Guitar Center Drpos PRS USA Made Guitar Line
- Thread starter HANGAR18
- Start date
Oh, I see what youa re saying. I read it like the top line was a headline or complete statement and the second line began a new statement.
C&M Music - Lafayette
Charlie
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- Jan 16, 2013
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From a conversation I had with some one in GC and later corroborated by someone PRS, the plan is about 40 or so stores will carry PRS mostly in store only. A few other stores will carry SE models only.
Are they current model year CU22s/24s though? Anything 2013 and earlier would be eligible for an old stock clearout, as the spec is every-so-slightly different enough.
No different from a car dealer getting rid of 'last year's models' at rock-bottom prices... yeah, might be the same model, but there can be subtle (or not so subtle) differences.
toothace
Zombie Thirteen, DFZ
The PRS dude at my local GC says the stores with Platinum rooms will continue to keep a full stock in PRS instruments...the others, not so much
iahawk36
Prince of Paisley
Given the issue GC is currently having, this doesn't surprise me at all. I think they're doing everything they can just to stay in business.
What gives? Has the market for PRS broken down?
Shawn@PRS
yogi
Simmer down now.
Not every GC is cut out to sell core PRS guitars. So going forward, only the Platinum Dealers will sell core products. Every GC location will sell SE models and along with the Platinum Room stores, there will be 10 addtional stores which will also sell S2 models. This allows both GC and PRS to best serve the customer by focusing on the local markets.
Not every GC is cut out to sell core PRS guitars. So going forward, only the Platinum Dealers will sell core products. Every GC location will sell SE models and along with the Platinum Room stores, there will be 10 addtional stores which will also sell S2 models. This allows both GC and PRS to best serve the customer by focusing on the local markets.
You know, I may be off base here but i came to PRS thru the SE line and my first thought was that they are so good that they might just hurt the USA line. I wonder if the SE stuff has hurt the USA line sales enough to cause GC to find it too expensive to stock them for how slow the sales are? And nothing against the USA line, but having now played and inspected a number of them I really don't see the difference in value. In fact, at the risk of making some here angry at me, i honestly didn't like the USA models i've tried as much. I get a better feel/vibe from the SE models. And while i may be in the minority, from what i have read a lot of others feel the SE's are very close, if not as much as I. There needs to be a considerable benfit to those who spend $3-5k instead of $500 of sales are likely to suffer IMO. If i'm somewhat right about this i can see why GC might be doing this.
I don't think the market for PRS has broken down, but i do think theres a possibility it may have shifted towards thier lower line SE's which might just slow USA sales enough that they aren't a viable product for GC.
The market hasn't necessarily broken down, but Guitar Center is not doing well. Restructuring and stock liquidation seem key to their future plans...
http://www.ericgarland.co/2014/03/29/parasite-economy/
Thank you for clarifying, Shawn.
Those who buy from the core line are different customers than those who buy from the SE line (insert exceptions to the rule here). I like the core line better, that is all I own and I do feel that I get something more for buying from the core line of products. That is not knocking the SE line, I just buy what I like best. I'm glad that you like the SE line because they are great in their own way.
Mikegarveyblues
Cream Crackered
I very much doubt the SE line has hurt the core US line. Quite the opposite infact. I'd hazard a guess that the SE line as ESSENTIAL to PRS just as much as a budget / mid line range is essential to all the other manufacturers (Inc amp manufacturers).
Just reading the latest issue of Guitarist mag provides an eye opener...
They did a survey of a few thousand readers (I did it too) and the results, for the most part, are as expected (They also compared the results to a survey they did 10 years ago:
"What's the most you've ever spent on a guitar?"
30% spent £500 - £999
28% spent £1000 - £1,999
For other values numbers drop off significantly.
"By what method do you buy most of your gear?"
In person, at point of sale: 77% 2004 53% 2014
Online 6% 2004 45% 2014
Of course, the internet was somewhat in it's infancy in 2004 so it's no surprise that it was a low figure that has grown significantly in the past 10 years. It'll continue to grow I expect.
The point is ( And I expect an American audience would provide similar results) that in order to survive bricks and mortar guitar shops (And all the manufacturers) have to cater to the biggest markets. You can also see why the S2 line makes sense.
GC may well be in trouble. To survive they have to sell what is going to appeal to the biggest audience. That is less costly instruments in the bricks and mortar stores. Of course, they'll have to make up the numbers on volume of sales.
Good news for PRS is that overall people like innovation and respond well to it. Overwhelmingly, whilst people like vintage instruments they think the new guitars are just as good if not better.
Things seem reasonably healthy in guitar land but companies have to adjust to changes, whatever they may be.
