Depends on what you are looking for, but honestly the Mexican made Charvels are amazing for around $1000. I've got a DK24 USA and MIM and the difference is not a $2000 difference. Amazing guitars, especially with a few easy upgrades.
Just waiting for the brand new Harley Benton ST 80 to come out. Roasted maple neck, rolled edges, ss frets, locking tuners, floyd rose, one pickup, i bet it will not be expensive. They had the prototype at guitar summit 🔥 the new guitars from today are the vintage guitars from tomorrow
The issue for me these days is the quality of guitars, acoustic and electric around the 500-700 price range are so good it makes it hard for me to justify spending 1000 upwards on a guitar when I only play at home and not professionally.
Agreed. I’ve owned over 100 guitars and I’m only in my early 30s. And I have really come around to imports recently. I was a USA and Japan snob for years before, but they really have lost me with the current prices. It’s not even a matter of if I can or can’t afford them….they just aren’t offering an experience that justifies the cost when some of these imports are on par if not better in some cases for a fraction of the cost. There is less consistency, so it’s important to buy from places with decent return policies. But I’ve been playing some of my Korean guitars more than my USA lately lol
@@wiseguy9202 it’s kind of a wash if you spend a lot on a guitar that will hold value better a vs just not spending much in the first place. 🤷🏻♂️ unless you are exclusively collected all the super limited edition Gibson custom shop releases.
@@brandonbryson3317 That's exactly what I've been doing over the last 3-4 decades. Collecting various releases and keeping them in pristine condition. More so for when I retire I wanted something tangible to sell back(I also do the same with precious metals). My playing out live days seem to be long over with so, I'm reserved to playing/recording in my music room now.
I was working at a local music store in 2018-19 and my boss and I were talking about how the prices of 80's guitars were skyrocketing and the reason for it. We concluded that it was because the people who were young in the 80's drooling over them in guitar catalogs were now 40-50 years old and in their prime earning years, wanting to buy what they couldn't afford then. That was the only reason that made sense to us, because for the longest time you could get them cheap as dirt because nobody wanted pointy headstocks.
Its true though , Try getting a B.C. Rich Gunslinger or a Kramer Nightswan /Sambora from that era without getting bent over hard lol . Now the Fernandes/Peavey/Washburn/Yamaha super strats are getting pricey too .
I am a massive PRS fan and player, and agree. S2's are too much. Look at the new LP Studios at $1599 all USA made. PRS is losing lots of sales to those I bet
@@MrSteney Yep, if I remember correctly, when I purchased my Vela when they were originally released, it was about $1700 Canadian. Now the S2 Vela is around $2700. It’s a joke. Nice enough guitars but honestly the wood is so soft that the lightest bump results in major dents. That and on the originals, the pots and wiring all went faulty within a year.
15 Years ago you could get a fender mex tele for like £350/400 in the UK. Now a Player series entry tele is like £650. You can argue inflation but my salary sure hasn't increased at that rate
Well that’s the story worldwide. So few of us who aren’t mofo techbros are getting raises that keep up,with inflation. We workers are poorer now than we’ve been for half a century.
Now? Now?? Where ya been, Baker? I'm in my 7th decade. I remember before the advent of the V word (vintage) when these guitars were "second hand". Guitar snobs and myth makers brought this into being.
@@jltrem I'm in my 5th decade and my grandfather is what got me playing, remember going down to the local pawn shops and resale stores when I was a subteenager and slightly into my teenage years purchasing Guitars from 1950s 1960s and I believe he never paid more than $800 for any of them and that was on the high end of things. I have probably played $10 million worth of Guitars at today's prices.
I played a $20k Strat a few years back that wasn't as good a player as my Japanese 80s Strat. Reminds me of an old joke. A guy sells a barrel of fish to another guy for ten bucks. He sells it to another guy for 20. This goes on and on until the fish are rotten and the price is insane. The last guy says, this fishes rotten, and the seller says, these are not for eating, they're for selling.
So true and I love how that dude above I guess couldn't grasp the concept of your joke with what's going on in the market with vintage/new guitars right now and as of the past few years, but I thought your joke was spot on brotha.
Charvel and Jackson are just insane prices new/used for what they are. 2k for a korean/indonesian/mexican made "super"strat with a non original floyd is INSANE.
Most Charvels are under $1000, and you can find used DS-3s for under $300 right now. A new X series Jackson soloist made in Indonesia is around $500. I have a Chinese mfg Warrior, and the cheap FR stays in tune the same as an original and works no differently. I think people spending $2000 on any guitar are insane, no matter where it's made. Those prices are on the buyers who are conned into thinking those guitars are worth more than under $600, not the manufacturer.
Jackson/Charvel have seen some of the biggest price hikes since 2020. I could get a USA made SL1 for just over 1000 pre-2020, now I'd be lucky to find one under 2000. Custom shop stuff is off the scale. Are they great? yeah some of the best metal/shred guitars out there, but they certainly aren't 200% better than a high end prestige Ibanez.
I find it crazy how over priced the DK24s are considering it's less wood, no stainless steel frets and has the same parts as many $700 or less guitars yet cost around $1100. The more time goes on with my DK24 the more I feel scammed lol. You really have to pay over 2 grand for a charvel for charvel to start putting the high quality parts you see on other guitars in that lower price range
@@StephGV2 Their cheap models are THE worst entry level guitars on the market. If you bought a sub $600 guitar pre-2020 you can argue they are great instruments for the money, and I'd agree. Generally, the sub $600 guitars now will actively hinder a newer guitarist for how horrible they play and sound. period.
Right?? I got a great deal in 2008 on a 10-top custom 24. Guitar Center had a sale going on for PRS, and it was near Black Friday so I ended up getting both deals combined. So less than $2,500 for a brand new CU24. Still my main guitar! Crazy to see what it would cost for the same thing now...
I sold one used for $1500 two years ago. The guys at PRS have lost their minds. I'll never own another one. Paid $2000 for a nice S2 Custom, but in less than a year the neck will not stay straight. If I adjust it for a bend, the strings are a mile off the fretboard. If I adjust for that, it's fretting out everywhere. Honestly if I could get rid of it without losing my shirt, I'd never own another PRS. The Hamer Californian (US Made) my dad bought for me in 1988 still plays as good today as when it was new. Hasn't lost an ounce of quality (and I have hundreds of shows plus tens of thousands of hours of practice and teaching on it). They're out of business and PRS is getting suckers to pay $5000 for diminished Core guitars (with mediocre tops). Sad....
@@artheriford I really want to play one to see how it holds up to the hype, but I can't even find anyone carrying them. Like a Govan guitar.....something I'll always wish I tried, but content to live without.
@@SDesWriter I played a Knaggs that one my local shops had a couple years ago. Man. Smooth as silk. But I still sounded like me and not Steve Stevens or Eric Steckel. This one was "only" $3500. Still a crazy price
Time will prove you folks wrong. Not trying to be contrarian here. Just realistic. The prices you see today will look extremely low in 5 years. Trust me. Screencap this if you want. And we'll meet back here in 5 years. It's October 2024 and I'll see you in 2029 or 2030. 😃
idk I think there are some great midrange options these days. You can get a G&L Tribute Tele, a PRS SE, a Fender Player Strat, a Schecter Omen, Gretsch G5220, all in the $500-$700 range. And they're all pretty terrific guitars imo.
fair is what people will pay for them.. Compared to other things say from the 1970s like houses or cars the price of Top end guitars like Gibson , Fender are actually pretty cheap IE It would take less of your paycheck today to buy a new one then it did in 1976 ! So is that over priced --Nope
Agreed!...I'm shocked with the prices at Reverb😮 especially the signature guitars, really glad I've already purchased 16 guitars and GAS is over (hopefully.)🤭 some very notable shockers would be the following,: *Fender Ynwgie scalloped Strat* - bought: ($1,500), Now at Reverb ($2,187 New/ $1,800 used) *Ibanez Vai JEM777* - bought ($2,300), Now at Reverb ($7,400 to $10,570 used) *Gibson Buckethead Les Paul* - bought ($4,100), Now at Reverb ($12,000 used) If you want something cheaper, choose a guitar that does not have an "iconic" Logo (Harley Benton, Squire, Epiphone, Donner, Squire), because I think you're actually paying for the "Logo" and not the guitar itself. Just upgrade and mod it yourself, it will sound and play as good as the very expensive ones with proper set-up and upgrades. The only downside is you can't "boast" or flaunt it to your friends. 😅but who cares?😆 Cheers!✌
@@2good2betrue3 I agree except for the part about not being able to boast or flaunt it to your friends. I TOTALLY flaunt my Donner strat style, it ROCKS w JB4 trembucker 17.4k (bridge) RWRP fender tex mex 6.2k (middle) and tex mex 6.7 (neck) Graphtech nut, saddles and string tree, Bourns 500k pots, Oak Grigsby 5-way and Puretone jack. Hand wired and soldered w Gavvit wire All for less than 300.00. Plays incredibly well and sounds delicious!
I was very pleasantly surprised to hear you name check Keith Scott. I started playing in 1985, when Bryan Adams was at his peak, and Keith Scott was a big influence on me. He just has such a great sense of melody and I don't think he gets anywhere near the credit that he deserves.
It holds true no matter the market - People will charge what people will pay. If people stopped paying, prices would come down. I have an Epiphone LP Studio. Same guitar with Gibson branding was a thousand bucks more expensive. Did it play a thousand bucks better? No.
Totally agree. These days you can get a quality product made on a CNC machine and imported. If you're not a collector, get a Squire, or an Epiphone. There some great ones out there.
Seeing that Les Paul KM and the crackle guitars takes me back to when you inspired me to pick up a guitar again after 20 years of not playing. I will always say that Robert is one of my top three influences to why I play guitar today. I always say that Ace Frehley introduced me to the guitar, Eddie Van Halen made me want to play guitar in the 80s, and Robert Baker reignited my passion for loving the guitar again. 🤘🏽🎸
Pawn shop treasures. I have ten that i cleaned and set up myself.My fav is Korean strat that i added bill lawrence vintage lead humbucker.Sounds and plays fantastic.Great neck. 125 dollars.😂
For me, I can sound just as bad on a expensive guitar as I can on a inexpensive guitar. I recently bought a 2006 Squire Master Series Tete. Set neck, 24 3/4 scale pair of humbuckers. It's basically a Lescaster.
