Hammar1963 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Hi, Why are the USA JTV's so much more expensive then the one's we buy in Europe (Korean made if I'm right??) Is the quality so much better, do they sound better?? Thanx, Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseyboy Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 I play Asian built JTV59’s upgraded with added locking Hipshot tuners to improve function and help make string changes easier. https://line6.com/support/topic/42548-jtv-59-pricing/ https://line6.com/support/topic/41967-jtv-59-and-jtv-69-same-number-of-models/ To quote supreme Line6 mod/tech: “…made in smaller batches by a guy who is really good,... hence the price.” I would love to support USA builder but 4X the price I just can’t make that contribution. The Asian builds are decent enough and use mostly same electronics. Which is the primary mojo-bone. Must be nice for those who can but does the builder really see that $5k? Line6 markup for USA guitars…??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 9 hours ago, Hammar1963 said: Hi, Why are the USA JTV's so much more expensive then the one's we buy in Europe (Korean made if I'm right??) Is the quality so much better, do they sound better?? Thanx, Mark. Why are they asking an insane price? The only real answer is "because they can". It's right in line with what some much bigger guitar names want for their "custom" instruments. You can spend just as much and more for Fender and Gibson "custom shop" stuff... the question is, is it worth it? Imho, the answer is almost universally "no". I had a boutique guitar built in the late 90's... from a guy who most have never heard of, and for whom his craft is as much a labor of love as it is a livelihood. In today's dollars, I spent considerably more than what L6 wants for the USA JTV's, so I have no problem spending big dollars on an instrument, if I'm getting my money's worth. Its been my primary axe for 20 years, and I seriously doubt I'll ever own anything nicer. Bottom line, I'm well acquainted what that kind of money buys from a talented craftsman. However, what they're demanding (especially for the bolt-on models) is ludicrous...no matter who's name is on the headstock. Of course this is just one man's opinion...ymmv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specracer986 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 If you look at the pricing of James Tyler Strat style guitars, you'll notice that they are all very high. I think part of the reason for the high Variax JTV USA prices are just a function of not diluting his brand. The other guitarist in my last band had a James Tyler Strat. It was nice, but I wouldn't buy it for what he paid. Different strokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 18 hours ago, specracer986 said: If you look at the pricing of James Tyler Strat style guitars, you'll notice that they are all very high. I think part of the reason for the high Variax JTV USA prices are just a function of not diluting his brand. The other guitarist in my last band had a James Tyler Strat. It was nice, but I wouldn't buy it for what he paid. Different strokes. Yup... but in the end, minus a diamond encrusted pick guard and solid 24k gold hardware, there's nothing that anyone can do to a Strat clone that'll make it worth $4K... even 2 grand is pushing it, imho. At some point all you're buying is a name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilrahi Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 If I had the cash flow, I could easily see myself splurging on some of the higher end guitars that are out there. There's a lot of beautiful guitars, and it's fun if you can afford it. However, you hit significant diminishing (and arguably non existent) returns for any guitar pushing past the $2,000 mark. Now, you find a guy who works out of his home shop and only makes a few guitars a year (like what cruisinon2 described above - a true custom job) and you can still see some significant value pushing above the $2,000. Whether it's worth it to you as a player is another question entirely. But a Gibson for $5,000? Ehh . . .no . . . you're just buying into a legacy of hype there. My Korean built JTV 59 is one of the priciest guitars I've ever bought. Chump change to many, but a splurge for me based on all of the sounds that it could do. I consider it very nice and it's my most versatile instrument. However, the craftsmanship in no way blows the doors off of my $400 Epi Les Paul. It's in incremental improvement, not a quantum leap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brue58ski Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 The comparision I've heard bandied about that with a Korean JTV you're essentially getting a guitar worth approx. $700 with the rest of the amount going for electronics. Take from that, what thou will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 US ones are hand crafted here in California by one of Tyler's people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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