JP70 or PRS SE 7?

[Warthog]

I wouldn't knock Indonesian guitars, their factories are putting out amazing quality instruments these days and I think that the stigma that comes from where a guitar is made is something that should go the way of the dodo bird.

When you look at the specs of the JP70 limited edition, it actually has excellent components.

I recently got a guitar made in Indonesia and it cost me 250 EUR. Much to my surprise, it has replaced my other 2 main guitars as my primary gigging instrument. The other 2 were American made.

You don't need to feel ripped off, you just need to make a decision that is financially sound to you. Heck, I know that some folks think the guitar I bought for 250 is a rip off too! lol.. Since an older version was sold for half price.. it's all relative.

Good luck and I hope you get what makes you happy!!!

A

 

[lil_petrucci]

I can't comment on the price, that's something you'd have to work out with them. And you can do that also, although it's looked down upon and you'd be throwing away your warranty if the guitar ever needed work done.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the minimum wage in Australia far over double what it is in the US right now? Considering that our currencies are pretty close in value, it makes sense that things are priced far more over there than here. I saw an unloaded JP6 sell new there for 2700AUD, yet here it costs $1575USD. Makes sense considering the amount of money you can make starting at a job down there.

You are correct. We do have a great minimum wage. But that doesn't give people the right to charge what they want, just because they can. That's called exploitation. To give you an example, an E550 Benz is about 60K in the USA. Here, they are well in excess of 175k... Explain to me WHY we pay three times what the rest of the world does? Because people who are importers make a lot of money in the middle. That's a load of bull****.

And the example of the guitar? That's exactly my point. $2700 unloaded? Total bull****. $5k for a BFR? Yeah, keep dreaming. They aren't worth that, when i can buy them online for half. And I will do that. eBay is one of the best things for people like me, and also one of the worst - i'm in retail.

If the items here were say, $500-600 more expensive, we'd be fine with it. But double? Triple?! That's just outlandish. And to say "Oh well you make more so you can pay more" That's one of the most stupid things i've ever heard EVER. Especially considering we have free trade agreements with the USA and the only taxes that are paid on imports are GST, which is 10%. So, the guitar that is $1000 should be $1350 (A la stratocaster), not $2k.

 

[lil_petrucci]

Brian, thanks for chiming in. You're proving my point. List price is $1200 in the USA. or $1300 AUD. Let's assume a 20% dealer profit, and that makes it what, $1560? Where's the other $500 come from? It's simple, it goes to the pockets of those importing the instruments, in an age when we don't need it. I'm not against people making money, but how they make money can be an issue and in this case, we Australians are being ripped off. Nothing new. We don't NEED anyone importing instruments for us. The only purpose it serves is to ramp up the prices in this age of online purchasing.

Also, to suggest that settling for a "Lesser instrument" from one of your competitors is an option is ridiculous. As you might note in the signature, I have a 2010 limited BFR. As well as a few other rare instruments. I have no issue spending money which i deem to be worth it, but I'm at that point where I will buy what i WANT and not compromise on other things anyway. But no one gets to the point where they can do that by wasting money. And spending 2K on an instrument made in indonesia, which should be about a a grand or 1200 tops is doing just that.

This entire ordeal has left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. Extremely bad, in fact. I love the instruments but two thousand dollars is just outlandish for an instrument made in a country where the minimum wage is about 50 cents per hour, US. And I know for a fact they don't cost anywhere NEAR that to produce. Especially when i can get one from the USA, made in the USA, for about 2200. an EBMM. And make no mistake, i'd rather do that.

 

[lil_petrucci]

And out of curiosity, what do you sell the same guitar for in Latvia, where the minimum wage is $40 a day? Or how about indonesia where it's about 1200 a YEAR? Or do you just not do it?

I and most Australians are sick of being ripped off. No matter what it is, we get it in the neck because we make more money so "we can pay more". I'm sick of it. The Australians are sick of it. And i'm just about the only person in the entire country who seems to be trying to do anything about it.

 

[Kenji20022]

I'm very well aware of that kind of market, trust me. I was born in Brazil and go back there constantly on business, and we're used to a terrible household income and prices FAR more absurd than what you've got in Australia. Not only that but we deal with fakes and counterfeits on a scale you wouldn't imagine. My cousin who lives in Rio actually sees SECOND HAND EBMM guitars for upwards to $8000 RS, or about $3500 USD. That's for a loaded Mystic Dream in decent condition. Now think of a legitimate dealer selling the same guitar brand new.

And guess what, if our average/minimum wage was that high the cost of our products would reflect that and we'd be paying far more for everything. No one's stopping you from buying in the USA and bringing it back with you, just pay your duties and give up your warranty in doing so. Your 2nd post just sounds like you're flaunting your wealth and your "collection", if you can afford to buy a guitar no matter the cost, then why are you asking us about purchasing two mid range instruments?

I wasn't suggesting you settle for a lesser instrument, the PRS SE isn't a lesser instrument and if I recall you made the thread because you were already considering both options? Why don't you just buy the standard JP70 or the Green/Purple, those are the same guitars in every way sans the pickups and they're cheaper than the White Pearl ones. And SBMM already mentioned that these are a limited edition run.

I really don't get your problem, you already provide solutions to your current issue but start venting about issues that neither I nor anyone on this end has any control over. So you asking me those questions makes no sense, all I know is that if a BFR is 5k in Australia, that is less than 2x the cost of what it is here in the States. That AND the wage is OVER 2x what is is here in the United States. That's my point. Come over to the US and work a job at our wage and pay what we pay for the same things, it's not different.

It's all relative, and this is off topic. I'm not here to debate with the politics behind a country's economy and pricing, even though the answer to your question is pretty obvious. We're here to talk about the guitars.

Like I said before, very different instruments. And SBMM has the JP70 in their previous finishes that are the same exact guitar, also priced lower than the Limited Edition White Pearl. Maybe you should consider those an option?

 

[DrKev]

lil-petrucci,

You don't get it in the neck. EVERYBODY outside of the US complains about the prices. But guess what, that's basic economics and not EBMM or SBMM picking on anyone. Shipping, import taxes, distribution networks (staff salaries, warehousing, accounting, customer service and warrantys). It all a significant amount extra that does not exist in the US (EBMM supply stores directly, there is no regional distributor network to be paid). On top of all that add another 20% sales tax, which again does not apply in the US. That's makes all the difference in the prices.

We're done with this thread. You don't like the price, you've had your rant, we get it. There is nothing more to say. Move on.