Why aren't all wealthy musicians using custom/boutique quiars

[RalphH]

Just curious why so many very wealthy musicians use mass-produced brands like Taylor/Gibson/Martin. NOT that these are bad guitars - I love my Gibson and Taylor.

But if I were a multi-millionaire, and especially if I made all my money from playing music... well I think I'd be shopping around beyond what I could get on the high street. I mean I'm sure Slash could pay someone to make him a better les paul than Gibson can (though I'm sure at this point Gibson pays slash, not the other way around, so maybe that's a bad example). And before someone jumps in with a list of all the people that don't play big brand guitars, I know. Plenty don't, I'm not trying to say they all do, I'm closer to wondering why any do.

It is just that really, a guitar is just a tool that does a job at that point? I did feel very much like that about cameras while I was a photographer; I didn't feel the need for anything fancy - just something that worked well enough and I'd not be too gutted if it was lost/stolen/dropped. I instantly stopped shooting (and lusting after) leicas and just used a fuji because it did the job.

Or is it that Martin/Taylor/Gibson are more than good enough really and people who make money through music are probably the ones that put more time and energy into playing their guitars, and less into shopping for them than the likes of me?

Is it mostly that brands like Gibson are recognizable and cool and it's a street cred thing to be playing one vs some unknown small-shop luthier?

Or that those brands have a sense of history and association with the greats of the music industry as a whole, going back many decades?

I'm sure someone will find a way to be offended, but I'm not meaning this in an offensive way - to either the custom guitar owners, or to anyone else... It's just I was in a guitar shop the other day and looking at a £6500 Bourgeois and thinking "I bet that's nice, maybe I could do xyz even better on that guitar", then had to remind myself that my £4000 hummingbird is already very nice, and more guitar than I will ever need, and would happily carry someone with more talent to the Grammies (in fact it has probably more right to be thinking "where can I get a better owner" than I do to be thinking about more expensive guitar -- edit:looking at this thread title, I can't even spell "guitar"), and then I got thinking "yeah, maybe if I was a rich and famous musician I could justify that to myself" and then I got thinking "but they don't, do they"...

[jklotz]

James Taylor plays an Olsen.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by RalphH

And before someone jumps in with a list of all the people that don't play big brand guitars, I know. Plenty don't, I'm not trying to say they all do, I'm closer to wondering why any do.

Originally Posted by jklotz

James Taylor plays an Olsen.

(to be fair, I understand why you didn't read it all - it was closer to a short novel than a post, sorry!)

[Fatfinger McGee]

They are. Wealthy professional musicians have their own guitar tech adapting and maintaining their gear to their particular preference. Not to mention, customized features from the factory paying them to use those guitars. So they are using custom guitars, and generally getting paid to do so. And if they're using an off-the-shelf Mexican Tele, you can be pretty confident it's because it's the best tool for the job, just like any profession. i.e., it gets out of the way.

[Zissou Intern]

I think you’d be surprised at the number of guitars many professional musicians own, including standard series, vintage, boutique, and or custom. Not all of them are like Vince Gill, but the guitars we see them playing on stage are often just the tip of the iceberg. You mentioned Slash. He has a couple dozen acoustics and electrics, including this boutique.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by Fatfinger McGee

They are. Wealthy professional musicians have their own guitar tech adapting and maintaining their gear to their particular preference. Not to mention, customized features from the factory paying them to use those guitars. So they are using custom guitars, and generally getting paid to do so.

huh, that actually makes a lot of sense, thanks

I guess if I could have anyone make me a custom guitar exactly as I wanted it, it'd be Gibson. I'd start with things like "no red overspray on the fretboard binding" and work from there

Originally Posted by Zissou Intern

I think you’d be surprised at the number of guitars many musicians own, including standard series, vintage, boutique, and or custom. Not all of them are like Vince Gill, but the guitars we see them playing on stage are often just the tip of the iceberg. You mentioned Slash. He has a couple dozen acoustics and electrics, including this boutique.

And that makes a lot of sense too - I guess just cause you're rich doesn't mean you want to take your beautiful custom guitar on a world tour and wear it out in 12 months sweating all over it for 3 hours, 4 nights a week, having roadies drop it and your drummer step on it...

[Bluemonk]

I'd be willing to bet a fair percentage of wealthy people on this forum have high end handmade guitars. We don't all have the same priorities. You'd be surprised how many guitar players, wealthy or not, have never heard of Olson guitars.

