Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar?

[vindibona1]

I just remembered... While not an acoustic, I bought a used Squier VM70's modified jazz bass for $165. I never thought I needed a "better" bass, so I added a Gotoh heavy bridge $40, then got some Aguilar noiseless pickups $165 and then put $135 into a fret level/setup. I did the wiring myself. I have $340 of improvements in a $165 bass... but so what? For $500 total it would be really hard to do better. But here I am 3 five strings and a 6 banger later :-0

[Edgar Poe]

Several years ago I purchased a Les Paul knock of. I gutted the guitar and installed all new Gibson parts.
People that play thew guitar say they can not tell it from an original Les Paul. Total investment way under $1,000.00.

Ed

[pagedr]

I have an old Yamaha FG-150 Red Label in the shop right now for a bridge shave, which was the only alternative to an ultra expensive neck reset. Love the guitar but just couldn't justify putting $500+ of work into a guitar that's probably worth less than that. Also hoping that the new Red Label FS5 I have on the way will overtake the FG-150 as my favorite.

[DesertTwang]

Not me, and I wouldn't, either. If I feel a guitar needs more upgrades than it's worth, that would indicate to me that I should go and find a better guitar to begin with.

[jpricewood]

Not on an acoustic, but I did on a Squier tele that my wife bought me as a gift. She bought it while we were in grad school and broke. She didn’t know much about guitars, but she knew I wanted a telecaster. I probably have close to $1k in it now, but it sounds and plays phenomenally.

[Brent Hahn]

When I found out I was allergic to nickel, all of the refrets cost more than I paid for the instruments. Including a $400 refret on an 80's Ibanez bass I paid $60 for.

[RRuskin]

I spent about a grand on a free SWOMGT. It needed more repair than the original owner wanted to deal with. It was literally coming apart at almost every joint. After all the work, it turned into a really good instrument.

[fishwatcher]

My Baby Taylor was bought used for $140. A MacNichol unbleached bone nut and saddle cost me ~ $30, Bob Colosi dyed bridge pins cost me $38. Installing and setting up the guitar with the bone nut was $50.

Pic links updated:





All of these upgrades plus the used guitar we’re less than a new Baby Taylor.

This purchase total probably made more sense than what I put into the Bristol I mentioned earlier in this thread.

Live and learn.

[Oldguy64]

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 have an old Alvarez 5013.
I traded a Gremlin guitar and $100 for it 25 year ago.
I surpassed what I paid for it just in strings in the first two years.
I’ve also replaced the tuners, and had a K&K put in.
So, Yes, I have doubled it at least once. And if you add in 8-10 yearly string changes for the first 15-16 years I had it....
I’d hate to say what I’ve spent on that guitar.

[Silly Moustache]

I bought a guitar in 1999 for £2750.
It's had a Lloyd baggs fitted and removed, and replaced with K&K, three refrets, the fretboard "shot" and the headstock reglued. But that's just maintenance.
sold it a couple of months ago for what I bought it for.

Wait a minute - If I change strings (say £6) every two months that six sets a year x 20 years = £36 x 20 = £720. mmm.

[Slim Zooms]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I bought a guitar in 1999 for £2750.
It's had a Lloyd baggs fitted and removed, and replaced with K&K, three refrets, the fretboard "shot" and the headstock reglued. But that's just maintenance.
sold it a couple of months ago for what I bought it for.

Wait a minute - If I change strings (say £6) every two months that six sets a year x 20 years = £36 x 20 = £720. mmm.

Hi Silly

It may all look like a lot, but having enjoyed your videos and seen the amount of love you have for the guitar and the 20+ years of playing fun it gave you back, it must have made it worth it. Plus, £2750 in 1999 equates to a whole lot more now.

Your initial outlay probably works out at the price of a pint per week every week since then. Got to be worth it, even with mods that's only the price of 2 pints a week for 20 years!

Just sayin'

Pick on

Slim

[Sonoma2]

Bought an old Stella at Salvation Army for $1.59.
Upgraded to new strings for about $6.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Sonoma2

Bought an old Stella at Salvation Army for $1.59.
Upgraded to new strings for about $6.

Wow 4 times the purchase price in upgrades, you are a daredevil

[docwatsonfan]

Originally Posted by Sonoma2

Bought an old Stella at Salvation Army for $1.59.
Upgraded to new strings for about $6.

you got me
guitar: $5
strings $7
satisfaction: priceless

[cajone5]

I’m probably not that far off. Got a used Taylor 214e for about $500. I’ve replaced the tuners with Gotoh 510s, the nut and saddle are bone, bridge pins are fossilized walrus ivory, and the setup was done by Matt Artinger years ago when I was in college and first got the guitar. I’d say all that cost in the range of the original purchase price and was very worth it as this one has stuck with me for over 10 years. Also cut a “sound port” hole in the side. Don’t think it changed the tone but getting the battery out sure is easy now.