Swimming Upstream, What Else is New?

[Nyghthawk]

Some folks tend to consider their guitar as a tool to be used. Those folks are not worried too much about resale value and modify the guitar as it suits them. Including cutting additional sound holes in them, which I find strange but to each his own.

Others tend to be more collectors and may or may not plan to keep it at all. Those folks talk about resale value before they go to the store to look at one.

I just enjoy playing what I can afford. I may end up selling one or two but I am not going to let resale value determine which I buy or what I do to it.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Osage

Nobody buys a table saw or chain saw or dining room set etc... expecting to get their money back when they sell.... but with guitars, it seems that that is almost expected by some people.....

Well, maybe, but certainly not universally. I don't mod my guitars, and I usually expect to take a little loss if I decide to sell. Not a big loss, but a bit of a loss nevertheless.

[L20A]

Go ahead and use the JP rest.
Instead of using the tape that it comes with,
Get some 3M tape and only Apply 3 or 4 small pieces of tape to the rest.
This makes removal much easier if needed.

[vindibona1]

Good questions and lots of good replies.

When I buy an instrument, with rare exceptions, I buy it to play it. How long will I keep it? I don't know. I think the only instrument I own that is sacred and will never be sold is my '72 D35. But never say never. With that, I cannot bear to electrify it. I'd like to and I may if I don't have to modify it further than the bridge and saddle that was altered to fix the intonation issue of 70's Martins.

Something inside me doesn't want to PERMANENTLY modify anything. I will never ever have a tattoo. Not because some of them aren't works of art, but because I know that in a short time I won't want to be wearing it, any more than I want to wear bell-bottom pants today.

I suppose an arm-rest is a slightly different thing, especially in light of physical impairment, so comfort is important. Some folks might see the arm-rest as an upgrade, so it all depends on who is looking at the guitar should there be a desire to sell it.

[jaymarsch]

I have to admit with all the guitars that I have purchased either new or used, I have never once thought about resale value. I have sold instruments and since I tend to take very good care of them, they usually sell for a good price. The first custom guitar that I ordered has a custom inlay on the headstock. Again, I never gave resale a thought though I am aware if I sold that guitar, the inlay might put off some folks who do not want an inlay of a great egret flying across the headstock of their guitar. Then again, it is not a guitar that I ever plan on selling. All these decisions I find are very personal ones and each person needs to do what they think is best for themselves. So far, I have bought guitars, I have sold guitars, I have made money on guitar sales and lost money on guitar sales - no regrets.

Best,
Jayne

[Ten]

I try to factor in the economic impact of all decisions, guitar related or otherwise. The amount that outcome factors in to the decision may not be much, but I like to at least be aware. How someone else makes their choice is up to them and not really my concern, though I may learn something from it that can help my own decision making process in the future.

[tadol]

Or consider that some people might think the armrest adds value -

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

le.

if you buy a guitar for YOU, why worry about what others may think of mods and about resale? Why deprive yourself of the little things that make that guitar yours?

Nobody has answered this part of the original post yet.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Nobody has answered this part of the original post yet.

I think a number of people have answered it. Especially the part about resale. As for caring what others think, some people do and some don't. I don't see it as a big deal either way. As to the point about making it "yours", some people find the most enjoyment in playing an all original, un-modded guitar. Collectors, most of who are also players, certainly pay a premium for it.

To sum it up. Some find the most enjoyment in playing a guitar that they have customized. Others find enjoyment in a guitar they got a great deal on because someone else customized it. Some find enjoyment in an untouched vintage guitar, still others find enjoyment in a vintage guitar that has been rode hard, put up wet and modded to heck and back. Others find enjoyment in a brand new guitar that no one has touched. Some people think about resale value and others do not and certainly some think about it at least to a certain degree.

[Glennwillow]

Hi Paddy,

I think about resale value for a few milliseconds, but not much more than that. I don't beat up my guitars, I take care of them, yet at the same time I don't worry too much about resale value. I don't buy guitars with the intention of selling them.