My 1971 -72 Gibson SG deluxe was $375 plus $75 for the case in 1972. Converting for inflation that’s around $3360 in 2024. If anything, most quality USA instruments have become less expensive. I recently paid $2600 for a brand new Gibson Les Paul Modern. That’s cheaper than my SG in today’s money 😊
I am finding that Ibanez is a great deal these days used, picked a rg prestige at $600 and a j custom for $975 which is around 25%/30% of The cost of a brand-new Version of one of those. glad there is so many Ibanez haters out there because it means I get lots of great instruments cheap af lol. Great video man
I agree.AZ s I have are so good. I got a white Lari Basilio about 6 months ago. I got it new dealer gave me a solid deal. That guitar is so dang good. Specs are amazing.
@@kebotrans yeah those are definitely great Guitars as well, really been considering picking one up... it's basically a Stratocaster but just way better imo. a $800 az competes with a $1500 strat all day... and The prestige Versions just smoke so many other Guitars in that price range..... I am seeing shit loads of MIJ mid 90s/early 2000s RGs in great condition under $750 and those are basically prestige models without the logo... you just can't beat those prices for that kind of quality...
I have a 1979 Gibson The Paul. Walnut body, Ebony Fretboard. T Top Pickups. Paid $350 with a hard shell case. Bought it new. It was my first guitar. Still sounds great!
In 79, $350 was a lot of money. It still wasn't $2300 worth of money today, regardless of what the "inflation experts" try to tell us, but it was still a lot to pay for a guitar. One of the main differences, compared to today, is most people didn't have a collection of guitars. They had one guitar and they planned on keeping it. Now, I'm sitting here looking at 6 guitars hanging on the wall in my living room, and there are more in a spare bedroom. Yet here I am watching a video about the ridiculous price of guitars today. Why should I care? I don't need another guitar for the rest of my life. It's a different world we live in and most of us are just a bit insane, and a whole lot spoiled. I can't decide which one I want so I'll just buy them all.
I bought a Gibson SG sunburst finish for $300 new in 1984 with the "chainsaw" case. 20 years later It cost me 300 more for a re-fret. 40 years of entertainment for nothing because it is worth way more today than I have in it. I still have a 1975 Ibanez Les Paul Custom that I traded a guy an Epiphone that I paid 60 dollars for. I have worn the frets off of it as well and I am thinking about a re-fret for it......Those were the days
Agree - next on my list (well after an Eastman SB59/v) because JM worked with Fender to reinvent the Jaguar - pickups, wiring, control options . . . it's a 'personalised boutique' model for people who want that sound, those specific options, as opposed to just sticking a signature and a paint job on a standard guitar from the line and jacking the price up. Nice one, Johnny!
In 2007 a guitar shop owner convinced my dad to trade his 1968 Gibson Trini Lopez for a USA Breedlove Legacy acoustic (my dad loves acoustics). Now the value of his Breedlove is roughly maybe $3,000 if he’s lucky and on reverb many Trini Lopez are listed for $16,000 plus…
So youd rather havea guitar you didnt want that made you 1 thousand per year to pass up a guitar youve always wanted? No guitar player would pick that option, that would be a dollar and cents move that would only make sense if you didnt play guitar. Your dad made the right move.
@@MichaelMichniewicz If he had enough cash in the bank to just buy the acoustic, then he certainly made the wrong trade. In fact, he could have taken out a high interest loan to buy the acoustic and he still would have made out. So, no.
I only play Gibson Studios and Fender Performer series guitars. American made to maintain resale value, and the entry levels because the performance difference between the entry American guitars and high-end isn’t much.
Studios are actually a good value despite costing a good amount. For 1600 new atm, you're getting an American made guitar mahogany body with maple top, nitro finish, block inlays along with neck binding. All that stuff cost a lot from a manufacturing standpoint. I've also seen some studios with killer tops that look like they should be on standards. They don't hold their value quite as well as standards or customs but that just means good deals to be had on the used market.
I got a Studio around 2015 for about $900. I've bought other guitars since but the LP Studio is my favorite. Bought a MIM Strat and Tele since and after getting them setup the low E is still buzzy on them. Plus to me the Gibson through a Marshall just sounds awesome.
I kinda felt disheartened when they started charging one thousand dollars (and more) for Epiphones. That was a bit of a signal to me that I needed to back out of buying guitars for a little while. I know they started producing higher quality products, but it just made me feel like it was time to not buy a guitar for a bit.
Hey think about it this way , I'll use a Gibson as an example , It would take less of your paycheck to buy one today than it would have in 1976,, yeah I was around then and buying guitars , I worked my but off to save for a new Les Paul ..
You know what's a hell of a lot more expensive than they used to be? Building a Partscaster. It used to cost you less to but old bodies and necks and pickups and hardware, and now people are asking $700 for a body and $350 for the neck and then you have to fork out $1000 for electronics and hardware and by that point you might as well have just got a Custom Shop complete.
Yeah that's kinda crazy, I bought a second hand Tele neck for about 150€ and I'm planning to build a nice tele around that, but with the specs I want (nothing too fancy, just good quality hardware, electronics, and a body with the color I want) I'm well above the 1000€ mark. For a partscaster, with a mexican neck, an alder body, no fancy exotic woods, no figured 3A lam tops or other expensive stuff, just crazy.
Rob, I loved to have a 63 strat, or a Gibson Les Paul. I went the Epiphone way, and even they are creeping up in price. But as you know, as working Family man, putting a roof over our family's heads and food on the table, always come first. all the best to you and your family and stay well. john, Cornwall UK..
I’m 100% with you concerning’70’s Fenders and Gibsons. Even during the’70’s they were considered terrible so that opened the door for small builders like Zemaitis, BC Rich, Hamer, Dean, Travis Bean, aluminum neck Kramers, PRS, Taylor etc., to kick the door in. There are some gems for sure but you have to sort through a lot of trash to find a good one. I’ve owned quite a few vintage guitars but by large they spent more time in a case than I did playing them because I was too afraid of damaging them. I felt the same way about my nice US made Hamer and Core Model PRS. Great guitars but I was too afraid I’d damage them. Now days I spend my days playing some partscasters. I can get very good guitar at a competitive price that I’m not afraid of nicking or damaging and I feel okay with modifying without fretting about its collectors value.
I have ended up in the same place ...when i get a wild hair ...i just make one :) that said I bought a Yamaha revstar rss20 (HB Standard) and it is the only guitar i have owned that for one I jst play and two have no desire to change anything ....strats I am always fiddling with ..Telly no :)
Just about everything from the 70's was shitty. Cars, guitars and electronics. I played a few 70's guitars in a shop one day. Very nice instruments but every one of them weighed something like 12 lbs or more.
I guess I’ve always looked at things differently. Just recently, the 68 Ford Mustang GT 390 that was featured in the Steve McQueen movie Bullit was sold at action for over 2 million dollars and it wasn’t in great shape. People drive these prices with a “have to have it” attitude. I watched the show and all I seen was a big piece of metal…which it really is.
In 1980 I walked into a local music store and bought a brand new 1980 les paul standard off the wall with hard case, strap plus candy .. it cost $499.95 which was a lot of money back then, but if you paid cash $400.00 out the door..
That's around $1,500 with inflation in 2024. Suffice to say, Gibson Les Paul Standards are not retailing at that price. Most I saw were over $2,000 new. Good workhorse guitar though and if you still have it today, then its been a fine purchase over all these years :)
I think you are completely right... since the internet the world changed a lot and prices for some vintage stuff has gone crazy. And there is a lot of fluctuations. It became more of a business thing as ot should be an artistic thing with guitars.
Yeah, JEM777 are one my ultimate dream guitars. It's the best 80's "super strat", The neck is better than all the newer JEM versions, but the price is really heavy. $10,000+ on Reverb, thanks to inflation and scalpers, owning one will remain a dream forever.😂
The Jeff Beck Stratocaster is one of the few signature models that I think is worth it, due to it's unique features that other Strats just don't have. Even for non Beck fans or people who have never heard of him, it's just an amazing well rounded guitar in which you can pretty much much play everything with it
I played the original one....I mean the Series 1 signature Fender. The neck was insanely thick but I liked it. Sort of felt like a vertical piano because it was so stable.
I can afford damn near anything I want... that being said, I hone in on cheap guitars after looking at the features and usually as many reviews by trusted UTubers as to what QC issues I might encounter. I own two soldering irons and have no fear. I have been replacing pickups since the 80s. And if it turns out to be a lemon? I didn't invest much. For what you get the Harley Bentons are fantastic. My Explorer copy with their brand active plays like butter, although the Bagwells are hollow sounding. So were my EMG 81/85 I had before. The Mockingbird copy plays like the $109 B-stock it is, but not terrible. I rolled the dice on the Iommi rip-off Firefly SG, and it far exceeded my expectations right out the box. SS frets? Bone nut? Yes please! Although not locking on this model the tuners are smooth and adequate. Would I like a Shijie? Keipro? Tajima? Solar ( real, not S series although I appreciate what Ola is doing there). Vola? FGN? A Wolfgang? ( I wish they made a fixed bridge model!) Sure, and maybe some day. I'm currently eyeballing SBS from Guitar Fetish, a Tele-type from Firefly, and lemon-drop LP HB copy. I'm in the middle of buying a condo, and with 15 guitars laying around, selling a few is priority before buying more...
I'm in the same boat. I love those beautiful US PRS's but I won't pay those prices even though I can afford them. They're beautiful and are very well made but they're all over 4k. The really nice ones with the top tier woods and finishes are even higher. All I see are case queens with those. I would be crushed if I owned one and it got damaged so it would stay on the wall or in a case all the time. No thanks.
