high end guitars

[cn2667]

Just out of curiosity, what makes a guitar (mainly superstrat types) worth 2000+? I had a Gibson Les Paul at one point in my life and it was a fairly nice guitar but I dont think I would have paid full price for. I've seen some other guitars that are quite beautiful but I'm seeing a lot of superstrats, teles, etc that dont have anything that pops out and screams "this is worth 2500." I haven't put my hands on many expensive guitars so I'm just curious. I picked up an Ibanez Jiva and played it for a few minutes a couple months ago and I was surprised that they are asking so much for basically an S series guitar. Suhr's, Friedman, etc are fairly nice guitars but not for the asking price tag. If any of you guys buy high end guitars could you enlighten me what makes them special and what to look for if I ever go shopping with a load of cash?

I have been checking out Mayones, Kiesel, and a few other brands but if I ever did pull the trigger I would at least like to know what to look for so I dont get ripped off.

[briman]

I like birdseye maple necks and carved tops with binding. Those bring up price due to craftsmanship or wood cost. Also made in germany original bridges are expensive. Just pickups, bridge+ nut and tuners can run up to 800-1000$ alone. Then the cost of good quality neck is at least $300 and body even more. Then all the labour that goes into fret work and carving body and glueing top to it etc.

That being said......i have a guitar made out of plywood that plays and sounds as good as any guitar i have or played. But i put in alot of time to set it up and bought good bridge and pups for it.

[cn2667]

I can definitely tell on some guitars with nice tops, finishes etc but I've seen some that I couldnt tell you why they are as expensive. I guess its easier for me to see the added cost on amps easier than a lot of guitars. I would love to spend a day at a store with high end guitars and spend some time taking it all in and familiarizing myself with the higher end specs. I need to do that before I make the leap to a high end instrument(if that ever happens)

[briman]

I like guitars that have maple tops on them. My fave is mahogany body with maple top. Mahogany is warm sounding and maple bright so you get a warm resonance with bright punchy top end.
I find you can tell if the guitar has mojo by playing it acoustically or not plugged in. You can feel and hear how the wood resonates. Alot of factors involved like wood quality, build balance, neck joint etc.

[gtrjunior]

I think there is a price point at about +\- $1500 which quality peaks out.
In other words there can be a large difference in quality/craftsmanship up to a point. After it becomes a situation of diminishing returns. You essentially pay for a name or reputation after that.

[cn2667]

Feb 7, 2019 13:24:11 GMT -5 gtrjunior said:

I think there is a price point at about +\- $1500 which quality peaks out.
In other words there can be a large difference in quality/craftsmanship up to a point. After it becomes a situation of diminishing returns. You essentially pay for a name or reputation after that.

That's what I was thinking a few weeks ago while talking to my wife about guitars. She thinks everytime I buy a guitar it's 2-3k which is funny cause I've never owned a guitar that expensive. I think the Les Paul I owned in the 90's was around 1200-1500 new. To me on paper it seems like you arent getting more after the 1500 range. Having said that I definitely want to try and play some acoustically to see how different ones stack up. My Solar S1.6 is amazing and I cant really imagine anything I could do to make it better except having an Evertune instead of the Hipshot bridge.

I think before the end of the year I want to get something different than my normal style/price range. Thankfully I've finally settled down on amps, pedals, etc. 

[gtrjunior]

I have a LP that I paid big dollars for. All of my other guitars were less than $500. I really feel that nowadays yo can get a phenomenal instrument at a reasonable price.
There are just way too many good guitars being made today.

[levithequickrodguy]

While I agree that there are lots of value guitars that are very well built, I own a 2013 American made PRS that I paid pretty big money for. And I would do it again if I lost that guitar somehow. The way that guitar plays, looks, and feels in my hands makes me want to play more. There is a difference between it and any other guitar I’ve held. My Gibson LP custom compared to cheaper guitars I would say it was not worth the price tag. But this PRS is on an entirely different level.

[briman]

I agree ....PRS and SUhr are making very beautiful guitars. Great quality and craftmanship.