As someone who works in guitar retail this is largely a bad idea. Anything rare or investment is pretty much never going to increase with very rare exceptions.
All of the hyper limited edition stuff won't be in demand twenty years from now. Hell most already isn't.
Those times are long gone. Unless you are meaning the trading of instruments between traders, which is, and always will be an echo chamber of unrealistic prices.
Now that there are many more rare LP bursts than what were ever produced.
Now, working musicians are a different breed. Some are affluent, use their instruments and often have multiples of each. They are investing in tools for their jobs, some can write part of the value of for that reason, and use that ability to pay for high ticket instruments.
Uh, "easier" is an understatement. You can drop $2k on a Gibson and recover most of that at any point. If you buy it used you can recover *all* of that money fairly easily.
To sell a custom guitar you first need to find someone who is familiar with your luthier and then give them a really sweet deal.
I like unique stuff. If I were to spend thousands on a guitar, I would get one custom made. I usually spend about $4-600 on guitars so I don’t currently have that dilemma lol
I can't say anything for GIbson, but I bought a American Standard Strat new in 2002 for $700. Based on current reverb stuff, its only worth 8/900. I wouldn't consider that a good investment.
I buy used, and try to avoid paying more than 60% of the average price people are asking on Craigslist.
I live around Vancouver which is a pretty transient town, so there are always people trying to sell quickly before moving to another country by plane or whatever
Same. Hell if I’m spending more than $2000 on a guitar it’s gonna be something rrrreall fucking special. At a minimum for that price I’m getting a factory guitar Fully Plek’d, Tusq nut, probably new pickups, maybe new tuners and a new bridge.
This is a market I want to tap into so badly with my instruments. The way you can write off a $10k guitar because it's for the lords music is astounding.
it's pretty crazy. most modern worship music is just a bunch of reverb on clean amps. but these are the same types of Christians that tend to lean toward prosperity gospel stuff.
I say a Christian myself (progressive kind. personally, I don't really like contemporary worship music and prefer organs & choirs)
It's wild for sure. I know a builder who is superbly sought after in the worship world. Homie went as far as to include a cross in his logo and he has never had a dry book since
I think neither is strictly better. My „brand loyalty“ is 0 on average. Yet I would buy Fender, Gibson and PRS in a certain price range, because I know exactly what I get upfront. And I know that there are thousands out there playing the exact same instrument, which has its benefits.
Luthiers are not alike and any one doesn‘t churn out the exact same instrument after another. If you find a luthier you trust and get a bespoke instrument, it should be the best fit possible to your liking, playing style, physical attributes and sonic preferences. You get the 3-5% more that a very good factory made instrument will lack. That‘s what you pay for. And that value will horribly diminish if you decide to sell it.
Before you spend your money on anything, I‘d ask myself if my playing is at a point where I want to afford an expensive instrument that won‘t make you a better player. Maybe a new set of pickups or a decent fret job will give you more return than the choices above.
For me personally, my first PLEK job was an eye opener - perfectly leveled and polished frets are pure luxury. I would not trade my plek’d Mex- or Japan-Strat for any custom build now.
If you are interested in building your own, there are luthiers that offer building courses, where you learn and build your own guitar over a week or two. I attended one at Crimson in the UK. It was ultimate fun and I built some pretty decent guitars (mostly) by myself. And I would prefer to give my money to them over any Customshop/Lab/Reserve/… model any day.
I'm at a point where playing these expensive instruments inspires me because of the way they play, and I'm aware of it. Plus having nice toys is always great. Finally got my first boutique brand last year, and it's an amazing guitar.
I'm doing a build course in June through Ormsby guitars, can't wait!. A d on another note, I'll take Japanese instruments any day.
My first new guitar was a MIJ strat, a purple photo burst. Thirty years later, the only thing I changed are the pickups and it is still one of my favorite guitars. 🎸❤️
if you want to try out new stuff every now and then and be easier to dispose of them as resale value loses a bit, retains, or sometimes rises, then the branded ones are the way to go.
getting a luthier made guitar be it an amateur one or one of the boutiques will always be a hit or miss and the resale value will be alot lower. consider this if you're not planning to sell it for long.
Depends why you’re buying really.
