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Markbass Amp repair?

#241
cybersnyder said:
Personally I don't see the LMII as a loss leader. The combos that included the LMII head are in line with the price of a LMII head plus the respective cabinet. That would mean that the LMII and it's derivative combos were all loss leaders. While possible, I find that unlikely.

Just an opinion.
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I took that into consideration. I still see it as a possibilty, considering what I've seen smaller cab builders charge and understanding the economy of scale. I know that I wouldn't have gone into GC to check one out as soon as it did if it were the price of a Thunderfunk TFB-550.

Why do you think they priced them at $600 when they clearly could've asked for much more compared to their competition?
 
#242
Mike Dimin said:
Sorry - lousy comparison. Car parts are supposed to wear out. The cost of replacement parts are figured into the long range income projections. Dealers make very little on the sale of the car, their profit comes from service and parts.

A well designed and manufactured amp should be serviceable for a very long time (tube amps excepted) with no service or parts replacements needed. Dirty jacks and pots, yes ...board replacement - not so much
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Not sure if that's still the model, Mike. As prices drop...
 
#245
Brad Johnson said:
I took that into consideration. I still see it as a possibilty, considering what I've seen smaller cab builders charge and understanding the economy of scale. I know that I wouldn't have gone into GC to check one out as soon as it did if it were the price of a Thunderfunk TFB-550.

Why do you think they priced them at $600 when they clearly could've asked for much more compared to their competition?
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I guess there is more of a price difference between the LMII and the F1 than I would expect based on just some miniaturization that's needed for the F1. Again, just a will ballpark guesstimate. I can see them pricing the LMII $50-100 lower than they could have in an attempt to break into a market. If that was the strategy, I think it was successful. I still don't think that they're losing money on the LMII, maybe not making as much as they could. But I don't think that would qualify as a loss leader in the traditional sense. More like aggressive pricing -- and I think the aggressive pricing was done on MarkBass' side rather than Guitar Center.
 
#246
cybersnyder said:
I guess there is more of a price difference between the LMII and the F1 than I would expect based on just some miniaturization that's needed for the F1. Again, just a will ballpark guesstimate. I can see them pricing the LMII $50-100 lower than they could have in an attempt to break into a market. If that was the strategy, I think it was successful. I still don't think that they're losing money on the LMII, maybe not making as much as they could. But I don't think that would qualify as a loss leader in the traditional sense. More like aggressive pricing -- and I think the aggressive pricing was done on MarkBass' side rather than Guitar Center.
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I never said they were losing money on the LMII. I simply didn't. The term does not mean you have to lose money.
:cool:

Wheelhouse again, Jimmy?
;)
 
#247
Brad Johnson said:
I never said they were losing money on the LMII. I simply didn't. The term does not mean you have to lose money.
:cool:

Wheelhouse again, Jimmy?
;)
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It's usually an item that you either break even or lose money to get people in the store. Usually an expendable item that you can't horde. The classic example is selling milk at a loss. I don't think that Markbass selling the LMII for less than they could to get into a market qualifies as a loss leader in the traditional sense. (Granted, I'm doing some assuming here.) Amps are usually something you buy once every few years, unless you frequent talkbass, of course. It just doesn't seem like an item that you would use as a loss leader if you're Guitar Center. Getting an exclusive distribution deal from Markbass for a hot amp series and agreeing to sell one of the items for less profit is a possibility.

I'm not trying to argue, but it just doesn't seem like a loss leader to me. The items the advertise on the radio and TV when there are sales, those are loss leaders. Twelve pack of drumsticks, five bucks. Etc, etc.
 
#248
This has turned into a crusade. This lost leader stuff is getting absurd, and all the evidence coming from Brad in favour of the hypothesis that the LMII was a lost leader seems speculative at best -- or, rather, cast in the same cloak of uncertainty as the claim that the repair prices cited herein seemed unreasonable, given the estimated costs of repair by experts in bass amplification and electronics repair world.

But I suggest we all take what he has been calling the 'easy way out' (not a verbatim quote) and let him continue with his pontification as a solo artist. This discussion is so beyond the pursuit of truth. It is an exercise in narcissism.

Brad Johnson said:
Wow. The sun is hot...

have at it.
:D
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Brad Johnson said:
I just like to keep guessing to a minimum. Guess that makes me the odd man out.
:cool:
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Brad Johnson said:
Nice try.
:smug:
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#250
cybersnyder said:
It's usually an item that you either break even or lose money to get people in the store. Usually an expendable item that you can't horde. The classic example is selling milk at a loss. I don't think that Markbass selling the LMII for less than they could to get into a market qualifies as a loss leader in the traditional sense. (Granted, I'm doing some assuming here.) Amps are usually something you buy once every few years, unless you frequent talkbass, of course. It just doesn't seem like an item that you would use as a loss leader if you're Guitar Center. Getting an exclusive distribution deal from Markbass for a hot amp series and agreeing to sell one of the items for less profit is a possibility.

I'm not trying to argue, but it just doesn't seem like a loss leader to me. The items the advertise on the radio and TV when there are sales, those are loss leaders. Twelve pack of drumsticks, five bucks. Etc, etc.
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From http://www.bizhelp24.com/marketing/the-loss-leader.html

"What is a ‘Loss Leader’?
The loss leader is a pricing strategy which involves selling products/services at a price that will generate little or no profit and in some cases not even cover all associated costs (marketing, overheads, direct costs, etc).

This may sound crazy but it is a technique that is commonly used to attract customers to their business via a bargain. These bargains will attract customers to your business who may then purchase other products/services even if they don’t buy the product that you have initially reduced. This is where you will make up for the loss* as you will be selling other items that generate high profits"

*The "loss" being what you would've made had you sold it at the real price vs. the discount. It does not have to be a negative though it is in many cases

Highlights added to point out what I've been talking about.
:D
 
#253
naturalkinds said:
This has turned into a crusade. This lost leader stuff is getting absurd, and all the evidence coming from Brad in favour of the hypothesis that the LMII was a lost leader seems speculative at best -- or, rather, cast in the same cloak of uncertainty as the claim that the repair prices cited herein seemed unreasonable, given the estimated costs of repair by experts in bass amplification and electronics repair world.
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You've added nothing to the discussion other than the fact that you don't understand what's being discussed. The only absurd thing is the fact that you apparently can't grasp a fairly simple marketing concept. Maybe you're simply not reading the actual words.

It's also absurd that you don't see that some are laying out the possibility that just what I described might've happened. They just have a skewed understanding of what loss leader actually means. You OTOH just keep on chugging along.
:D

Estimated prices are not the actual prices. The actual prices are what actually count. I have no idea what kind of person would need to buy into that but hey, if it works for ya, yay! If you can't see the tie in between the pricing strategy of the amp in question and it's relationship to actual production costs, fine. Maybe it's just too complictated for you. I understand.

But I suggest we all take what he has been calling the 'easy way out' (not a verbatim quote) and let him continue with his pontification as a solo artist. This discussion is so beyond the pursuit of truth. It is an exercise in narcissism.
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Feel free to stop responding. You're not doing yourself any favors anyway.


Bye... or are you still here?
:D
 
#254
clapclapclapclap!

bravo, guys! just what i like to see...internet arguments over the most mundane of meaningless stuff! this is why i pay that $20 a year...well that and to unload stuff in a hurry when i'm short on cash ;)
 

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