Most of our customers are collectors. Guitars are #3 investment after art and real estate. Most of us are booked for years ahead. People who buy $5,000-$10,000 guitars, don't care economy. They are or stars or rich, or a stars and rich. About 35% of my customers are in Japan and Europe. I go to Japan quite often to meet my clients there. Japanese are obsessed with american guitars, you know it. And damn, they're wealthy...
I know a few luthiers, who charge $25,000+ for a guitar, and they're booked for 5-10 years ahead. But yes, it's hard to get a good wood nowadays, China buying everything by tons and containers. I spent a lot of time in a few huge chinese factories, and I saw wood warehouses size of aviation hangar, full of canadian and german flame maple, african ebony, indian rosewood, european spruces... and they make $100 crappy guitars from it.
What a waste...