have you paid more than $20,000 for a guitar?

[JCM615]

Well, it's official: no one's ever bought one!
All those Walkers and TJ Thompsons; Olsons and Somogyis and Ryan 30th Anniversarys; Dudenbostels and Hendersons languishing on racks somewhere...
Not to mention every pre-1945 Martin dreadnaught in clean shape.

Somebody's holdin' back a little....

[TomB'sox]

For everyone talking about tone and you don't need to spend 20g to get a great sounding guitar, you are all correct. But, there is another angle with guitars in the high end price range, they most usually have a provenance and it is beyond just tone, but they fall into a collector level market. Those guitars usually appreciate vs. say the $1000.00 guitar very likely will not. Just look at the used prices for those high end guitars on a site like Dream guitars. An Olson for example maybe 10g to have built (Jim is only building a few a year now), but are selling for 30g and above. Try to find a McConnell for less than 20 etc.

So in that level of guitar it is more than what it sounds like, but rather who made it, who owned it, what woods does it have, how many more are being built, etc.

IMO

[echo44]

The thing is if you spend 20k on a car which is nothing these days as the average car transaction in 2022 so far is around 50k. If you could find a new car for 20k, in 10 years it will be worth close to 0$ not to mention the maintenance you would have to put in once the warranty is over insurance etc. These guitars have a life time warranty and after 10 years their value would probably be very similar to what you pay for it and you get the joy of playing the guitar for 10 years. I bought a Martin HD-28V 15 years ago paid around 2200 for it new , they are now selling used for around $3000-3200 on reverb. So I have owned a great guitar that has given me amazing amount of pleasure and can now sell it for more than I paid for it.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

For everyone talking about tone and you don't need to spend 20g to get a great sounding guitar, you are all correct. But, there is another angle with guitars in the high end price range, they most usually have a provenance and it is beyond just tone, but they fall into a collector level market. Those guitars usually appreciate vs. say the $1000.00 guitar very likely will not. Just look at the used prices for those high end guitars on a site like Dream guitars. An Olson for example maybe 10g to have built (Jim is only building a few a year now), but are selling for 30g and above. Try to find a McConnell for less than 20 etc.

So in that level of guitar it is more than what it sounds like, but rather who made it, who owned it, what woods does it have, how many more are being built, etc.

IMO

I could be wrong and often am. I question the long term investment potential in the current market. Granted, I'm a hospital peasant and learned more about atomic weight than solid financial advice.

The price for Rolex watches has skyrocketed in recent years. The basic strategy is to buy low and sell high. Current prices make this less of a guarantee than previous years.

Pertinent to guitars, inflation, potential economic downturn (not trying to be political), and a looming "boomer selloff" could change our market. I think perhaps my Aboudib and Wilborn (on order) will probably gain value as popularity/demand rightfully catches on.

[DanR]

I've not paid anywhere close to $20K on a guitar. The most I've paid is about $2.8K but I had a trade in for half of that. I was almost going to pull the trigger on a Custom Shop Martin but at my age (69) I couldn't wait possibly a year and a half.

[Steve-arino]

The standard formula for how much you can spend on an (acoustic) guitar is this:

1. Your age x $100, the clock starts at 21. So, if you're 66 this would be $4500.
2. Each surgery is worth $1000. So for example I've had 5 surgeries so in my case that's an additional $5,000.
3. Each kid out of school and on their own and off your payroll is worth $2500. I have 2, one of them counts for this additional amount. 1 x $2500.

Based upon this formula, I cannot afford a $20k guitar now. When I am 146 years old I should be able to make that happen.

[Daniel Grenier]

Not $20k, no. But I did drop $7k for my newest one. It would have to be one heck of a stunner (musically and aesthetically) for me to drop $20k. It’s unlikely to happen but I have said for years that I’d never pay more than $3k for a guitar and that didn’t happen so who knows.

[JCM615]

Originally Posted by Steve-arino

The standard formula for how much you can spend on an (acoustic) guitar is this:

1. Your age x $100, the clock starts at 21. So, if you're 66 this would be $4500.
2. Each surgery is worth $1000. So for example I've had 5 surgeries so in my case that's an additional $5,000.
3. Each kid out of school and on their own and off your payroll is worth $2500. I have 2, one of them counts for this additional amount. 1 x $2500.