I'm fortunate to own a 1976 Les Paul Deluxe that is a fantastic playing, sounding, and looking guitar (beautiful cherry sunburst). But I agree, boat anchor is an apt description - mine is 12 lbs. Picked it up in 1980 and gigged with it for decades, but after I hit 60 I retired it and picked up a PRS. I still love to play it at home though and would never sell it.
Because all the USA ones at least are massively expensive. Are they over-priced? A lot of craft and care goes into their design and build, the woods and everything but Paul Reed Smith is a brilliant salesman so whether that justifies the prices... well, once again that's down to you. I do love some of their designs and the wood finishes but I've just never found one I've played to date (getting old now lol) that has made me want to pay the top dollar. To me, I guess they seem over priced but so are Gibsons and some Fenders.
I have a solid black model 1 that I purchased in 1985. It originally had the crappy khaler style tremolo with the locking nut on the head stock made out of lead. After locking it down the first couple of times, grooves were created, allowing the strings to slip back and forth through the locking nut. Lol 😂 The bridge did not lock at all. You simply fed the strings through the hole and the string balls would rest on the backside. 😂 Needless to say I ended up putting a floyd rose on that guitar. Tuning stability is now very awesome, and I love the neck on that Charvel. It plays like butter now. The factory pickup, that was in it was extremely hot... i ended up replacing that with a screaming demon. It's perfect now.
Same with old military surplus rifles. 20 years ago, you could buy a Chinese SKS or Russian Mosin Nagant for $50. They’re fetching upwards of $900-$1000 in some markets today. All of this overpricing of literally EVERYTHING is absurd.
My ESP Horizon custom was £999 when I found it back in '92. I got it for £600 because there was a chip in the headstock. They are now going for $5000 or £3800. But it is pure quality. A gem of an axe.
The last guitar I purchased was the san Dimas six pack of sound purple burst Charvel. Got that one in 2015 i believe.. Love it... except that for the floyd rose sub standard pot metal trem. Does not return to same position every time now. Annoying but still workable
PC parts are not that bad, they've been much worse. Your bang for your buck is very good, especially if you go back a generation which are still performant
I bought my personal Grail, an '87 MIJ Charvel Model 5 (neck-thru, Not 5A or 5HH) for $500 in 2004. All original: oversized Jackson J80s, mid boost, JT6 Trem with orginal stainless trem bar and Chainsaw case. Neck was flawless, headstock tip PERFECT. I finally had the frets leveled in 2023 after playing it myself for 20 yrs, and it is a perfect shredder. On a whim, I checked to see what it would go for today, and I found 1 and a half Model 5s for sale. The first (black, like mine) was missing the trem bar, pickup covers and rear plate. Headstock looked like it was played 9 innings with, and description said, " frets 24-12 have deep string grooves, which doesn't matter because the neck is back-bowed AND twisted. Truss cover gone and problem with truss nut- $1950 no case." The other Model 5 was Black Cherry (gorgeous) but just a shell. Not a metal washer to be found, only wood... Yours for $600. Insanity. Mine is available. $22K.
The price increase was a semi-blessing for me. Cars became so expensive I’ve basically put the hobby on hold and put more time into guitar. I’ve got the equipment I want now (that can hold me for years tbh) and it only cost a fraction of what I used to spend on car parts.
You simply picked the wrong car, you can have something rare & unique that's plenty fun for under a grand and restore it to perfection for less than $2,000 (so long as you don't need paint, biggest expense in car history today 😳) because that's where my car collection stands, my first restoration tallied only $3600 including the repaint ($800ish value) just in 2017 - same story now would be only $2800 before paint, my parts never went up in price but shipping sure did.
from what i noticed is buy what plays well for you look at how its set up, its a plus to already have good pick ups and electronics as it can cost a lot to change,and how well does it stay in tune:)
I’m really huge in vintage fender guitar. And it’s a 88-89 fender hm Strat. I own 8 of them from the 80s. My most expensive was 1300 was my cheapest one was 525 lol
One nice thing if you are a buyer is that the used guitar market has softened. I have found some great deals because the people are not buying and you can catch some great discounts that will pop up. It's a bit of a rough time to sell. I recently watched a limited edition bass model for two years. The prices have been stubborn , but one day one appeared with a nice price drop. Saved a chunk of change.
I got a few used and upgraded Squier guitars off a friend, for $200 each Canadian when he was downsizing 3 years ago. STRAT with a 3 way (off/series/parallel) for each pickup, phase switch for each pickup, kill switch, locking tuners, and scalloped neck. So it's a Strat / Brian May / Yngvie, all in one. I bought a never used regular neck for it, and is my next project. TELE with the 3 way switch changed to 5 way, with add series and parallel humbucker settings using the original 2 Tele pickups. One of them makes it sound like a Les Paul neck pickup.
You did NOT say Keith Scott? 😮 That is one of MY Heroes! My old band played Run to you- to end our sets and just traded solos for days! When i bought up some Bryan Adams I was instantly blown Away by him! 🎉
Skip the fragile headstock and just get the Epiphone anyway. Epiphone are fun and sound great. I have all three, Gibson intact, Gibson repaired headstock, and Epiphone. The Epiphones get way more play time.
Bought my first real racing bicycle back in the early 90's. An Eddy Merckx Corsa MLX for almost $4000. There were many other bikes that were just as good for 1/4th the price, but I had the money and that's what I was set on. Same goes for guitars. You can get so many great guitars for such a low price now that it's hard to justify spending premium money for a headstock or the vibe of a vintage guitar. But if you've got the money and that's what you're set on, go for it.
I basically don’t buy anything unless I get really lucky and find some elderly people without the internet selling off all their stuff. That’s how I got my 63 SG and the best vintage les Paul I’ve ever owned
I don’t agree with this, but I think Fender and Gibson need to get their head out of their ass. There are a bunch of brands nowadays that offer better price to quality ratio, between Schecter, Yamaha, Solar, Vola, Ibanez, hell even Strandberg has a $1000 model now. Fender is somewhat better off with it as they have the MIM line, but the QC on those is inconsistent, and there are better options at comparable price points for say, a strat or tele, as Schecter offers extremely good ones at the player series price range and so does Vola.
I’ve been playing a Univox Hi Flyer exclusively for about 20 years. I have two. They both cost less than $250 each, one of which I got for $85 (in fairly poor condition, since refinished and restored). Pains me to see how much they’re listed for now. To me, they’re priceless and sentimental as I’ve used them in every band I’ve been in, so it’s weird to see them on Reverb for close to 2k (and beyond sometimes), especially for one of the most widely distributed Japanese made student guitars of the 70s. All because of Kurt Cobain. The market is crazy, and I hate that it’s getting harder to find vintage MIJ/lawsuit stuff for a reasonable price… though I did score a Lyle SG copy for $25 on FB a few years ago.
I have a model four also. I purchased it in 1988. It is the same fire crackle that you are playing in this video. However the neck is rosewood. I paid six hundred dollars for the model one and eight hundred dollars for the model four.
Peavey USA 80s & 90s You can still get for a decent price same thing with older Grecos. Although they’ve gone up by double you can still find quality for under a grand shipped.
Great video Robert! I couldn't agree more with your sentiment here - I own some vintage guitars and have owned some nice vintage amps in the past too. The thing is that even the stuff I love (or loved when I owned it), I don't think I'd buy them again at today's prices. There are just way too many nice things to buy for way less money that are every bit as good or better. A perfect example is my Silvertone Bobkat 1476. I bought it for stupid cheap - it was literally the least expensive guitar I've ever bought. I bought it on a whim and figured that I'd just use it for slide in open G. I've grown to love it and everyone who plays it says it's got some kind of magic mojo to it. However, when I see the prices that they go for now, I simply couldn't bring myself to pay for it again. To each their own though, and for sure if someone is happy with the gear they've purchased, then it's worth it to them.
Agree completely. My budgetary ceiling is approximately $700, not counting the case. My last buy was a used Epiphone ES-339 that was around $400 with the case, and can remember when a brand new Gibson Les Paul was around $900 (early 1980s). I guess I’m just not into guitars as “tribute pieces” for a particular player, collectibles or investments. Nothing wrong with that, for those who have the disposable income and the interest though.
Definitely agree- I’m over the brand snobbery and GAS I used to have years ago. Trying now to play more and buy less. Jeff Beck had like 1 guitar when he was in the Yardbirds and I need 12? Doubt it.
@@brianhansen-hj3ml IKR? A few years ago, I read a book by a guy who went out and interviewed a few of his guitar heroes from back in the 1980s. As the story developed, it came out that he collected replicas of the instruments they played back in the day. If memory serves, he had 12 guitars at home…but he didn’t play! The guitars were nostalgia items. Reading this was what cured me of my own GAS because I thought, “How sad, guitars are meant to be played not admired.” It reminded me of Gibson’s attempt to become a “lifestyle brand.” They wanted to sell $10,000 guitars to wealthy people who would…hang them on the walls at home or in their offices. WTF!? It’s good to have a spare or three but that’s crazy. They almost tanked the damn company and I don’t think they’ve recovered yet.
I bought a 2014 fender standard on Reverb a few months ago. Supposedly, it was bought and stored in a case for 10 years. It looks new and is THE best sounding strat i have ever heard. I would guess the strings are 10 years old but man they sound good. It plays so well.
Gordon Smith is such an overlooked maker. I got one brand new in.....1998 for 350 quid. Perfect guitar. Now the same model (GS-1) is about 1,200. And the quality has improved. Truly excellent guitars that very few people know exist. @Robert Baker please try to find a good Gordon Smith for review on your channel
I play on my 1982-84 Squier Strat mij all the time. My 1990 PRS os hardly used now, but I go back to it once in a while to remember what a really good neck feels like.
Budget brands are putting out some amazing product. I don't have any "top shelf" guitars to compare too, but I really don't see how spending 1k plus is going to make much of a difference.
