What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

[Chris of Arabia]

With all the comments I see round here regarding the finish of guitars ('relic', NOS, s/h, new etc.), I'm curious as to what people would be prepared to pay for. For now, let's assume that whatever the finish condition, the guitar itself speaks to you as an instrument in the way it plays, sounds, resonates and so forth. Would you be prepared to pay hard cash for it?

This is a multi-option poll, so let's see how you think on this one. The options are fairly abitrary, so feel free to interpret loosely as you see them.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I don't think it really matters to me. If the guitar speaks to me then it wouldn't make a difference. When I was looking for my 'RAF' guitar I spent a lot of time in Denmark Street just trying things out. I tried a Nash Strat that was heavily reliced and it was a stunning guitar to play. I also tried a brand new PRS Custom 22 and it too was stunning. Both those guitars were beyond my budget, but they both felt amazing to play and I'd have been happy with either. I ended up with a second-hand PRS McCarty that I would describe as mint condition, and my G&L Legacy and Fret King Esprit are second-hand with reasonable wear.

I could just select every option of your poll of course Chris!

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I don't think it really matters to me. If the guitar speaks to me then it wouldn't make a difference. When I was looking for my 'RAF' guitar I spent a lot of time in Denmark Street just trying things out. I tried a Nash Strat that was heavily reliced and it was a stunning guitar to play. I also tried a brand new PRS Custom 22 and it too was stunning. Both those guitars were beyond my budget, but they both felt amazing to play and I'd have been happy with either. I ended up with a second-hand PRS McCarty that I would describe as mint condition, and my G&L Legacy and Fret King Esprit are second-hand with reasonable wear.

I could just select every option of your poll of course Chris!

For the most part, so could I, and if you did so, that would be a perfectly valid response. Some have a different view though, which is why I put the poll up...

 

[blueman335]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I don't want to own a guitar that someone else has abused, and I'm not referring to average wear. There's enough good guitars out there to choose from, that I can get one in good condition that 'speaks' to me. It doesn't take much effort to keep a guitar in nice condition, as many guys here on the forum do with theirs. When buying used, some normal wear is fine, but big gouges and dents from being dropped or tossed are a turn off to me. I also don't like the relic'd look at all or when patches of the finish have been worn off from years of playing. Just not into that look or feel. I don't want a guitar that look like it's been left outside for months.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I only care about the sound and how the instrument feels in my hands. I don't care what colour it is/was/should have been.

I feel honour bound to vote Rob Option.

Meanwhile, the real question is for you, Chris. What less-than-immaculate guitar are you eyeing up this time?

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Meanwhile, the real question is for you, Chris. What less-than-immaculate guitar are you eyeing up this time?

Nothing at all would you believe. It was an abstract thought occasioned by a long running current thread. It's a subject there seems to have been many views expressed, so I thought it might be an interesting curio to collate into a structured form - I can't recall having seen that done before.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Have a few commas. On me.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Was that comma, or coma?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Both or neither or ...

 

[Securb]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

It depend on the guitar. My 73 Ovation Deacon is lightly checked and shows normal aging and wear. The thing sounds and plays like a dream I would never touch the finish. I am so happy to own it. My Mexican Tele was pretty battered when I bought it and I knew straight off I would make it a project guitar. Still it played nice, had a great neck and for $200 I knew it would be a great jumping off point for what I wanted in a Telecaster. A refin was a no brainer. Having a best friend with a bodyshop I can use for free makes deciding to refin a no brainer.

 

[JeffB]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I am fine with any condition, I like relics and beaters.

BUT, it also depends on the quality of the guitar as new. No way I would buy a epiphone, entry level fender, or other inexpensive MIC/MIK type built instrument that was used hard. They already cheap out on hardware, fret wire, etc from the get-go. I already have a great playing Epiphone sitting in the closet cos it needs a complete refret after less than a year. The refret will cost me a smuch a stye guitar did when new. No more for me, thanks.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I'd pay the most money for a guitar in immaculate condition, less money for one with a little wear, less money for one with a lot of wear/relic. Likely wouldn't consider buying a guitar that was unplayable as the only way I know to accurately evaluate a guitar is to play it and see if it works for me.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

As long as the guitar feels good to me I dont care. So ROB option. Also to me there is a diff between an abused guitar and a guitar that has wear and tear.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

As long as the guitar feels good to me I dont care. So ROB option. Also to me there is a diff between an abused guitar and a guitar that has wear and tear.

You could have ticked all the ones that apply (i.e. all of them), or maybe I should have included an "All of the above" option - too late...

 

[gottalovethe80s]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I wouldn't buy a heavily worn or relic'd guitar, because I want to make a guitar really "mine" by making it wear from MY playing, not somebody else's.

 

[uOpt]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Artificial heavy relic usually looks stupid. Not to mention it looks nothing like actual vintage.

I also don't like it when all the paint is gone from the back of the neck (artificially or naturally) and spotty maple fretboards.

If the guitar has solid thick plastic that has glass like cracks as the only wear mode I don't want them either.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

If it plays and sounds great it won't matter but I will say i'm more partial to buy a new instrument over a older used one. I'm not a guy who believes in all the magic/voodoo/mojo or what ever you want to call it their pieces of wood with steel strings and wires. Nothing more nothing less.

 

[DreX]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I like the look of some relic'd Strats, IMO it's not much different than "distressed" furniture. It can add character and depth

But the deal is that new poly finish doesn't age like nitro, or whatever they were doing with car paint in the 50's or 60's. I think the old stuff just rubs away easier and so you get that nice faded paint thing. It has to look both old and used from end to end in order to look like it's meant to be that way. If you have an otherwise clean poly finish with a few careless dents, gashes or cracks in it, it doesn't look relic'd as much as the owner looks careless and disrespectful of the guitar. So I won't buy anything beyond light scratches that I can buff out. And nothing in need of fret work, because I can fix frets myself, but they might knock $50 off the FMV and I feel it's closer to $200 worth of work.

OTOH I wouldn't pay the $4000+ Custom Shop prices for a relic, it would have to be the $800 MIM or nothing.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

Sound and playability are the most important things. Looks don't really matter, functionality does. If there's some cosmetic damage on a great guitar I won't mind. That said I do prefer guitars in a good condition and would pay less for a relic job than a plain new one.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: What kind of guitar would you be prepared to pay for - condition wise?

I like them old and showing it. I attach far more easily to beaters than case queens.

There is nothing quite like the feeling when I'm finally done fixing up a neglected guitar and it rewards me with screaming tone and playing like buttered titties.