At some point at least some of my guitars will have to be sold, but in the few cases where selling a guitar was necessary, I have not had much trouble with that. Things like changing tuners or pick guards, to me, shouldn't cause trouble in reselling a guitar, though a person is not likely to get any extra money for these upgrades.

Regarding an armrest, it can be removed before selling without damaging the guitar, though if the guitar top has had very much exposure to the sun, this device may leave a lighter region, a "tan line," showing on the top. In time, this "tan line" will disappear, but I could see where this tan line might bother some buyers.

Some people really dislike the looks of an armrest on a guitar. I have never been particularly found of the looks myself, but I certainly understand the purpose and value of this device.

I'm with you, Paddy. If you want to make modifications to your guitar to make it your own, why not?

I hope you are recovering well after your stroke. I wish you well.

- Glenn

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

I recently bought a used Gibson J15. It is in good shape and I like it. I traded in a guitar that I liked too. But I could not play it very well anymore due to my stroke weakened fretting hand. The neck was too much for me.
As I was working with the dealer, I mentioned putting on a Pearse armrest. I have them on all my guitars for the reason that they work. There was another person in the store who questioned me about doing this. "What about resale value." Huh?

I notice this is often a concern on AGF. Don't do this or don't do that- it (negatively) effects the resale value.

I have put armrests on, changed out tuners, replaced nuts and saddles, etc. All to make the guitars what I want them to be. No thoughts about resale.

My question is if resale is such the issue, why are you buying the guitar in the first place? If it is for speculation,OK. But if you buy a guitar for YOU, why worry about what others may think of mods and about resale? Why deprive yourself of the little things that make that guitar yours?

Have I sold some guitars? Yes, but not many. I buy them to play them and keep them.

It can take me a couple of years before I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will or won't sell a guitar. I don't usually make any modifications in that period. But I also don't normally consider any irreversible modifications because I haven't found any that I need. I don't use pickups, and I don't need an armrest. I might re-fret a beloved instrument to a different fret wire if it has really low frets.

Anyway, if I were in your position and needed to have the guitars modified to make them playable, I wouldn't hesitate to do what is necessary. But for those guitars in my collection that aren't yet "beyond a shadow of a doubt" I usually won't do anything.

[musicman1951]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

My point is why do you plan to re-sell it when you buy it? My HD28 was my first really good guitar. It ain't goin' nowhere unless I have some kind of severe financial crisis.

There are quite a few reasons to re-sell a guitar. I don't purchase a guitar I'm not in love with, but things change. My shoulder declined to the point where my dread no longer worked for me physically. It was a great guitar, but I needed a different one.

I had put a K&K in the guitar. That was important enough for me to risk alienating future buyers who didn't want electronics in the guitar.

I'm happy with anyone doing anything they want to their guitar. Paint it bright green for all I care. But accept the price you will pay for your decisions when you try to re-sell it.

At this moment I'm thinking that my fine collection of guitars will be with me for the rest of my life. But I'm not crazy enough to put money on that.

[Paddy1951]

Yes, I totally understand your situation, your shoulder going bad. But when you bought that guitar did you plan on selling it?

As I stated in my original post, I traded in a guitar I liked but for my physical reasons, could no longer play decently. Stuff happens. I get that.

[RedJoker]

To be fair, whenever we buy a used guitar we CERTAINLY care about the resale value. We're just on the buying side and not the selling side.

But once you buy it, it's YOUR guitar to do what you will with it. I've even heard of some crazy rock stars smashing guitars on stage!!! Can you believe that!?!?!

[BT55]

I think you can take this discussion on another route. I purchased a Voyage-Air VAD-04. Really nice $600 travel guitar BUT the tuners, plastic bridge saddle and pins hurt the guitars playability. I replaced all of them. The guitar sounds better and tunes much better. Is it worth any more to a buyer? Would I recoup my invest if I sell it - I seriously doubt it. In this case I can install better parts that will not hurt the guitars value. If I made the same changes to my 814ce it might hurt that guitars resale value.