Agreed with the 1980’s Charvel model series. Purchased a model 2 some years ago for 300 dollars and while the prices were reasonable I have now 10 😂 including a USA Jackson as well. But now days the prices seem to just keep creeping up. Great video 👍
I agree that guitars have massively increased in price. Some of its down to social media, inflation, etc. I bought a Duesenberg Starplayer TV in lockdown, they are about £500 more expensive now. I’m glad I got mine when I did. The same with my Les Paul. I generally buy American because I know generally they will hold their value of if I decide to sell them. I know not everyone can do that and I’m lucky I can. I was sick of losing so much money on mid range guitars. Hopefully now I won’t lose so much, if I ever sell them. Plus you get the added bonus of playing an incredible guitar. I’d always recommend trying before you buy.
I have a Charvel Model 3, I bought is used sometime around 2019 for €160. I had to take the Kahler trem off because it's junk, even when not being used the saddles would move and put the guitar out of tune. I replaced the Kahler with a Wilkinson which is blocked off, but basically it's stock and if I wanted to I could put the guitar back to stock as I have the original trem and I have the spare parts to make the trem stay in tune. It's a phenomenal guitar, the neck is incredible, the body sits perfectly, the bridge pickup is a monster and the single coils sing beautifully. The exact same model can be found for sale on reverb in for €950, that's insane. Yes, the guitar is amazing, I love it. I would not drop €950 on it.
Agree totally with your comments. Another artist guitar which has sky-rocketed over the past few years is the Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour black Strat. I nearly bought one around six years ago for around £4k, the same guitar is now around £14k and priced higher than a Masterbuilt ! Absolutely crazy.
I bought a Strat back in 1989 that I played for many years, then had to sell it in 2011. It was a unique Strat that I found out they only made about 400 of them (an American Deluxe Standard Strat with Gold Lace Sensors, TBX control). They were made out of Strat Plus leftover parts. Anyway, never found another guitar that sounded or played like that one. 2 years ago, I found an exact twin to that guitar, same finish, same everything. I ended up paying a lot for it but it is absolutely worth it to me. The guitar arrived in basically new condition. Looks like it was never played. But value is what someone is willing to pay for something.
I snagged two great guitars last week on reverb for what I consider very reasonable prices. Being patient, and not allowing your emotions control your spending will go a long way in helping you get what you're looking for.
Always wanted an upgrade. But buying new is almost impossible and the second hand prices on any guitar are way too high indeed. I might be playing the trusty ol squire forever.
Love the Keith Scott and Dann Huff shout outs. Two unsung heroes! PS Rob, your knuckles are pretty red. As someone in his late 30s with arthritis of the hands, just wanted to flag in case you started feeling heat / inflammation in your finger joints. Best to address early on!
I love my late 70s early 80s Japanese made guitars. Ibanez are my favorite. But I’ve also got a Greco Les Paul I love. Recently acquired in 1978 Ibanez PF200. Great guitar.
i like Martins , the standard series are priced ok , there was an increase a couple of years back , the entry level ones under 1k arnt as good as taylors imo , great show robert !
Speaking of vintage guitars, vintage Japanese guitars are just so worth it. Burny, Orville, Greco, Tokai, Ibanez, etc. all made incredible Gibson and Fender copies in the 70s and 80s; finishes are gorgeous built quality is insane (prob better than same era Gibsons). You can pick up a LP copy for about half the price of a Gibson LP, totally worth it
I have an 80s Steingberger GM4T. I was shocked to see that they are going for 4-10k depending on the model nowadays. At one point it was in pieces and I considered just getting rid of it. Now I am getting it refurbished, but will probably keep it since it has a lot of sentimental value.
Picked up an 86 MIJ Charvel Model 3A w/ original case in a pawnshop years ago on the cheap. The slim fast neck blew me away and of course who doesn't like the SS look. I came to find out soon after, that it originally belonged to a fellow co-worker of mine who ordered it back in '86 as a young military Airman. He wasn't too happy to see that I owned it now.
Yeah that is a Charvel Predator and they were made between 89 -91(some say 86 to 91) can't lock that down at this point. And they had reverse headstock.
I brought a 98 Gibson LP standard for $900 which I thought was a good price from a pawn dealer, I got a 72 reissue fender telecaster thinline for $50 Because the original owner had died I got it from his wife she also gave me his 63 Framus black rose jazz guitar for nothing because the neck had popped out of its socket, I had a sunburst strat with the rose wood fretboard a 68 I think it was and I frigging hated it so I gave it away but my pride and joy is my 2006 55 reissue Gretsch white falcon USA custom build made by master builder Stephen Stearn which cost me $10.5k Aus which I thought was a great price as the last two I saw sold for excess off $20k
I found the 335 Gibson (shorter scale, 24 3/4") too cramped for my fingers..when l played a Tele, it was fine for length, but the nut width 1 5/8" a little narrow..they had an optional 1 3/4" in the catalogue, but not here in Australia..but l preferred the Tele, and sold off the 335..so one of these days, l will graduate to a "soft V" neck, ideally with a flatter radius, wider nut end..also, l notice that the Tele keeps its tone when just off max, playing rhythm, keeping max for solos, while the Gibson tone went dead, off max, tone-wise..l later read that the caps were wrong..but l will stick with the Tele..so much great info and interviews here on YT.
I got a used Epiphone LP Special with P90s for $150. There are two tiny notches on the top two frets under the high e string, which would bug me if I did more high bends, but overall I'm quite happy with it.
I've got two signature strats: SRV and Clapton. The SRV strat was my dream strat. So I bought it brand new. The Clapton strat I go second hand at a reasonable price (under $1250). But I agree: prices have gone through the roof. I haven't browsed through Reverb for a while now as I'm not willing to pay the prices they ask. Hopefully it'll improve in the future. Especially for young kids looking to pick up the guitar.
Question for you guys. What are some guitars that are a great value?
Epiphone!
Godin
Depends on what you are looking for, but honestly the Mexican made Charvels are amazing for around $1000. I've got a DK24 USA and MIM and the difference is not a $2000 difference. Amazing guitars, especially with a few easy upgrades.
Just waiting for the brand new Harley Benton ST 80 to come out. Roasted maple neck, rolled edges, ss frets, locking tuners, floyd rose, one pickup, i bet it will not be expensive. They had the prototype at guitar summit 🔥 the new guitars from today are the vintage guitars from tomorrow
After owning different brands, I really think Ibanez offers a lot for the price.
The issue for me these days is the quality of guitars, acoustic and electric around the 500-700 price range are so good it makes it hard for me to justify spending 1000 upwards on a guitar when I only play at home and not professionally.
Agreed. I’ve owned over 100 guitars and I’m only in my early 30s. And I have really come around to imports recently. I was a USA and Japan snob for years before, but they really have lost me with the current prices. It’s not even a matter of if I can or can’t afford them….they just aren’t offering an experience that justifies the cost when some of these imports are on par if not better in some cases for a fraction of the cost. There is less consistency, so it’s important to buy from places with decent return policies. But I’ve been playing some of my Korean guitars more than my USA lately lol
Although what your'e saying is true, I do buy keeping resale value in mind. I know my current collection will pay some things off when I retire.
@@wiseguy9202 it’s kind of a wash if you spend a lot on a guitar that will hold value better a vs just not spending much in the first place. 🤷🏻♂️ unless you are exclusively collected all the super limited edition Gibson custom shop releases.
@@brandonbryson3317 That's exactly what I've been doing over the last 3-4 decades. Collecting various releases and keeping them in pristine condition. More so for when I retire I wanted something tangible to sell back(I also do the same with precious metals). My playing out live days seem to be long over with so, I'm reserved to playing/recording in my music room now.
@@wiseguy9202 That's a good point. I sold a Gibson a few years ago and used the funds to buy 2 other guitars.
I was working at a local music store in 2018-19 and my boss and I were talking about how the prices of 80's guitars were skyrocketing and the reason for it. We concluded that it was because the people who were young in the 80's drooling over them in guitar catalogs were now 40-50 years old and in their prime earning years, wanting to buy what they couldn't afford then. That was the only reason that made sense to us, because for the longest time you could get them cheap as dirt because nobody wanted pointy headstocks.
So true. Walk into Guitar Center. The photos are all of 80s players on the wall.
Its true though , Try getting a B.C. Rich Gunslinger or a Kramer Nightswan /Sambora from that era without getting bent over hard lol . Now the Fernandes/Peavey/Washburn/Yamaha super strats are getting pricey too .
Yup that’s exactly why
PRS S2 line. When it launched they were around $1000. Now they're close to $2000. That's a hefty markup for USA pickups.
They were already $1500-$1800 with overseas pickups. The current S2 Custom 24 with USA pickups is $2349 retail
@@MrPhotonjockey In 2013, when the S2 line launched, the MSRP was $1179-$1399. Dealers had several models for $999-$1200.
I am a massive PRS fan and player, and agree. S2's are too much. Look at the new LP Studios at $1599 all USA made. PRS is losing lots of sales to those I bet
@@MrSteney Yep, if I remember correctly, when I purchased my Vela when they were originally released, it was about $1700 Canadian. Now the S2 Vela is around $2700. It’s a joke. Nice enough guitars but honestly the wood is so soft that the lightest bump results in major dents. That and on the originals, the pots and wiring all went faulty within a year.
Many S2s are well over 2k. Some are 2599.
15 Years ago you could get a fender mex tele for like £350/400 in the UK. Now a Player series entry tele is like £650. You can argue inflation but my salary sure hasn't increased at that rate
@@TheHill1798 Crazy right? Decent Squier will cost that nowadays. Bass gear is no better, worse even.
Well that’s the story worldwide. So few of us who aren’t mofo techbros are getting raises that keep up,with inflation. We workers are poorer now than we’ve been for half a century.
@@claesvanoldenphatt9972 when you say we you mean you and me right since I am an underprivilidged worker?
@@claesvanoldenphatt9972 if your gerttng a raise in line with inflation your not getting poorer by default dude
Inflation is much higher than official figures. It was easily double digits during the psyop years.
