EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

[big_black]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

A lot of people can say that about anyone in a higher income median but they fail to imagine the scope of the situation. And that is, people who can and do spend that amount cash have no problem doing so. Compared to their net worth it's equivalant to just a few hundred dollars. And that is where the distinction lies between how much money is really being spent. Yeah for someone who can't fathom or lead that sort of life it's a very wasteful purchase. A purchase, no less, that could probably pay off a lot of incurred debt, send a sibling to college, build a few schools in impoverished countries, and so forth. But those people who can afford these high dollar guitars probably already do spread their money to places that they deem good, and necessary. It is but a tax write off by that point, and good karma spread too.

Even if I had $25,000 burning a hole in my pocket and was an EVH fan I would not buy that guitar. It was not played by anyone important to music, it holds no historical value...the only reason I could see paying that amount of money for an instrument.

I would be embarrassed to be seen in public with that guitar...although most people in the World probably wouldn't think of me as the pretentious prick I'd feel like.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

I would be embarrassed to be seen in public with that guitar...although most people in the World probably wouldn't think of me as the pretentious prick I'd feel like.

Hard for me to disagree with you on that. Too many Dot-commers with too much money to throw away IMO. They have the money, lack the talent, and just want to buy into the rock&roll thing since they didn't/don't have the time/talent to create it or be part of it that way. No REAL guitar players will buy this thing. But hey... it's their money so what the hell.

But what gets on my nerves is when they had enough money to buy something they deem as important, they are suddenly an expert on something. I used to belong to the PRS Forum way back in the late 90's. I had two PRS guitars back then and they were gigging/working axes ("10" flame tops and bird inlays notwithstanding). There was this guy on there who had quite the collection of PRS museum peices. I envied him I will admit. And I could have been fine with that, but he knew everything there was to know -- including about being a guitar player. Trouble was, he didn't know jack about playing. In fact, one day he admitted he was going to his first guitar lesson. WTF? He bombastically lectured most of us on everything guitar playing. But he couldn't even play. Why? Because he had enough $$$ to afford his own PRS museum and that somehow made him some kind of expert on something. Just another talentless art collector/critic I guess. Which is fine up until the point that he starts to instruct the artist.

 

[KeyOfG]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Even if I had $25,000 burning a hole in my pocket and was an EVH fan I would not buy that guitar. It was not played by anyone important to music, it holds no historical value...the only reason I could see paying that amount of money for an instrument.

I would be embarrassed to be seen in public with that guitar...although most people in the World probably wouldn't think of me as the pretentious prick I'd feel like.

Well no reason to get all personal about the topic. You are missing my point, and, yes, I do hear your point. Your answer is flat out, NO, you would not play it even if you had a smidgen, or even mega-load-ton of respect for the man that it is made after. BTW, I'm speaking of ALL of the Tribute guitars and not specifically of Van Halen & Fender's new offering.

It's ashame you would allow your own ego to fold in and feel like a "pretentious prick" for playing a guitar. I myself would play a daisy rock guitar in pink if it got my music across and I wouldn't feel a bit emasculated because of it. Now since we're talking about "FRanK3STieN" here, yes, I would play it onstage, and I would not let a single Van Halen styled lick, or note to come through, I would be myself totally and fully. Hell, I'd even play it sitting down on a chair on stage strumming indie folk music with a Devo styled flower pot atop my head, and wearing checkerboard Vans on my feet... and not once would I feel like a pretentious prick.

I suppose John Frusciante playing arena sized venues with a $30-40K vintage stratocaster would look like a pretentious prick onstage too.

In the end it's all about perspective and how one chooses to be affected by it or not.

I can assure you John 5 probably has one already. Is that wrong?

 

[J Moose]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Doesn't anyone find it just a little twisted that the asking price of this plank is about 100 times what Eddie spent on the parts for the original beast?

What gets me is the price gouging.

There's NO WAY they've got more then a few grand into each one including cost of labor.

