anything you put that much effort into will show a marked improvement, i suspect. that said, at the end of the day, a guitar is wood, steel and plastic. afaik none of them contain magic pixie dust. for the most part i agree with you. certainly i have owned modded korean guitars that played as well, and had tone equal to guitars that were more than triple the price. i don't believe in the tone wood myth and i never did. however, comparing them off the shelf is another matter. i used to own a black mexi strat. it was an ok guitar. right now i have an american standard. it's far and away a more enjoyable instrument than the mexi was. i coulda did pots and caps, better pick ups, bridge maybe a graphtech nut, sanded the finish off the back of the neck, and all the other little doo dads you'd do to a guitar to improve it. when i was done it would have been a much better player than it was. (and it wasn't bad to start with) but after you get through with it all, you've made an investment in that guitar that is easily higher than what i paid for it. (used) then add in what my labor is worth. what you end up with is a real nice player that has the same resale as the guy who left his bone stock. fine if you're never going to sell it, and like doing all that work. the standard i have now will sell about where i paid for it, long as i don't mess it up, it came right from the store needing zero mods. once you get past $800-$1000 any differences SHOULD BE cosmetic. if not, somethings wrong

 

Some people prefer a fine wine, others two buck chuck. Some drive a Mercedes, others something just to get around. Some wear a Rolex, others a Timex. Some play a custom shop strat, others a Squier. If you can't sense or appreciate the difference then the Squier is right for you. There is no right and wrong, it's whatever floats your boat. I think it's great that players have such great options to chose from these days.

 

It depends on what you value. I value the feel of the instrument, especially a nice neckthru body. The Parker Fly to me has the best feel of any guitar out there. Its weight only adds to that feel. Where can you buy a cheap guitar to match the feel of a Fly? No where. And you do get what you pay for, that carbon fibre doesnt make itself, it takes alot of labour and materials costs. As for flash, I dont think anybody buys a Fly for its looks.......

 

This video compares Telecaster Range - Squier Classic Vibe, Fender Mexican Standard, Fender American Standard, Fender Custom Shop - in other words...It compares

Chinese vs Mexican Vs American versions of the same guitar...BLINDFOLDED...by FEEL and PLAYABILITY...

[video=youtube;QCEdT2d43jU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCEdT2d43jU[/video]

 

As always, I say, play what you love. I tend to think there is a sweet spot for value right around the $1000 area ($700- $1200 or so). That being said, there are always exceptions. There are a lot of sub $500 guitars (Squiers in particular) out there that are just fantastic for the money you pay for them. I always try to remember that when Leo designed the tele and strat that he wanted to make a mass produced, affordable instrument. Paying huge dollars for one kind of defeats that spirit. But if a $2400 CS Strat is what you love, go for it! Of course it takes a bit more money to get into anything with a carved top or set neck because of the labour involved. They are built using more traditional methods and you pay for that. Not saying they are better or worse, just different. It all comes down to personal taste, and that is never wrong.

 

I'm a believer that American made should be a better guitar in how it is put together, looks, sounds and resale value. I own a Fender American Standard Telecaster, American Standard Stratocaster, a American Special Stratocaster(the cheapest guitar I've ever bought new at 699.99), and two Les Pauls, a Studio and a Traditional. All my guitars but the one were over 1000 dollars and I bought them all new but I don't feel they were overly expensive. I also own a Squier Affinity Strat, my first guitar. It too looks to be built well, it looks good but it doesn't play or sound anywhere near as good as my other two Fender Strats. I feel there is a certain level of pride in owning American made guitars, its not so much they are better, its just that they have a mystic about them. If I ever did find a cheap offshore built guitar that I really liked I wouldn't turn my nose up on it. If it sounded good and looked to be well built I would buy it.

 

Some people prefer a fine wine, others two buck chuck. Some drive a Mercedes, others something just to get around. Some wear a Rolex, others a Timex. Some play a custom shop strat, others a Squier. If you can't sense or appreciate the difference then the Squier is right for you. There is no right and wrong, it's whatever floats your boat. I think it's great that players have such great options to chose from these days.

+1 This pretty much sums it all up.

