THREE AMAZING OLSONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION - An SJ, a Jumbo and a Dread!

[pitner]

I gig with my Olson all the time. While it is the most expensive guitar I own I play it hard and don't baby it at all. It is a tool not a painting on the wall and without use what good is it? I respect it and keep it cased and humidified and all that kind of stuff but I play the snot out of it. When I'm done it won't be even close to mint condition but I'll bet it will sound even better than it does today which is pretty great. Guitars are ment to be played!

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by pitner

I gig with my Olson all the time. While it is the most expensive guitar I own I play it hard and don't baby it at all. It is a tool not a painting on the wall and without use what good is it? I respect it and keep it cased and humidified and all that kind of stuff but I play the snot out of it. When I'm done it won't be even close to mint condition but I'll bet it will sound even better than it does today which is pretty great. Guitars are ment to be played!

how long do you think it took for your Olson to "open up"?

[Taylorplayer]

Originally Posted by bobby b

Lovin' the Tiger Myrtle!!
To me, they are works of art for sure, but no way I could justify spending that much on a guitar......... that I would no doubt eventually 'ding' ..lol

Beautiful work.

When the time comes to commission, Tiger Myrtle will be high on my list (unless the builder talks me out of it)...... Just beautiful!

[dirt1966]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

how long do you think it took for your Olson to "open up"?

Olsons are incredible out of the box..... they get better with time like any guitar, but mine was amazing the day I got it. There are plenty of great guitars, and Olsons are definitely in there. And from what I understand, he isn't taking custom orders any longer.... so you never know what the future holds. I understand he is just over 1360 or 1370 in total production for his life... so get while the getting is good.

[dirt1966]

Originally Posted by bobby b

Lovin' the Tiger Myrtle!!
To me, they are works of art for sure, but no way I could justify spending that much on a guitar......... that I would no doubt eventually 'ding' ..lol

Beautiful work.

Better to write a bigger check and retain 90% to 100% of it's value than write a lesser check and lose 50% of it's value.

[pitner]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

how long do you think it took for your Olson to "open up"?

I bought mine used and in dead mint condition. It sounded better than any of the guitars in the whole shop where I bought it (Fine Acoustics). And when I say better it was waaaayyyyy better. It came to me with a Fishman undersaddle pickup which sounded really good but made me nervious in terms of acoustic tone so I had that pulled, a new bone saddle made, and a K and K mini installed in its place. Huge improvement in acoustic and amped sound. Opened up 20% that day. Olsons are really fine guitars and I am pleased to have the honor pf playing one on a weekly basis at my church gig.

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by dirt1966

Olsons are incredible out of the box..... they get better with time like any guitar, but mine was amazing the day I got it. There are plenty of great guitars, and Olsons are definitely in there. And from what I understand, he isn't taking custom orders any longer.... so you never know what the future holds. I understand he is just over 1360 or 1370 in total production for his life... so get while the getting is good.

used is fine for me if I decide to take the plunge. a few olsons float around now and then so i take comfort knowing that that option exists for me when i am ready. 15-20K is a bit much for me to invest in a new guitar and i can't bring myself to justify crossing the 10K line just yet. maybe down the line my mind might change. im not in for resale value too much, never have been. i am a guitar player so the stuff i buy gets used heavily. if i take the plunge to get an olson, im prolly gonna have it till i croak or the thing gets wrecked en route to a gig somewhere.

@dirt: no doubt they sound great. i played one before and it def had that "wow" factor. if they sound great new-ish, its def only gonna get better over time.

[dirt1966]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

used is fine for me if I decide to take the plunge. a few olsons float around now and then so i take comfort knowing that that option exists for me when i am ready. 15-20K is a bit much for me to invest in a new guitar and i can't bring myself to justify crossing the 10K line just yet. maybe down the line my mind might change. im not in for resale value too much, never have been. i am a guitar player so the stuff i buy gets used heavily. if i take the plunge to get an olson, im prolly gonna have it till i croak or the thing gets wrecked en route to a gig somewhere.

@dirt: no doubt they sound great. i played one before and it def had that "wow" factor. if they sound great new-ish, its def only gonna get better over time.

Intereting that most of the under 10k guitars would take a pretty good hit in value (regardless of whether you sold it or not)... but getting up there in the 10-15k range you would likely not take nearly the same percent loss in economic value. Imagine if you bought a used one for 10k, played it for 5 years and sold it for 10k...Yes there is some loss in value but that is attributable to inflation and cost of living increases but you HAVE gotten to enjoy it. Beats spending 7k, and having it worth 3k at the end.

