Can for a soloist (just a non graphic select) + taxes = $2850

I could go online in the US, get one for $1300 US, which would be about $1530 Can. Even with shipping and customs, it would never even get over $2000. The savings would be about $1000. That is insane.

Canadian prices PRS Custom 22 all done up = $3500, Les Paul Standard = $3000, just for examples. These prices were set around 2 years ago when the Canadian dollar was at 60 cents on US dollar. Since then, it has climbed to 85 cents on the dollar. That means it was $1670 canadian to buy $1000 US 2 yrs ago, now it is $1170. But prices have not changed here. Most everyone I know buys on line now, and I don't blame them.

What is up with the US guitar market anyhow as a side question? The bottm has fallen out of the used market, and interest in high end companies for new gtrs has really dropped off it seems. People were apeshit 1 1/2 yrs ago for Anderson, PRS, G&L, Baker, Suhr, Gibson and all the rest of it, now not so much.

How it it that mid 80's US Jacksons go for nothing now?

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

What I'd like to know is how these local companies, mom and pops, etc stay in business with the prices that high? You bring some surprising examples, I didn't realize the exchange was that low that recently.

Pat

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

hey Mark thats how they pay for that free national health care up in the great white north [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[hippietim]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

The flipside is also true though. A buddy of mine drove to Vancouver and got some stupid cheap prices on some very nice Godin guitars.

[Baum83]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

Same over here in Europe. Even when adding int. shipping and the 16% customs fee (in Germany anyway) to most of the nicer guitars, you save an insane amount of money when ordering from the US as opposed to buying it in a store here.
Example... the cheapest USA Select Soloists I've seen were around 2100€ish. 1€=1.30US$ right now. Go figure.

[Accept2]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

If its the Solist at Songbird which I assume is the local store you are talking about, those 2 are brand spanking new, thats why they are so expensive............
The last used Solist at Songbird sold for $1,000CDN........It was a really nice errie dess too!............

[markb]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

Nah, Long & McQuade over at Bank/Albion. I haven't been in Songbird for a while.

$1000 Canadian for a erie des. US solist is pretty freakin' low. That was a steal.

But, like I say, I could get a brand new SL1 up here from the states for less than $2000 total, it seems crazy to pay almost 3 in town. For a new one anyway. But it is a buyers market for used right now it seems, so I suppose buying a new one wouldn't make much sense anyway.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Why buy High End Up Here??

Those two Soloists have been at the Toronto Song Bird Music for a VERY long time it seems. Haven't seen any Soloists at the Ottawa Song Bird Music before though.