 

[big_black]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

I suppose John Frusciante playing arena sized venues with a $30-40K vintage stratocaster would look like a pretentious prick onstage too.

Not at all. John play's a VINTAGE instrument, not a new instrument with an inflated value. J Moose hit the nail on the head.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

I'd rather own / buy my own guitar, or what will become mine, and make it mine through years of use and tender loving care, not buy a replica of someone else's drug induced mods

Ironically, didn't Halen say that he blamed his mouth cancer on some of his studio equipment and not the fact that he has smoked for a long time and/or still does?

 

[vinterland]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

There's NO WAY they've got more then a few grand into each one including cost of labor.

Completely disagree. The amount of labor put into this guitar I would beg to say is extremely substantial. There's just too much character on it that can't happen overnight.

If someone could replicate this guitar simply buying parts and throwing it together I'd love to see it because it simply won't happen. Even the rust on this guitar is a perfect replica of the original.

 

[CGord]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

I had no idea why Kiss would make coffins, then Dimebag was laid to rest in one. There are enough wealthy people in the world to whom $25k is a drop in the bucket to buy every one they build. Sure it's a replica, it's only $25k. Imagine how much the real thing would go for if Ed were to auction it off.

Me, I'd be happier owning one of each of the Charvel EVH guitars. I could play them fearlessly, I'd rather have a new replica of the old one than an exact, beat-up ****pile copy of the real thing, & I like the earlier pre-red versions of the guitar better.

Of course, that's being said with me in my current station in life. If I ever get to a point where it would not seem ludicrous to spend $25k to hang an antique on my wall, hell yes, I'll buy one.

 

[big_black]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Even the rust on this guitar is a perfect replica of the original.

I'm sure. It's a good thing (for Fender) the buyers will not be able will be able to do a side-by-side comparison..

 

[KeyOfG]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Not at all. John play's a VINTAGE instrument, not a new instrument with an inflated value. J Moose hit the nail on the head.

Doesn't anyone find it just a little twisted that the asking price of this plank is about 100 times what Eddie spent on the parts for the original best.

I'm not disagreeing that the overall cost isn't ludicrous, what I'm pointing out is that to the people who will buy it (first of all it's their business & their perrogative, who is to say that they have 'NO sense,' cause obviously they have enough sense to accumulate and earn what they can spend.) the cost is all but a few pennies to a few hundred dollars equivilant to the typical guitar buying crowd.

As far as a new instrument (that in this case happens to be carefully calculated and painstakingly researched over hours upon hours of time and effort and then is personally handbuilt to match a single example to a limited quantity) or a vintage instrument is concerned.., they're all priced accordingly to an inflated value. The buyers set the market with the sellers with what they are willing to pay. A case of Supply and Demand either way you look at it. It's business, and with the "Tributes" it's GOOD business for FMIC. "Twisted" no; Brilliant, that it's being done and working well, yes.

But really, get real, who is to say that someone willing to buy one isn't a good guitar player, musician, or artist for that matter?

And as far as the lore of what Eddie spent in 1975 to create his favourite guitar that has made numerous toneful recordings and has seen many stages over thousands upon thousands of miles and hundreds of countries... the value of $200 32.5 years ago is not the same as 2 Benjamin's in 2007's economy. A '61 PAF pickup alone sells for a few thousand dollars today. If it happened to be in one of your other guitars in '75 that you chose to use in another... Well, that wouldn't be more than 5-10 to 15 dollars previously spent, and not even to be considered a part of that $200 going into the initial build. A lot of people tend to get allured and mystified by the fact that such a workhorse cost what it did to make. For what the dollar was worth back then 200 of them would get you more and better than what it will get you today. I believe the "spirit" of this guitar is what makes it what it is.

Didn't the Tribute "Blackie's" sell for $30K, priced a bit over? That couldn't have cost Clapton but the equivalent to a a couple hundred bucks then either. Various parts made from 3 or 4 different guitars, the leftovers reassembled and given to a few friends.

 

[big_black]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

the value of $200 32.5 years ago is not the same as 2 Benjamin's in 2007's economy.

