Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar?

[posternutbag]

Again, not on an acoustic, but I have a '98 Telecaster Deluxe that is more custom than deluxe at this point. It has a 1970s vintage reproduction neck and locking tuners; it has been entirely rewired and has Fralin Blues Special pickups. I also replaced the bridge with a six-barrel for better intonation. Literally the only thing left stock is the body itself.

[Mbroady]

I put new strings on a guitar i got for free. Does that count?
FYI: new strings did not help.

[cyclistbrian]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar? I've spent over $900 on upgrades on my Yamaha LL16. Upgraded Case, Nut, Saddle, Pins, End Pin, K&K Pure Mini and Plek Set-Up. My wife is ready to choke me to death...lol.. I think I have the most expensive Yamaha LL16 in the World...lol

I can see getting a top shelf case. It's an investment in itself. Other than setup and maintenance I don't personally see the need to upgrade parts on my acoustic guitars. To each their own. Heck..I play banjo and believe me, banjo players will buy anything!

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

Not guitars or cars, but Helene's Harley ended up costing more in custom work than the original price tag of the bike.

I've got a couple of Harleys, and I remember being in a dealership in Myrtle Beach a few years back...

A guy was leaning on the counter while his wife kept piling up Harley shirts, jeans, jewelry, jackets, just going all out...

The guy looked at me and said "Nobody told me that buying the bike was just the starter kit...."

[Jim]

No, never. If I want an upgraded guitar I put the money that I might have spent on adding things into buying an overall higher quality guitar.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar? I've spent over $900 on upgrades on my Yamaha LL16. Upgraded Case, Nut, Saddle, Pins, End Pin, K&K Pure Mini and Plek Set-Up. My wife is ready to choke me to death...lol.. I think I have the most expensive Yamaha LL16 in the World...lol

including the k&k pure mini (and maybe also the case) isn't quite fair.

i've certainly spent more on upgrades then the cost of the guitar. i actually think it's rather cool.

[syrynx]

Well, I spent $75 in 1964 to acquire my 1935 0-18, and around $150 in 1979 to have it refretted and the neck reset.

I'm OK with that.

[Captaincranky]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar? I've spent over $900 on upgrades on my Yamaha LL16. Upgraded Case, Nut, Saddle, Pins, End Pin, K&K Pure Mini and Plek Set-Up. My wife is ready to choke me to death...lol.. I think I have the most expensive Yamaha LL16 in the World...lol

First off, let's assume you bought the guitar new. OK, did you specifically buy a pure acoustic version, with the intent of putting your preferred electronics package in the guitar? Because an acoustic is always cheaper than an AE model of the same guitar.

If that was the case, you saved money at the outset, and at the very least, that cost differential would have to be subtracted from the cost of the "upgrades".

OK, granted I'm nitpicking, but still making some sense. If you wanted AE from the jump, but bought an acoustic instead, you can't call the electronics an upgrade buy any stretch of the imagination.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by jaybones

Not with any acoustic I've ever owned, but I did buy a Sammick Stratocaster copy for $40, and put several hundred dollars into it (everything but the body has been changed out).

Now I have a nice looking Stratcaster that has custom electronics (Graph Tech Ghost piezo saddles and pre amp, separate volumes for that system and the magnetic pickups, a Gilmore switch for the electronic pickups), a big headstock Fender neck (S series), gold hard ware, black pick guard with Lace red pickups.

You should post a thread in the electric guitar sub forum. I'd like to see and read about it. It's fun doing these kinds of mods.

[AndrewG]

The only 'upgrade', if you can call it that, that I have ever made is changing plastic bridge pins for more aesthetically pleasing ones.

[dagobert]

Only upgrades that I have done is the case. If the guitar comes with a gig bag I buy a hard shell case.
The guitars are all stock....even the electrics.

[ewh2]

I have done it for electric guitars.

I bought a Squier Tele for a really good price recently, fine neck and body but the pickups, electronics, tuners were awful. I put in new pickups, tuners, CTS pots, switchcraft electrics and new saddles.

I kind of like it that way, things like pickups, pots etc are a very personal thing for an electric guitar. Like strings for an acoustic guitar in some ways.

I've not spent more on upgrades for an acoustic guitar. Aside from new nuts, saddles I've not had to 'upgrade' anything.

[zombywoof]

No but I have spent more on repairs than a guitar would ever bring if I put it up for sale. Not hard to do when a neck set alone runs me $300. I have never once regretted it.

Electrics though are a whole other ballgame. Those old Fender Squire 51's were real popular guitars to use as a platform for upgrades.

[DenverSteve]

No. But that's because I buy guitare's that I appreciate and enjoy so there's no reason to change anything but strings. The LL16 shouldn't have needed anything but maybe a set up.

[grim83]

My 87 epiphone s310 (strat copy with a Jackson like head stock) is on the bench awaiting money lol. I paid 100 bucks for it so pretty much anything will outweight the cost of the guitar. Best strat I've ever played by far and that's compared to real deal American fenders and other nice copies. When that's considered even dumping a grand in it is worth it because it'll still be cheaper and play better than many American fenders (imo of course). All said when she's done though I'll have maybe 3-400 in upgrades for a guitar that will eat most anything alive. Acoustics don't really offer much in this respect imho. Set up and maybe tuners, nuts, saddles, most everything else is cosmetic and I don't care for bling.