budget options

[ridgebackdk]

had an interesting talk with an old guitar playing friend the other evening.(he has an old 6120 gretch).ok the short version..do budget built instruments "water down" the brand.... RockBass+warwick....fender usa+ the countless variations mim,mik,squier and so on.gibson+epiphone.gretch + Electromatic....you get the idea....

would love to hear other views on this....its not about one better than the other but more does it take from the brand ..the brand name is built on how good or bad something is...warwick for me as a starter were way out of my price.and rare to see,as were fenders and so on.now the brand names are everywhere but not exactly the real deal-if you follow..
anyone ever been asked if there wick was a "real" one???
just interested to hear what others think:lol:

 

[ubo]

For me it depends on how it is done; as an instrument consumer (and owner of a US Strat and a German Warwick) do I feel that my instruments are devalued by the MIM’s MIK’s etc, I think probably not, as long as the brands are clear to differentiate the various range / origins then its not an issue in the grand scheme of things. In fact the business opportunity rests more often in intelligent range targeting on the basis of price/margin/spec rather than maintaining exclusivity and provenance of manufacture across the board. FWIW I think Warwick’s range management is intelligent in that respect.

 

[Augie]

I think a well managed busisness model can use budget lines to grow a brand, I think there are plenty of people who have an RB who want a wick, and may well save up and get one eventually. But there can be two problems with this IMHO, cases in which the brand is "watered down".
Firstly crap quality budget lines wont help. try an indonesian squire and it really doesn't make you want to spend big bucks on a fender. That is purely up to the manufacturer. I think the new RBs are good like that, by no means cheap and nasty, a lot of epiphones are good as well, affordable, not rubbish and gives people a taste of what the 'real deal' will be like. That is the whole point of budget lines i think, increase market and get people aspiring to the expensive stuff.

The second issues is with distributers and retailers, if all people are seeing and playing are the cheap lines they will thaink that that is all there is to a brand. Unfortunately retailers can seldom afford to hold the whole range (think what it would cost to get one of each NT wick, even at wholesale price). It usually means that retailers have to take big risks on brands or distributers have to risk losses in sale/return deals with retailers. Often distributers will only supply retailers on the agreement that they will stock a certail level of the more expensive range to ensure that the good stuff is always there to try, and to upsell to.

 

[Florin]

Actually the target for a manufacturer is not really in the "professional line" The money are in the cheap line... I think the professional line is for prestige, while the business is the "amateur" line

Just my two cents...

 

[ridgebackdk]

good point florin but fender warwick and what not all started out with pro built items. warwick was crazy expensive and the name built over time"the sound of wood"really built up its custom base with well built great sounding guitars..the cheap stuff came a lot later.
i like the cheap options out there now to the crap i had to learn on..i have also noticed kids these days have a lot more cash open to them now days and buy expensive gear anyway.i am no brand snob but to some its "brand" over function.but whatever works for you right!!

 

[Augie]

Recon you might be onto it Flo, but you can't sell the budget lines without plenty of the prestige gear out there. Its almost like we are all advertising for RBs by playing our wicks in public. not that i mind in any way.

 

[Florin]

Well, Warwick is a German brand, they just may think different, haha!

 

[lilpbass]

+1 Absolutely correct my friend.

 

[Eberbachl]

had an interesting talk with an old guitar playing friend the other evening.(he has an old 6120 gretch).ok the short version..do budget built instruments "water down" the brand.... RockBass+warwick....fender usa+ the countless variations mim,mik,squier and so on.gibson+epiphone.gretch + Electromatic....you get the idea....

would love to hear other views on this....its not about one better than the other but more does it take from the brand ..the brand name is built on how good or bad something is...warwick for me as a starter were way out of my price.and rare to see,as were fenders and so on.now the brand names are everywhere but not exactly the real deal-if you follow..
anyone ever been asked if there wick was a "real" one???
just interested to hear what others think:lol:

No body has ever asked if my bass has or hasn't been a 'real Warwick'.



I think it's only bass players that (superficially) care about such things.

Certainly none of the ladies on the dance floor care about what brand my bass is.

:d

 

[Augie]

Good point Luke! interesting idea- do we play for other musos in the crowd or do we play for the punters drinkin and dancing the night away....

 

[ridgebackdk]

No body has ever asked if my bass has or hasn't been a 'real Warwick'.



I think it's only bass players that (superficially) care about such things.

Certainly none of the ladies on the dance floor care about what brand my bass is.

:d

actually i was asked well told more like that a old fender jazz i had was a bad knock off,he must have been about 14years old..it was a late 70s usa but really i hated the thing,neck was like wet paper,forever twisting and turning...but yeah i think lots of people do need to have the right brand just to show off..myself i like old school tube amps,vinyl records and learn music by ear ,people i teach think thats stupid and hard and it just easier to get the tabs,(debate for another day)...i like what i like cost never comes into it i have cheap and expensive, but having top line gear does not really help me play better.i still suck lol