The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all,

I am anticipating taking up the pedal steel again in the near future. I have, in the past, focused only on used guitars, but have been taking a closer look at new guitars.

The thing that strikes out at me is the variation in pricing....it seems that a new Emmons, Carter, Sierra, etc. costs quite a bit more that a "like-new" Emmons, Carter, Sierra, etc. In other words, if I went and paid $3,500 for a Sierra right now, I doubt I'd be able to sell it for anywhere near that ever again....instant depreciation.

Soooo.....my question is this. Am I naive in thinking that the prices quoted on the various manufacturers' websites are what I would actually be paying? Or do they tend to "cut you a deal"?

My thinking is that they MUST be cutting you a deal, otherwise who would buy a new steel (other than for a very customized setup) when they could pick one up that is only a year or so old at just a fraction of the cost?

Hope I'm not opening up some dreaded can of worms here.....

Joe

<SMALL>...otherwise who would buy a new steel (other than for a very customized setup) when they could pick one up that is only a year or so old at just a fraction of the cost?</SMALL>

The same people who buy new cars that lose thousands of dollars in value the moment they're driven off the lot. Some folks jus' "gotta have" a new one.

A simple reminder.....

An Original Emmons Push Pull, properly maintained, will never depreciate.

God Bless, Michael T.

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UTILITY MAN PRODUCTIONS
'73 EMMONS D10 FATBACK, '92 EMMONS D10 LASHLEY LEGRANDE,
'85 DOBRO 60DS, '95 DOBRO F60S,
'95 MELOBAR CUSTOM, 1955 FENDER TRIPLE NECK STRINGMASTER. EVANS, FENDER, PEAVEY,
and MESA BOOGIE Amps.

Is this a subject people are uncomfortable talking about??? Certainly it can't be a secret if the manufacturers do (or don't) in fact "bend" their list prices a bit....anyone?

Joe

Just as there are many different prices around town for that "car" one wants, so is it with PSG's. Some manufacturer's ONLY sell direct. Some deal ONLY thru dealers. Yet others do both.

Price of any new item is of course determined by cost of material-labor-overhead, AND the desired markup (profit). All 4 of these are variables between different manufacturers.

To say that a given new PSG is over priced, underpriced or "jes right", is just as incorrect as me trying to say I sound like BE! How do you know?

Here are some facts:

1. To manufacture a PSG, it is very labor intensive. Metal products are exceedingly expensive. Overhead costs of the average business is out of sight!

And if that business WANTS to stay in business, they better recover those costs, AND make a profit. OR they are not going to stay in business.

Facts on the used market:

1. An Emmons PSG pretty much holds its price when resold.

2. Sadly, a Sierra does NOT. I had to take a 2300 dollar loss when I sold mine just 2 and 1/2 years after I bought it brand new. And I was lucky to get it.

3. Franklins hold there price on resale.

4. The others fall somewhere in between the above.

There are many things that determine the used price of a steel. MUCH of it is perception when it comes to the sound. The most classic examples of this are the Emmons' P/P's and the Rickenbacker pre-war bakelites.

And in these two cases that perception is quite widespread and I believe justified. Sierra is proof of a superbly engineered PSG that does NOT have the sound that MOST players seek. Thus, it does NOT hold its price. The opposite of that is the Anapeg. It sells new for over 6 grand, and there is a 3 yr waiting list. Yet, they hold their price.

So, IF you are seeking a new one, you are going to pay no matter where you get it, UNLESS there is a very unusual circumstance involved.

If you are seeking a used one, then one is faced with a somewhat more realistic idea of "going price", because in most cases, word has already spread about its "quality".

It will be interesting to see, what happens in the case of the all new "Millenium". Truly an awesomely beautiful PSG. And from what I heard last Saturday nite, on the GOO, an incredible sound.

Oops, sorry I forgot, "The sound is in the hands". Yeah right!

Good luck and God bless you in your quests,

carl

Hi Joe, of course all the manufactors will cut you what they call "pickers prices"..thats a fact of life...I saw one dealer on a webb site just last night that was advertising D-10 8 & 4 for $6,500...and I know you can get this steel for around $4,000....Bobby Seymour, in Nashville, will cut you as good a price as any...just give him a call..jump on in Joe, the water is just fine.....tom

I think it depends on the manufacturer. Some will do a factory direct discount, others will not.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic, Line6 Variax (coming soon)

<SMALL>The opposite of that is the Anapeg. It sells new for over 6 grand, and there is a 3 yr waiting list. Yet, they hold their price.</SMALL>

Carl, you mean you've actually seen a used Anapeg offered for sale??

Indeed I have, and I wanted it soooo bad. Just could not afford the gaff. IF the Lord lets me live long enough, I WILL have one, one day.

Might be too old to play it though. Come to think about it, I could never play one at any age. So what difference would that make? But as I have been accused of on this forum, I care more about the underside than the top side anyway. So I can sit and lavish and relish the understand as I "gum" my dinner!

Whatcha think?

I think you have to take it on a case by case basis. IF you make whoever is selling a guitar a firm offer, they just might take it or make a counter offer. You can't just say will you take less! It could depend on their financial situation at the moment, how sales went at the show, as well as their backlog of orders and what you are wanting to buy. If they are at a show and it didn't sell, I would just bet they would not refuse a reasonable offer rather than take it back home. Also, if you assure them that any deal is strickly confidential betwen you and them, and that you are not going to go running your mouth telling everybody, including dealers, what a great deal you got, you will probably increase your odds of them doing a deal with you. Deals are cut all the time. If you don't find someone that will play ball, move to a different ball field. And by the way, CASH is much more attention getting.

Conversations are always louder and more convincing when the seller sees a handful of $100's and 50's in the hand of the potential buyer.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Herb is right. Call Bobbe Seymour in Nashville (615-822-5555)for a wow price on a new Emmons or other guitar. You won't be sorry.