# L & M raise prices of Martin guitars by 10% - End of January, 2015



## skilsaw (Nov 4, 2014)

The mighty american dollar is knocking the stuffing out of the Canadian dollar these days.

Martin guitars at Long and Mcquade have gone up by 10% since I last looked.

Ouch. That hurts! I've been dreaming of a HD-28. It has gone up $350.
And my wild fantasies of owning a D-45 will have to end now. It has gone up $1000.
I was thinking I could cut a deal in April when my Income Tax Refund arrives, but it is out of reach now.

It could be worse. I understand in Greece they may switch off the Euro and will be printing their own money on rolls like toilet paper.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

All the US made Gibson and Fender gear is about to go up alot too. 

Times are changing quickly.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Canadian companies like Godin and others that are exporting product to the USA are likely smiling from ear to ear with the Canadian dollar hovering around the $0.80 mark.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

Figuring exactly this is what would happen, I pulled the trigger on a left hand Squire Affinity Telecaster from Axe. $199 plus tax, free shipping. I don't think I will eve see a Tele at that price again. Even if I have to replace electronics, switches, nut, I will have a killere tele for less than it would cost me to buy a new one.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Last February I bought an Ibanez SR500F (fretless), while that model is no longer made the SR500 is (fretted) and L&M's prices on those have gone up twice since last February.

but then, so have everybody else's...


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

I noticed the this on their site the other day, I was just about to start putting away some money for a Martin. The plan was to have enough put aside so that if the D28 or HD28 weren't the one again I could go the extra mile and get a HD28V which have been phenomenal each time I've held them. Unfortunately the new prices have had quite a cooling effect on this current GAS attack, $3899+tax is too rich for my blood.



Steadfastly said:


> Canadian companies like Godin and others that are exporting product to the USA are likely smiling from ear to ear with the Canadian dollar hovering around the $0.80 mark.


But I'm sure you've been around long enough to notice that smile will not be the case for the Canadian customer. We'll end up paying the same difference in price at the guitar store for a Godin, as we will a Gibson or a Fender when compared to our neighbors to the south. Meaning if we're paying say 20% more for a Gibson on this side of the border it won't be long before Godin adjusts their prices here too.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Morkolo said:


> I noticed the this on their site the other day, I was just about to start putting away some money for a Martin. The plan was to have enough put aside so that if the D28 or HD28 weren't the one again I could go the extra mile and get a HD28V which have been phenomenal each time I've held them. Unfortunately the new prices have had quite a cooling effect on this current GAS attack, $3899+tax is too rich for my blood.
> 
> 
> 
> But I'm sure you've been around long enough to notice that smile will not be the case for the Canadian customer. We'll end up paying the same difference in price at the guitar store for a Godin, as we will a Gibson or a Fender when compared to our neighbors to the south. Meaning if we're paying say 20% more for a Gibson on this side of the border it won't be long before Godin adjusts their prices here too.


Perhaps that may happen. They still have to compete with Yamaha on the acoustic side of things, though. When the Canadian dollar was at par with the US dollar, you could be Godins at about 10% cheaper in Canada. I hope you're wrong but Godin, like all companies are out to make money.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

An Ibanez guitar I bought for $599 in June, now costs $729.


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## Pewtershmit (Jun 13, 2014)

The dollar is to blame. Buy your gear now guys. There will be a major price increase across the board in the next coming weeks.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Hopefully it will help with the used market & put an end to the a-holes who try to justify ridiculous offers with the lowest eBay sold listing, not taking into account the exchange rate, shipping, HST & other importation costs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> An Ibanez guitar I bought for $599 in June, now costs $729.


So the guitars too--makes sense.

Maybe it's a good thing I didn't wait until their February sale to use my giftcards...
(Well that and what I bought was used--so it may nto have been around and for as good a price.)


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

No worries, once the CDN dollar goes up again, the prices will be adjusted lower accordingly, right?


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

ed2000 said:


> No worries, once the CDN dollar goes up again, the prices will be adjusted lower accordingly, right?


Not necessarily. Could depend on when they had to buy their US dollars. If they had to buy most of their dollars for the year when the exchange rates were around .80 then you probably won't see much of a change if the exchange rates climb back up to .90. And of course you realize that the exchange rates you see on the budiness networks is the rate paid by banks snd other financial institutions who trade large volumes and amounts. For the average Joe or Jane you can probably add 5% onto the exchange rate you would get for say a shopping trip to the USA. Music store chains would probably do better than you but not as good as big financial institutions.


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