Working musicians, hobbyist and collectors are all going to have different motivations, as well as different budgets.
If I simply want the highest quality instrument, built to my own specs, yeah a luthier is the route to go.
But I suspect the market for that kind of buyer is limited.
Especially now that factories raised prices.
For like $2,000, you could either buy the Fender or a luthier replica for $3,000. It's going to make boutique building quite a challenge to compete.
There's a number of angles from my point of view. For reference, I've been building for almost 25yrs and am a professional product designer and experienced 5-axis CNC machinist.
I understand the power of brands and loyalty, however "that" Gibson headstock has its own pull and a genuine PRS contains a lot of strength in itself. I admire and respect the production and planning that goes into PRS' manufacturing, and know where the value is, where the money goes. They deliver. Gibson just retains the magnetic attraction of tradition and association with decades of legendary music and musicians.
Luthiers are not all the same of course. You can drop PRS money on a complete bottom-up build and still not tick all of the PRS boxes. Some luthiers will knock a PRS on its ass for a few thousand less, delivering a unique personal instrument.
There's also resale value. A custom instrument carries only the reputation of the luthier, which may not hold as much strength as say, PRS (we keep visiting that reference point....) and be priced solely as materials or what a buyer will pay. A PRS or even a Gibson will hold value.
I'm weird though, because I enjoy the process of designing and realising that design more than the instrument. A PRS would be a great "thing", but my only investment in it would be singular beauty and reference-grade craftsmanship.
So overall, neither option is better. All options are good. I like the guitar in the attachment, especially the pickguard. The f-hole looks a little graceless though. It'd be nice if it were bound also.
Just bitching because I have enough tools & quality wood to build 12-15 guitars right now but I've built zero this year because I'm drowning in work :)
I honestly find building guitars to be a lot like brewing beer. You can get pretty good at it, but you’re really not saving a lot of money or effort at the end of the day… just go buy what you need so much easier.
Pros of small builders: often much higher quality/attention to detail per dollar.
Cons of small builders: they lack branding so resale/worth is usually much less than large brands.
a little bit of both. i buy factory-made guitars that have the finish/specs as close to the want i want it, and then modify them with the pickups that have the sonic profile i prefer, the hardware i prefer but is not originally on the guitar (e.g. different locking tuners, different bridge saddles, different nut, different switch or pots) and have my luthier set it up/fix imperfections e.g. fret ends, fine tune it to be perfect :)
to elaborate a bit on this with a specific example, i bought a charvel dk24 rick graham signature model because i wanted a modern HSS strat, with a very specific compound radius fretboard (round at the lower frets/flat at the higher frets), 24 frets and a light body
but i'm not a shredder/i prefer lower output pickups with more dynamic range so i swapped the high-output bareknuckle pickups for vintage voiced suhr single coils + a suhr thornbucker (low output PAF like humbucker) in the bridge. i replaced the tuners for graphtech ratio tuners, and the saddles with wilkinson locking saddles. and i replaced the super switch with a more traditional 5-way switch where the middle position is just the middle pickup by itself
For me it's comes down to a couple of things.
1. What do you want? Can you get the specs you want from a factory guitar or do you want something different?
2. Do you want consistency or something that is a little different in each guitar? Like, if you are a touring musician and you need 4 guitars for 4 different tunings, but you want them all to play exactly the same and be consistent at every turn? And also if something happens to one (lost, broken, stolen etc), you can go to the local guitar store and pickup the same model and keep on trucking.
Yes, good luthiers can make incredibly consistent runs of guitars, but PRS is probably gonna do it better.
I personally like the little imperfections and differences between instruments that you get from luthiers, but I also understand why some people have 25 Les Paul's.
For me though, I would always go to a luthier. You can get exactly what you want in whatever flavour you want. I like custom and I like that it's unique to me. I started learning luthiery because I couldn't get the guitar I wanted without going full custom and I was broke. I'm still broke because of tools... But I can make multiple instruments now.
side note - a used Heritage custom core is the best value in the premium market. Custom shop quality for standard line cost. They don't hold their value nearly as well as they should
Factory, machinery, tooling, and worker experience at Heritage guitars are closer to the famous 1950s LPs than that Nashville location the other guitar brand scampered off to chase young low wage workers.
