[rightly]

Are they worth it?

I recently played a handsome Taylor guitar in a shop.
It sounded lovely and so responsive, it was a real pleasure.
With a good ear you can buy something good for maybe 500 euros.

For this Taylor they wanted over 2,000 euros.
If I had the cash I'd definitely consider it. It was that good.
I went on to play another two guitars, more expensive, not as good.
Oh I didn't plug it in. These were "semis"

I wonder how many or if you guys spend that kind of cash on guitars.

I couldn't justify spending that kind of money by way of the appreciation I get from live performances.
It wouldn't be enough.

Anyone spend a lot on guitars?

[Boydie]

Guilty as charged!!!

My main guitar is a Fender USA Strat Plus in a rare Root Beer Metallic finish that I bought in 1995 for £575
I have recently discovered that the body was made by Fender Custom Shop builder Oscar Pallares and the neck was shaped by Fender's neck guru Herbie Gastellum so it is an absolute steal as far as I am concerned

I then got a Fender Japanese 57 reissue strat in '94 for £360, which I am currently having re-finished in nitro and relic's

I did the acoustic thing and played every one in the shop from £100 to £10,000+ - for me the best in the shop was a second hand Martin for £1,500, which I couldn't resist! 

I managed to bag a real 1990 Gibson Les Paul standard in Ebony black for £200 (long story!)

Finally, I got a Fender Telecaster Elite as a 40th birthday treat, which was around £1,500

So I have paid a lot for guitars but I love them all - and I don't drink (much!), smoke or do drugs so this is my "treat" - and overall they have a MUCH greater re-sale value so technically they haven't cost a penny 

I WILL own an original vintage strat one day - but at around £20k that day is a little way away!!!!

[CaliaMoko]

This is the year I decided we should spend our money on at least a few things we want instead of dribbling it away on medical stuff....

So I spent the most I had ever on a guitar--a $700 Breedlove acoustic-electric. It's my favorite guitar so far.

I have a friend who had a Taylor custom built for about $2000, I think.

My sweetie doesn't play anything musical, so I bought him a side-by-side for driving around out in the woods (second-hand for $9000)--with his money. Well, it's all his money. We spent mine first.

[Jamie]

I am also guilty as charged, I’ve accumulated some v nice guitars over the years. In chronological order ( I think). First guitar was an echo acoustic, a Yamaha Pacifica , Gibson standard SG, a Gretsch electromatic 5750, Gibson Les Paul standard, fender strat custom, a Martin acoustic and a fender jazz bass. Oh and I have a Yamaha Spanish guitar. I also have keyboards ..........
Don’t tell my wife......

Cheers

Jamie

[PopTodd]

If I actually had money, then I would.
First purchase would be a Colllings acoustic. Which model would depend upon which one spoke to me; how it felt in my had.
But every one of those damn guitars sound more beautiful than the last. Incredible instruments that (again, if I had the money) would be well worth the $5000+ that I would have to pay for it.

[shadowfax]

I've been selling mine and replacing them with much cheaper guitars, I've found that by the time you've put them through some effects you can't tell the difference, or it's so little difference that it doesn't matter..I've just sold my Furch 12 string parabolic (the last guitar) and replaced it with a 70 Quid one from a second hand shop and when recorded it doesn't sound different enough to warrant the money that the Furch cost...I'm basically into producing music as cheaply as poss now after spending way too much money in the past..
I've also recently sold my very expensive Genelec monitors and sub woofer and replaced them with much cheaper monitors and my music hasn't suffered at all, it's still crap!! good to get the money back!!

there's a friend a few miles away from me who writes and produces music and he has NO instruments, just a very small keyboard, there could come a time when yer actual real instruments are only used for live work..maybe

best, Kevin

[cowparsleyman]

Goodness, this is an interesting thread, I guess expensive is relative...I always go for how the guitar talks to me, for electric guitars how it balances on my knee, on a strap, how the fretboard feels, how the knobs turn, what the wood looks like, what's the overall perception of craftsmanship, if it gets through that then, it's how it sounds, but that's secondary, because I know I can get the sound I want from an electric by changing things like pickups, pots, caps etc.

