Dale Wilson Masterbuilt Gassage... Buy or Build?

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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2329
    Seriously, you'd spend £8k on a 'masterbuilt' that's not really built entirely by a 'masterbuilder' ? Those prices on the Japanese sites are largely made up. They aren't really that expensive. Don't pay over £5k for one if you really want one. Better still if only a masterbuilt Fender will do  then go find a secondhand example for £4k. Remember Dale didn't cut the body or neck, he didn't wind or wire up the picks/elecs.....he didn't spray the guitar or laquer the neck.....at best he did the final fretwork and relic wear. You could do a lot better for your money. 
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  • chris78chris78 Frets: 9166
    I’ve owned a dale Wilson as well as Mjt etc. His relicing work is exceptional. 8k is steep when you consider peach had a Dale last year for around 6k. However, he’s got an over 3 year waiting list
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  • clarkefanclarkefan Frets: 808
    Not being funny, isn't that HSS, and therefore a relatively straight forward build?
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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2329
    chris78 said:
    I’ve owned a dale Wilson as well as Mjt etc. His relicing work is exceptional. 8k is steep when you consider peach had a Dale last year for around 6k. However, he’s got an over 3 year waiting list
    Yes, he's the best Fender have these days when it comes to RELIC work.....alas with the time constraints he has per build if you compare his work to the likes of guys such as Carson Hess then his ageing looks quite superficial. Its no wonder they have such long wait list though when they spend several weeks a year out on overseas promo tours. Can't imagine bothering to wait for that length of time for....well anything to be built. 
    There you go...£4.5k....go bid four and stick in a humbucker of your choice. Sorted.

    https://reverb.com/item/11621098-fender-dale-wilson-2012-masterbuilt-relic-55-stratocaster-abby-pickups-10-56-neck-with-tweed-case
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  • vincechu89vincechu89 Frets: 92
    If you built a guitar, would you still want a Masterbuilt? I bought a Suhr thinking it would kill my GAS for a masterbuilt off... it hasn’t lol and has just pissed off the Mrs more!

    Perhaps try it and see how you get on, otherwise Guitar Guitar, Coda, Peach and Guitars4You have MB strats by various builders and from £4.4k to £6k...
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  • JEPBLEPJEPBLEP Frets: 188
    Strat54 said:
    Seriously, you'd spend £8k on a 'masterbuilt' that's not really built entirely by a 'masterbuilder' ? Those prices on the Japanese sites are largely made up. They aren't really that expensive. Don't pay over £5k for one if you really want one. Better still if only a masterbuilt Fender will do  then go find a secondhand example for £4k. Remember Dale didn't cut the body or neck, he didn't wind or wire up the picks/elecs.....he didn't spray the guitar or laquer the neck.....at best he did the final fretwork and relic wear. You could do a lot better for your money. 
    There's some interesting points there - I suppose the more important one is that the value can't be compared 1:1 to more artisanal builders that may –in one form or another– put more (traditional) work into their builds.

    For me ultimately any kind of price premium generally is justified in the creative originality, which to your point, isn't always the actual accredited Master Builder. Thanks for the thought starter!
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  • JEPBLEPJEPBLEP Frets: 188
    If you built a guitar, would you still want a Masterbuilt? I bought a Suhr thinking it would kill my GAS for a masterbuilt off... it hasn’t lol and has just pissed off the Mrs more!

    Perhaps try it and see how you get on, otherwise Guitar Guitar, Coda, Peach and Guitars4You have MB strats by various builders and from £4.4k to £6k...
    I suppose the main aspect of a potential Master-Built guitar would be the exclusivity - being able to own something that floats in the upper echalons of its respective field and is a one-off is something that (call me shallow) pushes all the right buttons for me.

    Having said that, the more I dive into the backstory of this one, that point seems moot as there's 2 of every colour-way. 
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    Whilst I’m a bit of a snob with lower end stuff, I just couldn’t justify that sort of cash, I’d just feel mugged off no matter how good it was. Say you pay 1k for the nicest Strat body you’ve ever seen. Then £1k for the nicest neck you ever seen. Then £1k for the nicest hardware and pickups known to man. Then pay £1k for a top luthier to put it all together and spend days breathing on it. It’s hard to know where the other £4K has gone. Just doesn’t make any sense on any level at that price. However if it makes you happy and you can afford it then all is good.
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  • DLMDLM Frets: 2513
    @Gassage ... hookers ... blow ... top-dollar Strats ...