Now? Now?? Where ya been, Baker? I'm in my 7th decade. I remember before the advent of the V word (vintage) when these guitars were "second hand". Guitar snobs and myth makers brought this into being.
Funny, I not far behind you - in my 6th decade - and I remember when “used” guitars were about half the price of new guitars.
Vintage guitars are a myth, they were all new when famous records were made, maybe just me
@@bldallas Yes, they were. In 1978 I bought a ‘64 Blackface Fender Champ AND a “65 Gibson Melody Maker, both, for $35.00.
@@viktortulbya2107Exactly, Hendrix played new Strats.
@@jltrem I'm in my 5th decade and my grandfather is what got me playing, remember going down to the local pawn shops and resale stores when I was a subteenager and slightly into my teenage years purchasing Guitars from 1950s 1960s and I believe he never paid more than $800 for any of them and that was on the high end of things. I have probably played $10 million worth of Guitars at today's prices.
I played a $20k Strat a few years back that wasn't as good a player as my Japanese 80s Strat. Reminds me of an old joke. A guy sells a barrel of fish to another guy for ten bucks. He sells it to another guy for 20. This goes on and on until the fish are rotten and the price is insane. The last guy says, this fishes rotten, and the seller says, these are not for eating, they're for selling.
What are you talking about, you do not have to buy it.
@@andreasfetzer7559 And your attitude is why companies keep raising the prices.
It must have been a barrel of _Gibson_ fish! 😂
Not sure why you got a bit of grief for sharing a joke that reflects a market reality . I always enjoy new, to me, humor when reality bites. Thanks
So true and I love how that dude above I guess couldn't grasp the concept of your joke with what's going on in the market with vintage/new guitars right now and as of the past few years, but I thought your joke was spot on brotha.
Charvel and Jackson are just insane prices new/used for what they are. 2k for a korean/indonesian/mexican made "super"strat with a non original floyd is INSANE.
Most Charvels are under $1000, and you can find used DS-3s for under $300 right now. A new X series Jackson soloist made in Indonesia is around $500. I have a Chinese mfg Warrior, and the cheap FR stays in tune the same as an original and works no differently. I think people spending $2000 on any guitar are insane, no matter where it's made. Those prices are on the buyers who are conned into thinking those guitars are worth more than under $600, not the manufacturer.
Jackson/Charvel have seen some of the biggest price hikes since 2020. I could get a USA made SL1 for just over 1000 pre-2020, now I'd be lucky to find one under 2000. Custom shop stuff is off the scale. Are they great? yeah some of the best metal/shred guitars out there, but they certainly aren't 200% better than a high end prestige Ibanez.
I find it crazy how over priced the DK24s are considering it's less wood, no stainless steel frets and has the same parts as many $700 or less guitars yet cost around $1100. The more time goes on with my DK24 the more I feel scammed lol. You really have to pay over 2 grand for a charvel for charvel to start putting the high quality parts you see on other guitars in that lower price range
I have a early 2000s mij jackson performer that I got for 280$
@@StephGV2 Their cheap models are THE worst entry level guitars on the market. If you bought a sub $600 guitar pre-2020 you can argue they are great instruments for the money, and I'd agree. Generally, the sub $600 guitars now will actively hinder a newer guitarist for how horrible they play and sound. period.
I am glad I already own a core USA PRS. I love my singlecut, but the fact they start at almost $5,000 now is absolutely wild.
Right?? I got a great deal in 2008 on a 10-top custom 24. Guitar Center had a sale going on for PRS, and it was near Black Friday so I ended up getting both deals combined. So less than $2,500 for a brand new CU24. Still my main guitar! Crazy to see what it would cost for the same thing now...
I sold one used for $1500 two years ago. The guys at PRS have lost their minds. I'll never own another one. Paid $2000 for a nice S2 Custom, but in less than a year the neck will not stay straight. If I adjust it for a bend, the strings are a mile off the fretboard. If I adjust for that, it's fretting out everywhere. Honestly if I could get rid of it without losing my shirt, I'd never own another PRS. The Hamer Californian (US Made) my dad bought for me in 1988 still plays as good today as when it was new. Hasn't lost an ounce of quality (and I have hundreds of shows plus tens of thousands of hours of practice and teaching on it). They're out of business and PRS is getting suckers to pay $5000 for diminished Core guitars (with mediocre tops). Sad....
Knaggs and Suhr are crazy expensive too.
@@artheriford I really want to play one to see how it holds up to the hype, but I can't even find anyone carrying them. Like a Govan guitar.....something I'll always wish I tried, but content to live without.
@@SDesWriter I played a Knaggs that one my local shops had a couple years ago. Man. Smooth as silk. But I still sounded like me and not Steve Stevens or Eric Steckel. This one was "only" $3500. Still a crazy price
The new prices of Gibson Les Paul’s are ridiculous. I couldn’t afford to repurchase my guitars at today’s prices.
other brands have high prices. PRS (PR$ LOL) and even Ibanez
Sadly gone are the days of the Tribute models, or even those Double Cut Specials and Juniors for under $1000.
I bought a single cut PRS secondhand on reverb for like $600 Canadian, and it's in great shape.
@@joermnyc Those were the days. I wish I bought more guitars back then, especially a Jr. I still have my Tribute and it’s a keeper.
@@BoneStack117 I managed to buy a satin PRS S2 single cut in walnut brown new before the prices increased. It’s a beauty of a guitar.
Lets be serious, hardly any of the guitars being sold by big retailers are a t anywhere near a “fair price”
Time will prove you folks wrong. Not trying to be contrarian here. Just realistic. The prices you see today will look extremely low in 5 years. Trust me. Screencap this if you want. And we'll meet back here in 5 years. It's October 2024 and I'll see you in 2029 or 2030. 😃
idk I think there are some great midrange options these days. You can get a G&L Tribute Tele, a PRS SE, a Fender Player Strat, a Schecter Omen, Gretsch G5220, all in the $500-$700 range. And they're all pretty terrific guitars imo.
@@Joe-mz6dc as time goes on, I believe the guitar will not feature as prominently in music production. This will affect prices.
fair is what people will pay for them.. Compared to other things say from the 1970s like houses or cars the price of Top end guitars like Gibson , Fender are actually pretty cheap IE It would take less of your paycheck today to buy a new one then it did in 1976 ! So is that over priced --Nope
@@Joe-mz6dc why so confident?
Agreed!...I'm shocked with the prices at Reverb😮 especially the signature guitars, really glad I've already purchased 16 guitars and GAS is over (hopefully.)🤭 some very notable shockers would be the following,:
*Fender Ynwgie scalloped Strat* - bought: ($1,500), Now at Reverb ($2,187 New/ $1,800 used)
*Ibanez Vai JEM777* - bought ($2,300), Now at Reverb ($7,400 to $10,570 used)
*Gibson Buckethead Les Paul* - bought ($4,100), Now at Reverb ($12,000 used)
If you want something cheaper, choose a guitar that does not have an "iconic" Logo (Harley Benton, Squire, Epiphone, Donner, Squire), because I think you're actually paying for the "Logo" and not the guitar itself. Just upgrade and mod it yourself, it will sound and play as good as the very expensive ones with proper set-up and upgrades. The only downside is you can't "boast" or flaunt it to your friends. 😅but who cares?😆 Cheers!✌
@@2good2betrue3
I agree except for the part about not being able to boast or flaunt it to your friends. I TOTALLY flaunt my Donner strat style, it ROCKS w JB4 trembucker 17.4k (bridge) RWRP fender tex mex 6.2k (middle) and tex mex 6.7 (neck)
Graphtech nut, saddles and string tree, Bourns 500k pots, Oak Grigsby 5-way and Puretone jack. Hand wired and soldered w Gavvit wire All for less than 300.00. Plays incredibly well and sounds delicious!
Absolutely! Aftermarket parts of quality are cheap, and pup changeouts aren't that hard. I upgrade virtually everything I buy eventually...
@@2good2betrue3
You know N=G+1 is as immutable as E=MC2
@@2good2betrue3
Jet ❤️ fantastic necks
I can boast my mad skills, though. None of my friends care about the logo on my guitar's headstock.
I was very pleasantly surprised to hear you name check Keith Scott. I started playing in 1985, when Bryan Adams was at his peak, and Keith Scott was a big influence on me. He just has such a great sense of melody and I don't think he gets anywhere near the credit that he deserves.
ya, an outstanding melodic player, and singer!
100% agree
Can’t remember the famous guitarist that name checked him recently- just brilliant.
Keith is amazing player😊life he is top player just amazing.
It holds true no matter the market - People will charge what people will pay. If people stopped paying, prices would come down. I have an Epiphone LP Studio. Same guitar with Gibson branding was a thousand bucks more expensive. Did it play a thousand bucks better? No.
Some old Epiphones really valuable
You single-handedly increased the prices of those charvels lol
Thinking a 500k sub channel on youtube caused worldwide inflation on a worldwide brand is ever so slightly out of touch lmao
Totally agree. These days you can get a quality product made on a CNC machine and imported. If you're not a collector, get a Squire, or an Epiphone. There some great ones out there.
Seeing that Les Paul KM and the crackle guitars takes me back to when you inspired me to pick up a guitar again after 20 years of not playing. I will always say that Robert is one of my top three influences to why I play guitar today. I always say that Ace Frehley introduced me to the guitar, Eddie Van Halen made me want to play guitar in the 80s, and Robert Baker reignited my passion for loving the guitar again. 🤘🏽🎸
Pawn shop treasures. I have ten that i cleaned and set up myself.My fav is Korean strat that i added bill lawrence vintage lead humbucker.Sounds and plays fantastic.Great neck. 125 dollars.😂
I have a John Birch Custom SG built in 1972 (Tony Iommi used John Birch).
For me, I can sound just as bad on a expensive guitar as I can on a inexpensive guitar. I recently bought a 2006 Squire Master Series Tete. Set neck, 24 3/4 scale pair of humbuckers. It's basically a Lescaster.
