https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:57:53 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-260121 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:51:13 +0000 Opinions and Polls causnorign https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-260121 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259707 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:57:45 +0000 Opinions and Polls gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259707 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259696 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:49:55 +0000 here's one from MF.

When you compare steel strings to nylon, there are only a few extra parts involved (truss rod, bridge and end pins) and a few that have to be beefed up (bridge plate, top bracing). Automated manufacturing is dramatically reducing the costs of assembly, and the cost of the extra parts isn't very much.

Notice the list price is $350 on the classical vs. $600 on the steel string. So part of the price is a loss-leader type of marketing on the part of MF. They're probably selling it for pretty close to cost. Maybe they got a good deal on a few thousand of them, or maybe they just want to catch people's attention.

But pricing decisions aside, you're going to see more and more "solid spruce" guitars at low prices. People will pay more for solid spruce, and manufacturers are getting squeezed. So they're figuring out a way to do it....

"Spruce" is a generic term that covers about 35 different kinds of trees. Of those, perhaps three are used in top quality guitars - but the others can still be called spruce. And the off-species "spruce" will be a lot cheaper!

Even if you're buying one of the 'good' kinds of spruce, there's still lots of wiggle room. If I plant an Englemann spruce in my back yard, it might be big enough for making a guitar top in 40-50 years or so. But the guitar won't be very good... good guitars come from wood grown in poor conditions: short growing seasons, drought, poor soil, etc. All of that makes the tree grow slowly, which makes for a tight grain and better sound. Growing the tree in the right conditions for guitar making can take well over 200 years.

So what you're seeing is manufacturers going for off-species "spruce", and buying fast grown specimans. They're not lying about it; it IS "solid spruce". But if the demand for guitars wasn't so high, those same trees would be turned into paper or 2x4s.

You get what you pay for.]]> Opinions and Polls NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259696 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259675 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:55:53 +0000
I've got to agree with you, I wonder where they saved money? Solid wood tuners? Solid wood frets? :lol:

I just hope the strings aren't solid wood.

And they are even giving a case free. So one can only wonder what is the value of the guitar.]]> Opinions and Polls Rahul https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259675 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259651 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:36:01 +0000
Stamped tuners, cleverly designed in the image of tre-$$ Waverlies -- whose gears are not usually covered BTW. Note the small thin ferrules and rear covers.

Plastic nut, bridge

Rosette may be a decal

Edges on headstock and heel are very sharply defined, instead of slightly radiused -- not much finishing work done

Finish on headstock seems to hide the grain -- even of the rosewood overlay. Probably a low cost finish job with nearly opaque poly, allowing fast finishing and hiding of wood flaws

No positive evidence of a truss rod in MF copy or in photos (adjustment would have to be inside sound hole -- not unheard of, but less typical


Pretty wild looking grain on that "solid mahogany" back:




Reminds me of a low cost Harmony accoustic a friend had when we were kids. It wasn't a great guitar, but he did great things on it. And all that said, it still could be a decent deal and sound fine for three bills.]]> Opinions and Polls gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259651 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259646 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 05:31:12 +0000 Opinions and Polls Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259646 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259636 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:10:14 +0000 https://www.masterclassguitars.com/index.asp?id=&refcode=AAMCG2&phone=1-800-381-2448
Bwaaaa-haaha-hahaha-haha.


Good one :)]]> Opinions and Polls Dagwood https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259636 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259622 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:29:18 +0000 https://www.masterclassguitars.com/index.asp?id=&refcode=AAMCG2&phone=1-800-381-2448]]> Opinions and Polls pearlthekat https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259622 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259613 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:44:48 +0000
Nope, I checked the link. Hmm.]]> Opinions and Polls Steve-0 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259613 https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259597 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:29:34 +0000
I've got to agree with you, I wonder where they saved money? Solid wood tuners? Solid wood frets?]]> Opinions and Polls Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/opinions-and-polls/has-the-unimaginable-happened/#post-259597