How much would you spend on a guitar...

[Smash]

I would pay 10k for an electric if I could get KXK to make me a custom and get it done in a year.

I have never played a nicer guitar than my old kxk. I just hated the floyd (i am a TOM guy), and the tone knob and neck pickup.

 

[VonBonfire]

You’re a terrific guitar player and a good dude. You deserve the axe of your dreams.

As someone who has owned every goddamn brand from the lowest quality to the highest, in my opinion nothing over the $3k to $4k mark (used market) is worth it unless you care about aesthetics.

I think you’re talented and knowledgeable enough to only pay the $10k of it plays like a dream. You don’t seem like the kind of guy who would pay $10k just based on a picture on a website so I feel like you’re gonna be fine.

We need to go guitar shopping together someday. Maybe hit Gruhn....

 

[midnightlaundry]

A lot of guys say the same thing about flat tops vs hand carved arches, just sayin'.

There's a lot of individual builders that make custom axes. Those are worth it.

But cookie cutter axes like a Fender... GTFO..

Sweetwater wants 3K for a Fender American.. Pff.. I'll get a Squire and put the same Pickups in it and nobody would hear a difference..

A lot of the Solid Body Electric sound is in the Electronics.., Some of the best played piece of shit guitars.

 

[VonBonfire]

There's a lot of individual builders that make custom axes. Those are worth it.

But cookie cutter axes like a Fender... GTFO..

Sweetwater wants 3K for a Fender American.. Pff.. I'll get a Squire and put the same Pickups in it and nobody would hear a difference..

A lot of the Solid Body Electric sound is in the Electronics.., Some of the best played piece of shit guitars.


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I had an American Classic CS and never liked the two point or those bridge pieces either.

 

[Rip]

I can easily find the quality I want for well under $2,000 used.

American made Fenders, Gibsons, S2 PRS's, EBMM, plus some high end imports like Eastman and anything from Japan.

 

[SI]

We need to go guitar shopping together someday. Maybe hit Gruhn....

Nah Gruhn are a bunch of dickheads, carters is way better

But for what you’re after, we’d have to hit up The Music Zoo

 

[SI]

@VonBonfire

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/i...te-candy-lemon-schmear.2688217/#post-42089047

 

[Jccobb2]

5-6k. My used 59 Les Paul custom shop is the ceiling. I wanted one for 10 years and bought it used.

 

[Skirmish]

I paid 10k for a new PRS PS. The store wanted 12k but it didn't sell. I assume because a fixed bridge PRS with EMGs was no fit for the PRS PS target audience. Bought it because of playability, tone, and looks. After the first testdrive I went away from the store not buying it due to the high price (and not having enough money) but my drummer friend and, funnily enough, Peter Diezel talked me into buying it. My wife was cool about it and also encouraging, so we went back the same day and I bought it on credit. My main reason was that it was/is a truly unique instrument and if I hadn't bought it I thought, at the time, that I would regret not having bought it looking back.

Felt like a foolish jerk for a few years but not anymore. I play it every day, enjoy playing it a lot more than all other guitars at my disposal (inlcuding my neighbour's inpressive collection) and I'm so happy I took the plunge. If you find something that truly captivating I now say go for it if you can make it happen financially. I also play it and gig it just like any other guitar, it's a tool. And of course a good 5k PRS plays and sounds just as good, but I have yet to see something even remotely close to my guitar.

 

[Airwave]

My guitars are all varied, I would say around 3-4k is how much I've paid and generally feel a good guitar costs. My Suhr, Anderson & PRS are around the
4k+ My Warmoth guitars are a bit expensive but still around $3,200.00 (some of my favorites) some of the Gibson's are in the 10k area, I've had so many.

 

[Dimebag11]

I wouldn’t spend over 6k

 

[* velcro-fly *]

3-4k is my limit

Generally speaking the benefits don't outweigh the costs at that point for me

Reality is diminishing returns anywhere past that. That price range is for set neck stuff too, no way I'm paying over $2500 +/- for bolt on guitars. Even then with what I've learned about paint and stuff that would be a stretch

 

[DanTravis62]

Reality is diminishing returns anywhere past that. That price range is for set neck stuff too, no way I'm paying over $2500 +/- for bolt on guitars. Even then with what I've learned about paint and stuff that would be a stretch

Definitely agree. With the WILD, endless variety of plug n play, stratosphere, warmoth, and 210459854 different reverb shops, you can piece together any bolt on guitar you can imagine for under a grand, easily nowadays. For more common shapes, far less.

And as long as you can do a decent setup, it will be just as nice as anything you can buy off the rack for that price.

