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
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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.
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Add a bit more and spec a PRS Wood Library - this is my next guitar.
Injured Veteran and head injury survivor. Bouts of grumpy behavior and brutal humor are to be expected.
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 - Epi LP Custom
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.