Just learn doing setups and fretwork and find high quality budget pickups (I can recommend Tonerider) and enjoy modding your guitars.
My 1971 -72 Gibson SG deluxe was $375 plus $75 for the case in 1972. Converting for inflation that’s around $3360 in 2024. If anything, most quality USA instruments have become less expensive. I recently paid $2600 for a brand new Gibson Les Paul Modern. That’s cheaper than my SG in today’s money 😊
No matter what people want to say, the Les Paul price has not kept up with inflation and is technically less than they should be.
I am finding that Ibanez is a great deal these days used, picked a rg prestige at $600 and a j custom for $975 which is around 25%/30% of The cost of a brand-new Version of one of those. glad there is so many Ibanez haters out there because it means I get lots of great instruments cheap af lol. Great video man
I agree.AZ s I have are so good. I got a white Lari Basilio about 6 months ago. I got it new dealer gave me a solid deal. That guitar is so dang good. Specs are amazing.
@@kebotrans yeah those are definitely great Guitars as well, really been considering picking one up... it's basically a Stratocaster but just way better imo. a $800 az competes with a $1500 strat all day...
and The prestige Versions just smoke so many other Guitars in that price range..... I am seeing shit loads of MIJ mid 90s/early 2000s RGs in great condition under $750 and those are basically prestige models without the logo... you just can't beat those prices for that kind of quality...
@@9th_note yes sir I have a few prestige AZs no need for a Suhr
I have two 300€ Ibanez guitars that play and sound as amazing as guitars that cost 3 times as much.
You'll always get a good deal with an ibanez.
Agreed just bought a used Prestige in fantastic shape $600
Grab them because they’re the next to balloon
I want a Les Paul jr., double cut, one p90 but the price is always insane.
Harley Benton
I'm a bass player and have been craving an SG Bass for quite a while now. I just can't justify spending $2000.
I have a 1979 Gibson The Paul. Walnut body, Ebony Fretboard. T Top Pickups. Paid $350 with a hard shell case. Bought it new. It was my first guitar. Still sounds great!
In 79, $350 was a lot of money. It still wasn't $2300 worth of money today, regardless of what the "inflation experts" try to tell us, but it was still a lot to pay for a guitar. One of the main differences, compared to today, is most people didn't have a collection of guitars. They had one guitar and they planned on keeping it. Now, I'm sitting here looking at 6 guitars hanging on the wall in my living room, and there are more in a spare bedroom. Yet here I am watching a video about the ridiculous price of guitars today. Why should I care? I don't need another guitar for the rest of my life. It's a different world we live in and most of us are just a bit insane, and a whole lot spoiled. I can't decide which one I want so I'll just buy them all.
I bought a Gibson SG sunburst finish for $300 new in 1984 with the "chainsaw" case. 20 years later It cost me 300 more for a re-fret. 40 years of entertainment for nothing because it is worth way more today than I have in it. I still have a 1975 Ibanez Les Paul Custom that I traded a guy an Epiphone that I paid 60 dollars for. I have worn the frets off of it as well and I am thinking about a re-fret for it......Those were the days
The Johnny Marr Jaguar is another example of a signature model with decent improvements
add the J mascis to that list
Agree - next on my list (well after an Eastman SB59/v) because JM worked with Fender to reinvent the Jaguar - pickups, wiring, control options . . . it's a 'personalised boutique' model for people who want that sound, those specific options, as opposed to just sticking a signature and a paint job on a standard guitar from the line and jacking the price up. Nice one, Johnny!
In 2007 a guitar shop owner convinced my dad to trade his 1968 Gibson Trini Lopez for a USA Breedlove Legacy acoustic (my dad loves acoustics). Now the value of his Breedlove is roughly maybe $3,000 if he’s lucky and on reverb many Trini Lopez are listed for $16,000 plus…
So youd rather havea guitar you didnt want that made you 1 thousand per year to pass up a guitar youve always wanted? No guitar player would pick that option, that would be a dollar and cents move that would only make sense if you didnt play guitar. Your dad made the right move.
@@MichaelMichniewiczLol, no. You’re not the arbiter of “what guitarist would do”.
Trini Lopez for $16,000?😧 wow!...I'll just settle for the 1978 Gibson ES-335, sounds and looks as good for just 1/8 of the Trini Lopez price.
@@MichaelMichniewicz he’s happy with his trade and that’s what counts
@@MichaelMichniewicz If he had enough cash in the bank to just buy the acoustic, then he certainly made the wrong trade. In fact, he could have taken out a high interest loan to buy the acoustic and he still would have made out. So, no.
I only play Gibson Studios and Fender Performer series guitars. American made to maintain resale value, and the entry levels because the performance difference between the entry American guitars and high-end isn’t much.
I would only buy those used. I agree they hold value used. But new, you’ll several hundred dollars of a hit no matter what.
Same here. Gibson Studio and Fender Highway One. Made in USA, but cheap....... well, sort of!
Studios are actually a good value despite costing a good amount. For 1600 new atm, you're getting an American made guitar mahogany body with maple top, nitro finish, block inlays along with neck binding. All that stuff cost a lot from a manufacturing standpoint. I've also seen some studios with killer tops that look like they should be on standards. They don't hold their value quite as well as standards or customs but that just means good deals to be had on the used market.
I got a Studio around 2015 for about $900. I've bought other guitars since but the LP Studio is my favorite. Bought a MIM Strat and Tele since and after getting them setup the low E is still buzzy on them. Plus to me the Gibson through a Marshall just sounds awesome.
I kinda felt disheartened when they started charging one thousand dollars (and more) for Epiphones. That was a bit of a signal to me that I needed to back out of buying guitars for a little while. I know they started producing higher quality products, but it just made me feel like it was time to not buy a guitar for a bit.
i been sayin this....they are avg to good at best...play them ...u will see....800 is all you should ever pay for an epi
Buy a Harley Benton instead
Hey think about it this way , I'll use a Gibson as an example , It would take less of your paycheck to buy one today than it would have in 1976,, yeah I was around then and buying guitars , I worked my but off to save for a new Les Paul ..
You know what's a hell of a lot more expensive than they used to be? Building a Partscaster. It used to cost you less to but old bodies and necks and pickups and hardware, and now people are asking $700 for a body and $350 for the neck and then you have to fork out $1000 for electronics and hardware and by that point you might as well have just got a Custom Shop complete.
Yeah that's kinda crazy, I bought a second hand Tele neck for about 150€ and I'm planning to build a nice tele around that, but with the specs I want (nothing too fancy, just good quality hardware, electronics, and a body with the color I want) I'm well above the 1000€ mark. For a partscaster, with a mexican neck, an alder body, no fancy exotic woods, no figured 3A lam tops or other expensive stuff, just crazy.
Rob, I loved to have a 63 strat, or a Gibson Les Paul. I went the Epiphone way, and even they are creeping up in price. But as you know, as working Family man, putting a roof over our family's heads and food on the table, always come first. all the best to you and your family and stay well.
john, Cornwall UK..
Good on you! I did buy gibsons and fenders- as epi want much of a thing then- but they got sold for christmas and other needs-family first!
Somewhere around 20 years ago, I remember when 60s Gibsons and Fenders were considered "mortgage guitars."
I remember when guitar mags sneered at a '74 Strat being called a 'collector's item'.
I’m 100% with you concerning’70’s Fenders and Gibsons. Even during the’70’s they were considered terrible so that opened the door for small builders like Zemaitis, BC Rich, Hamer, Dean, Travis Bean, aluminum neck Kramers, PRS, Taylor etc., to kick the door in. There are some gems for sure but you have to sort through a lot of trash to find a good one. I’ve owned quite a few vintage guitars but by large they spent more time in a case than I did playing them because I was too afraid of damaging them. I felt the same way about my nice US made Hamer and Core Model PRS. Great guitars but I was too afraid I’d damage them. Now days I spend my days playing some partscasters. I can get very good guitar at a competitive price that I’m not afraid of nicking or damaging and I feel okay with modifying without fretting about its collectors value.
I have ended up in the same place ...when i get a wild hair ...i just make one :) that said I bought a Yamaha revstar rss20 (HB Standard) and it is the only guitar i have owned that for one I jst play and two have no desire to change anything ....strats I am always fiddling with ..Telly no :)
Just about everything from the 70's was shitty. Cars, guitars and electronics. I played a few 70's guitars in a shop one day. Very nice instruments but every one of them weighed something like 12 lbs or more.
I have a 77 LPC - all original. Paid $300 for it in 1980. I am good with that value.
I guess I’ve always looked at things differently. Just recently, the 68 Ford Mustang GT 390 that was featured in the Steve McQueen movie Bullit was sold at action for over 2 million dollars and it wasn’t in great shape. People drive these prices with a “have to have it” attitude. I watched the show and all I seen was a big piece of metal…which it really is.
Just got a brand new 335 at Gibson Garage…. Expensive but not overpriced. Great vid! ✌🏻
In 1980 I walked into a local music store and bought a brand new 1980 les paul standard off the wall with hard case, strap plus candy .. it cost $499.95 which was a lot of money back then, but if you paid cash $400.00 out the door..
That's around $1,500 with inflation in 2024. Suffice to say, Gibson Les Paul Standards are not retailing at that price. Most I saw were over $2,000 new. Good workhorse guitar though and if you still have it today, then its been a fine purchase over all these years :)
I think you are completely right... since the internet the world changed a lot and prices for some vintage stuff has gone crazy. And there is a lot of fluctuations. It became more of a business thing as ot should be an artistic thing with guitars.
Used Ibanez JEM777 Steve Vai Signature 1980’s. Couldn’t afford one back then, and really can’t afford one now.😅
I bought by 1989 Jem 7PBK second hand for $700 back in 1991 when I was 16. I still have it and am shocked at what they get listed for now.
