How much is 'too much' for some wood and wire?

UnclePsychosis

Personally speaking I couldn't justify spending much more than about £700. Even that would make me think very, very carefully. I like having guitars but I'll settle for the "budget" workhorses and a pocket full of change for my needs, thank you very much.

I have no problem with other people who spend lots, though. Although I do think that instruments should be played - buying expensive gear only to hide it away seems silly to me.

1nten5e

ElectroDan;239254" said:

But if I had £2k - £5k I'd honestly rather spend it doing something with my family.I will probably add another soon just as a back up,

Can never have too many families

monoamine

@FelineGuitars

I won't quote all that but I really like your way of thinking. It's a realisation that I think most guitars have as a 'eureka' moment somewhere down the line. I am selling off my collection at present because I think I have found "the one"...

And not because it is pretty, or new, or expensive, or heavily upgraded... but because it resonates with me. 

Dave_Mc

1nten5e said:

ElectroDan;239254" said:

But if I had £2k - £5k I'd honestly rather spend it doing something with my family.I will probably add another soon just as a back up,

Can never have too many families

) Excellent

ElectroDan

Dave_Mc said:

1nten5e said:

ElectroDan;239254" said:

But if I had £2k - £5k I'd honestly rather spend it doing something with my family.I will probably add another soon just as a back up,

Can never have too many families

) Excellent

That would cost me more than £5k! )

dindude

Around £2k - £2.5k is the limit for me. 

I've said it before, I think the "true" cost of a new electric guitar in this day and age is £1500 - £2000. That's to have it made to a very good standard, using the best parts, in the USA or UK by people, or person, who are passionate about making great musical instruments. 

Anything above this just adds "furniture" elements, not interesting to me.

Anything less is some sort of compromise, I.e. You can get a USA Gibson for a lot less but the quality isn't there, or you can get a great Korean guitar in, say, a PRS SE, but the hardware and pups won't be the best, and it will be a fairly generic factory build.

All that said, I agree with making your own choices, so I actually only have 1 guitar that fits into the 1500-2000 bracket, I much prefer my slightly "shonky" Gibson midtown to my old PRS McCarty, and my Jap made Charvel is a jem (erm!) 

Alnico

^

This - really well said.

And "Shonky" is another brilliant word for the guitarists dictionary.

siraxeman

I'm pondering on ordering another custom made Red Special replica @ £3k. And if I get it I'll gig it regularly. I gig all my guitars and most of 'em are £1k plus (new price anyway). To me guitars are my passion and I teach it for my living and gig as well as play for my own amusement at home. I drive around in a car costing a grand! When I go to a gig 2 guitars/2 amps and pedals/leads etc sees over £4k sitting in the boot! Just hope no bugger goes into the back of me on the way to a gig! Less likely on the way home at 1am tho!

Now...you lot out there how many of you drive a car costing £5k plus ? You show where your own priorities are in where you spend your money. How many of you pi$$ away several grand a year on boose and maybe fags, oh and cigarettes ? Money down the drain! How many of you spend a couple of grand on a holiday or 2 abroad each year that lasts a week or 2 then is gone forever? Tell your wife/gf/kids to stop being selfish and let you have your dream guitar! lol

joking apart where you put your money is where your passion lays! How do you spend yours ?

Panama_Jack666

I'd never not gig a guitar based on its value. Props to JoBo for playing his '59's live.

crunchman

The most I've spent is around £2.5k.  To be honest I'm not sure how much you gain after that.

That will get you CS Fender, plaintop CS Gibson (second hand), Gretsch White Falcon, PRS etc.  You might need to go slightly over that for some of the Vintage Series Martin acoustics.  The EC sig seems to have gone up by about £800 since I bought mine.

It might nice to have an R9 instead of an R8 but you are paying a massive premium for a pretty top, and it might be nice to have the kudos of a Masterbuild CS Fender, but I'm not sure that the extra outlay gains much (if anything) over a Teambuilt one.  It's just nice to be able to say "My guitar was handbuilt by the same guy who builds INSERT NAME OF HERO's guitars"

monquixote

siraxeman said:

Now...you lot out there how many of you drive a car costing £5k plus ? You show where your own priorities are in where you spend your money. How many of you pi$$ away several grand a year on boose and maybe fags, oh and cigarettes ? Money down the drain! How many of you spend a couple of grand on a holiday or 2 abroad each year that lasts a week or 2 then is gone forever? Tell your wife/gf/kids to stop being selfish and let you have your dream guitar! lol

joking apart where you put your money is where your passion lays! How do you spend yours ?

My last car and last guitar both cost about the same

dilbert

£550 is the most I have ever spent for a guitar and that was in 1994. I just can't see me spending that much again simply because there are plenty of guitars out there that meet my needs at the sub £600 price point. It really isn't a question of status, social standing or any other external influence, I'm just perfectly okay with low to mid price guitars and see no need to justify it. I'm happy with my old beaters.

Conversely, like @UnclePsychosis above, I have no issue with people spending whatever they like on their' guitars, vive la difference, say I and if it creates jobs particularly in the UK, all the better.  

dilbert

TTony

monquixote said:

My last car and last guitar both cost about the same

And both were bargains @monquixote

If I ever spend as much on a guitar as a car, I'll be in serious trouble.

But a car is a tool that I use in doing my job and earning my money.  I don't need quite such an expensive tool, but it makes doing the job slightly less objectionable.  And I like 265bhp, 450lb/ft and 45mpg.

usedtobe

Most I've ever spent - £500. Don't think I could go over a grand. In fact, I think I'd struggle to spend over £750, tbh.. 

jellyroll

I have a PRS and a bus pass.

Dave_Mc

TTony said:

monquixote said:

My last car and last guitar both cost about the same

And both were bargains @monquixote

If I ever spend as much on a guitar as a car, I'll be in serious trouble.

But a car is a tool that I use in doing my job and earning my money.  I don't need quite such an expensive tool, but it makes doing the job slightly less objectionable.  And I like 265bhp, 450lb/ft and 45mpg.

Yeah. To a certain extent I understand, and even agree with, the point about "where you put your money is where your passion lays! How do you spend yours "- but that's an oversimplification, I'd say. Fair enough if you were only comparing hobbies (even then it still might be, since some hobbies cost more than others). I spent way more on my car than I've spent on any single guitar (though add up what I've spent on all my guitar kit and I'd probably be getting close ) Though factor in petrol and insurance and maybe not...)- but a car is useful for everyday life in a way that a guitar just isn't. I don't care less about cars, I have no real interest in them at all, but the extra ease it brings for... everything, really, is worth it, to me. 

DeeTee

jellyroll said:

I have a PRS and a bus pass.

This is the correct way to do it. Carry on.

ArchtopDave

ArchtopDave

TTony said:

ArchtopDave said:

I've bought a distinctly expensive guitar last week (don't ask me how much, because I'm keeping that to myself even though I'm only answerable to myself). It's almost certainly a lifetime one off, as I had some money come my way in the last few weeks. All I will say is it's rather old, looks great, and sounds phenomenal.

Pics @archtopdave we need pics.  Once you've removed the price tag of course!!

Purely to gratify your base needs!!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ui70_7tGj30/U3R8oKHqr5I/AAAAAAAABDQ/1qre-Y5yh4g/s800/DSC_0227.JPG

GuitarMonkey

Lovely - what is it exactly? 

The checking doesn't look like a Tom Murphy job to me.