    It's all very familiar territory here.
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  • StuartMac290StuartMac290 Frets: 1428
    So, it's essentially a £4000 relic job?!
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  • GoldenEraGuitarsGoldenEraGuitars Frets: 8820
    tFB Trader
    So, it's essentially a £4000 relic job?!
    Should I add an extra zero to my pricing....? ;)

    https://i.imgur.com/eUqjrQG.jpg
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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3299
    I read the title wrong and thought you’d bought a guitar from the bloke who did supermarket sweep.  
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  • MoosterMooster Frets: 68

    Do you guys remember when regular custom shop guitars were £1.8k and a masterbuilt (very rare in the UK in those days) were £3.3k?

    £7.8k for a strat is not great value for money. Go there and play it by all means, but £7.8k to tickle your GAS is not being sensible. I get the GAS, I really do, but you want it like crazy and yet you haven't even played it yet. It's just got a few more buttons to twiddle. Imagine a couple of years down the line when it's just another guitar on the rack with a relic job and someone's name on the back of the headstock. I'm not saying don't get it, but understand that you're paying over the odds for a simple bolt on electric with a lot of marketing and angel dust sprinkled over it.

    As for building one yourself, building a guitar (especially a good one) is different to playing one, and I personally want to spend my limited free time playing guitar, not being a luthier. Unless you farm out all the difficult luthier stuff or are willing to learn a lot of luthier skills, building a guitar has got nothing to do with enjoying play a guitar but is separate hobby on guitar building.

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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2329
    Mooster said:

    Do you guys remember when regular custom shop guitars were £1.8k and a masterbuilt (very rare in the UK in those days) were £3.3k?

    £7.8k for a strat is not great value for money. Go there and play it by all means, but £7.8k to tickle your GAS is not being sensible. I get the GAS, I really do, but you want it like crazy and yet you haven't even played it yet. It's just got a few more buttons to twiddle. Imagine a couple of years down the line when it's just another guitar on the rack with a relic job and someone's name on the back of the headstock. I'm not saying don't get it, but understand that you're paying over the odds for a simple bolt on electric with a lot of marketing and angel dust sprinkled over it.

    As for building one yourself, building a guitar (especially a good one) is different to playing one, and I personally want to spend my limited free time playing guitar, not being a luthier. Unless you farm out all the difficult luthier stuff or are willing to learn a lot of luthier skills, building a guitar has got nothing to do with enjoying play a guitar but is separate hobby on guitar building.

    Of course, I bought my first Custom Shop in 1990.....£1600 then. I have an invoice that came with a mid 90's Masterbuilt Tele that cost $2000.....back when the masterbuilders didn't have assistants and guys to spray/assemble for them. 
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  • vincechu89vincechu89 Frets: 92
    Strat54 said:
    Mooster said:

    Do you guys remember when regular custom shop guitars were £1.8k and a masterbuilt (very rare in the UK in those days) were £3.3k?

    £7.8k for a strat is not great value for money. Go there and play it by all means, but £7.8k to tickle your GAS is not being sensible. I get the GAS, I really do, but you want it like crazy and yet you haven't even played it yet. It's just got a few more buttons to twiddle. Imagine a couple of years down the line when it's just another guitar on the rack with a relic job and someone's name on the back of the headstock. I'm not saying don't get it, but understand that you're paying over the odds for a simple bolt on electric with a lot of marketing and angel dust sprinkled over it.

    As for building one yourself, building a guitar (especially a good one) is different to playing one, and I personally want to spend my limited free time playing guitar, not being a luthier. Unless you farm out all the difficult luthier stuff or are willing to learn a lot of luthier skills, building a guitar has got nothing to do with enjoying play a guitar but is separate hobby on guitar building.

    Of course, I bought my first Custom Shop in 1990.....£1600 then. I have an invoice that came with a mid 90's Masterbuilt Tele that cost $2000.....back when the masterbuilders didn't have assistants and guys to spray/assemble for them. 
    Its sad that the latest shipments of custom shop now sell for £3100+!

    The is a risk that you’d lose a lot if you wanted to sell this down the like too... GAS doesn’t only strike once as we all know!
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Without Prejudice, Save As to Costs:

    Reported for copyright infringement.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • bwetsbwets Frets: 161
    By inflation £1,600 in 1990 = £3,500 now. And £3,300 1990 = £7,300 now. (I still think the prices are crazy though)
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  • JerkMoansJerkMoans Frets: 8774
    Am I the only one who read that as ‘Dale Winton’?
    Inactivist Lefty Lawyer
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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3299
    JerkMoans said:
    Am I the only one who read that as ‘Dale Winton’?
    Nope see my comment above , I did the same. 
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