Yes folks. You heard me right. Yan ang na-eexperience namin ngayon dito sa Sydney. Just a few months ago, a major music shop chain "Allans and Billy Hyde" was foreclosed due to financial problems. Jackson's Rare Guitars, one of the best vintage/hi end guitar shop here in Sydney is also now closed.
When I arrive here in 2007, guitar shops agad ang hinanap ko and there were plenty around the CBD and Annandale area. Though prices are more expensive than US/Canada prices (a new Fender American Deluxe Tele is $1700 in the US while the negotiable price tag here is $2400), there's a wide selection of guitars, amps and gadgets you can choose from.
Now all that is left are smaller guitar stores. They don't stock high end equipment but rather cheap epiphones, squires, ibanez and the likes. Kung meron mang mamahaling gitara, you can look but not try it. These shops don't have much customers even on weekends but most of their sales are done online, thru ebay or other websites.
The Australian economy is doing much better than the US nowadays. Before the exchange rate was about 90 AU cents to an American dollar, today it's the other way around. I think the Philippine peso is rallying towards a better exchange rate against the dollar. A lot of Aussies would rather buy from the US and wait for a couple of weeks than go to a local music store due to the savings of buying online.
I think these are the signs
- We'll have to rely on other people for reviews and demo videos over the internet
- Fewer local music shops if not none, though stocks will be limited or per order basis
- If you want a high quality instrument, you'll have to trust the description and photos posted online by the seller
- You cannot test the guitar in the shop unless you are a valued customer or known personality
- Cheap and fake/imitation guitars will be wide spread (this is already happening)
- Resale value of guitars will go down drastically even for high end ones
I'm glad that music stores in the Philippines still stock better equipment but in a few years time we will follow other countries. Sulit, ebay.ph and the classifieds here are the starting point. Once we pinoys are comfortable with online trading/use of credit card, we will follow suit.
news link
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/strings-attached-as-guitar-store-goes-under-20121217-2bjai.html