Just reading the latest issue of Guitarist mag provides an eye opener...
They did a survey of a few thousand readers (I did it too) and the results, for the most part, are as expected (They also compared the results to a survey they did 10 years ago:
"What's the most you've ever spent on a guitar?"
30% spent £500 - £999
28% spent £1000 - £1,999
For other values numbers drop off significantly.
"By what method do you buy most of your gear?"
In person, at point of sale: 77% 2004 53% 2014
Online 6% 2004 45% 2014
Of course, the internet was somewhat in it's infancy in 2004 so it's no surprise that it was a low figure that has grown significantly in the past 10 years. It'll continue to grow I expect.
The point is ( And I expect an American audience would provide similar results) that in order to survive bricks and mortar guitar shops (And all the manufacturers) have to cater to the biggest markets. You can also see why the S2 line makes sense.
GC may well be in trouble. To survive they have to sell what is going to appeal to the biggest audience. That is less costly instruments in the bricks and mortar stores. Of course, they'll have to make up the numbers on volume of sales.
Good news for PRS is that overall people like innovation and respond well to it. Overwhelmingly, whilst people like vintage instruments they think the new guitars are just as good if not better.
Things seem reasonably healthy in guitar land but companies have to adjust to changes, whatever they may be.
maggior
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2014
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- 36
This already seems to be the case in my area here in northern NJ. The problem is that because they had few instruments and are one of a very small number of stores that carry the guitars, the guitars were in what I would call used condition. The Platinum Room idea seems to be having the opposite effect as intended - rather than keeping in the instruments in nice condition, they are played by way too many people and being damaged.
HighGain510
Just one more...
It's great to see an actual comment from someone @ PRS publicly as there has been so much speculation on various forums it's not even funny. Glad you posted that info Shawn!
DHW
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
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- 705
You know what would be nice? If a dealer(GC included) was required to carry a certain level of the inventory they are approved for to maintain the dealership... It's frustrating to drive all over the place to all these dealers and there be nothing there. The flavor I have gotten from GC up where I am is if it's not a G or F it's not going to be on the wall... The mom and pop dealers are nearly as bad. They might have a couple old guitars on the wall priced above msrp that are never going to sell and everything else is order only.
My local GC stocks the Core line, I guess they have a Platinum room. In fact, they have some tasty limited run NOS stuff up on their walls, like a few Teds.
I buy from Jack Gretz at NE Music Center, because of his relationships with customers like me and with PRS. This isn't a knock on GC, I just really enjoy dealing with Jack. I don't really buy online, in the way of shopping online; I discuss stuff I need with Jack and we go from there.
I still do a lot of business with my local GC for certain studio stuff I need.
I buy from Jack Gretz at NE Music Center, because of his relationships with customers like me and with PRS. This isn't a knock on GC, I just really enjoy dealing with Jack. I don't really buy online, in the way of shopping online; I discuss stuff I need with Jack and we go from there.
I still do a lot of business with my local GC for certain studio stuff I need.
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John Beef
Opaque
Well, for me, in Phoenix, the 5th largest city in the country, this means my local USA PRS dealers just went down to three in the Metro area.
Dealer #1 - Phoenix Guitar Center is a platinum dealer. Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Avondale are not, except SEs.
Dealer #2 - Bizarre Guitars. Locally owned. This is where I bought my black CU22 new in 2006. If you want a US made PRS from them, they have about six to choose from, and not a single one was made in the 2010s, but of course priced at 2014 prices - and I bet they wonder why they don't sell many/any.
Dealer #3 - Cave Creek Guitar company. Locally owned. An hour round trip drive to a small hole in the wall shop, they might stock 2-3 PRS guitars. If you're lucky, that is, because they have zero inventory online. Being able to gawk over online inventories gets me to drive places buy things.
If anything, I see opportunity in all this... maybe I should become a PRS dealer. Except I am sort of risk adverse when it comes to this sort of thing.
Dealer #1 - Phoenix Guitar Center is a platinum dealer. Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Avondale are not, except SEs.
Dealer #2 - Bizarre Guitars. Locally owned. This is where I bought my black CU22 new in 2006. If you want a US made PRS from them, they have about six to choose from, and not a single one was made in the 2010s, but of course priced at 2014 prices - and I bet they wonder why they don't sell many/any.
Dealer #3 - Cave Creek Guitar company. Locally owned. An hour round trip drive to a small hole in the wall shop, they might stock 2-3 PRS guitars. If you're lucky, that is, because they have zero inventory online. Being able to gawk over online inventories gets me to drive places buy things.
If anything, I see opportunity in all this... maybe I should become a PRS dealer. Except I am sort of risk adverse when it comes to this sort of thing.