I'm literally building a half flying V/half telecaster partscaster right now. I have max 300$ into it, and i'm sure it will turn out great. That's including paint, tools, EVERYTHING.

The prices for bolt on style guitars are completely out of control, and as much as I love the QC and setups on TA, Suhr, Tyler, etc, there's no way I could justify spending les paul money on one.

 

[rsm]

...now if the right L-5 comes along, non-cutaway...and I have the money...

edit: they made two of these "shark" models for a Japanese dealer at the Gibson Custom Factory, this is #2; #1 is in a traditional sunburst finish.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

Definitely agree. With the WILD, endless variety of plug n play, stratosphere, warmoth, and 210459854 different reverb shops, you can piece together any bolt on guitar you can imagine for under a grand, easily nowadays. For more common shapes, far less.

And as long as you can do a decent setup, it will be just as nice as anything you can buy off the rack for that price.

I'm literally building a half flying V/half telecaster partscaster right now. I have max 300$ into it, and i'm sure it will turn out great. That's including paint, tools, EVERYTHING.

The prices for bolt on style guitars are completely out of control, and as much as I love the QC and setups on TA, Suhr, Tyler, etc, there's no way I could justify spending les paul money on one.

100%. I played a Suhr Alt T last week that's available locally for $2100 (asking....) and it was cool, skinny ass frets though, didn't completely blow me away, but reality was I needed to check it against the mutts I've built lately. I couldn't justify it. My purple Tele mutt has been played every gig, every week since I built it 2 years ago and its killer. Top shelf parts and with my own paint work I've got hovering around $1000 into it. I just got another two hum / Thinline Tele body from ToneBomb to do an Alt T type mutt that's gonna be great too, but it aint gonna be $2500

 

[DanTravis62]

100%. I played a Suhr Alt T last week that's available locally for $2100 (asking....) and it was cool, skinny ass frets though, didn't completely blow me away, but reality was I needed to check it against the mutts I've built lately. I couldn't justify it. My purple Tele mutt has been played every gig, every week since I built it 2 years ago and its killer. Top shelf parts and with my own paint work I've got hovering around $1000 into it. I just got another two hum / Thinline Tele body from ToneBomb to do an Alt T type mutt that's gonna be great too, but it aint gonna be $2500

The amount of value you can get out of partscasters has been going up every single year because of the globalized nature of the guitar market

And because everyone has specific features they look for, that value proposition has been getting more and more disproportionate - especially with high end bolt ons.

It would be literally fucking impossible for me to find a Fender or G&L that I would love the specs on until I get to the 3 grand range - why would I, or anyone spend that kind of money when I can just do it myself?

The parts and know-how (because of youtube and forums) has been getting cheaper and easier to come by, and the prices of Fender, Suhr, TA, etc have been skyrocketing.

 

[Jdub]

The most I have ever paid is 4500.00. and that was way out of my comfort zone. I took the plunge because I have a dealer who gives me huge discounts so both those guitars were almost 7k new. R9 and PRSHB2 but even then I was reluctant and ending selling both. I have had good luck with guitars in the 1500.00 range used and like to stay in that ballpark. but never say never..

 

[TheGreatGreen]

I paid 10k for a new PRS PS. The store wanted 12k but it didn't sell. I assume because a fixed bridge PRS with EMGs was no fit for the PRS PS target audience. Bought it because of playability, tone, and looks. After the first testdrive I went away from the store not buying it due to the high price (and not having enough money) but my drummer friend and, funnily enough, Peter Diezel talked me into buying it. My wife was cool about it and also encouraging, so we went back the same day and I bought it on credit. My main reason was that it was/is a truly unique instrument and if I hadn't bought it I thought, at the time, that I would regret not having bought it looking back.

Felt like a foolish jerk for a few years but not anymore. I play it every day, enjoy playing it a lot more than all other guitars at my disposal (inlcuding my neighbour's inpressive collection) and I'm so happy I took the plunge. If you find something that truly captivating I now say go for it if you can make it happen financially. I also play it and gig it just like any other guitar, it's a tool. And of course a good 5k PRS plays and sounds just as good, but I have yet to see something even remotely close to my guitar.

I think we're gonna need a pic of that PRS. It sounds really cool.

 

[Devin]

2K is my absolute cutoff. And I've still never payed that much for a guitar in my life

 

[DrewJD82]

$1500 is my current cap on regular production guitars.

Between partscasters and MIJ guitars, pretty much everything I want can be had for less than $1500. The only way I’d go higher than that is for something rare/vintage, namely an Ibanez JEM10 which is my white whale and occasionally can be found for $5K but are heading right towards $10K-15K territory. I don’t think I’d ever go more than $5K, but if I could swing that I’d be in a higher tax bracket than I am now and might think differently then.