Probably somewhere around $800....way under $1000.

People can spend their money how they wish, I'm not going to tell anyone otherwise. It's the Free Market, have at it. No doubt these will probably all be bought up by collectors and hardly ever played. The question is, will these sell for enough down the road to make a decent profit? It kind of hinges on public perception of a highly unstable personality. Clapton is forever, is EVH?

 

[lex666]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Probably somewhere around $800....way under $1000.

People can spend their money how they wish, I'm not going to tell anyone otherwise. It's the Free Market, have at it. No doubt these will probably all be bought up by collectors and hardly ever played. The question is, will these sell for enough down the road to make a decent profit?

...For $25K, I'm willing to bet at least $20,000 is all profit. I'm no luthier, but I'm willing to bet they all start off the same, with a mass produced body and hardware. Its the labor in the detailing of the guitar that makes it different.

I agree with alot that has been said here. But I can't help but feel that it is foolish to spend 25k on a guitar that technically has no historic value. Sure, you should be able to play whatever you want on it, as you would any guitar, but I'm sure the audience would "boo" you if you don't break out the "unchained" riff... to me, it would be like going to a NASCAR race only to see everyone going 10 miles an hour...

 

[J Moose]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

...For $25K, I'm willing to bet at least $20,000 is all profit. I'm no luthier, but I'm willing to bet they all start off the same, with a mass produced body and hardware. Its the labor in the detailing of the guitar that makes it different.

Right...

What's the real "cost" to produce one EVH paddle including FedEx charges to get those letters from Ed & paying some monkey $6.75 an hour to beat up the cases?

$5000? $6000?

Granted a lotta that might be in 'luthiers' who put each scratch & chip in the right place but REALLY...at the end of the day it's only a strat neck & body.

It's not like Eddies going out into the woods with a chainsaw, cutting logs and putting them on the bandsaw himself.


But I guess there's a market for it.


You know what they say about suckers...

I'd rather roll $25k into a money market or buy some land.

Much safer investment.

 

[mrturtle_91]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Not by too much really.

Actually, by a lot. The EVH one looks like it was pulled out of a garbage can...I don't like the stripes on it, it doesn't have a pickguard, and I don't like how all the wires are hanging and all the routes are messed up.

 

[big_black]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Right...

What's the real "cost" to produce one EVH paddle including FedEx charges to get those letters from Ed & paying some monkey $6.75 an hour to beat up the cases?

$5000? $6000?

Granted a lotta that might be in 'luthiers' who put each scratch & chip in the right place but REALLY...at the end of the day it's only a strat neck & body.

It's not like Eddies going out into the woods with a chainsaw, cutting logs and putting them on the bandsaw himself.


But I guess there's a market for it.


You know what they say about suckers...

I'd rather roll $25k into a money market or buy some land.

Much safer investment.

Buyers are essentially paying $20,000 so that a luthier can have access to the original.

 

[MikeS]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

I'd bet the research and painstaking detail required to recreate these was an incredible overhead cost that must be divided up and shared by each guitar being recreated. Let's not forget that the hands working on them are among the best in the business. When you're the best, your time is not cheap. I'd wager there's ton more than $5K invested in each guitar.

Of course people are going to buy it. I'll never tell anyone what to do with their cash, but I'd never buy one myself. It's no more than a highly crafted guitar. A facsimile at that.

The only reason I would even remotely consider buying one would be for the investment. No doubt these things will appreciate as they age in their glass cases.

 

[tone?]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

It's a GUITAR, not the Mona Lisa.

well actually it IS kinda like the Mona Lisa. lol

it may seem like it is just a plank of wood and all. yeah its not intricate, BUT initially there was ALOT of research that went into making the damn thing. If any of us were to sit and take on this project it would take many many hours to do it to THAT detail. Now weather some of us think it is worth it or not is ANOTHER story IMHO.
I personally think the whole relicing craze is totally stupid, but i respect people who dig it. I just wont pay money for something that is beat up. I can do that for free! lol.

