He does have some stratospheric pricing, but I can easily imagine him having a "nothing ventured, nothing gained" attitude. There are a lot of people with more money than brains. One only need look briefly at the "vintage" and "endorsement" markets to see that. A Strat or Les Paul that's nowhere near as nice as what's being built today to modern standards with modern hardware and electronics will command a helluva lot more money simply because it's either old or some "hero" plays that style.
There are basically two ways to price things. One is cost plus, where you simply add x% to everything based on what you want to make. So, if you want to make 30%, you'd mark everything up by that much. An item you invest $1,000 in from such-and-such manufacturer then sells for $1,300.
The other is to price by value. Doesn't matter what an item costs, you sell it for what you can get for it, following Ben Franklin's timeless observation: "The worth of a thing is the price it will bring". Those who follow that philosophy are going to have prices all over the map, but be generally higher since hope springs eternal.
Company stores such as Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, etc. generally follow the first rule, while independents follow the second. Ed's an independent - aggressively so <grin>
As for his opinions - everybody has them. Whaddaya gonna do? The musical instrument business is a poster child for legend and myth. You can be right as rain, and be outcast for it if it bucks conventional wisdom, no matter how flawed that wisdom might be. So, you have to take what everybody says with a grain of salt, and do your own research. Ed's no exception.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not defending him - I'm just saying too many people pay the man more money and attention that is justified. He's just another dude trying to make a living.
