There are some great Black Friday deals... if you were born yesterday.

[Mr. B]

All the online retailers are playing up their "great deals" like they really have something to offer, but I have yet to find any example of a price that isn't still so high it's insulting. For example, a Mexican made Fender P/J Bass is now "50 dollars off", and is only $800 instead of $850. That might impress someone born yesterday, but those of us who were around just a couple of years ago when the same bass hovered around the $400-500 price point still see it as plain insulting. My salary hasn't gone up during that time period, but the corporate profits have. Funny how they claim they "had to raise prices" because their "manufacturing costs have gone up", and yet they still post record profits. I don't think that is how math works. Quality of what they are offering has gone way down, and the prices have become so sky-high that I m just becoming very uninterested in even hearing about new guitar models that come out.

 

[ehdwuld]

I have notices some retailers raise the prices in October ahead of Black Friday. Only to use regular price as a Sale Price

 

[Mr. B]

I thought, as much as I hear people talking about guitar sellers being "overstocked", we might see some real deals, but I guess that is just a thing of the past. Wasn't too long ago that you could keep your eye on a model you wanted and eventually someone would blow it out for about half-price in some sale or another. I bought my Gibson SG new for 700 when one of the online retailers blew them out in a sale before the next year's run came out for 1400.

 

[jeremy]

seems like mesa has some actual good deals? few hundred off a bunch of the 25w amps but i dont pay that much attention to know if they raised prices recently

 

[ehdwuld]

DANGELICO has some half price sales on Sweetwater

You may get it lower online

 

[JOLLY]

I got some great deals on some pickups and plugins

 

[Rex_Rocker]

At L&M, the Les Paul Studio is $450 less. I wish I had the funds to buy one.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Not just the music industry. I have rarely seen a "Black Friday" deal that was a deal. I remember not too long ago when Black Friday sales routinely had products 50 - 75% off. Now, every sale is the same (Black Friday, Spring Sale, Clearance sale, overstock sale, weekend deals, full moon sale, weekday-grab-a-slice-of-pizza-and-shop-our-deals sale, we-want-to-get-rid-of-a-product-that's-not-selling sale, we've-recently-raised-our-prices-20%-so-we-can-now-offer-a-10%-off sale.

 

[GuitarStv]

I have notices some retailers raise the prices in October ahead of Black Friday. Only to use regular price as a Sale Price

I've noticed this a lot. It's for people who run out and buy stuff because it's Black Fridsy rather than those who have been looking for something for a long time.

 

[Aceman]

Often "sales" are just scams on full retail price.

That said, we did buy a new 65" TV yesterday....

 

[Fender_Punk]

At L&M, the Les Paul Studio is $450 less. I wish I had the funds to buy one.

To be fair to L&M, they're pretty good for marking down used gear/overstock 3-4 times per year. That said, the new prices they and everyone else are charging keeps me away from buying new.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

To be fair to L&M, they're pretty good for marking down used gear/overstock 3-4 times per year. That said, the new prices they and everyone else are charging keeps me away from buying new.

I like L&M, but then again, in the country where I'm from, stores won't even let you try guitars that are mid-priced and up unless you comitt to buy... like... what? LOL.

At the same time, the local L&M stocks A LOT of Gibson/Epiphone and Squier/Fender, but barely anything else. I don't mind it. I now own a Gibson and a Fender (I thought I'd never own a Fender since I don't really like single coils or round fretboards), but I would like to see more ESP, LTD, Schecter, Ibanez, etc.

 

[marcello252]

never been able to buy on black Friday out of small things (blades for my razor and suff like that).
I noticed the late October prices rising before the BF here too.

 

[Inflames626]

All the online retailers are playing up their "great deals" like they really have something to offer, but I have yet to find any example of a price that isn't still so high it's insulting. For example, a Mexican made Fender P/J Bass is now "50 dollars off", and is only $800 instead of $850. That might impress someone born yesterday, but those of us who were around just a couple of years ago when the same bass hovered around the $400-500 price point still see it as plain insulting. My salary hasn't gone up during that time period, but the corporate profits have. Funny how they claim they "had to raise prices" because their "manufacturing costs have gone up", and yet they still post record profits. I don't think that is how math works. Quality of what they are offering has gone way down, and the prices have become so sky-high that I m just becoming very uninterested in even hearing about new guitar models that come out.

In YouTube ads Reverb says they supposedly save you somewhere around 30%ish percent.

Considering the prices on there, I can't help but think that's actually their markup rate.