But my intended veer is "customer loyalty". My impression from LTG is that most people here are very loyal to the Guild brand but that they very rarely buy a new instrument. That loyalty certainly helps Guild indirectly because when people talk about and are seen playing the brand, it does increase the demand for new instruments, but Guild can't take that to the bank.
So, is my impression selective and incorrect? Is there a guitar brand with customer loyalty and/or enough product diversity that the loyal customers will buy a new instrument, at a retail outlet, at least once every three years? (Three is arbitrary so if a different number changes the answer just say so).
Two things - first, I think there are LTGer's buying new Guilds, but perhaps not in the numbers Guild would like. But I think frono's second point is correct - if someone sees a Guild being played, it may translate into a sale - although again not as much as Guild would like.
My answer to the second question is "PRS". I am on their forum as well, there are lots of people buying multiple PRS guitars. They have numerous "price points", a wide variety of woods and finishes, continually offer newly designed models, and IMHO, have very high quality.
How many "versions" of the same Les Paul are there? My apologies, but even Guild is "re-issuing" the same models they had before. If you want to attract new customers, you need to offer different and new models - as frono said "loyalty" only goes so far - you also need brand new customers.
walrus