[RalphH]

Im sure they do, and hence the comment about not wanting to offend anyone -- I was not trying to make some implication of "Ed Sheeran doesn't need one so you don't either". It's more like "what is Ed Sheerna doing playing a £450 Martin?"

[luecack]

Originally Posted by Fatfinger McGee

They are. Wealthy professional musicians have their own guitar tech adapting and maintaining their gear to their particular preference. Not to mention, customized features from the factory paying them to use those guitars. So they are using custom guitars and generally getting paid to do so. And if they're using an off-the-shelf Mexican Tele, you can be pretty confident it's because it's the best tool for the job, just like any profession. i.e., it gets out of the way.

I agree with this statement. I also think that for a professional that is touring, it is important to not have to rely on some boutique unobtanium. The fact is that if something fails (and inevitably will), it is much easier for a said technician to source a replacement or parts in any town with a music store.

I was always more intrigued by those unwilling to make do with what they have available on the road. For instance, Mayer used to bring just about every piece of studio gear used for any specific song on the playlist / potential playlist.

[beatcomber]

I get the impression that many professional musicians are not gearheads.

Consider that John Lennon almost exclusively used the same 1959 Rickenbacker 325 (bought in 1960) until February 1964.

Look at how battered this guitar is! Rust on the middle pickup cover, worn paint all around the headstock, replacement knobs from a radio... This guitar survived countless sweaty performances at the Cavern and Star-Club, tours up and down Great Britain and Europe, and the legendary first US performances. By 1963 he could have easily bought himself a shiny new Fender or whatever, but he didn't retire it until Rickenbacker gave him a brand new one!

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by luecack

I agree with this statement. I also think that for a professional that is touring, it is important to not have to rely on some boutique unobtanium. The fact is that if something fails (and inevitably will), it is much easier for a said technician to source a replacement or parts in any town with a music store.

I was always more intrigued by those unwilling to make do with what they have available on the road. For instance, Mayer used to bring just about every piece of studio gear used for any specific song on the playlist / potential playlist.

Well that also makes a lot of sense to me too. I guess if you play a GS mini on tour a) you can take a pallet load of them with you and b) you're never more than 50 miles from a shop selling them, rather than at the back of a 2-year waiting for a new one if you broke it beyond repair

[TomB'sox]

I do not know anything for sure, but I would bet that a lot of these folks have very high end stuff at home that they keep there, but on the road, they probably just want a guitar that is good, but they know it will get banged around, dropped etc. I would think they look at those guitars as tools of the trade. I would think this happens once you are big enough to have roadies or other folks taking care of the equipment for you and you are on tour.

As mentioned above Vince Gill has an extensive collection of very expensive and collectible vintage guitars at home that I bet never go on the road.

Some of the fingerstylists that still handle all of their own guitars, I would venture to say, these are the folks you will see with one off customs. Just my opinion.

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by beatcomber

I get the impression that many professional musicians are not gearheads.

Consider that John Lennon almost exclusively used the same 1959 Rickenbacker 325 (bought in 1960) until February 1964.

Look at how battered this guitar is! Rust on the middle pickup cover, worn paint all around the headstock, replacement knobs from a radio... This guitar survived endless sweaty performances at the Cavern and Star-Club, tours up and down Great Britain and Europe, and the legendary first US performances. By 1963 he could have easily bought himself a shiny new Fender or whatever, but he didn't retire it until Rickenbacker gave him a brand new one!

Gaah, all that money and he can't afford a pair of wire cutters?!? >_<

(sorry, pet hate - even my £100 Epiphone electric that I never play has to have super neat strings)

[Scotso]

some do...many play vintage though..particularly in bluegrass where vintage Martin is all over.

[beninma]

Meh.. buying ultra expensive versions of anything is about image & what you want other people to see in addition to function.

And sometimes these people just like something from a big manufacturer better.

This is no different than us amateurs. Just cause someone owns cheaper guitars and posts on here doesn't tell you anything about how much money they have, only how much they are willing to spend.

Lots of people who are multi-millionaires or more drive Honda Accords and are happy with a Timex watch and a Yamaha FG guitar and don't care about buying flashy boats or other trinkets that other people buy to try and show off.

Sometimes the more expensive item has some functional reason to justify it's purchase, other times it doesn't. If it doesn't then the purchase is about something else, and no all people care about that.