Members elsupermanny14 Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 Just thought I would first say that I'm not trying to criticize anyone. I'm just curious. I have a Mexican Strat that I got for $300 back when they were $350 at GC (the good ol days of naming your walk out price!). I bought a SD Screamin Demon humbucker and two hand wound single coils for the neck and middle. It cost me a total of $200 for the pickups. If you add in the $35 I just sent on an upgrade bridge from GFS that's $235 total. I still have not invested the value of the guitar. My question is how do you guys justify spending like $200 to upgrade a $100 Squier? I'm not trying to debate or question anybody on it. I'm just curious as how you justify it? Do you consider it just a practice of skill (soldering, wiring, etc.)? Are you just trying to make the greatest guitar for the cheapest possible? I'm just curious. I guess I ask because I have a $125 Squier I want to freshen up. I spend my money keeping my MIM Strat in tip top shape though. I have trouble justifying to myself spending $135 dollar GFS wired pickguard to put in a $125 Squier. But the catch is that I would like some better pickups then the $35 pre wired pickguards from GFS. Thoughts, comments, experience, anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarmandp Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I have a squier that I paid $100 for and spent $800 on upgrades. I keep that guitar in C tuning. I couldn't justify putting .12's on one of my expensive guitars and tuning it down to C so I bought one of the mid 90's squier pro tones and I added Dimarzio pickups, refinished it, and added a Floyd Rose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members karma279 Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I still have not invested the value of the guitar. How do you figure? $535 invested? You have more in the guitar then you could get out of it....Near twice what it's worth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 For some people, "cheap" is under a Les Paul or USA Strat. Im a cheap guitar guy where $200 is cheap. If the guitar feels right in your hands, it doesnt matter if it cost $2 at Goodwill and you spend hundreds to make it into what you want. Ive got hundreds invested in my G5120 that now rivals a high dollar Gretsch. The pups, pup rings, harness, caps, added a kill switch and v/t v/t master volume, bone nut, locking tuners, roller bridge, all gold hardware, pick guard.... Thing is, I got the guitar free in trade for a higher dollar item (along with cash) with every intention of heavy mods. So, by spending a few hundred on mods to a $500 guitar, I got the guitar ive always wanted without modding a higher dollar piece. This one also plays like butter. My main go to guitar is a Chinese 335 clone by S101. Ive since swapped the pups for a set of Dream 180's, added a bone nut and orange drop caps along with changing the knobs. The guitar cost me $100 on Craigslist and ive dropped another $100 or so into it. with the pup swap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orourke Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 There has to be something about a cheap guitar that makes it worth putting money into it. Regardless of the price, if it's a great guitar and it just has a few issues due to it's inexpensiveness then why the hell not throw some dough into it. I have a Brice bass that I bought new from Rondo for 300 bucks. The body is made from a single gorgeous slab of swamp ash, the neck is straight, the frets well laid. The bridge is a nice high mass hunk of metal and even the pickups sound good. The problem was the tuners started to fall apart after about a year and the pots started to go - cheap-ass hardware. So I spent a few hundred bucks on for new pots and tuners. Now it's as good as any Jazz bass out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pathofspirit Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 My question is how do you guys justify spending like $200 to upgrade a $100 Squier? I recently upgraded an SX STL 50 (tele model from Rondon) for which I paid $119. Did the following with parts from GFS except the bone nut:installed neck pup: fatbodyinstalled bridge pup: 1960's repronew bridgenew tortoiseshell pickguardnew switchbone nutnew caps/pots How did I justify the expense? First and foremost for the fun of doing it. Second, for about $250 total (or there abouts with some of the basic tech charges for the soldering) I have a guitar that plays and sound great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmyfirst Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I've spent about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I don't think of it as putting more money into a guitar than it's worth. I look at it as building something with parts. That's all they are--a collection of parts. Who cares what different parts cost, as long as the finished product meets your needs? There are guys in Germany who take an $80,000 Porsche and put $200,000 into it to meet their driving requirements. It's the same thing, just on a larger scale...and in Euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsupermanny14 Posted January 7, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 There are guys in Germany who take an $80,000 Porsche and put $200,000 into it to meet their driving requirements. It's the same thing, just on a larger scale...and in Euros. Haha. That's a great analogy! