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Is it worth investing in expensive guitars?


iloveespguitars

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There's a point where utility starts to lose out to bling. Once you reach that point it's up to you to decide how much extra fancy you think need.

 

I need a guitar that is: articulate in the mix, sounds great, I can play as long as 6 sets if I need to, doesn't break strings, is reliable and stays in tune. I can get that for well under 1k.

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You are right, I'm asking on playability and not investing.


Crap, I wrote this late at night and it has led to the wrong discussion. Sorry my bad everyone
:(

 

Hey don't spoil everyones right to give their opinion. Evidently we have nothing else to do. :)

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You are right, I'm asking on playability and not investing.


Crap, I wrote this late at night and it has led to the wrong discussion. Sorry my bad everyone
:(

 

It was very clear what you were talking about. You didn't lead anyone in the wrong direction, forum mindset did that.

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There's a point where utility starts to lose out to bling. Once you reach that point it's up to you to decide how much extra fancy you think need.


I need a guitar that is: articulate in the mix, sounds great, I can play as long as 6 sets if I need to, doesn't break strings, is reliable and stays in tune. I can get that for well under 1k.

 

 

of course, the premium is in the bling, as is the resale value, if any. most of the premium is in the inlays and binding, and that has absolutely zero effect on tone and playability, no matter what people say.

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This is an interesting topic during these hard times. I just read an article in Guitar Aficionado where Richard Gere is auctioning off 100 of his finest guitars for charity. Now, regardless of what he gets for them at the action, he going to write them off as a donation to off set his other earnings. The donation for the charity is an awesome thing and he'll receive some good money for some of them cause they're great guitars. He's a guitar guy (player) with money, so I think he got them because he simply had gas and a means to buy them. Still, I think this is an example not to invest in guitars to make money. I think he has a smart accountant that figured a way to get out from under an elephant and not get squished in the process.

 

People who invest in gold, you can still loose your ass, especially when your country doesn't base its currency on a gold standard. The only way you'll make a killing is if you were invested prior to the big rise and if you sell before the big drop. If you physically buy gold(have it in your possession), it means you will have a currency if the worlds paper money goes tits up and the planet continues to value gold as it currently does. If the market fails and a loaf of bread is selling for $5,000 a loaf, I'd rather be well invested in good guns, a lot of bullets, and family members who can shoot. When it goes bad one day, there isn't enough gold on the planet that's going to stop the poor from taking what the rich have.

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Man i
:love:
me some finely crafted music instruments. After getting my R7, all my epi's, my hondo, and my MIM's felt like toys.

 

I have a few vintage motorcycles and I have thought about buying a newer one. But then I'd never want to ride the old ones anymore.

 

I wouldn't really want to buy a guitar that would make all the rest of mine obsolete.

 

The other thing is that I honestly have never played an expensive guitar that inspired me. I have picked up a lot of mongrels and lost toys that I thought were super cool though. The other day I was looking at a 335. i always wanted a cherry 335 and can afford one. But, they just seem kind of "normal". I love a guitar that fights back.

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I don't think the OP was asking for actual investment advice, he was just asking if the extra money spent on an expensive guitar is doing any good if he can't hear the difference.

 

There's more to the guitar than how it sounds. It should be comfortable for you to play, and reliable. You may or may not care about how it looks. But higher price doesn't always help with these things.

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If you really want to "invest" in guitars then you have a much better chance of getting a return by getting a good deal on a high value guitar than you do by buying a cheap guitar. Even then, this sits in the very high risk part of your investment portfolio - alongside trips to Vegas and Greek government bonds.

 

If you are really just talking about how much to spend on buying a guitar, then it's really up to you to decide. How much have you got, how much do you care what others think, can you play, do you play, ......?

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Buy low.

Sell high.

 

I've said this many times........you make your money when you buy.

Every one of my vintage guitars was purchased a long time ago at a low price.

All but 2 of my boutique guitars were purchased/traded for at a relatively low price.

 

I buy at a price that I feel comfortable.

I buy to play.

 

Don't buy guitars to invest...............unless you bought 1950's Les Paul Juniors in the 1960's for $75.00 to $125.00 each.

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Buy low.

Sell high.


I've said this many times........you make your money when you buy.

