Has anyone spent more on upgrades then cost of guitar?

[min7b5]

Yes. I had my guy go through my son's little Martin pretty heavily. It was a $300 guitar, but after replacing the nut and saddle, fine tuning the fretwork, countersinking the bridge pins, and other things escaping me at the moment, it was more than the price of the guitar. But it plays and sounds fantastic

[SmilesDaGuitar]

I purchased the guitar used. I didn't care for the soft case it came in, so I purchased a Hardshell Case. The nut and saddle was plastic, so I replace it with a different material (which I'm not getting in too, if you know what I mean). Was not at the time looking for electronics but a couple weeks later decided I'd wanted the K&K Pure Mini due the Rocksmith Guitar game on my Sony PS4. Had plek set-up done for the lowest action without fret buzz due to my left hand has joint and pain problems from a injury 20 years ago.

[RussMason]

Although Silver Creek guitars are a budget brand, I had three of them. Two dreadnoughts - mahogany, rosewood and one 000 - rosewood.

The rosewood dreadnought (D-170) was an OK guitar, but nothing special. However, the mahogany dreadnought (D-160) was a honey. It was a fluke. It was never supposed to sound so good or to play so well.

The reason for it's greatness was that the soundboard was thinner than most, and the sound it produced was clean and true, with excellent sustain.

I sent it off for new frets, Grover-style tuners, bone nut and saddle and a set-up.

So yes, this cost more than the guitar itself. I would never have done this for the rosewood dreadnought, nor even the 000 (which is very nice, but not a honey).

This particular Silver Creek D-160 can hold its own with any Martin D-18 and no foolin'. That's why it's a fluke: it was never supposed to turn out this well, but it did. Whoever built it did it perfectly.

[Silly Moustache]

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

Um, I wouldn't call those things upgrades. To me an upgrade is ordering one with special woods, or ornamentation.
Nut, saddle, (maybe pins) and a PLEK are about set up to make it play right for you. that's maintenance.

The Electrickery - is, presumably to enable you to gig it.

I like to buy my guitars - a strap (if I don't make it myself which s usually the case) new pins (cos I'm not crazy about ebony in ebony), and a Princess Mary box with a tuner, a capo (set for that guitar, and a couple of Bluechip picks.

[Phelonious Ponk]

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

Choking you to death is a bit severe, but a whack to the side of the head wouldn't be a bad idea.

P

[SmilesDaGuitar]

Originally Posted by Phelonious Ponk

Choking you to death is a bit severe, but a whack to the side of the head wouldn't be a bad idea.

P

lol............married 23 years I've gotten away with worst.

[StrumFu]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

I purchased the guitar used. I didn't care for the soft case it came in, so I purchased a Hardshell Case. The nut and saddle was plastic, so I replace it with a different material (which I'm not getting in too, if you know what I mean). Was not at the time looking for electronics but a couple weeks later decided I'd wanted the K&K Pure Mini due the Rocksmith Guitar game on my Sony PS4. Had plek set-up done for the lowest action without fret buzz due to my left hand has joint and pain problems from a injury 20 years ago.

Smiles, I am guessing you found the Luthier or tech that you were looking for a few days back? How did the new nut turn out? Do you think the nut and saddle make a distinct sound improvement?

[fuman]

I put a Baggs Anthem SL in a $175 vintage Yamaha. I balked at the $400 neck reset, though, and removed the pickup when I sold the guitar. It was a great guitar, and I put an Element I had lying around in it and sold it for $250.

[zabdart]

Certainly. When you consider I bought my J-50 in 1968, it's been through a number of repairs since then and I don't even want to calculate an adjustment for inflation. The guitar still plays and sounds magnificent, although the bridge has been replaced (actually, because the bridge has been replaced), the pickguard has been replaced, the tuners have been replaced, etc.
Haven't had any repairs to this guitar in this century... knock on wood.

[lmacmil]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

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.

Hey, if was worth it to you, who are we to criticize. I'm sure you know that your $900 in upgrades probably wouldn't yield more than $200 (if that) in the resale market.

[Mr Fixit eh]

I have an Epiphone DR 100 $100. It's a beater because of it's laminate construction. I also use it as my guinee pig. I put $100 Delta tuners on it before touching my more expensive guitars - and left them on - and yes at 1
:21 they certainly are an upgrade.

steve

[werkout52]

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.

If I had the money my best friend spent on his Harley. I could almost afford a Symogyi

[Marty1]

Originally Posted by SmilesDaGuitar

I purchased the guitar used. I didn't care for the soft case it came in, so I purchased a Hardshell Case. The nut and saddle was plastic, so I replace it with a different material (which I'm not getting in too, if you know what I mean). Was not at the time looking for electronics but a couple weeks later decided I'd wanted the K&K Pure Mini due the Rocksmith Guitar game on my Sony PS4. Had plek set-up done for the lowest action without fret buzz due to my left hand has joint and pain problems from a injury 20 years ago.

Those are all very good reasons I think. Even if you had no good reason I still think they are cool upgrades, must be a sweet guitar to play. I'm one of those "buy used and personalize" type guys. I like to learn to do things set-up/repair wise so I often spend more on upgrades than the guitar is worth. Besides, the K&K and the case can be taken out of that guitar and put into your next one if you fall out of love with the Yamaha. I see no problems here, haters gonna hate.

[jseth]

Never with an acoustic; I only buy them if I love them, and if I love them, I don't change anything!

I believe I may be near or over the purchase price of my '74 Gibson ES-345, though... I got it for $600 in 1976... and over the course of the next 7 years?

I changed the tuning machines to Schallers, early on... then went for a post/stop tail bridge (from the original "trapeze" arrangement), then a brass nut/bridge/saddle arrangement from Stars Guitars... then fatter fret wire, then Seymour Duncan pickups with coil taps, new pots for both tone and volume controls, removed the Varitone switch, and finally, had the face routed and a Kahler Locking Nut tremolo/bridge system installed...

I have no idea of how much all that was, but it must be close to the original purchase price of $600, even though the balance of the work was done in 1983!

At this point, the guitar plays perfectly, gets the tones I want to hear, stays in tune wonderfully (the reason for all those mods in the first place!)... and, of course, I have totally destroyed any resale value of a 40 year old Gibson, except for someone who wants a "player"...

I would never recommend all those modifications to ANYONE, by the way... if you have a guitar that doesn't do what you want it to do? Sell it and get one that does...

[ukejon]

Yep, when I got my 1973 Japanese made Sigma GCR-7 ($99) in a pawn shop it had a replacement adjustable metal saddle like Gibson used for a while and about 1/4" action at the 12th. Had that large saddle slot in the bridge filled with rosewood and a conventional bone saddle and nut put in, and added a K&K for a total cost of around $350. Worth every penny because in terms of tone and playability this guitar is an absolute gem. Will never sell it.....

Upgrading a guitar either by choice or because of necessity (bad action and the like) is not, as some posts here seem to suggest, a moral failing indicative of the buyer's inability to buy the perfect guitar right off the bat. Some guitars (less expensive new guitars and many older guitars, for example) need adjustments and improvements to optimize them and some don't. If you as the player and owner of the instrument think the upgrade is worth it, then it is worth it. One certainly can take a $300 guitar--new or used--put the same amount of upgrades into it and make it sound way better than most new $600 guitars off the shelf.