Can You Be Happy Paying Full Price for Guitar or Gear?

[Cosmic Cowboy]

That's part of their advertising budget. Why make it a negative? If they didn't advertise by giving away gear to content creators, for example, they'd use it to advertise some other way. So what's the deal? How's that bad?

While I agree with your sentiment...I am kind of glad that social media influencers get to show me stuff I might be interested in.

 

[Red Ryder]

Don't really need anymore guitars or gear so if I'm not going to get a smokin deal I'll pass.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Part of the thrill of the chase is the thrill of the deal! There's something enticing about a good score on something special or unique that it adds to the GAS. Like I'm actually waiting for a new (used) guitar to arrive in the mail right now. It's particularly high end and I would NEVER have bought it at full retail price. There's just some things where I wouldn't pay that just because. But at a really amazing deal... well ok I'll bite.

If it's a piece I really want I'll pay fair market used. My big consideration is I don't want to eat the depreciation on full price new gear should I wish to sell it later.

 

[teletail]

Most of the time we pay full price whether we know (or admit) it. Most people know that they buyer is going to make an offer so we figure that into our asking price. If I want $800 for a guitar, I ask $900 and then let myself get talked down. They think they got a bargain so they are happy, I got my $800 so I’m happy. Did they pay full price???

 

[nickmsmith]

If you’re paying full price on any purchase from a big box store.. you aren’t trying hard enough. If you call GC/MF/sweetwater, they will probably give you at least 10 percent off every time.

I don’t bother with stuff like picks and strings, but anything more than that, I’m getting a deal. Beauty of being a buyer in a market with so many choices.

 

[Swirling Snow]

These days, I pay what I have to to get what I want.

It's not so much I will be happy, as I won't be happy if I don't.

 

[The Angle]

I've never paid full retail price for any musical gear that listed for over $200. That's partly because I enjoy the hunt, and partly because I can sell something a few years later and probably get all my money back, if not a bit more. I really dislike selling things at a loss.

 

[BB]

Agree with @angle 100%. The only (ONLY!!!) way I would be happy paying full price is if
I actually had a disposable income, extra money saved, found $20K in an old shoe, or went off my rocker (more than I am now) and say to myself in the mirror; "I've made do with a junk store Decca guitar with the original 13-58 Black Diamond flatwounds for 37 odd years now....plus, I've been a fairly good boy......so by golly, I deserve it'!

 

[Fretting out]

I’ll pay retail but it doesn’t hurt to look for deals

Sometimes if you want new you have to bite the bullet

Is what it is, these are luxury items after all (for the most part)

 

[Fenderdad1950]

Always, or possibly full list price if I'm lucky. I can't wait for the new year to roll around, so Fender can raise their prices again.

 

[Cyberi4n]

Most of the stuff I buy is second hand. I tend to buy pedals new though, because lately the used price seems almost as much as the new price, so I may as well get a warranty. If it’s a hard-to-find pedal, or I’m in a rush, then I’ll pay more for it, but usually I know in advance what it SHOULD go for on the S/H market. Only one of my current guitars is new, but that’s because when I bought it there were hardly any s/h and it was a specific model/colour I was after. Most recent amp purchase was a brand new one, but luckily HEAVILY discounted by the store, and when it arrived it had another ding on it that I managed to knock even more off for.

 

[telemnemonics]

Neither answer.
One or two times I paid full priced?

 

[OmegaWoods]

I ask my shop or sales engineer for a discount for big ticket items. If there isn't one, I buy at full price since I've already decided to buy at that point. The deal is great but the great is what matters.

Quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

 

[Maguchi]

I've read many NGD threads where the price(low) was as important as the item itself. Something like, "I wasn't even looking for a guitar, but the price was so low". Or could just be "This is my dream guitar in every way, and here's what I paid". I will say for myself I've always been a knowledgeable price shopper, but I've never bought something just for price, and most of the gear I do buy has been at the mid-level price range for that item.