Yeah, JEM777 are one my ultimate dream guitars. It's the best 80's "super strat", The neck is better than all the newer JEM versions, but the price is really heavy. $10,000+ on Reverb, thanks to inflation and scalpers, owning one will remain a dream forever.😂
The Jeff Beck Stratocaster is one of the few signature models that I think is worth it, due to it's unique features that other Strats just don't have. Even for non Beck fans or people who have never heard of him, it's just an amazing well rounded guitar in which you can pretty much much play everything with it
I played the original one....I mean the Series 1 signature Fender. The neck was insanely thick but I liked it. Sort of felt like a vertical piano because it was so stable.
I can afford damn near anything I want... that being said, I hone in on cheap guitars after looking at the features and usually as many reviews by trusted UTubers as to what QC issues I might encounter. I own two soldering irons and have no fear. I have been replacing pickups since the 80s.
And if it turns out to be a lemon? I didn't invest much.
For what you get the Harley Bentons are fantastic. My Explorer copy with their brand active plays like butter, although the Bagwells are hollow sounding. So were my EMG 81/85 I had before. The Mockingbird copy plays like the $109 B-stock it is, but not terrible.
I rolled the dice on the Iommi rip-off Firefly SG, and it far exceeded my expectations right out the box. SS frets? Bone nut? Yes please! Although not locking on this model the tuners are smooth and adequate.
Would I like a Shijie? Keipro? Tajima? Solar ( real, not S series although I appreciate what Ola is doing there). Vola? FGN? A Wolfgang? ( I wish they made a fixed bridge model!) Sure, and maybe some day. I'm currently eyeballing SBS from Guitar Fetish, a Tele-type from Firefly, and lemon-drop LP HB copy.
I'm in the middle of buying a condo, and with 15 guitars laying around, selling a few is priority before buying more...
I'm in the same boat. I love those beautiful US PRS's but I won't pay those prices even though I can afford them. They're beautiful and are very well made but they're all over 4k. The really nice ones with the top tier woods and finishes are even higher. All I see are case queens with those. I would be crushed if I owned one and it got damaged so it would stay on the wall or in a case all the time. No thanks.
Godin used to be affordable here in Canada where they are made but now they are twice the price.
My pawn shop.$40 Fullerton Strat, which I installed Seymour Duncan JB/ Jazz pickups is all I need.
I'm fortunate to own a 1976 Les Paul Deluxe that is a fantastic playing, sounding, and looking guitar (beautiful cherry sunburst). But I agree, boat anchor is an apt description - mine is 12 lbs.
Picked it up in 1980 and gigged with it for decades, but after I hit 60 I retired it and picked up a PRS. I still love to play it at home though and would never sell it.
interesting that there's a prs in the thumbnail but no prs in the video
Because all the USA ones at least are massively expensive. Are they over-priced? A lot of craft and care goes into their design and build, the woods and everything but Paul Reed Smith is a brilliant salesman so whether that justifies the prices... well, once again that's down to you. I do love some of their designs and the wood finishes but I've just never found one I've played to date (getting old now lol) that has made me want to pay the top dollar. To me, I guess they seem over priced but so are Gibsons and some Fenders.
I have a solid black model 1 that I purchased in 1985. It originally had the crappy khaler style tremolo with the locking nut on the head stock made out of lead. After locking it down the first couple of times, grooves were created, allowing the strings to slip back and forth through the locking nut. Lol 😂 The bridge did not lock at all. You simply fed the strings through the hole and the string balls would rest on the backside. 😂 Needless to say I ended up putting a floyd rose on that guitar. Tuning stability is now very awesome, and I love the neck on that Charvel. It plays like butter now. The factory pickup, that was in it was extremely hot... i ended up replacing that with a screaming demon. It's perfect now.
Same with old military surplus rifles. 20 years ago, you could buy a Chinese SKS or Russian Mosin Nagant for $50. They’re fetching upwards of $900-$1000 in some markets today. All of this overpricing of literally EVERYTHING is absurd.
My Pops bought a M1 Garand for $100 in the early 80s.
My ESP Horizon custom was £999 when I found it back in '92. I got it for £600 because there was a chip in the headstock. They are now going for $5000 or £3800. But it is pure quality. A gem of an axe.
Keith Scott now that’s a name you don’t hear enough in the guitar community.
who
The last guitar I purchased was the san Dimas six pack of sound purple burst Charvel. Got that one in 2015 i believe.. Love it... except that for the floyd rose sub standard pot metal trem. Does not return to same position every time now. Annoying but still workable
Pretty much everything is overpriced now, guitars and pc parts especially. Which unfortunately covers both of my only two hobbies.
PC parts are not that bad, they've been much worse. Your bang for your buck is very good, especially if you go back a generation which are still performant
@@BoneStack117 They have gotten a bit better than they were. It was really bad when the chip shortages were going on.
I bought my personal Grail, an '87 MIJ Charvel Model 5 (neck-thru, Not 5A or 5HH) for $500 in 2004. All original: oversized Jackson J80s, mid boost, JT6 Trem with orginal stainless trem bar and Chainsaw case. Neck was flawless, headstock tip PERFECT. I finally had the frets leveled in 2023 after playing it myself for 20 yrs, and it is a perfect shredder.
On a whim, I checked to see what it would go for today, and I found 1 and a half Model 5s for sale. The first (black, like mine) was missing the trem bar, pickup covers and rear plate. Headstock looked like it was played 9 innings with, and description said, " frets 24-12 have deep string grooves, which doesn't matter because the neck is back-bowed AND twisted. Truss cover gone and problem with truss nut-
$1950 no case."
The other Model 5 was Black Cherry (gorgeous) but just a shell. Not a metal washer to be found, only wood...
Yours for $600.
Insanity.
Mine is available. $22K.
The price increase was a semi-blessing for me.
Cars became so expensive I’ve basically put the hobby on hold and put more time into guitar. I’ve got the equipment I want now (that can hold me for years tbh) and it only cost a fraction of what I used to spend on car parts.
You simply picked the wrong car, you can have something rare & unique that's plenty fun for under a grand and restore it to perfection for less than $2,000 (so long as you don't need paint, biggest expense in car history today 😳) because that's where my car collection stands, my first restoration tallied only $3600 including the repaint ($800ish value) just in 2017 - same story now would be only $2800 before paint, my parts never went up in price but shipping sure did.
Question for you Robert, what do you think is a good value for someone making the move to an intermediate level guitar as far as new options go.
The vintage market is based on two things really nostalgia enthusiasts and traders.
I would think hanging on to vintage guitars too long could be sketchy because the market could change.
And boomers
from what i noticed is buy what plays well for you look at how its set up, its a plus to already have good pick ups and electronics as it can cost a lot to change,and how well does it stay in tune:)
I’m really huge in vintage fender guitar. And it’s a 88-89 fender hm Strat. I own 8 of them from the 80s. My most expensive was 1300 was my cheapest one was 525 lol
Now you take that back. Them's fightin' words. 88-89 is no-where close to "vintage".
@@ThrashMetalAJM
‘80’s is vintage? Pre CBS fender is vintage ‘80’s is yesterday 😅
One nice thing if you are a buyer is that the used guitar market has softened. I have found some great deals because the people are not buying and you can catch some great discounts that will pop up. It's a bit of a rough time to sell. I recently watched a limited edition bass model for two years. The prices have been stubborn , but one day one appeared with a nice price drop. Saved a chunk of change.
I’m buying a squier and upgrading it
I got a few used and upgraded Squier guitars off a friend, for $200 each Canadian when he was downsizing 3 years ago. STRAT with a 3 way (off/series/parallel) for each pickup, phase switch for each pickup, kill switch, locking tuners, and scalloped neck. So it's a Strat / Brian May / Yngvie, all in one. I bought a never used regular neck for it, and is my next project. TELE with the 3 way switch changed to 5 way, with add series and parallel humbucker settings using the original 2 Tele pickups. One of them makes it sound like a Les Paul neck pickup.
Tonerider pickups are GREAT for that mod .
@@bxsoup thank you
@@bxsoup What about something like Dimarzio
You may not have to. Some of those Squires are fantastic, right out of the box.
You did NOT say Keith Scott? 😮
That is one of MY Heroes!
My old band played Run to you- to end our sets and just traded solos for days! When i bought up some Bryan Adams I was instantly blown Away by him! 🎉
When a “Player’s Grade” 70’s Les Paul is more than a new Les Paul, it’s time to buy an Epiphone.
With new Epiphone prices getting crazy too, soon there'll be no guarantee that's in budget either
Check out Eastman.
@@Mudder1310 Or PRS Tremonti
Skip the fragile headstock and just get the Epiphone anyway. Epiphone are fun and sound great. I have all three, Gibson intact, Gibson repaired headstock, and Epiphone. The Epiphones get way more play time.
And though the price of Epiphone has also sky rocketed, they (like Squire), are making some amazing guitars.
Bought my first real racing bicycle back in the early 90's. An Eddy Merckx Corsa MLX for almost $4000. There were many other bikes that were just as good for 1/4th the price, but I had the money and that's what I was set on. Same goes for guitars. You can get so many great guitars for such a low price now that it's hard to justify spending premium money for a headstock or the vibe of a vintage guitar. But if you've got the money and that's what you're set on, go for it.
Yeah everyone is gouging everyone.
Greed is a thing, even among guitar players.
I basically don’t buy anything unless I get really lucky and find some elderly people without the internet selling off all their stuff. That’s how I got my 63 SG and the best vintage les Paul I’ve ever owned
HAHA
ALL guitars are overpriced.
I don’t agree with this, but I think Fender and Gibson need to get their head out of their ass. There are a bunch of brands nowadays that offer better price to quality ratio, between Schecter, Yamaha, Solar, Vola, Ibanez, hell even Strandberg has a $1000 model now.
Fender is somewhat better off with it as they have the MIM line, but the QC on those is inconsistent, and there are better options at comparable price points for say, a strat or tele, as Schecter offers extremely good ones at the player series price range and so does Vola.
Glad to hear Keith Scott mentioned!
Wanna get a Warwick thumb 4. A new one (BO) at Sweetwater’s going for around 3700-3800.
Even used they’ve went up a bit too.
