Are we too quick to settle for second best?

[rspst14]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

not me. I just wait until I'm ready to buy EXACTLY what I want. I'd rather have nothing that a piece of mediocre equipment.

Same here. I'd much rather have a couple really nice pieces of gear than a lot of junk. One thing I will not do is pay for a name. If you look at my signature, you can see that I have two really nice guitars and a good amp, but nothing obnoxiously expensive. No $3000 Gibsons or PRS's, and no VHT's or Bogners. I'd take my Hamer that cost me $600 over a typical $3000 Les Paul any day. If people took the time to look at smaller manufacturers like Peavey and Hamer, I think they would realize that you can get top of the line equipment at extremely reasonable prices...if you look hard enough, there's no reason why you have to settle for inferior stuff.

Ryan

[Fatty]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

Same here. I'd much rather have a couple really nice pieces of gear than a lot of junk. One thing I will not do is pay for a name. If you look at my signature, you can see that I have two really nice guitars and a good amp, but nothing obnoxiously expensive. No $3000 Gibsons or PRS's, and no VHT's or Bogners. I'd take my Hamer that cost me $600 over a typical $3000 Les Paul any day. If people took the time to look at smaller manufacturers like Peavey and Hamer, I think they would realize that you can get top of the line equipment at extremely reasonable prices...if you look hard enough, there's no reason why you have to settle for inferior stuff.

Ryan

Those Peavey Classic 50's are VERY nice for the price. (And very nice period)

[Young Angus]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

I definitely only buy exactly what i want, no matter how expensive it is...it just takes much much longer to get it

But its worth it in the end because you're not wondering "should i have got the other one"

[Scott_F]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

I've learned over the last several years to think about resale value. There are only a few guitars that are "hand's off". The Les Paul and the PRS are hand's off. Never to be sold.

On the amp front, I could never sell the 5E3 Tweed Deluxe since I gave it life with my own hands and it was my first of many I hope. Everything else is trade potential. The Bad Cat is about to be on the Hands Off list, but at this point, anything can and might happen. The old Pro Reverb is probably one that won't be going anywhere because of the age, condition and how rare they are.

Guitars that are on the you never know trade list would be that ESP Seymour Duncan Strat. But I'm hoping it goes up in value in a few years due to they are not making them anymore. The beater strat that I Kryloned gold was next to free, so I'm guessing it won't go anywhere for a while. Got a great neck. The Heritage 535 is a great guitar, but it's one that I could live without. I've got too much gear, but I dont' need to sell any of it yet.

But like Gear Ho said, I could unload just about any of it and not much if any.

[kmcguitars]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

Simply put, One man's trash is anothers treasure. I like high end gear just
as much as any other guy. But when you gig with high end stuff ( especaily
in seedy Lil' clubs) Ya gotta worry about your stuff! This is why I perfer
a well setup beater Squire Strat or Samicks. I've only owned 3 Guitars
that where worth over $1000 AND 2 of Em' Where stolen !!
So if 2nd best is good enuff... I'm good to go. And if you think about it.
The only ones you Impress with high end gear is other Musician's and
theif's. The average Joe coming to see you play woundn't know the
differance if your playing a 60's` L 'series Strat from a Tokai lawsuit
knockoff.

[JimiHWannaBe]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

i cant i just cant spend all my pay from summer on 1 piece of equipment i have to get a bunch of stuff and still have money to spend left over

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

Put simply, I would only gig with quality equipment. I care about tone live and I want to play on something reliable. I watch the equipment I have and I would never let anyone ever mess with my stuff.

Heck, to be honest, I don't think thieves would know anything about my gear . I'm not a believer in "brand names" so perhaps they could think my stuff is crap

I'm in the "second best" sorta situation right now. There are a couple high end models I'm interested in, but I'm not sure what would be the best. There's a cheaper bolt-on that would be a fine guitar because it has great woods, but it looks bad. There's also a more expensive one out there that looks awesome, but I'm not quite sure how it would sound with certain pickups. I'm inclined to go with the better looking, more expensive one even if it may be a gamble. I guess more testing is in order.

After looking at spending around 2 grand for a guitar, getting everything you could possibly want cosmetically, tonally is in order

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

I use non collectors amps, unpopular guitars(Kramer and Wolfgang, not in high regard here) relatively unknown pedals, undesireable cabs.
And I still get some useable sounds.....
I buy things that I can use, I do not buy them because they are valueable to others, or popular.
I have had old beatup Tokai's that I have liked alot more than some more expensive Fenders, I mod the guitars to my likings, the amps I give to the ampwizard I know.....the playing is my own fault.
And the effects...hehe they are not second best.
I use what I have, I worry little about the "right" stuff.
It is not that I do not like vintage and more expensive stuff, it is just not vital for me and how I play.
I wring out as much as I can of the stuff I have.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

I think that's an important thing also.

I've played plenty of really expensive stuff that was just way overpriced.

I've picked up Fender Tele's at Guitar Center that kicked some major tail from the start and would make great guitars, for a fraction of what it would cost for some crazy flamed guitar that has bad pickups in it.

Honestly, if you don't need the cosmetics of something like a Don Grosh Bent Top Custom... you could get a H-S-S Fender Strat or a G&L and with good pickups, it would sound just as good.

Find something that inspires you... then it doesn't matter what tier it's on as far as others think. My Dean Chafin Del Sol inspires the heck out of me and it can be bought on eBay for really cheap. IMHO, I like it more than the Gibson semi-hollows I've tried. Plays and sounds killer and with the pickup upgrade I'm getting done, it'll definitely be a keeper.

With all that said, I'm finally at the point where I want a guitar that can do it all very well (versatility from one instrument is difficult), be unique and sound great. Sometimes, when you know specifically what you want, it seems crazy after a while to not save up the extra dough for it.

[Jaganath]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

I think if it plays comfortably and gives you the sound you want, it doesn't matter if it's a $3,000 Les Paul or something you knocked up in woodshop.

There's always the issue of quality though and 'you get what you pay for', but I think the high end manufacturers always use that to their advantage and push their prices way up. (What our marketing guys would call 'value perception' - like, would you buy a Les Paul if the going price was $100?, probably not because your perception of their value would be that they must suck if they're being sold at that price).

I always wonder about amp prices, take the JCM 800 series - awesome amps, but how much are they really worth? If you think about the materials used, what's inside them and how they're put together then the prices start to look ridiculous. You're paying for demand and reputation more than anything.

[Mincer]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

Jeeze if we never settled for second best and always waited for the absolute best we'd never get married...

'Best' here seems to be 'most expensive', 'highest resale', etc. I don't define it that way...but then for me guitars are pretty utilitarian- like a hammer. If it does the job I want it to, thats all that matters.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

Yeah, it depends on how you look at it.

As a player, I've used whatever I could afford or swindle my way into. As a player, I'm not too much of a gear snob, and just grab what's around me that moves me.

After turning gear into a hobby/obsession, where I view a lot of it as "poker chips", my views might be ultra snobbish. Just like the guy who's into high performance autos, boats, planes, or guns. Now, it's not necessarily about "what I need." Now, I just move stuff around, and only come outta pocket, slightly.

[seanguynj]

Re: Are we too quick to settle for second best?

2nd best? i went to GC today and played a 550 dollar schecter. played much better than my 1500 les paul. good gamed hahahaha