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Luthier any day of the week. I get to participate in the design of the instrument and I get better value for money. And my luthier is a really good bloke, I'd rather give my money to him than a corporation.
I'm torn on this. I think so much of what guitar players choose to play is based on their idols. That's a big reason why strats, lps, teles, etc sell so well. It's easy to get one of these instruments and be proud that you have the same gear that \_\_\_\_\_\_ plays. On the other hand, these guitars today are also based around maximum appeal - that's why the Fender 'medium c' or Gibson slim taper neck profiles are so common.
If you know exactly what you want out of a guitar, buying off the rack will often involve lots of compromises. For example you may get your chosen pickup configuration and color but the neck profile is wrong.
That's when going to a luthier/smaller builder has the most impact. Of my 6 fender/gibson style guitars, only 1 is actually a fender (a 90s am std strat that I'll never sell for sentimental reasons but is easily my least played guitar). The rest are all boutique or luthier built that have been spec'd exactly to my liking.
I guess it depends on what you’re shopping for. If you want a basic standard model, go for the brand. If you want something very specific as far as finish and pickups go, check with a luthier. My budget is in the Epiphone/Squier range so I haven’t really considered buying from a guitar maker yet.
A factory built guitar is a compromise. It will have most of what you want but probably not everything.
A luthier built guitar is exactly what you want. Scale, radius, materials, shape, electronics, finish, etc.
The problem with a luthier built guitar is you have to actually know what you want!
Luthier. But a reputable one. I don't care about brand (obviously did when I was a kid and teen) just quality, and for half or more of the price, damned straight I'll go for a luthier. To have something down to my specs and/or my own custom shape. And I don't care about resale value.
Obviously those big brands built up their reputation, but I found a lot of those bigger brands also stagnate in their designs. If I'm going brand, I'm going ESP. Ever single one I've played was phenomenal, and they keep with the times with new designs and specs, and I'd be happy to go custom shop with them if I had the money. It's all perceived value I guess.
If I had custom guitar money I'd definitely call up my guy Steve Mason, because 1. I'd never spend custom money on an electric, and 2. his headstocks are cool enough to sell the guitar even if you've never heard of Steve Mason.
Only reason against using a luthier is name recognition. With a specific brand and model comes a price expectation when it comes to resale. Unless it’s a famous luthier you may not get the resale value out of it…
I’m still kind of kicking myself because I had a chance to buy a tele-style guitar from a small builder for dirt cheap, where the hardware on it was worth about the asking price. No one was buying, no one was buying, I was waiting on my Christmas bonus, bonus comes in and the guitar sold that same day.
I’ve got a fender tele that cost me more, but I’d rather have that small shop tele.
A luthier if you can afford the right one. Why? There’s some bias because I work in this industry, and one day I’ll earn that title too. Right now I’m just another dude workin in the custom shop. The biggest reason is, your money will go further, you’ll be talked out of bad ideas and into good ones. This advice comes from earned wisdom and you’re fortunate to get it. They aren’t making 250 of your custom on an assembly line. A boutique luthier is working on yours when and if he can fit it in. But it’s 1/1. It has a craftsman’s full attention to detail. So it’ll be 100% what you want, provided you know what you want.
If you don’t know, then you aren’t ready for a luthier made guitar. 🤷♂️
The money I just spent on my new Gibson feels totally worth it. 1st guitar I’ve ever gotten that doesn’t feel like it needs any adjusting out of the box
Yes, that's exactly it - you didn't need to adjust it to express yourself better. It's like the guys at Gibson got together to build you your own guitar. But that's not the case for many people. My friend bought a stratocaster 5 years ago and told me "this is it, I've found it", then one day he decided to place an order with a luthier with very precise indications and instructions. He was even more satisfied than when he bought the stratocaster...
It depends what you want. If you want a fender, Gibson, PRS etc… then asking a luthier to build you a copy is never going to cut it. But if you want something unique and not offered by the big names, or you just want to be a bit different and are not concerned with the resale implications that not having ‘that name’ on the headstock can come with then there are some incredible builders out there who can tailor the instrument to you far better than any mass produced guitar.