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tambourine Man Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I figure if the body and neck on the cheapo suck ass, I can just get a better body and neck and put all of the upgraded parts on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faber Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 because a cheapy that's a solid instrument can be a fun project to tweak and hot rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shenaniganizer Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I've got a cheapy Peavey Raptor that I'm still thinking of modding the hell out of and upgrading. If you want to spend the money, and find the activity to be fun (as I think it should be), then.. why not? It's just that, modding cheapies is somewhat a gamble. You don't know what things are going to sound like after you add them (new trem, new pickups, whateverhwatever). Unless you know the body/neck woods.. In which, I guess, you would know. I still can't decide if I wanna mod the Peavey. POINT IS.. I'd mod the hell out of a non-US Strat if I had one. xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jrkman Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 If the guitar plays nice it's easy to justify. It's worth upgrading. I have a Dean ML7 that plays like a champ. The stock pickups sounded like they were submerged in a pool. I paid $150 for the guitar and spent $150 on new pickups. Now I have a seven string that plays well and sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members -=Pennywise=- Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I have no problem upgrading a cheap guitar if the thing plays really well when I first get my hands on it. If the neck is comfortable for my hand then yes, I can justify it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shenaniganizer Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 You guys just made me feel a little better about modding the Raptor. I think I'm gonna do it! I always liked the feel of the neck. That's probably because it's the first neck I ever played with, but still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I've never done this. If a guitar is unsuitable in whatever state it is offered for purchase (I won't say "stock," because I have bought used guitars that the seller has already modded), I try to avoid buying it in the first place. But that's just me. Other people get a kick out of modding things, if that's their bag, it's cool by me. The one downside of that, however, is you'll almost never get back out of a guitar what you put into it, if you should ever have or want to sell it. I'm too much of a cheap bastard to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rydia is hot Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I've never done this. If a guitar is unsuitable in whatever state it is offered for purchase (I won't say "stock," because I have bought used guitars that the seller has already modded), I try to avoid buying it in the first place. But that's just me. Other people get a kick out of modding things, if that's their bag, it's cool by me. The one downside of that, however, is you'll almost never get back out of a guitar what you put into it, if you should ever have or want to sell it. I'm too much of a cheap bastard to do that. +1. i don't like buying something knowing that i'm gonna have to mod it to make it something i'd play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I don't have children living at home any longer so I don't have to look for justification for money spent on my musical vices. Yep, these truly are golden years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Runn3r Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 ...i have seen fellows install graphic video cards that are more expensive than their entire computer system to play games.... ...also i have seen some ladies spending more on personal beauty products than on food ... ...it's a topsy turvy wurld.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 If I feel like doing something, I don't worry about justifying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 People make the mistake of only seeing value in monetary terms. Value can make many forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frets99 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 sorry, but stuff like this makes me laugh. i'm sure it's a solid instrument, but if you're saying that you'd put it toe to toe against a mike lull or a lakland... Just curious... why couldn't it? What's in those basses that you couldn't have in the Brice? "The body is made from a single gorgeous slab of swamp ash, the neck is straight, the frets well laid. The bridge is a nice high mass hunk of metal and even the pickups sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burgess Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 If you can take a total sum of $300 and come up with a guitar you can gig with, many consider that a pretty good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I usually just buy guitars that I like stock and play them. I've modded a few cheaper guitars, but I've never had one rival my more expensive guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted January 7, 2009 Members Share Posted January 7, 2009 I don't think of it as putting more money into a guitar than it's worth. I look at it as building something with parts. That's all they are--a collection of parts. Who cares what different parts cost, as long as the finished product meets your needs? There are guys in Germany who take an $80,000 Porsche and put $200,000 into it to meet their driving requirements. It's the same thing, just on a larger scale...and in Euros. Not really. It would be more like buying a Yugo and investing $200,000 into it. I understand some people enjoy working on guitars and I know people who would rather install new pickups then play - which is cool - for most people guitar is a hobby so you should do what's fun for you. Everytime I buy the latest "better than "expensive guitar" low cost model I end up putting money into it and selling it for a loss. I have had Squier 51s, Agiles, Melody Maker reissues, etc... It's just not for me. Changing the pickups, wiring, etc... is (IMHO) not really going to make up for the (usually) second rate wood. I did build a guy a Honduran mahogany body with one P-90 for a Squier 51 and I replaced pretty much everything and it was pretty cool. For me it's worth it to buy a used "name" guitar and not change anything. For example there is someone here with a $500.00 Gretsch that put a lot of mods on it - cool - it sounds like he is happy - which is what it's all about. I will just search for a 6120 for low money that maybe has some minor issues. Different strokes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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