I’ve been playing a Univox Hi Flyer exclusively for about 20 years. I have two. They both cost less than $250 each, one of which I got for $85 (in fairly poor condition, since refinished and restored). Pains me to see how much they’re listed for now. To me, they’re priceless and sentimental as I’ve used them in every band I’ve been in, so it’s weird to see them on Reverb for close to 2k (and beyond sometimes), especially for one of the most widely distributed Japanese made student guitars of the 70s. All because of Kurt Cobain. The market is crazy, and I hate that it’s getting harder to find vintage MIJ/lawsuit stuff for a reasonable price… though I did score a Lyle SG copy for $25 on FB a few years ago.
I have a model four also. I purchased it in 1988. It is the same fire crackle that you are playing in this video. However the neck is rosewood. I paid six hundred dollars for the model one and eight hundred dollars for the model four.
Peavey USA 80s & 90s You can still get for a decent price same thing with older Grecos. Although they’ve gone up by double you can still find quality for under a grand shipped.
Great video Robert! I couldn't agree more with your sentiment here - I own some vintage guitars and have owned some nice vintage amps in the past too. The thing is that even the stuff I love (or loved when I owned it), I don't think I'd buy them again at today's prices. There are just way too many nice things to buy for way less money that are every bit as good or better.
A perfect example is my Silvertone Bobkat 1476. I bought it for stupid cheap - it was literally the least expensive guitar I've ever bought. I bought it on a whim and figured that I'd just use it for slide in open G. I've grown to love it and everyone who plays it says it's got some kind of magic mojo to it. However, when I see the prices that they go for now, I simply couldn't bring myself to pay for it again.
To each their own though, and for sure if someone is happy with the gear they've purchased, then it's worth it to them.
Agree completely. My budgetary ceiling is approximately $700, not counting the case. My last buy was a used Epiphone ES-339 that was around $400 with the case, and can remember when a brand new Gibson Les Paul was around $900 (early 1980s). I guess I’m just not into guitars as “tribute pieces” for a particular player, collectibles or investments. Nothing wrong with that, for those who have the disposable income and the interest though.
Definitely agree- I’m over the brand snobbery and GAS I used to have years ago. Trying now to play more and buy less. Jeff Beck had like 1 guitar when he was in the Yardbirds and I need 12? Doubt it.
@@brianhansen-hj3ml IKR? A few years ago, I read a book by a guy who went out and interviewed a few of his guitar heroes from back in the 1980s. As the story developed, it came out that he collected replicas of the instruments they played back in the day. If memory serves, he had 12 guitars at home…but he didn’t play! The guitars were nostalgia items. Reading this was what cured me of my own GAS because I thought, “How sad, guitars are meant to be played not admired.” It reminded me of Gibson’s attempt to become a “lifestyle brand.” They wanted to sell $10,000 guitars to wealthy people who would…hang them on the walls at home or in their offices. WTF!? It’s good to have a spare or three but that’s crazy. They almost tanked the damn company and I don’t think they’ve recovered yet.
What amp/sim/plugin is this video recorded with rob?have you ever done a video about it ?
I bought a 2014 fender standard on Reverb a few months ago. Supposedly, it was bought and stored in a case for 10 years. It looks new and is THE best sounding strat i have ever heard. I would guess the strings are 10 years old but man they sound good. It plays so well.
Gordon Smith is such an overlooked maker. I got one brand new in.....1998 for 350 quid. Perfect guitar. Now the same model (GS-1) is about 1,200. And the quality has improved. Truly excellent guitars that very few people know exist. @Robert Baker please try to find a good Gordon Smith for review on your channel
I play on my 1982-84 Squier Strat mij all the time. My 1990 PRS os hardly used now, but I go back to it once in a while to remember what a really good neck feels like.
Budget brands are putting out some amazing product. I don't have any "top shelf" guitars to compare too, but I really don't see how spending 1k plus is going to make much of a difference.
No mention, of Martin Acoustic; value worth or not for price?
Agreed with the 1980’s Charvel model series. Purchased a model 2 some years ago for 300 dollars and while the prices were reasonable I have now 10 😂 including a USA Jackson as well. But now days the prices seem to just keep creeping up. Great video 👍
I agree that guitars have massively increased in price. Some of its down to social media, inflation, etc.
I bought a Duesenberg Starplayer TV in lockdown, they are about £500 more expensive now. I’m glad I got mine when I did. The same with my Les Paul.
I generally buy American because I know generally they will hold their value of if I decide to sell them. I know not everyone can do that and I’m lucky I can.
I was sick of losing so much money on mid range guitars. Hopefully now I won’t lose so much, if I ever sell them. Plus you get the added bonus of playing an incredible guitar. I’d always recommend trying before you buy.
I have a Charvel Model 3, I bought is used sometime around 2019 for €160. I had to take the Kahler trem off because it's junk, even when not being used the saddles would move and put the guitar out of tune. I replaced the Kahler with a Wilkinson which is blocked off, but basically it's stock and if I wanted to I could put the guitar back to stock as I have the original trem and I have the spare parts to make the trem stay in tune. It's a phenomenal guitar, the neck is incredible, the body sits perfectly, the bridge pickup is a monster and the single coils sing beautifully. The exact same model can be found for sale on reverb in for €950, that's insane. Yes, the guitar is amazing, I love it. I would not drop €950 on it.
Agree totally with your comments. Another artist guitar which has sky-rocketed over the past few years is the Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour black Strat. I nearly bought one around six years ago for around £4k, the same guitar is now around £14k and priced higher than a Masterbuilt ! Absolutely crazy.
I agree with most of your opinions. It takes a lot of effort to find a deal today.
I bought a Strat back in 1989 that I played for many years, then had to sell it in 2011. It was a unique Strat that I found out they only made about 400 of them (an American Deluxe Standard Strat with Gold Lace Sensors, TBX control). They were made out of Strat Plus leftover parts. Anyway, never found another guitar that sounded or played like that one. 2 years ago, I found an exact twin to that guitar, same finish, same everything. I ended up paying a lot for it but it is absolutely worth it to me. The guitar arrived in basically new condition. Looks like it was never played. But value is what someone is willing to pay for something.
I snagged two great guitars last week on reverb for what I consider very reasonable prices. Being patient, and not allowing your emotions control your spending will go a long way in helping you get what you're looking for.
I did forget to mention in one of your 80’s videos check out the first album by a band called Masquerade. Good stuff!
Where were you at the Guitar Summit this year????
Always wanted an upgrade. But buying new is almost impossible and the second hand prices on any guitar are way too high indeed. I might be playing the trusty ol squire forever.
Love the Keith Scott and Dann Huff shout outs. Two unsung heroes! PS Rob, your knuckles are pretty red. As someone in his late 30s with arthritis of the hands, just wanted to flag in case you started feeling heat / inflammation in your finger joints. Best to address early on!
I love my late 70s early 80s Japanese made guitars. Ibanez are my favorite. But I’ve also got a Greco Les Paul I love. Recently acquired in 1978 Ibanez PF200. Great guitar.
i like Martins , the standard series are priced ok , there was an increase a couple of years back , the entry level ones under 1k arnt as good as taylors imo , great show robert !
Speaking of vintage guitars, vintage Japanese guitars are just so worth it. Burny, Orville, Greco, Tokai, Ibanez, etc. all made incredible Gibson and Fender copies in the 70s and 80s; finishes are gorgeous built quality is insane (prob better than same era Gibsons). You can pick up a LP copy for about half the price of a Gibson LP, totally worth it
Fender Sambora Strat ! I’ve been keeping an eye for one to come up at a reasonable price.
I have an 80s Steingberger GM4T. I was shocked to see that they are going for 4-10k depending on the model nowadays. At one point it was in pieces and I considered just getting rid of it. Now I am getting it refurbished, but will probably keep it since it has a lot of sentimental value.
Picked up an 86 MIJ Charvel Model 3A w/ original case in a pawnshop years ago on the cheap. The slim fast neck blew me away and of course who doesn't like the SS look. I came to find out soon after, that it originally belonged to a fellow co-worker of mine who ordered it back in '86 as a young military Airman. He wasn't too happy to see that I owned it now.
Yeah that is a Charvel Predator and they were made between 89 -91(some say 86 to 91) can't lock that down at this point. And they had reverse headstock.
I brought a 98 Gibson LP standard for $900 which I thought was a good price from a pawn dealer, I got a 72 reissue fender telecaster thinline for $50 Because the original owner had died I got it from his wife she also gave me his 63 Framus black rose jazz guitar for nothing because the neck had popped out of its socket, I had a sunburst strat with the rose wood fretboard a 68 I think it was and I frigging hated it so I gave it away but my pride and joy is my 2006 55 reissue Gretsch white falcon USA custom build made by master builder Stephen Stearn which cost me $10.5k Aus which I thought was a great price as the last two I saw sold for excess off $20k
I found the 335 Gibson (shorter scale, 24 3/4") too cramped for my fingers..when l played a Tele, it was fine for length, but the nut width 1 5/8" a little narrow..they had an optional 1 3/4" in the catalogue, but not here in Australia..but l preferred the Tele, and sold off the 335..so one of these days, l will graduate to a "soft V" neck, ideally with a flatter radius, wider nut end..also, l notice that the Tele keeps its tone when just off max, playing rhythm, keeping max for solos, while the Gibson tone went dead, off max, tone-wise..l later read that the caps were wrong..but l will stick with the Tele..so much great info and interviews here on YT.
I got a used Epiphone LP Special with P90s for $150. There are two tiny notches on the top two frets under the high e string, which would bug me if I did more high bends, but overall I'm quite happy with it.
Yes, have fun playing whatever guitar you want to. Great advice.
I've got two signature strats: SRV and Clapton. The SRV strat was my dream strat. So I bought it brand new. The Clapton strat I go second hand at a reasonable price (under $1250). But I agree: prices have gone through the roof. I haven't browsed through Reverb for a while now as I'm not willing to pay the prices they ask. Hopefully it'll improve in the future. Especially for young kids looking to pick up the guitar.