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by dirt1966

Intereting that most of the under 10k guitars would take a pretty good hit in value (regardless of whether you sold it or not)... but getting up there in the 10-15k range you would likely not take nearly the same percent loss in economic value. Imagine if you bought a used one for 10k, played it for 5 years and sold it for 10k...Yes there is some loss in value but that is attributable to inflation and cost of living increases but you HAVE gotten to enjoy it. Beats spending 7k, and having it worth 3k at the end.

thats the way it goes, pretty much.

[dirt1966]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

thats the way it goes, pretty much.

Case in point. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=235861

Seller acknowledges it has lost 56% of it's value, and in fact, for what it goes for, bet it is more like 65% of it's value. That is difficult to digest. Oh well, to each his own. One of the things that you have to justify that loss in value is that you got units of enjoyment in playing it so that might not make it so bad.

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by dirt1966

Case in point. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=235861

Seller acknowledges it has lost 56% of it's value, and in fact, for what it goes for, bet it is more like 65% of it's value. That is difficult to digest. Oh well, to each his own. One of the things that you have to justify that loss in value is that you got units of enjoyment in playing it so that might not make it so bad.

wow. 3 owners in less than 5 years? its a nice Doerr though. i can imagine taking a hit on the decreased return is tough to digest but maybe they don't mind -i don't know. he mentioned needing to "thin the herd" so maybe he isn't worrying about the returns too much. i am sure the guy has enough instruments to keep him happy and might just want to pass on something he doesn't play as much, even if it is going to cost him during the sale.

some folks might look at purchasing guitars as an investment but in my case, i buy em for keeps, to play music and to perform a task so preserving an instrument's financial value isn't really a big concern of mine like it might be for some folks. different perspectives for different people, really.

[pitner]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

wow. 3 owners in less than 5 years? i can imagine taking a hit on the decreased return is tough to digest but maybe they don't mind -i don't know.

i don't doubt specific guitars will appreciate over time but the buying and selling approach has never been my thing. like i said, i buy guitars for use AND for keeps. if i sell any of my guitars, whoever buys it won't ever mistake the thing for "barely used, mint condition" and i won't have any qualms trying to recoup money from it. i bought the things as tools to play music and do gigs so keeping it in pristine condition to preserve value is not a primary concern of mine like it is for some folks.

Me too. Resale value is important but not to the point of not playing the guitar. My Olson is going to be played. I have a friend who borrows it from time to time for his live show when they do an acoustic set to give peoples ears a rest. He keeps it cased and knows the value of it. I am always at the shows as my Wife works for the band. Will it get dings, fret wear and the like? Why yes it will just like all of my guitars. Will I use it for a skateboard and ram it through speakers to be cool? No I won't. Got to find a happy place with ownership of anything you may have.

[sehnsucht77]

Originally Posted by pitner

Me too. Resale value is important but not to the point of not playing the guitar. My Olson is going to be played. I have a friend who borrows it from time to time for his live show when they do an acoustic set to give peoples ears a rest. He keeps it cased and knows the value of it. I am always at the shows as my Wife works for the band. Will it get dings, fret wear and the like? Why yes it will just like all of my guitars. Will I use it for a skateboard and ram it through speakers to be cool? No I won't. Got to find a happy place with ownership of anything you may have.

Haha. don't do it with the Olson, that is what solid body electrics are for! i remember stage diving years ago during a gig -with my guitar- into a thrash pit. i can't imagine an acoustic coming out alive of something like that but my solidbody, an ESP custom, went right back to work after a bit of tuning adjustment

[dirt1966]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

wow. 3 owners in less than 5 years? its a nice Doerr though. i can imagine taking a hit on the decreased return is tough to digest but maybe they don't mind -i don't know. he mentioned needing to "thin the herd" so maybe he isn't worrying about the returns too much. i am sure the guy has enough instruments to keep him happy and might just want to pass on something he doesn't play as much, even if it is going to cost him during the sale.

some folks might look at purchasing guitars as an investment but in my case, i buy em for keeps, to play music and to perform a task so preserving an instrument's financial value isn't really a big concern of mine like it might be for some folks. different perspectives for different people, really.

It is not per se an investment, but why take a financial hit if you don't have to?

[pitner]

Originally Posted by sehnsucht77

Haha. don't do it with the Olson, that is what solid body electrics are for! i remember stage diving years ago during a gig -with my guitar- into a thrash pit. i can't imagine an acoustic coming out alive of something like that but my solidbody, an ESP custom, went right back to work after a bit of tuning adjustment

I remember seeing Ty Tabor take his Zion electric and throw it straight up into the air at the end of his solo. Yikes! Never got inot that stuff as my gig is in church and wild stuff like that isn't done where I go. Not saying it's wrong but..................