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Since when are D'A XL Chrome flatwounds 20 bucks?!
They used to be my go-to, then I stocked up over a year ago on some random sets being closed-out at a local music store.
I stopped in GC the other day and got sticker shock!
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06-15-2023 08:10 PM
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Yup, the times they are a-changin'.
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They are but I get about 5 months out of a set so it's not really all that bad.
Originally Posted by JGinNJ
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yeah I hear ya. Supply and demand. A set of TI jazz swings are cheaper over here than the D’addario Chromes. Originally Posted by JGinNJ
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Inflation yo. Google says inflation averages 3.8% per year. While it was 8% last year. Often businesses will hold their prices the same for a while and then jack em all of a sudden, rather than raise them incrementally.
Last edited by Bobby Timmons; 06-16-2023 at 01:03 PM.
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In UK Martin Monels went from £8.45 to £9.99. Not too bad in 22 months. And that's how long one set has been on my Loar!
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At our favorite taco chain here we noticed the tacos and sides have gotten smaller.
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Steel prices have rocketed, I am told.
Some folks say they get a year or even longer out of a set of Thomastik Swings, probably in the ballpark of cello strings. Check out the price of cello strings.
A set of Chromes (25€) for me works out at about 2-3 Euros a month. Acceptable
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Didn't we just have a similar thread about Chromes?
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This is the thread. Some posts have been deleted. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
The bottom line is that inflation is real. Not only have D'Addario string prices gone up, but so has everything (almost) else. Real Estate prices? Guitar prices? Car prices? If you are retired and living on a fixed income, your retirement may not go as planned.
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The way I see it is that flat wound strings are very much a niche product (especially in my light gauges). They last a long time and they make make my life better in a very noticeable way. I'm just grateful that they continue to be available. Not everything is. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Last edited by Jim Soloway; 06-17-2023 at 08:14 AM.
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If sales of flatwound strings are falling and companies like D'Addario cannot take advantage of economies of scale in their production, the companies only solution may be to charge more. But inflation is real. We can debate it's causes (who needs pages of political debate on a guitar forum that will change nobody's mind in any event?), but in the end, I suspect that we will be paying more for strings and fret levels/replacement (the two things that do wear out on a guitar) as time goes on. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
At least flatwounds do last quite awhile. Gypsy jazz strings wear out fast. With gig fees still stuck in the 1980's and the price of strings going up, playing Gypsy jazz may become a losing proposition for some. It reminds me of the old joke "we lose a little on each one, but we make it up in volume"
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It can't be helped, inflation is a political issue. All of us should be upset that the ultra wealthy are hoarding all the money, but instead we quibble about drag queens while they destroy the country.
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My episode with sticker shock came from getting a burger at a national takeout chain recently. I pretty much stopped eating that stuff entirely years ago in order to keep fat and sodium intake low. I was astounded that the bill for a medium burger, medium fries and a medium drink topped $18 USD. WTF. Seriously. Originally Posted by JGinNJ
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Fast food is in a weird spot because it's not cheap anymore, it's not fast anymore, and it's still not good. There's really no reason to buy it. Originally Posted by starjasmine
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The last set of D'Aaddario Flatwounds I had on my S400ces were on for at least a year. The guitar intonated just fine but I decided to change them to go with Thomastiks. I am not particularly hard on strings and get quite a bit of time out of them. They go a bit dead but frankly intonate. Inflation is going crazy and as of now I have raised what I charge to repair a guitar way, way up. At one time in the not too distance past a fret dressing was about $110. That would be maybe around time of COVID. Now for me to seriously dress the frets and do a complete set up it cost. $170. The price of tools is very high, they do wear over time. Sandpaper, the good stuff has gone way up in price, and labor of course just cost more, right?
Think about this. I bought a new Ford Escape 4 years ago right before the pandemic set in and the money printing. I don't drive a lot average about 5200 miles a year. My Escape has 20,000 miles on it and I can get as a trade in for a new one what I paid for the car. That is completely unprecedented in the world of cars. Selling on my own could get more than I paid. Inflation is not over and while it might not go as fast as it did, I don't think we will see any drop for a long time.
Guitars in general have probably gotten much cheaper as far as getting a decent playable guitar compared to many items over the past say 10 years. Right now though a fine American made classic GIbson s of the higher orders will cost some serious money. As the stocks of wood bought at lower prices decline the materials get higher in cost. Manufactures can be known to work on this angle but at some point, it disappears. Cheap guitars will probably always be what I call cheap and replaceable. However really well-made instruments of the past and current that come from known quality makers are possibly going to inflate in price. Strings are not so labor intensive as building quality guitars and labor cost, at least in the US.
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Do you have any proof that concentration of wealth is the cause of inflation? I have a degree in Economics from NYU and I do not remember that connection ever being put forward during my studies. There are certainly problems with undue concentration of wealth, but I do not remember inflation being one of them. Printing too much money and constraining supply chains OTOH, do have a historically proven connection to inflation. And both of those things did happen in our recent history. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
It can't be helped, inflation is a political issue. All of us should be upset that the ultra wealthy are hoarding all the money, but instead we quibble about drag queens while they destroy the country.
And if the ultra wealthy were spending their money instead of hoarding it, I suspect that inflation would be worse.
I live in San Francisco and have seen many drag queens quite over the 47 years that I have been here. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. Somehow, I am pretty sure that they have nothing to do with the price of guitar strings.
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Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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I recommend the $1 spicy potato soft tacos at taco bell. :P Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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Why are you withholding the identity of the fast food chain? lol. I noticed the price for combos went up, but I didn't know they were as high as almost $20 lol. Back in the 90s when combos were introduced, they used it as an incentive that the combos were priced lower than the items individually. Now, combos are more than finding individual stuff lol!! Originally Posted by starjasmine
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I like how inflation is a political issue. Yep, the president has complete control of the economy. Shutting down the economy for 2 years had nothing to do with it. Lol!! Dur dur dur.
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I decided to save $$ on food and eat healthier in one step. I bought 50lbs each of protein powder and oatmeal. I eat protein powder in water for breakfast then oatmeal cooked in water as my 2nd meal. Costs like $2 and my food for half the day is ridiculously healthy - pure protein and complex carbs. That way if eat fast food for dinner it only totals $20 for the day instead of $50 lol and I'm not eating trash all day.
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You’re right, they aren’t related. These hot issues are distractions. Which was my point. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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There's more to politics than the president. I think the lobbyists and their corporate backers have more real power than the president. I also think I'm very ignorant on this topic and I don't know why I started this. Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith
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They should offer a free set of guitar strings of your choice with every meal. Now you know why I would never survive in marketing. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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