Expensive electrics, I have 2 over a grand, a Yamaha SG 1000 bought from a Dr of avante garde music in Edinburgh that found he couldn't fit a whammy bar and a Yamaha TRB4  active bass, the rest are very cheap but play and sound like much more expensive models...I had a 1962 Gibson SG Special (cherry) oh yes and another one 1961 in white, oh and another 1975 in cherry (awful) but these have long gone, now I have an Epi 1961 re issue SG special, and it sounds and plays exactly the same, doesn't have the same investment value. In 1996 I was after a Semi Acoustic and took my cash to Wizard Guitars in Doncaster - spent an hour playing a 1962 Gibson 335 listed at £1800, then the guy showed me a tanglewood Chicago and I compared them both for another hour, they played exactly the same, nope they didn't sound the same, but I went for the tanglewood, replaced ALL the electrics, including a pair of tasty Kent Armstrong PAF's never regretted it. I had an Fender American Strat, but hated it, awful quality...I have a cherished strat that should be expensive but isn't. I bought the bits from the USA and put it together...Mighty Mite ebony gibson width fretboard, Quilted maple ash body, Fender fat 50 pickups, cream scratchplate, sperzels...plays and sounds like a dream, cost about $500 in total, if you've never played on an ebony fingerboard try it, your fingers will just glide around.

For acoustics I brush the strings and if it talks to me, then I'll play it.

I'm not one for fancy embellishments, these usually hike the price, such as a Martin D45 lots of abalone, but does nothing for the sound (I compared a £600 D1 to a £5000 D45 and I preferred the tone of the D1)

I have a tobacco sunburst Gibson J30 and probably my favourite guitar I own is an Amalio Burguet N0.2M Cedar Classical guitar (I think these go for about £1300), this is an absolutely beautiful guitar to play, and has the highest level of craftsmanship, when I re string it, the nut slowly falls out of the 2" wide ebony fingerboard...and it smells incredible aaaaaaaahhhhhh.

I also have a few others which are real keepers...a Squier Tele, a Jaco pastorious fretless...

Never wanted a les paul, just don't like the shape, the only time I loved the sound was on Jeff Becks (Stevie wonder) 'Cos we'eve ended as lovers' he was playing a black LP on the cover and I thought that's what he played on the song, it was actually a Fender Esquire with gibson humbuckers...


The other guitar I always wanted was David Bowies Harptone 12 string

[rightly]

Thanks for the responses folks.
They’re all from different perspectives and often a complete surprise to me.

[PeteS]

Great topic!

I have had mainly cheap guitars and really still do.  This year I have upgraded my 2 main guitars. 

Electric I had an old Squier strat that my son has now pinched and a Line 6 Variax 500.  I bought a second hand PRS SE standard, so not expensive but I love it, it looks great, plays well and feels good on me seated or standing.  When I can afford it I will probably look at a better model but I have definitely fallen for the PRS gear.

For Acoustic I had one cheap and one slightly more expensive guitar, one bought when I was working away, living in a flat and wanted something to play on so that was about £120 and a Yamaha APX4 that is really my Wife's although she never played it.  At the end of last year I bought a Faith FV-PERC.  I tried one locally and liked it, then saw it elsewhere discounted from £870 to £685, bargain I thought.  My wife was not impressed, goo job she didn't know what else I had been looking at!

I think it matters more on the acoustic than the electric as I don't plus the acoustic in and I load the PRS tracks with effects.

[Wicked Deeds]

My current guitars: Mexican Fender telecaster, Had an American oroginal previously but sold it when I was raising my young family and cash was needed. There isn't a massive difference betwern my old American and my newer Mexican. I have a Revelation bass, faith Venus acoustic and  a freshman GACED acoustic. The freshman is the most expensive at £1500 though I bought it new for about £900. The revelation bass is the best value  guitar of them all (thanks for the recomendation @pompeyjazz!) I have a classical guitar too, though I don't recall the manufacturets name. There are better guitars out there but they do the job!

Paul