Guitars you've owned that you thought are worth more than the price you paid? Less?

[Ryebread]

The Santana SE "Standard" I have was made in Indonesia. It's a newer venture for PRS to get the price even lower. But like I said, the quality for the $ is outstanding! However, today I just received my 2nd PRS SE, a Custom 22 Semi Hollow. (Made in Korea) It is beyond amazing!! If you're thinking about the SE line I'd say go for it!!
20170302_134734 by RBG1970, on Flickr

 

[dogrocketp]

Even prettier than the first pictures you posted! How does it play?

 

[Ryebread]

Even prettier than the first pictures you posted! How does it play?

LIKE BUDDUH

 

[DCDetector]

2007 MIM Strat for $50 at a garage sale. With Amp & Cables, canvas case with all case candy. Mint Closet Queen.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

DANG!

 

[elvis]

Sick!

 

[drdoom8793]

I picked up a neglected CE22 off Reverb for new SE prices as a project. After some TLC, it has become my #1

 

[Bob Turner]

You should have been arrested for stealing that one ! Great score.

 

[Steven Mal]

2007 MIM Strat for $50 at a garage sale. With Amp & Cables, canvas case with all case candy. Mint Closet Queen.

Nice find! How does that compare to your more expensive instruments? I know that sometimes players will prefer or compare cheaper stuff to pricey or fancier equipment.

 

[DCDetector]

How does that compare to your more expensive instruments? I know that sometimes players will prefer or compare cheaper stuff to pricey or fancier equipment.

I would say pretty comparable. Plays and sounds as good as any of my others with my 2014 Gibson LP 120th being the only exception. I think the LP does sounds and play a tad better. But then the LP cost me $2,200

 

[alphasports]

What's your opinion on the scale length of the Ovation. I've never come across a 25.25 inch scale guitar before. What makes the Ovation horrible to stand with?

Honestly the scale length is a non issue for me, I don't even think about scale length on my guitars. They are TERRIBLE to stand with because of the rounded back!!! Mine is a mid-size bowl so it feels like trying to play a giant pumpkin, it rolls all over the place and sits against your chest at an angle almost like playing a lap steel (but not quite) LOL. But, all that aside, it's great for sit-down recording or playing.

 

[Big Eric Bee]

Cool score on the MIM Strat. Used to find deals like that many years ago, but tough to do these days.

Would like to add that my Martin Dreadnought Jr. is more to me than what I paid. Not only is it my go to couch acoustic, but it's also the one I lug to many jams and have even played a couple of shows with it. All solid woods and sounds as good as some guitars I've played that cost quite a bit more. And Martin was smart enough to give it a 1 3/4" nut.

Plus, the guitar was a present to myself for not dying from a staph infection in my knee last summer. Hospital stay, and lots of work to get back to walking and biking.

 

[Steven Mal]

Honestly the scale length is a non issue for me, I don't even think about scale length on my guitars. They are TERRIBLE to stand with because of the rounded back!!! Mine is a mid-size bowl so it feels like trying to play a giant pumpkin, it rolls all over the place and sits against your chest at an angle almost like playing a lap steel (but not quite) LOL. But, all that aside, it's great for sit-down recording or playing.

That makes sense. I always wondered about that rounded back. You confirmed my suspicion that it would be weird or difficult to play with in some positions. I have very short fingers and very small hands so even 25.5 inch scale length instruments are difficult for me to play. 25.25 is unique to me.

 

[Steven Mal]

Sorry for the late response. I guess my point would be that I've noticed that a lot of people say "you get what you pay for" and that most guitars reflect their quality with their price and their price with the quality. I was always skeptical when people say their <$1000 guitar sounds or plays better than a >$1500 guitar.

 

[alantig]

Sorry for the late response. I guess my point would be that I've noticed that a lot of people say "you get what you pay for" and that most guitars reflect their quality with their price and their price with the quality. I was always skeptical when people say their <$1000 guitar sounds or plays better than a >$1500 guitar.

I always got a chuckle out of the guys on other forums who said, "Well, I bought this $500 import, and it plays and sounds just as good as that $2000 US-made guitar you bought. All I did was..." And then followed a laundry list of all the work done to make the "$500" guitar play and sound "as good" - new pickups, new tuners, new electronics, a new bridge, fret work, etc. No mention of the cost of all that stuff - or all the time spent doing the work. Nothing against modding guitars - I do it myself. But I admit that I'm doing work to improve the guitar, or at least tweaking it to taste.