Edit: I include used gear, where “full price” would be fair market rate.

Sure, why not? I buy stuff to make music, good price is nice, but secondary. If I need an instrument, effect or amp for certain sounds, I'll buy it and the less time and effort spent in buying it will allow me more time making music with it. Now the only variation would be a guitar or bass and to a much smaller degree with amps. You can find two of the same model and one will sound, feel and play better, even much better than another. Those are the instrtuments I am looking for, and when I find them I buy them before someone else does. If I sense some room to negotiate, I might, but generally I just get the instrument no questions asked. That $20 or even $100 ain't gonna make that much difference to me after playing that axe for a few years.

 

[mad dog]

"Full price" is a moving target, and a relative one. If we're talking new retail, I will pay up when the guitar is the right one for me, assuming I can afford it, and knowing that it's not crazy overpriced. Those three factors don't often coincide. I generally do not buy new guitars for the same reason I generally don't buy new cars: pricing for new has long since departed reasonable, and depreciation is instant.

There are always deals to be had, and interesting, out of the mainstream choices. Some things I would never pay full price for. Custom shop anything, for example.

 

[Si G X]

I don't buy anything much gear wise these days, the last guitar I bought was something I'd looked at many times and thought was nice, when I saw it was being discontinued and on 'close out' with 1/3 off I bought it.

I doubt I would have bought it full price, so I guess that answers that.

 

[fjblair]

Of course. I'm not the kind of guy who will price shop for six months, when I'm ready to buy, I buy.

 

[FaithNicole]

I rarely buy anything, budget *sigh* I recently up-ticked a few things due to being in a band with paying gigs. Both of my 'in-use' basses I purchased new, the first a squier. I will say this, My P-bass elite was well worth it's new cost to me. I used to run it through my BG250 but recently got a Hartke KB15 at new 'only slightly reduced' cost. What a match. The sound combo between the two is simply awesome. BTW, I don't have batteries in the Elite, I run it passive all the time.

Do I price shop? yes, a bit. Mostly I wish-list shop. When I shop to purchase my only question is, "Can I afford it right now"

 

[11 Gauge]

I don't understand why anyone would want to have just a singular approach to this. IMO, it really depends on what the individual piece of gear in question is, how available it is, if there's anything similar available for less, or if it's even possible to find it on the used market.

There's some guitar gear, and some guitars, that I just don't want to pay a lot for. To be clear, that doesn't mean that this stuff doesn't constitute being my 'dream gear', just that we're talking kind of basic stuff. Case in point - what I consider to be the typical stock Tele. It's got a 21 fret bolt-on neck, a slab body, two very basic pickups, and three electronic controls.

There's yet other gear that's a lot harder to find or purchase, either new or used. Maybe not a lot of it is manufactured, or people who own them just don't end up selling them. This is the kind of stuff that I will certainly pay more for, to include 'top dollar' in some cases.

Then there's everything in between - maybe it's not super hard to find used or maybe on sale new. I don't mind waiting until I can land something at a good price. I think this probably constitutes the bulk of my purchases, at least my recent ones.

Finally, there's all of the 'holy grail' stuff - always commands top dollar either new or used, and there's typically a waitlist. I typically avoid purchasing stuff like this, because it's almost always someone else's definition of holy grail.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Most of the time we pay full price whether we know (or admit) it. Most people know that they buyer is going to make an offer so we figure that into our asking price. If I want $800 for a guitar, I ask $900 and then let myself get talked down. They think they got a bargain so they are happy, I got my $800 so I’m happy. Did they pay full price???

A lot to be said for this point of view.

I think the essence of a "perfect" deal is where both the buyer and seller kinda wish they could've done better. I frankly don't care if a big corporation like GC misfires and loses some countable money when dealing with me, but I really don't feel good, rolling over on another human being. I don't want them to have a valid reason to resent the transaction in the end. I mean, they can resent it a little (as I might also), but not a ton.