 

Guitar companies will sell their products for the maximum amount the consumer will pay. Once there is a healthy demand, the basic laws of economics dictate a high mark up. It's all part of a juvenile game of having a pricier instrument than the other guy, which is promoted by the manufacturers. The sad truth is that the law of diminishing returns kicks in. You get a lot more for $200 when you go from 4-6 hundred than from 14-16 hundred.

The choice is yours. either get caught up in it and buy something that may impress a few people, or save money and rely on a basic well built instrument that feels and sounds good. An experienced competent player can make even a cheap budget guitar sound great, while a poor player sounds terrible even on the best limited edition custom made gold plated presentation guitar.

 

I've often wondered what would happen if you went into a guitar store blindfolded and got them to hand you guitar after guitar without seeing them until you found THE ONE that felt and sounded best to you.

To me, a squire "feels" cheap and almost toy-like even though the necks are just fine for playing after proper setup. Could be the lightness of the body that throws me off. My "go to" Strat is a highway 1. I've never seen any love on here for a highway 1 but it works for me. I own a mexi-strat and several parts casters but they doesn't feel as nice to play. To me it's all about what works for YOU. It's got to flow. That feeling when the guitar plays it's self and you're just along to guide it.
You can put decent pickups in anything and end with decent sound. IMHO

 

There is a difference if you look for it. I own both cheap Squiers and partscasters and a few Custom shop and boutique strats. I like them all but everyone who has played my Jeff Senn admits it's a spectacular guitar that plays, sounds, and feels better than my CV Squiers. A lot of us (me included) try to justify that a cheaper guitar is as good as the more expensive version but if you look at the combination of parts, there is a difference. That said, if I only had one Squier CV strat, I'd be ok with that!!

 

What's the deal with $1000.00 & Up guitars?

I've never paid 2K for a vehicle let alone a guitar. (I'm a licensed Mechanic. I buy very low, fix then drive)

Just to set a fair reference point for this, let's say I bought a vehicle for 2K, and took it to you as the mechanic to fix it for me to drive it. How much would those repairs cost? Are we still talking about a 2K vehicle, or would that number jump substantially?

Same with some guitars - buy low, add higher quality components and increase its value, or possibly its "playability" or sound...The price to make it "better" has now added to the overall cost. Add to that the need for some (not all) of us to take the instrument to a repair person to have those upgrades done, and to some extent that overall cost it going to go up...

Things to consider....

John
thegrumpyoldman

 

Some people prefer a fine wine, others two buck chuck. Some drive a Mercedes, others something just to get around. Some wear a Rolex, others a Timex. Some play a custom shop strat, others a Squier. If you can't sense or appreciate the difference then the Squier is right for you. There is no right and wrong, it's whatever floats your boat. I think it's great that players have such great options to chose from these days.

well said....

plus....
I saw the story of Kim Mitchell's "blue" on Guitar Pics and the electronics and pickups come from a 60's Gibson ES 335.
Body and neck were bought later and the guitar was put together by his tech. Yes the guitar is strange BUT I see nothing cheap about it.

 

To each his own. I've had cheap entry level guitars I miss and wish I hadn't sold, I also currently own $1000+ guitars that I love to play and think they are worth every penny. My next purchase will be a higher end brand name, slightly different than most on the market and I know that not only will I pay a premium but I'll be happy to do it. To me the way a guitar looks is just as important as the way it sounds. I love being in the brand name, slightly odd/different, only a few exist kinda club and if I had more time and expendable income I'd get a warehouse to fill with em. It might be juvenile or a bit of a cork sniffer but I know I like nice things. To each his own.

 

A simple search would show that yes, this has been asked (and answered).

To each their own. If you can't justify the $2000 price tag (or more), don't buy the guitar: it's that simple. My main player is a guitar that cost me $2K and the guy before me probably north of 3K. It's worth it to me, and that's all that matters.

 

Do you need to spend more than a thousand to get a great guitar?

In my opinion, no.

Is there value in spending more? Not necessarily to a beginner or even intermediate level player, but diminishing returns notwithstanding, yes, you can get a better guitar by throwing more money at it.

I have always been a "build your own / buy used / $1500 max" sort of guy.

Next week I'll pony up for a vintage Gibbie. It will cost more but it has special significance to me personally and I can afford it so I'll pay what I must.

