Because I like to play nice in the gear world, I rarely post rants or complaints. But today, I was perusing an amp maker’s site – I will play nice here and not mention any names – and there were no prices posted! I understand that boutique gear normally runs much higher in price than mainstream gear, but when I’m looking a gear, nothing ruffles my feathers more than a manufacturer who won’t post their prices – or at least approximations. To me, it’s as if they have something to hide, and it also plants a seed that I’m going to get gouged. More likely than not, that’s not going to be the case, but I feel that being cagey about pricing – whether or not intentional – is simply a bad business practice.
I understand that especially with small, boutique amp builders that prices will vary from amp to amp, but I’ve been around long enough and have met and created relationships with enough manufacturers over the years to know that the best folks I’ve worked with at least provide a base price. That pricing could start out with the bare amp on a chassis, then build up from there, or start out with the pricing for a complete, no-frills amp, with modifications to the basic design costing a certain amount depending upon what you want.
Someone who’s great about this is my friend Jeff Aragaki of Aracom Amps. Yeah, I talk about him a lot, but not only is he one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, he’s really upfront about what stuff will cost. He has a detailed price list on base models and options, but will also do custom work. He and I have talked about this very subject in past, and he questioned why people would hide their pricing because if you personally source the components, you can get an approximate material cost. Of course, the magic is getting the components to work well together, and that’s the value-add. As for me, I have no problem with someone posting a $3000 price tag. My philosophy is that good is good at any price, and I’m willing to pay for great sound. And I’m not alone in this…
So yeah, I was a bit irked by the manufacturer this morning. I just don’t see why they couldn’t be on the up and up….
Guitar Gear 
I think that when this happens that the manufacturer or business doesn’t want to scare off prospective customers too early. They want people to investigate thier product hoping that people will see the exceptional quality, etc and not be scared off by a big price tag right from the get-go.
Another thing I don’t like is when you see something online and the store won’t show the shipping cost till late in the ordering process. Personally I would love to see some regulation on the sales practices of the online merchant community. Too many seem to want to hide the final price for as long as they can.
Keep rockin’
Z
I can see your point Z, but frankly a manufacturer could at least provide a downloadable price list if they don’t want to print them directly on the screen. Personally, I don’t want to spend too much time “investigating.” I want to know what they base their circuit topology on then look at other features such as P2P wiring, etc. Besides, it’s assumed that a boutique amp is going to cost much more than a mainstream amp.