The Too Valuable To Play Syndrome

OilCityPickups

Nothing pis-es me off more than a museum housed guitar. They were built to be played, play them. It's like never doing anything remotely 'bad for you' in the hope you might live a bit longer ... bollocks ... it's a short brutal life with no encores ... with people and guitars ... it's better to burn out than fade way!

mike_l

badlydrawnbanjo said:

Can I give myself a face palm?

Without it turning into a pissing contest, I wonder who has the most valuable (in terms of £'s, not emotional value) guitar on the forum?

No, and certainly not me, my most expensive was £600 Including a £200 P/X

juansolo

I get paranoid about the expensive ultra pretty ones. Yet will use sports cars as they're intended (and then some in some cases) when they cost significantly more. Weird isn't it? I've found the easiest way not to be paranoid in my case is not to have any expensive ultra pretty ones.

Adam_MD

ICBM;7172" said:

When I played PRSs with my band I always wanted a Dragon so I could gig it and really piss off the PRS collectors - plus I thought one would look great with a bit of natural wear and tear.

God I always wanted a Dragon, no real idea why and I'm not sure I wouldn't be too embarrassed to play it out live. It'd be bloody fun though :-)

AlexHunter

I've always been slightly concerned about gigging some guitars - largely due to the fact that if they were broken or stolen I couldn't get another, so I'd prefer not to take them to a little dive pub for a £50 gig. That said, I have used them all at gigs regardless and I'm using an ultra pretty Tom Anderson as the all round gigging guitar currently, even if it is a dive bar.

axisus

Not in the same league at all, but I had a super bling PRS CU22 10 top 20th anniversary model. It was a lovely guitar but I sold it within 6 months, Felt much too precious. All my main guitars are 'tatty' now!

marantz1300

If its new and has no marks or dings,I feel less relaxed and get proper pissed if I mark it.
I have a 69 Les Paul Custom ,but it has 44 yrs of wear and I don't care if I add more to it.

Jalapeno

I gig my Tom Anderson and my Sadowsky Archtop - not exactly vintage mega bucks to replace but they'd still more than make me cough a bit.

tbh - damage to them is my bigger paranoia.

frankus

can't see the problem, he's a collector - it's a perfectly valid past-time - just might not be your thing.

I got told I was a collector of guitars by my Karate instructor ... but that's circumstance between job and kids I'm tied up - it won't alsways be like that, so I get my joy in creating or commisioning exactly what I want - pedals, amps, guitars

wordy

I wouldnt care about putting a few marks on one of my guitars as long as I know I want to keep it, and play it for a significant length of time.  I just worry about losing a lot of money on something expensive, after realising that its not the guitar for me after 6-12 months.

I occasionally think that mid-range guitars are the way to go.

I have a Fret King propped up by my bed at the moment thats probably picking up a bit of paint from the wall on the headstock and body, and it also probably gets a bit warm in there somedays (insert your own joke here), but thats fine cos its not worth so much, so who cares?  It now gets more play than my american G&L, which sits on its stand in the spare room.

RocknRollDave

Assuming money was no obstacle (which it most certainly is!), I genuinely wouldn't want to own an expensive, vintage guitar.

I would genuinely be happier with a brand new guitar off the shelf with no dings or marks or scratches, and which would cost me a fraction of the price.


EDIT: I have never played a 50's LP or Strat or 335 or whatever...If I were to buy a vintage guitar, I'd be doing so purely because the accepted wisdom tends to be that they are better...I'd rather pick up a few new guitars and try them out and pick the one i like best, rather than invest too much belief in the idea that somewhere out there is a magical, vintage guitar imbued with a special, personal mojo that is calling out for me and no other guitar will do.

ESBlonde

Way back in the 70s and 80s I would be paranoid about taking my gigging guitar to some venues because I couldn't afford to replace it. Now I have a few more guitars I take them all out gigging but there are undoubtedly some venues I would not take certain instruments like then 335 which still hasn't had a big ding or headstock detachment operation! I'm more likely to turn down the shyte gig than risk a guitar I'm attached to.

If I had a very expensive guitar I would gig it but I would be very selective about where and when.

jaygtr

A guitar doesn't necessarily have to be worth much in monetary terms , to be incredibly valuable to a person.
They can have huge sentimental value and therefore be irreplaceable .

My les Paul is nothing special, but I brought it new and have owned it almost half my life , I don't mind a few dings etc, but I'm am increasingly careful with it B-)

Longtallronnie

I gig my Fat Neck 335 reguarly with an SG Classic as backup which is close to £4k's worth in total by new prices. The 335 is priceless to me and I do sometimes worry about it getting nicked or damaged. That's why I insure them though, £17 a month covers all of my giging gear so I get some piece of mind.

The small amount of worry is completely offset by the sheer joy I get from playing them though.

I'd love to own a vintage Gibson, preferably a "players" guitar with some character to it and I'd happily gig it.

Skipped

DLM said:

For just one instrument, I'd say Skipped and his LP.

I appreciate the mention!
But player grade vintage guitars are not that expensive. I think there is a forum member (In fact there might be a few) who owns an aged and signed Beano or similar which I am pretty sure would have cost more than my guitar. Most Conversions change hands through word of mouth or on the LPF. The Conversions with dealers at $35k are not moving - the sellers are dreaming -  and probably never will.
Guitars with changes,  or refins (or both) are amazing for players because they are are just about within reach, you can gig them even if you don't employ security, but most important of all, they can play and sound exactly the same as the guitars that collectors have locked away.
 But If anybody wins the lottery I would suggest you would want both!

TTony

jatgtr said:

A guitar doesn't necessarily have to be worth much in monetary terms , to be incredibly valuable to a person.
They can have huge sentimental value and therefore be irreplaceable .
 

And your first fret award shall be a wisdom fret

monquixote

I've gigged all my guitars including my Gretsch (which is the only one worth more than a grand SH), but the one I'm weary of taking to gigs is my 1980 "The Strat" it's beaten to fuck, heavily modded, and probably worth nothing, but it's the only inanimate object in the world I have any emotional attachment to.

bertie

I dont see the problem,  if someone wants to spend inordinate amounts of cash on guitars just to look at, and it gives them pleasure - who the fuck do we think we are to criticise that ?

[Deleted User]

bertie;7698" said:

I dont see the problem,  if someone wants to spend inordinate amounts of cash on guitars just to look at, and it gives them pleasure - who the fuck do we think we are to criticise that ?

I agree. I'd much prefer that Joe Bonamassa just looked at his....

DulcetJones

I came into ownership of a mint 1967 Fender Mustang guitar back in the 80's through a fluke situation.  I loved it, used it at gigs for a about a year until Nirvana hit the scene.  My guitar was the right hand equivalent of Cobains Mustang and a local music store employee approached me wanting to buy it.  I had it appraised and was a little horrified at how much it was worth.  I stopped using it and kept if hidden way for over a decade, then I put it out on a stand in my living room so I could pick it up and play it around the house.  Then my house got broken into and it was stolen, I had it insured for an amount that turned out to be about a third of what it was worth.  As it turned out the thief was a moron and pawned it the day he stole it and I got it back the same day.  He got 3 months and I sold the guitar for a ridiculous amount and cancelled the insurance.  I was told by the guitar broker that the new owner is very happy with the guitar.