Everything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it (yes, I know, thank you Captain Obvious).

 

Buying a new made in China 250.00 guitar will always be a 250.00 guitar, buying a highend guitar for 2 grand could someday be worth much more, and they just hold there value better, do you ever loose money on a Gibson you have had for 30 yrs

 

I have always assumed that you get what you pay for but not necessarily so with guitars. I also have always expected to be in the $500 - $1500 range when pricing instruments I would like to own. As noted in my NGD thread, I recently purchased what I expected to be a junker guitar to stand in for my expensive Gibsons on casual outings. Instead, I ended up with a fine instrument after pickup mods, that I would be completely happy with if it was my only guitar. So $3500 vs. $500 (after mods) - different for sure, but both are equally excellent guitars IMHO.

 

My most often reached for guitar continues to be a parts guitar I built.

As I recall the parts cost less than a grand, maybe around $850.

Jackson body and neck (from separate eBay sellers) Gotoh FR, Schaller heads, EMG guts. It just seemed to fall together. Even though the neck never really lined up straight it plays unbelievably well, stays in tune beyond anything else I have ever owned and has a wide variety of tones.
It's hum sing hum with taps on the humbuckers.

It's just a solid stable guitar, for under a grand.

So yeah, you can get a lot for a little, but I have played a few guitars I would happily pay $4~5k for.


They're out there

 

I don't like paying more than I could turn around and sell it for. That's my gauge.

In terms of $1000+ guitars, Ernie ball's line has shown me that there is quality out there. Finally, I will humbly add that as you become a better player, you will appreciate the fine touches of a high end instrument. That said, you can also uncover gems in the low category as well. In particular the squire custom tele II P90 could easily pass in a blind test as a $1000 guitar (with a pro setup).

My new thing is economical guitar that look good and change the pickups and your laughing. !!!

 

Marketing costs a lot of money and is used to convince people that their product is the best and is worth the money.

Many people believe the hype. If they didn't, there wouldn't be any high-priced guitars or high-priced just about anything. There would also be a lot less advertising companies.

I would be fine with that.

 

Buying used, $1000-1500 will get you a top notch guitar.

New, I picked up a Reverend for just under a grand, with a case and shipped.
I'd put that up against anything else that I've played, it's great, out of the box,
nothing to even be changed out, good to go.

That can be one difference, for me.
Most of the higher end guitars that I've tried, need nothing.
No pickup swaps, hardware change, or even fret end dressing needed.

It's a premium for the labor for a guitar made over here too, it just cost more to build.

 

Marketing costs a lot of money and is used to convince people that their product is the best and is worth the money.

Many people believe the hype. If they didn't, there wouldn't be any high-priced guitars or high-priced just about anything. There would also be a lot less advertising companies.

I would be fine with that.

Incorrect. Guitar companies make their profit on the budget models. If a guitar cost $200, it cost them $20. The higher end guitars dont have much mark up at all, and they sell very few of them in comparison. Advertising is used for the brand as a whole and not to sell the high end, but to get people to buy their low end because it has the same name on it as the guitars the stars are playing in the ads. There is a reason why custom shop guitars are made in few numbers. If there was real profit in them, they wouldnt bother with the low end at all..........

 

Accepts2 is quite right. Fender makes more money selling squire and MIM stuff then custom shop models.

As for me..a good Exemple..the Les Paul style was always my favorite..i bought countless models...brands..and Country of origin..from Japan to USA..THEN...THEN...i hit the mother load....Gibson Historic 1959 reissue...MY GOD....it was like a revelation...everything about it was what i had been expecting from a LP....the feel, the tone, etc etc. It was'nt a question of it been worth 5000$ or 200$....it was THE guitar basically.

I'm not a Mechanic..but even if i was...buying a 2000$ to then spend time and money to keep it running is not logical in anyway for me...but to each his own

 

I thought this was going to be about guitars that are more than 3'000 or 4'000 dollars. LOL.

If you can't tell the difference between a cheapo guitar and a well made, well setup guitar, then I agree, don't spend the extra cash.

 

I thought this was going to be about guitars that are more than 3'000 or 4'000 dollars. LOL.

Me too.