Leaderboard

Diminished the value? As the OP asked, I don't think Squire diminished the value of Fender nor Epiphone, Gibson. Smart business move for brand awareness. If I remember correctly, with GM you first car was a Chevy with the next promotion a Buick. When you moved into management an Oldsmobile and when the kids graduate college and move out, Caddy. Marketing 101

+1000 Rich gets it!

I've been reading the thread on TGP about the Ascent guitars. It's almost hilarious reading the condemnation of the wood, the bolt neck, etc. At least a dozen of the posts were the of the "well, I'm not interested!" type. DUH! Anyone who thinks the Ascent line is aimed at Gear Page snobs is crazy. These are people who will spend $100 on a pair of bumblebee caps or $200 on vintage aged pickguards and poker chips. They aren't going to buy a $180 guitar. It's not aimed at ImABigStar on TGP who has 30 guitars, a dozen Marshall stacks, two Klons and plays for his dog at night. It's a guitar for little Timmy who's in 5th grade and wants to learn guitar. Daddy will spend $180 for Christmas. If little Timmy ends up learning to play, then maybe in 4 or 5 years he can get a real H150. When I was 10, you bought a crappy Sears Silvertone for $20 in the classifieds. Then you might get a crappy Japanese made guitar at a pawn shop for $100. Then, after several years you would move up to a used Fender for $200. You didn't start out buying a $400 Gibson just to try to learn to play G C E... 1 2 3 G B F... 1 2 3.