Chinese love rocks

[Si Pie]

Seen a few of these in a couple of guitar shops in my town. One shop generally sells mid-high end guitars so these were obviously brought in to target the budget end of the market. No japanese models at all though!

I didn't feel any desire to try one out, maybe I will some day just to see how it compares to my ls85, but my main focus was getting an overdrive pedal from a different store so I didn't hang around too long.

Just wondered if people had spied similar things around their parts and I do wonder whether we'll see an influx of budget tokais in favour of epiphones in the UK, as that seems to be what's happening here in Swindon.

 

[JohnA]

Think you might be right, my local shop has a good stock of Chinese Tokais and Burnys where he used to stock a lot of epiphones. I think the ugly Epi headstock puts a lot of people off!

 

[AlanN]

It's the new agreements - you've got to commit 40k or similar to secure an Epiphone deal, and only after silly money can you look at anything with Gibson on the headstock. Bloody ridiculous - come back Rosetti, all is forgiven...

 

[Si Pie]

If that's the case then Gibbo deserves all it gets (or doesn't as the case may be!) I suppose they feel they can demand this as historically the sales were there, but with the recession and all...strange business tactic.

The other notable shop in town sells the far eastern PRSs now instead of Epiphone, so it all makes sense.

 

[JohnA]

I heared Gibson were going to start selling direct in the UK and cut out the dealers. Looks like they managed to get the bigger shops to stump up loads of cash instead.

Not quite sure how Fernandes are getting away with selling proper headstock Gibson copies in the UK though, but they seem to be! The Chinese Burny's are excellent guitars too!!

 

[MASTER VOLUME]

I was in Denmark street , London ,a couple of weeks ago looking at guitars and was amazed at the amount of Chinese Tokais on sale in the shops.
one of the shops I was looking at a Chinese SG 35 , had a price tag on the guitar that said " Londons biggest Gibson dealer" on it, made me chuckle.
They had way more Tokais than Gibsons.
Very few epis on sale there too.

 

[AlanN]

I heared Gibson were going to start selling direct in the UK and cut out the dealers. Looks like they managed to get the bigger shops to stump up loads of cash instead.

Not quite sure how Fernandes are getting away with selling proper headstock Gibson copies in the UK though, but they seem to be! The Chinese Burny's are excellent guitars too!!

It went well at first - suddenly all the indie shops had access to Gibsons at a reasonable price - but about 8 months ago they set these ludicrous buy-in levels and everybody wound their stock down. It's mental.

 

[Anonymous]

I was in Denmark street , London ,a couple of weeks ago looking at guitars and was amazed at the amount of Chinese Tokais on sale in the shops.
one of the shops I was looking at a Chinese SG 35 , had a price tag on the guitar that said " Londons biggest Gibson dealer" on it, made me chuckle.
They had way more Tokais than Gibsons.
Very few epis on sale there too.

All very true. I don't understand it; luckily I'm not a big Gibson fan, but if I was where could I go to try the range of models? It's easy to try & buy Fenders, but Gibson? Strange.

It's a shame that there aren't a few more MIJ Tokais in the shops to keep the MIC ones company.

Mike