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#46
04-01-2015, 06:16 AM
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I bought this horrid Strat clone for $50. It has a plywood body and had absolutely awful electronics/pickups - but it had a good neck. I spend a couple hundred on good pickups, pots, & jack, and now its my favorite guitar for playing blues slide - it has an incredible growl.
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#47
04-01-2015, 06:34 AM
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It is also interesting to think about "upgrades" at the other end of the spectrum. One can pay a huge premium for an Authentic Martin or BTO Taylor over the regular models, or for the use of select figured tonewoods or decorative trim on guitars. Such improvements can come close to doubling the cost of already expensive guitars. You can also opt to buy Signature models that sometimes are little more than a bit of pearl inlay or an artist signed label. Granted, these are decisions made by the player prior to purchase, but is it that different than doing improvements--refretting, trimming braces, adding great electronics, getting custom saddles and nuts, resetting necks--on less expensive guitars, after the purchase?
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My YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/ukejon 2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover 2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype) 2018 Maton EBG808TEC 2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar 2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany 1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce 2014 Rainsong OM1000N2 ....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment Last edited by ukejon; 04-01-2015 at 06:44 AM.
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#48
04-01-2015, 09:00 AM
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Once bought a nylon-string classical in a garage sale for $10. Spent $60 to get a crack fixed, $50 on new tuners, $8 on strings. Still had a $10 guitar.
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Collings: D2HT, OM1T, 01MAPLE Kremona: Fandango hybrid nylon string
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#49
04-01-2015, 12:28 PM
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I've got a $65 Squier that I
sank $140 into. I'm one who likes to tinker 
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Paully  Yamaha FG700S Dread Epiphone Joe Pass Hollowbody Electric Epiphone Les Paul Special 1 p90's Squier Stratocaster SE Yamaha Thr 5 v.2 Amp Behringer Ultracoustic AT-108 Amp Bugera V5 Infinium Amp Bugera 112 TS Cab Peavey PVi 100 Microphone Tascam DR05 Digital Recorder Cubase AI 6
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#50
04-01-2015, 12:54 PM
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Unless I got an amazing guitar at a steal of a price that needed some work, I'd just buy a new guitar instead of worrying about upgrades. Sadly you never get your money back if you sell one day.
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2017 Martin Custom Shop OOO-18 Rosewood 2015 Martin Custom Shop OM 2014 Fender Custom Shop NAMM Limited Edition Strat and way too many picks...
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#51
04-01-2015, 03:42 PM
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My upgrades have included a pickup with installation, new bridge pins and possibly a set-up, but the costs of those are nowhere near the price of my instruments.
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=================================== '07 Gibson J-45 '68 Reissue (Fuller's) '18 Martin 00-18 '18 Martin GP-28E '65 Epiphone Zenith archtop
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#53
04-01-2015, 05:32 PM
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no, can't see it. closest i've come is a used 95 jazz bass for $250 with a $100 upgrade to bartolini pickups. well worth it!
play music!
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2014 Martin 00015M 2009 Martin 0015M 2008 Martin HD28 2007 Martin 000-18GE 2006 Taylor 712 2006 Fender Parlor GDP100 1978 Fender F65 1968 Gibson B25-12N Various Electrics
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#54
04-01-2015, 05:44 PM
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Well, I just bought a used banjo for $100. I've fixed a few things but didn't spend another hundred on it - yet. Gonna need some new tuning machines, probably a rail type 5th string capo, so yeah I'll be doubling the cost.
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#55
04-01-2015, 09:52 PM
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Worth/ value choice
I'm about to drop part of my income tax refund on work to bring a $750 guitar up to snuff. The guitar's value is greater than was its price. And, its timber fills a gap in my collection that would cost more to fill by replacement rather than refurbishment. Most importantly, I think I have a moral obligation to guitars (and pets) under my aegis.
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#56
04-02-2015, 07:56 AM
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I found a nice all-mahogany ukulele at a flea market for $15.00. I spent $25 for new tuners. It was definitely worth it.
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Roger Several Martins, 2 Guilds, a couple of kits and a Tilton (ever heard of those?), some ukes and a 1920s Vega tenor banjo Neil deGrasse Tyson — 'The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.'
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#57
04-02-2015, 08:26 AM
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I paid $10 for my old MIJ Hohner. It was a bit of a project. I took a bit of work to make it nice, but not a lot of money. I even play out with it. I'm considering putting a pickup in it, but I'd want a decent one. I just can't get myself to spent over $100 for a pickup for a $10 guitar. Heck, spending $85 for a gig-worthy case for it was a stretch.
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#58
04-02-2015, 08:35 AM
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Has anyone spent more on upgrades THAN (NOT then) cost of guitar?
Not upgrades, although I've certainly spent more on "upgrades" (let's call it personal touches) on at least one guitar THAN many have spent on their guitars. Let's see... Waverlys ($150), Colossi ivory pins ($130), Greven guard ($30), K&K and preamp ($250), plus the Calton case for it ($850), a couple of Blue Chip picks for that guitar ($70), a Tony Rice Elliott/McKinney capo ($240).... I suspect that's a bit more than a couple of people's guitars, anyway... Small change for the guitar it all goes with though. It's all relative. But it is more THAN some cheap guitars I bought back THEN in the day. (Why do people reverse these words?)
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#59
04-02-2015, 08:47 AM
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I'm also a tinkerer and Craigslist lurker. I picked up a 1969 Yamaha FG-75 Red Label Nippon Gakki for $60 on CL. Upgrades include new nut, Bridge Doctor to cure a belly bulge and a set of StewMac tuners. Still under $150 and have a lifetime keeper. These old Yammies are the best!
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#60
04-02-2015, 08:49 AM
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Like others have said, it's different with electrics. I put 50% of the purchase price of an Epiphone 335 to replace a pickup and have it set up right nice and it's 100% more useful to me... Went to check out a '54 Les Paul Goldtop at the weekend. It went for about $20k, at auction (not to me). So now I'm thinking of getting a workable cheap version of that guitar and modding it similarly... it can be fun to tinker with electrics.
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Martin BC, Canada
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