Based upon this formula, I cannot afford a $20k guitar now. When I am 146 years old I should be able to make that happen.

Could I get an adjustment for inflation and irrationality??

[b1j]

This is a fun fantasy thread. Imagine its ancestor, posted in 2002:

“Has anyone paid $10,000 for a guitar?”

I bought a fully restored Craftsman cottage in San Francisco in 1991 for $325,000. I remember saying that nobody would ever pay that much for a house again. Hmmm.

Today the Great Barrier Reef of guitar price is $3,000 to $3,500, based on Martin’s and Gibson’s standard models. But in 2002, nobody would imagine anyone paying that much for a standard production guitar. With that paradigm, I would not go above that price point today.

I played a vintage, beat-up but unbelievably exquisite-sounding J-45 last month priced at $7,000. So I can perceive the difference the 2X price differential brings. It’s real. But I won’t buy that for myself unless I think I’ve wrung out every drop of joy possible from my three beautiful mid-priced instruments.

[cliff_the_stiff]

I played a 1930s Nick Lucas, was priced at 30k.
My 3500 Haxton “Special” plays and sounds better.
so at the moment, I can’t really imagine getting even close to 20k. Probably not going above what I have.

[Silly Moustache]

No Way, but the most I've paid for a guitar is also my oldest - a 1934 Gibson L-4 (16" 1935 model with F-holes).
It was IRO £2750 including shipping from Seattle and Taxes and excise duty.

I had to pay more in taxes as the deal;er forgot to follow my instructions as received by HMC&E.
They also didn't tell me that they'd filed he frets down flat to the board so another couple of hundred for a refret!

Would never deal with that company again.

Second most was a very slightly used Santa Cruz RS which was expensive to ship due to the weight of te Ameritage case. Private sale from a nice chap in Noo Inglund.

All costs include Excise duty Variable but around 3-6% then plus VAT of 20% on all charges.

Bought all my Collings used mostly IIRC via Ebay. No taxes.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by s2y

I could be wrong and often am. I question the long term investment potential in the current market. Granted, I'm a hospital peasant and learned more about atomic weight than solid financial advice.

The price for Rolex watches has skyrocketed in recent years. The basic strategy is to buy low and sell high. Current prices make this less of a guarantee than previous years.

Pertinent to guitars, inflation, potential economic downturn (not trying to be political), and a looming "boomer selloff" could change our market. I think perhaps my Aboudib and Wilborn (on order) will probably gain value as popularity/demand rightfully catches on.

This is the key, it is a long term investment, not a short term one which would involve more of the current market. I think your Wilborn is worth more than you paid for it already and very likely will be for awhile. When you are here for B.I.G., remind me and I will show you a guitar I am talking about. Tom

[echo44]

prices always go up over time as the money supply is always increasing, yes there will be cycles where things devalue temporary yet in the long run history supports increasing prices.

My first guitar was an ovation viper when I was in high school bought from the guitar store for $150 they are now selling used on reverb up to a $1000.

about 10 years ago I bought fender master built Strat for $4200, I felt like a fool given it was just a Strat, now that same builders guitars are selling for $9000 used on reverb.

In college I bought a USA Strat plus foolishly traded in after several years paid new $400 now they are selling used for $1600.

My friend who owns a guitar store basically preaches if you buy a nice guitar well made from a major brand keep it for 12 years in a normal inflation environment and take care of it, you are likely be able to sell it used for what you paid for it new. Of course there are variables that can not be accounted for like guitar playing looses its popularity or the reverse could happen. `

I wouldn't recommend a guitar as an investment yet of all the things we buy for ourselves it does better than most in the world of resale.

This owner did well in 1962 this guitar sold for $320 now look at it for what it is being sold for. https://reverb.com/item/51272009-fen...-red-one-owner

[rollypolly]

Most I've paid: around $1800. Most I'd be willing to pay for the right vintage Martin or boutique: $3200 ish. Any more than that is silly, for me at least.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by echo44

I am wondering then who buys these if no one admits to it?

There are people who spend $20k on guitars who don't participate on forums or keep their $20k guitar purchases to themselves.

If I had won the Mega Millions lottery last week I would buy a few just to A/B them with standard production guitars.

I just checked Ervin Somogyi's website. His guitars start at $40k and it also states that it'll take 2 years before you get your guitar.