In not a luthier but, i imagine this would be more difficult to build cause it is a piece of crap. So how do you make a bunch of crappy built guitars to perform great? That is my logic to it. In my mind it is waaay easier to build something to sound like Eddies guitar than to both LOOK like it plus SOUND like it.

Of course this is geared to a market of people that actually will blow that much money on their hero. I really dont think they made it as a workhorse axe! lol i mean how silly is that??
Its simple, it is made for people that can actually afford it. Period. You will have a minuscule percentage that will buy it cause it sounds so good. This isnt a guitar that you say, " Hmmm, i need a new axe to record with that sounds amazing, let me get this Halen guitar that costs me 25 grand, when i can get an Anderson that may ( Subjective) sound better for waaay less".

it is made for the die hard fan that can afford a piece of the history. Its a cheaper alternative of the Mona Lisa. People loved the Mona Lisa so much that instead of hardly anyone not being able to afford it at a price of 2 million dollars, they are offering perfect copies for 25 grand. Except this painting is FUNCTIONAL as well.

What is so tough to understand in that?

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

Comes down to resale value to me. If I could sell it in 10 years, and make money, then I'd do it in a heartbeat. If I couldn't, then I wouldn't.

Oh, and I completely, 100% agree with Tone?.

 

[KeyOfG]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

but I'm sure the audience would "boo" you if you don't break out the "unchained" riff...

Well in all honesty I really suppose that depends on who, & what type of audience you usually pull in and cater to. But since you're the artist up onstage and not a muppet or a puppet, play whatever it is you want to play, if you're accepted and well liked, supa kewl, if not, well you know, whatever man, it's not the end of the world.

Personally I would only play requests like the opening on Stairway To Heaven, and then have that morph into Free Bird, and then MAYBE (depending on the general mood of the band) end it in a raucous bit of sonic cascading warbbles from a floor unit, or divebomb the bar shake the guitar so the strings go all willy nilly, floppy, and poppy, then make helicopter noises with the low E string on the top pickup pole, get a little bit of feedback cooking, then let it all smooth out while ending the fest on the last few tapped notes on Spanish Fly like a whisper. And well, oops, err, I suppose a little bit of VH was thrown in for good measure there (in the heat of the moment) and sort like a tip of the ol' hat. Though (retrospectively) he'd never know of the kind gesture.

Everyone has valid points, but A, either some people are not soaking it in, or B, some are just too hard edged to think outside the lines regarding what becomes of 'Tribute' guitars. No matter what you buy, there is always some sort of risk being taken. I am not in the market for it, or "collectables" of any sort, shape, or fancy. But believe you me, it would be played and not kept away. If I owned one of Hendrix' guitars, it would be played time and time again (not for performance), of course unless it was his "Black Beauty" that supposedly hasn't even had the strings changed since it left Monica Dannemann's possession.

Face it. FRanK3NsTeiN Lives, and has spawned 200-something "official" offsprings, and Seymour Duncan has had a partial hand in all of these creations. I wonder if the workshop resembled a castle of any sort?

 

[tc]

Re: EVH guitar - but who's gonna play it?

... he was going to his first guitar lesson. WTF?....

hmmm dude...i didn't have a guitar lesson until i had almost a year of playing guitar...and by that time, without sounding like a prick, i kicked most guys my age that had years playing...

back on topic...if i had jimi's white strat or dime's dfh...id honestly play the crap out of them. IMO it would be friggin disrespectul not to, since those instruments deserve being played night after night, that's where they're supposed to be...

as for replicas...meh...what for?? and IF i did have that guitar, which i would never buy with my own money, id probably also play the **** out of it, and if i didn't like the tone or the feel, i'd do the same thing i'd do with any guitar, either it gets modded or sold. it does not have any value to me since it is neither eddies axe nor does it have any features i deem valuable in a guitar...it is rather ugly IMO...

and i do think this is just another publicity stunt designed by some suit to make some cash...