And just to be clear, those comments don't refer to anybody on this board - we've got a pretty good roster of modifiers, and even a thread dedicated to mods. But I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here imply that we're being ripped off by buying guitars that cost a buck or two more.

As for that $2000 guitar - well, "all I did" was take it out of the case and play it.

 

[grausch]

I always got a chuckle out of the guys on other forums who said, "Well, I bought this $500 import, and it plays and sounds just as good as that $2000 US-made guitar you bought. All I did was..." And then followed a laundry list of all the work done to make the "$500" guitar play and sound "as good" - new pickups, new tuners, new electronics, a new bridge, fret work, etc. No mention of the cost of all that stuff - or all the time spent doing the work. Nothing against modding guitars - I do it myself. But I admit that I'm doing work to improve the guitar, or at least tweaking it to taste.

And just to be clear, those comments don't refer to anybody on this board - we've got a pretty good roster of modifiers, and even a thread dedicated to mods. But I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here imply that we're being ripped off by buying guitars that cost a buck or two more.

As for that $2000 guitar - well, "all I did" was take it out of the case and play it.

I got a good chuckle out of your comments as well...it's more true than I like to admit.

As an owner of some US made guitars as well as 2 Bernies, I notice the improvement in quality going to my Standard 24. However, I always wonder if I should pull out the HFS/VB pickups and pop a BKP Emerald / Holy Diver in there. One thing that holds me back is the fact that I don't wish to damage resale value too much - yes, it is a reversible change, but you never know. Modding a Bernie is a lot easier psychologically...

 

[AP515]

I always got a chuckle out of the guys on other forums who said, "Well, I bought this $500 import, and it plays and sounds just as good as that $2000 US-made guitar you bought. All I did was..." And then followed a laundry list of all the work done to make the "$500" guitar play and sound "as good" - new pickups, new tuners, new electronics, a new bridge, fret work, etc. No mention of the cost of all that stuff - or all the time spent doing the work. Nothing against modding guitars - I do it myself. But I admit that I'm doing work to improve the guitar, or at least tweaking it to taste.

And just to be clear, those comments don't refer to anybody on this board - we've got a pretty good roster of modifiers, and even a thread dedicated to mods. But I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here imply that we're being ripped off by buying guitars that cost a buck or two more.

As for that $2000 guitar - well, "all I did" was take it out of the case and play it.

I got a laugh too. You are spot on here.

I'm a little different. I have 4 SE's and all unmodded. Well the Bernie has a McCarty neck and RP bridge pickups, but it is because I bought it unloaded and so I had to put something in it. I don't buy them as a platform to do mods. I buy them because they do what I want them to do. I don't try to make them play or sound as good as my cores. I have cores for that.

 

[Steven Mal]

I always got a chuckle out of the guys on other forums who said, "Well, I bought this $500 import, and it plays and sounds just as good as that $2000 US-made guitar you bought. All I did was..." And then followed a laundry list of all the work done to make the "$500" guitar play and sound "as good" - new pickups, new tuners, new electronics, a new bridge, fret work, etc. No mention of the cost of all that stuff - or all the time spent doing the work. Nothing against modding guitars - I do it myself. But I admit that I'm doing work to improve the guitar, or at least tweaking it to taste.

And just to be clear, those comments don't refer to anybody on this board - we've got a pretty good roster of modifiers, and even a thread dedicated to mods. But I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here imply that we're being ripped off by buying guitars that cost a buck or two more.

As for that $2000 guitar - well, "all I did" was take it out of the case and play it.

That's an excellent point you make. There's a world of difference between someone who says their cheaper guitar that they have modded plays or sound better than a more expensive instrument and someone who says their cheaper instrument that they haven't have modded plays or sounds better than a more expensive instrument. Obviously modding your instrument isn't free so you need to consider the cost of parts, labor and time. Time spent on labor, whether you do it yourself or not, means less time practicing and playing.

 

[alantig]

I tried to be very careful wording that - it's not the claim that the modded guitars are as good, it's the smugness that some of these guys have, like they're so much smarter because they found this great guitar, but they gloss over the time and materials they put into that. I've never gotten that sense of smugness from anyone who's been proud of their mod here.

 

[coyote]

I have never been, and will never be, one to say "I paid more/less than the instrument is worth". if you do your homework, it's never an issue.