1 $4,000 street price guitar or 2 $2,000 street price guitars?

[llew]

Quality over quantity for me. Play them all...see what speaks to you? Everyone is different...

[TBman]

Inspite of my recent threads I wouldn't buy 10 $400 guitars

With a $4,000 budget I might research the upper echelons of the guitar world and see what I could get used. Something in excellent condition that sold for $7k new maybe... Something that when you play it you hear the angels sing....

[crikey]

Originally Posted by grinningbanjo53

Say you had the option of owning 2 steet price guitars at $2,000 a piece, or one guitar at $3,500-$4,000?

I guess I'm trying to figure out if guitars in the $4,000 steet price range are really that much better than a $2,000 guitar?

Only you can answer that. But I'd say if you're skittish about how to spend that kind of money on guitars, take plenty of time for researching and hands-on. Wear yourself out playing everything you think might suit you. Then when you decide where to spend your money you'll know it's right...hopefully!

[Texsunburst59]

My choice would be to find a SUPER AMAZING deal on a used guitar that's worth $16,000 that I can buy for $4000.

I buy a lot of used guitars, and most of them I buy at or near wholesale prices.

I'd be VERY happy to shell out $4000 for one that will easily go for $16,000 any day of the weak.

$4000 for 1 new or $2000 for 2 new guitars?

NEVER!!!!

[Arthur Blake]

Obviously it is a personal choice, but for myself I prefer fewer things of better quality, so I'd go for the best first.

I'd been thinking about starting a thread about a guitar that makes you sound better than you are. If you get a fine instrument, and play it well, you get a reward with the variety, richness and depth of tone you can produce, and it makes playing everything more worthwhile.

I wound up playing a lot of classical music (in addition to other styles) on my Authentic, which I never expected, but glad that I can. When you get those really deep bass notes, and bell like trebles you've forgotten about the price, and it's always fun to play some note and be surprised how good it sounds.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Arthur Blake

I'd been thinking about starting a thread about a guitar that makes you sound better than you are. ...

To me it seems more likely that a good guitar gets out of the way and lets you sound as good as you are, whereas a lesser guitar hinders you and makes you sound worse than you are.

Originally Posted by grinningbanjo53

Say you had the option of owning 2 steet price guitars at $2,000 a piece, or one guitar at $3,500-$4,000?

I guess I'm trying to figure out if guitars in the $4,000 steet price range are really that much better than a $2,000 guitar?

You're kind of dividing the question along a line that would frustrate me. 10 years ago I think the line between really great guitars and really good guitars was 2k, but now it seems to have crept up to 2.5~2.8k. I can walk out of a store with a Taylor 814ce for just under 3k, or a Martin d-18, or a Gibson J-45 or Hummingbird between 2k and 3k, but right at 2k, nah.

So my answer then is just one at 3.5k-4k. Even the new Taylor 414 Rosewood is more than 2k. I played that today and was really liking it. But with tax it would have been, you guessed it, close to 2.7k.

[Rosewood99]

The correct answer is it depends on each of the guitars in your question.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Arthur Blake

Obviously it is a personal choice, but for myself I prefer fewer things of better quality, so I'd go for the best first.

I'd been thinking about starting a thread about a guitar that makes you sound better than you are. If you get a fine instrument, and play it well, you get a reward with the variety, richness and depth of tone you can produce, and it makes playing everything more worthwhile.

I wound up playing a lot of classical music (in addition to other styles) on my Authentic, which I never expected, but glad that I can. When you get those really deep bass notes, and bell like trebles you've forgotten about the price, and it's always fun to play some note and be surprised how good it sounds.

That would be a good thread. Certain styles of music though can be played on a wide range of guitars and still sound good. It would be an interesting discussion.

[grinningbanjo53]

Originally Posted by Frozen Rat

You're kind of dividing the question along a line that would frustrate me. 10 years ago I think the line between really great guitars and really good guitars was 2k, but now it seems to have crept up to 2.5~2.8k. I can walk out of a store with a Taylor 814ce for just under 3k, or a Martin d-18, or a Gibson J-45 or Hummingbird between 2k and 3k, but right at 2k, nah.

So my answer then is just one at 3.5k-4k. Even the new Taylor 414 Rosewood is more than 2k. I played that today and was really liking it. But with tax it would have been, you guessed it, close to 2.7k.

You need to look into dealer pricing, friend. D-18s can be had for under $2,000 all day.

My favorite guitars for example.

[guitar george]

Look at all the guitars you can, from a price range of about $1,000.00 to $5,000.00, and when you find "the one" and buy it, you will know if you have any money left over to buy another one.

[Dotneck]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

The correct answer is it depends on each of the guitars in your question.

Yup. I've done it both ways and each time was the right decision for me.

[The Bard Rocks]

At $2000, you will find a very nice guitar. Very nice. At $4000, it will be noticeably nicer, but not twice as nice. Things don't work that way, whether it's golf clubs, stereo equipment, cars, or guitars.

There are very good reasons to get two. Myself, I'd rather have a single more expensive one as I happen to cherish quality over quantity. But that's me, and not necessarily you.

[blindboyjimi]

There are many of us here with silly numbers of guitars at silly prices. If your wallet will let you buy a $2,000 or a $4,000 guitar, just know that the $4,000 guitar will most likely, but not definitely, be better than the $4,000, and if it’s better, it will be by ~15% not 100%. The sweetest spot for me is the $4K range. When you get to a high end Taylor or GE/Authentic Martin or a boutique build like H&D, SCGC, Bourgeois or Collings it’s just preference. Further than that the high end single luthiers are quite subtly better. But if you can easily afford the $4,000, I think it’d be worth it. A great player on a basic guitar will always sound better than me on my vintage Martins, but it’s fun for me and inspires me and that’s worth it. Ultimately, it’s the player.

Originally Posted by grinningbanjo53

You need to look into dealer pricing, friend. D-18s can be had for under $2,000 all day.

My favorite guitars for example.

Yup, sorry, you're right, my brain meant to write D-28.