Every one of my vintage guitars was purchased a long time ago at a low price.

All but 2 of my boutique guitars were purchased/traded for at a relatively low price.


I buy at a price that I feel comfortable.

I buy to play.


Don't buy guitars to invest...............unless you bought 1950's Les Paul Juniors in the 1960's for $75.00 to $125.00 each.

 

Of course, the trick is in knowing which guitars that can be bought today for $100 will be worth $10K or more 20 years from now. :idk:

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... but lately I've just keep finding myself trying out moderately priced guitar (~$400~800) and higher end guitars (~$1000~$2000) and honestly, I can't really see the point of investing in an expensive guitar especially when playing metal in a live mix.

Personally, I wouldn't use the term investing as it implies a certain financial rate of return.

 

I do agree that there is a tremendous bang for the buck in the $400 to $1000 range when it comes to guitars, especially when buying used gear. The only reasons I can see why a person would want to spend more is for better playability or cosmetics.

 

 

Everything I play, they sound really different on the clean channel but once you start running high gain (my amp's gain is usually on 5 or less so I don't get washed out) then add another guitar player , then add in the bass player, then add the drums, the difference of the starting guitar all tend to sound the same at the end result when playing through the same amp.

Yep.

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Of course, the trick is in knowing which guitars that can be bought today for $100 will be worth $10K or more 20 years from now.
:idk:

 

The days of finding a Brazilian rosewood fretboard on $100.00 guitars are probably over.

You can still find clean used PRS 10 Top guitars for less than half of their original retail price.

 

Paid just under $1500.00 for this 10 Top Custom 24 with 59/9 p/u's at GC in Feb.

 

prswafflesslippers4.jpg

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I think this is the general consensus, but it's all about the player. There's no reason you have to buy an expensive guitar, any more than you need to buy an expensive car. A less expensive Honda will get you to work just as well as a Mercedes. A decent guitar will make music, just like an expensive one. But hey - if you can afford it, and you want it, go big. I have guitars in all ranges, and I play them all. I'm happy with what I have.

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This is probably a really stupid question... but lately I've just keep finding myself trying out moderately priced guitar (~$400~800) and higher end guitars (~$1000~$2000) and honestly, I can't really see the point of investing in an expensive guitar especially when playing metal in a live mix.


Everything I play, they sound really different on the clean channel but once you start running high gain (my amp's gain is usually on 5 or less so I don't get washed out) then add another guitar player , then add in the bass player, then add the drums, the difference of the starting guitar all tend to sound the same at the end result when playing through the same amp.

 

I don't buy gear as an investment or money maker, but I do try to acquire stuff at a price where I can come out ahead if I sell or trade the item. Basically, I can sample a lot of stuff for free and keep it if I like it.

 

Whether it's keeper gear or trade bait, I pretty much avoid cheapy stuff and also avoid higher end items like PRS, Soldano or ultra vintage'y stuff, etc. I typically stick with the "big name" middle-of-the-road things -- LP studios, American strats, teles, basses, Fender/Marshall tube amps, etc. Yep, your basic "Dad gear"!

 

It's not that I think cheap (or no-name) gear isn't good enough; it's just easier to deal with fewer items that are easy to sell or trade,, and are worthwhile to do so at the "hobby level" (ie, selling a LP Studio for $700-900 or using it toward a trade for a JCM 800/900 is worthwhile. Selling a squire for $100 isn't worthwhile, and I'd probably be laughed at if I offered 5-10 of them as a trade for that same amp). By the same token, I don't want $2000+ guitars and amps sitting around when that kind of money could be better invested elsewhere.

 

I also like to have a few wierd inexpensive toys, so when the next curt cobain comes along using a guitar, amp or pedal that most either hated or never even knew existed prior .. there's a chance it'll skyrocket in value :lol:

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I got the red one in 1983 for $832.00 in 1983 it was a kings ransom. Its a 1983 Korina Explorer in candy apple red.. one of the most rare. I was a kid and had to have a red guitar with points. Its better to be luckey than good sometimes. Its in minty shape and still has the protective plastic on the electronics cover. I've been offered big bucks....... Just sayin

 

explrteleultra.jpg

 

On the other hand I had a 1964 Blonde Tele and sold it for $125 in the 80's God I miss that one

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