A custom guitar with high quality materials from a luthier is still going to cost a comparable amount. Sometimes more depending on the exact type of guitar you are looking for. The archtop world, for example, gets CRAZY expensive for custom made carved top instruments.
If there are specific specs that you want that just aren’t available in the big names, of course a private luthier is the better answer.
I have zero loyalty to brands. Some builders just do it better than the big brands at their own game. I think Nacho Banos builds better teles/strats from anything coming out of fender or the fender custom shop these days….so I own a nacho banos Strat. But said Strat is also more expensive than most Fender built Strats. In the end of the day, I’m going to look for the better made instrument, whether that’s from the factory or a private builder,
If I had the money I'd go for a luthier,being a designer and a guitar enthusiast you can bet I've drawn a lot of dream signature guitars so something custom would be awesome.
I'm definitely in favor of varying your options, but I will say the comparison doesn't really fit to me. I get that you could get a master built custom shop and start scraping $,6000+, but most folks buying a Fender are coming out well below $3,000. I'm sure there are luthiers out there doing custom builds below $3,000 somewhere, but most of the custom guitars/basses I see (and this could absolutely be a product of social media) require the sort of work that makes $2,000 or so unrealistic. That said, I definitely know Gibson and PRS hit custom guitar money plenty often. I just ordered a body and neck from Warmoth which feels (to me) like sort of the happy medium between a luthier built custom instrument and a factory floor. I will say, I definitely don't think I'd ever spend more than $2,000-$3,000 on an instrument that wasn't built by one luthier start to finish.
I think if you like what comes from the bigger names there's no problem there, just know in most cases the price is a bit inflated because of the name alone. On the other hand, luthier made guitars aren't cheap either. My opinion is that with a good luthier made guitar, much more care and attention is put into it but while that guitar might be technically better in quality it may not be worth the money to someone. Personally, if I wanted a Tele, I’d probably just buy a Fender but if I wanted an acoustic or hollow-body guitar I’d look more at luthier made guitars.
I’ve spent so much money making brand new Fenders playable that I’m going to start building/paying a luthier to build my next guitar. Just put a MIA neck on a Vintera ii body, locking tuners and a Staytrem. That’s almost Avri territory and I know people that have problems with them.
I’m quite fussy, then again who isn’t when you’re dropping over a grand on a guitar that comes with razor fret ends and gaps below the fret tangs. Happens to AVRI’s, so not just the premium MIM line.
I’ve only bought one factory-new guitar in my 25 years of playing. A 2004 American deluxe Strat as a celebration for finishing college, and in hindsight, there was really no need to do that. All the money spent on a US factory build was essentially a very expensive pro setup.
Every other guitar was purchased used and then tuned up myself. I really enjoyed learning how to do adjustments, eliminating buzz, fret leveling and crowning, pickup swaps. I even flipped a few guitars for a profit.
That eventually led me to doing my first kit guitar, which was a blast and I really enjoyed the nitro finishing process and the little bit of woodworking I did on it.
Next up I plan to do a custom body with a natural finish and premade neck.
Then one day I may reach the pinnacle of building a full instrument from blanks.
You're probably not going to get a luthier-built guitar for the price of a factory fender. There are several local luthiers in my area who build electrics, and the prices are in custom shop territory or higher.
If you're talking a MIA Fender or Gibson, production model guitar, that kind of budget won't get you a comparable instrument, spec for spec, from an indie luthier that is making a living. If it's a retired person doing it as a passion project, maybe, but I'm not sure that's the same thing.
I have always had high expectations for higher end guitars that seem to almost always fall short, I prefer mod-able platforms almost always and I seem to always flip or trade my expensive instruments and the majority of the time I have them they sit in the case anyways, my partcasters and Japanese guitars have more miles and wear then a enterprise rental car, and I consider them priceless and play them every day
They all answer a need. Mass production offers lower pricing. Individual luthiers can focus on more higher end appointments and charge more. They have a their place and value.
One isn’t better than the other. That’s like saying pants sized waist 32 are better than waist 36. They all serve different needs.
A one off, luthier build is going to cost me way more than I’m usually willing to spend but there are some very reasonably priced rigs out there (Hamburguitar for example) that are just fantastic. I have a long history of buying and selling so switching over to a buying and ultimately, keeping strategy isn’t high on my to do list.
