Although it's a few years away, I am planning on a big guitar purchase for a big birthday. I think I'll probably have around £2.5k to spend.
I'm trying to decide what would be the best way to spend it. It's going to be a guitar I keep so re-sale value isn't likely to be an issue.
In your opinion, what would be better, buying a used guitar e.g Fender, Gibson, a new guitar like Deusenberg, or getting a guitar custom made for me?
I'm not sure what type of guitar I want yet so not after suggestions of models, but just curious as to how you think that sort of money is best spent
Comments
I would go to somewhere like Codamusic and try their electrics & acoustics.
In my experience, resale value will always be a factor (eventually) for most people and you shouldn’t overlook this. Bearing this is mind, I’d go s/h Fender or Gibson custom shop.
Job done, Bish bosh.
Instead, I'm hoping to use the intervening months to go and play lots of different guitars that have always held a mild curiosity, and look at whether anything super-nice comes up secondhand in either the double humbucker or dreadnought line.
Deciding that it needs to be big bucks because it's a big birthday when I don't actually have a "dream" or aspirational guitar in mind suddenly struck me as being a mug's game, and would likely end up with me regretting dropping the money down the line. If I can use it it to sneak two really nice but more affordable instruments past Mrs Snags' "there's no space left" detector that seems like a much better plan. Particularly as I've had an ace amount of fun out of a pre-loved Reverend recently for only a few hundred quid.
YMMV, but possibly worth a thought. And of course, you've got longer than me to fixate on "The One" at which point the game changes.
I then swapped that for a Martin HD28 18 months later, and that guitar is even better.
My point, I guess, is not to get too hung up on the instrument itself, but that the shopping experience can be as much part of the gift as anything else.
or
Add a bit more and spec a PRS Wood Library - this is my next guitar.
Red meat and functional mushrooms.
Persistent and inconsistent guitar player.
A lefty, hence a fog of permanent frustration
Not enough guitars, pedals, and cricket bats.
USA Deluxe Strat - Martyn Booth Special - Electromatic
FX Plex - Cornell Romany
For that sort of money, I'd be looking at scoring a deal on a used R8 or R9 Les Paul.
The people that buy those kinds of guitars are very unlikely to play them in too much anger.
That's generalising of course.
Good luck.