vikingblues
Active member
Article in the Guitarist magazine (UK) just out on its 25th anniversary. There is a comparison of prices between 1984 prices in todays value compared to current prices.
"In the main guitars amps and effects have come down in price in the last 25 years" it says. It goes on to say "surprise surprise beer and petrol have gone up. Who's really ripping us off then?".
Most of the price of beer and petrol is tax of course. Income tax has come down, indirect tax has gone up to help pay for it.
Anyway there were 5 "guitar" related items in their list.
4 had come down, often by a lot:-
Squier Strat ?269 now, ?510 1984 price in current value
Mesa Boogie Mk 11C1 x 12 combo ?2649 now, ?3675 1984 price in current value
Marshall JCM800 split channel 100 watt head ?845 now, ?989 1984 price in current value
Boss DD-2 ?175 now, ?431 1984 price in current value
The 5th "guitar" related item:-
a certain famous name Les Paul Standard. Current price up by 14% compared to the 1984 price in current value
This did not seem worthy of any comment and, oddly, was not included along with beer and petrol in the "rip-off" assertion.
You may be interested to know that the same article says that the exceptional quality of Japanese instruments from the late 70s onwards set a standard that was picked up and AMPLIFIED (my capitals) by the likes of PRS, Music Man, Fender, and many many more. So there we are we've been told - we're obviously wasting out time looking at quality Japanese instruments when the've been bettered by the major US brands. :roll:
I don't think I have misreresented the article, but to be honest by the 3rd page of this article I had lost the will to read carefully and was skimming.
"In the main guitars amps and effects have come down in price in the last 25 years" it says. It goes on to say "surprise surprise beer and petrol have gone up. Who's really ripping us off then?".
Most of the price of beer and petrol is tax of course. Income tax has come down, indirect tax has gone up to help pay for it.
Anyway there were 5 "guitar" related items in their list.
4 had come down, often by a lot:-
Squier Strat ?269 now, ?510 1984 price in current value
Mesa Boogie Mk 11C1 x 12 combo ?2649 now, ?3675 1984 price in current value
Marshall JCM800 split channel 100 watt head ?845 now, ?989 1984 price in current value
Boss DD-2 ?175 now, ?431 1984 price in current value
The 5th "guitar" related item:-
a certain famous name Les Paul Standard. Current price up by 14% compared to the 1984 price in current value
This did not seem worthy of any comment and, oddly, was not included along with beer and petrol in the "rip-off" assertion.
You may be interested to know that the same article says that the exceptional quality of Japanese instruments from the late 70s onwards set a standard that was picked up and AMPLIFIED (my capitals) by the likes of PRS, Music Man, Fender, and many many more. So there we are we've been told - we're obviously wasting out time looking at quality Japanese instruments when the've been bettered by the major US brands. :roll:
I don't think I have misreresented the article, but to be honest by the 3rd page of this article I had lost the will to read carefully and was skimming.
