I can honestly say I'm still not convinced my DGT 10-top is worth the $5000+ I paid for it. I paid of course, but worth? Eh... I'm honestly not sure if any solidbody is worth that much. It's no doubt on of the finest instruments I've ever played, but $5000.... yeah just not convinced. Maybe if it was my only guitar or if I was a professional musician making my living with it, then yes it could be "worth" 5 grand. Otherwise, it's a stretch. It's more than TWICE as much as I've paid for any instrument up to that point.
It’s a fine distinction, of course, but ‘worth the money’ varies among individuals. It can be a question of satisfaction, or a question of whether one can make a buck with it, or anything else the buyer feels is important. So the same item can be ‘worth it’ or not ‘worth it’ to different people.
I don’t think we really disagree. I’d just put it differently, and say ‘wouldn’t be a good buy for me’.
Just as an example, in my case a Fender at
any price point wouldn’t be ‘worth it’ because it’d sit around unplayed. I might as well light the dollars I would spend on a Fender on fire, for all the good having one would do me.
But Fenders are - objectively - excellent guitars, and any one of them might be a great value for someone with different tastes; my son, for example, plays Fenders, loves ‘em, and endorses them. They’re his thing.
This leads to my comments on Collings guitars.
Given my taste - an important qualifier - the two Collings acoustics I had were, hands down, the nicest sounding acoustic guitars I have ever owned until I played (and bought) my Core and PS PRS acoustics. I loved playing and recording with them, and they served me well for a decade.
I also made very good money playing them, but that wasn’t the sole qualifier. Here it’s a question of being satisfied with the sound. It’s the same with a PRS or any instrument here in my studio.
If I ever truly wanted to play a 335 style guitar, I’d immediately buy a Collings. The I-35 (especially the carved top model that suits me a little more) is a wonderful instrument. As with my PRS’, one would indeed be ‘worth it’, and not just because I’d make dollars using it, but because I’d get more satisfaction playing it.
At what price glory?
I can say my EBMM Luke III is every bit the guitar the DGT is, and better for me in some ways, at only $3000. I think it has has far more VALUE than the DGT does.
For you, that’s obviously true. For me a Luke would be a total waste of money because it would never get used. Yet it’s a really nice guitar, nicely made, and sounds great for the type of guitar it is.
I like my WL DGT so much that when I recently decided to downsize (I moved two of my PS models) so I could invest more in some classical recordings, I kept it. The guitar was a lucky strike, one of those magic guitars, and makes my day when I use it.
There’s no objective standard. ‘What I want to play’ is 100% subjective. Always was, always will be. It’s a question like, ‘Who do I want to marry?’ A very personal choice, though I might be pickier about guitars…(Just kidding, dear, really!).
Once again, I think we really agree, and just express ourselves differently.