Re: now this is a sexy tele!!
Purdyful.
That's not too much for a full time working guitarist making bank to pay. If you're making the dough, you might as well invest it in something killer like that.
It's way too much for the bar-band guys. It's still getting off easy compared to nearly every other style of instrument...certain mandolins will run over 10K or 20K, and prices of $5K - 7K are really common. Orchestral instruments are even more pricey.
Gotta get the gigs and lay out the dough for the good stuff.