Strange offer at GuitarGuitar

olafgarten

I got an email from GuitarGuitar a few days ago offering a free Marshall MG15 with any Epiphone over a certain value, which makes sense, a cheaper guitar and you get a nice budget practice amp to go with it.

But today I got an email about free Marshall MG30s with any 2018 Gibson USA guitar, that doesn't make sense. That's an entry level gigging amp with a high end guitar!

Cols

I noticed that, baffling.  Are there many people out there playing high end guitars through budget amps? 

stickyfiddle

I'm guessing they're trying to catch the post-beginner crowd, those who have been playing a year or so and know they want "a proper Gibson" but don't yet know what they're actually looking for in a guitar or amp beyond brand names.

Maynehead

Ah, the good old Marshall MG. It would seem they can't even give them away nowadays...

chrisj1602

I supposed they are seeing it as a practice amp.  I have played numerous high end guitars through my Vox DA5 which was around £80.

guitarfishbay

Cols said:

I noticed that, baffling.  Are there many people out there playing high end guitars through budget amps? 

Yeah loads!

Maybe not that budget, but a lot of people have a bunch of nice instruments and a relatively cheaper amp.

powerhand

olafgarten said:

But today I got an email about free Marshall MG30s with any 2018 Gibson USA guitar, that doesn't make sense. That's an entry level gigging amp with a high end guitar!

If you're not planning on taking them up on their offer, would you mind sharing?  I'm about to order a 2018 Gibson and free stuff is good!

Cols

powerhand said:

olafgarten said:

But today I got an email about free Marshall MG30s with any 2018 Gibson USA guitar, that doesn't make sense. That's an entry level gigging amp with a high end guitar!

If you're not planning on taking them up on their offer, would you mind sharing?  I'm about to order a 2018 Gibson and free stuff is good!

Ask and ye shall receive.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/gibson/2018-mg-deal/?InStockOnly=False&MaxPrice=&MinPrice=&ClearanceType=&Ordering=3&utm_source=guitarguitar+Main+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f30cc7d9b1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bb8007ee21-f30cc7d9b1-459876337

powerhand

Cols said:

Ask and ye shall receive.

Thanks!

Gagaryn

We are a weird bunch. Although most would agree that generally a cheap guitar sounds better through a great amp than a great guitar through a cheap amp, purchasing habits don't always reflect that.

Whitecat

Or they’re just trying to preemptively unload 2018 Gibsons at any cost. They know lots of people will just flog the amp on eBay, and consider it a discount on the guitar. 

JerkMoans

Cols said:

I noticed that, baffling.  Are there many people out there playing high end guitars through budget amps? 

I've got some fairly decent kit that on occasions gets run through my little RAT modded Epi Valve Jr. for decent toanz at family- and neighbour-friendly volumes.

powerhand

Whitecat said:

They know lots of people will just flog the amp on eBay, and consider it a discount on the guitar. 

Yup.

crunchman

Whitecat said:

Or they’re just trying to preemptively unload 2018 Gibsons at any cost. They know lots of people will just flog the amp on eBay, and consider it a discount on the guitar. 

Quite possible - especially with all financial problems Gibson have.  There might be a boatload of Gibsons being sold off cheap to try and raise quick cash before their loan repayments are due in the summer.

Whitecat

crunchman said:

Whitecat said:

Or they’re just trying to preemptively unload 2018 Gibsons at any cost. They know lots of people will just flog the amp on eBay, and consider it a discount on the guitar. 

Quite possible - especially with all financial problems Gibson have.  There might be a boatload of Gibsons being sold off cheap to try and raise quick cash before their loan repayments are due in the summer.

Gibson’s already been paid for those guitars - I would guess it’s more GG wanting to get rid of them as quickly as they can, but they are not (yet) allowed to cash discount them as it’s too soon in the model year. So this is another way to incentivise it...

Babones

I think some dealers still haven't got all their Gibson stock yet eg the 2018 LP Classic Goldtop.

crunchman

Whitecat said:

crunchman said:

Whitecat said:

Or they’re just trying to preemptively unload 2018 Gibsons at any cost. They know lots of people will just flog the amp on eBay, and consider it a discount on the guitar. 

Quite possible - especially with all financial problems Gibson have.  There might be a boatload of Gibsons being sold off cheap to try and raise quick cash before their loan repayments are due in the summer.

Gibson’s already been paid for those guitars - I would guess it’s more GG wanting to get rid of them as quickly as they can, but they are not (yet) allowed to cash discount them as it’s too soon in the model year. So this is another way to incentivise it...

But if Gibson offload everything in their warehouse at 50% of normal price next week to try and get quick cash, then GG will have loads of guitars that they won't be able to sell at anything like the current prices.  They would be forced to eat a huge amount of loss.  If they have any idea of something potentially being in the pipeline this could be a way to preempt it.

Whitecat

The thing that’s “in the pipeline” is probably just “more stock”. Gibson requires a massive up-front commitment and they just send dealers whatever, whenever. GG would rather move it through fast rather than sit on it... this is a solution. 

Babones

I'd rather have a discount on the guitar, than have to deal with off loading an amp I never wanted.

crunchman

Of course it's possible that GG have a boatload of Marshall MG series to offload.  

Their main use has to be as practice amps, but these days it's more cost effective to plug into a computer - or even your phone - for home practice.  It doesn't clutter up your room either.

Whitecat

It's possibly a combination of a) having too many MGs or b) getting a load of MGs in at a silly price because Marshall wants to get rid of them and c) having to enforce a "no discounting" policy on Gibsons.