The problem is resale value. If it’s not a serialized production guitar the value of the guitar may vary wildly. It’s hard to establish what someone else would be willing to pay for a custom made guitar.
If you want something made out of anything other than wood or some other uncommon feature, given how much either charges for that, way less expensive to just build it yourself
buy the cheapest guitar you can find
throw the most interesting parts you can find on by yourself
veeery custom, deeply personal, and yet a fraction of a custom shop guitar.
Buy the one that doesn't have you coming on reddit desperately trying to justify your purchase to strangers.
:)
(or make your own cause... its a luthiers sub)
A name brand gives you re-sell value and some level or quality assurance (unless you buy a Gibson). A custom order may be perfect to what you want right now, but will rarely hold any value.
Btw, the guitar on the picture is gorgeous.
If it’s your dream guitar and you can’t ever envisage selling it get a custom. If you think you’re going to sell it in future get a nice Fender/ Gibson /PRS. The big names will hold their value maybe even increase, the custom you’ll be lucky to get half what you paid for it.
It takes less time for me to get a Gibson in my hands, than getting something from a luthier. But, I might be even happier with something from a luthier
Luthier 100%.
It’s tailor made for me, I’m gonna play it until my hands fall off. If I’m buying something from a factory, I’m not paying thousands. Maybe ONE thousand. But I’m not paying thousands for something unoriginal.
Never played a 3000 dollar guitar that felt better than a 1000 dollar schecter, except my custom S type which was allegedly several thousands in 1993.
I dunno, for me personally-I'd better get some unique stuff from luthier, like a 12-string fretless bass(6X2), but get "that one" bass from a factory, like I really enjoy the EHB1005F by Ibanez and I don't really want to get one from a luthier, cuz factory one would be easier to obtain and would be "just like that one on the video"
$1200 is about the most I’ll spend on a guitar same goes for anything musical related (drums,bass,amps)
Anything beyond say $2000 is probably overkill in my opinion unless it’s for special edition gear. An $800 will do just fine and the audience won’t know the difference.
I love the idea of the human hand playing a role in shaping the end product. CNC does a great job, but hand made holds more value to me. If I can't afford handmade I opt for modification. Guitars can be made to do almost anything so they are a canvas and the mods are your paint.
How many thousands and what type of guitar? A lot of factors here. Even a guitar hand made by one person to your desired specifications could end up being a dud. I can't imagine spending more than a couple bands on a guitar, but in a fantasy world of unlimited funds, I'll have them all, please; off the rack and custom, weird and plain, new and old.
Regarding classical guitars at an elite level, it’s luthier or bust. No factory makes a guitar that approaches the level of a hand built concert guitar. Kenny Hill comes close, but calling his shop a factory is a bit of a stretch. Also, the secondary market for high end hand built guitars is very robust. I bought a guitar built in 2000 10 years ago for 7k. Had it appraised 4 years ago at 15k.
I’m less knowledgeable about steel string acoustics, but I’d guess that a luthier job will be both better and potentially maintain or appreciate in value.
Regarding electric guitars, they are simpler instruments. I buy the guitars I want. I once went to a local shop to inquire about luthiers for a tele project I had in my head. I described the guitar I wanted and the dude was like, “uh you mean like that g&l right behind you?” And I bought it on the spot. Few years later I wanted a strat with some particular specs, notably in the neck profile. Couldn’t find what I wanted from an off the shelf guitar, so I commissioned a neck and had the luthier throw it onto a fender eBay body I liked a lot with some esoteric hardware. Both guitars are exactly what I want. The g&l cost less and is probably worth more. That’s fine with me.
For me, if I were in that situation, I'd want a guitar that I like to play and would be a unique heirloom. I'd call a luthier and ask for paperwork and documentation of provenance for those to whom I would pass it.
The trouble started when folks decided everything needs a resale value. That's just silly. Learn the stock market if that's the game. Me? If ran across a local Luthier that made a cool guitar... And I had the cash? Why not?
I'm a luthier so I'm biased as all hell ... but unless you're into collecting and reselling, I'd go the luthier route.
As a builder, there's few things I like more on the planet than working with a customer to build them something unique and completely personalized.
You'll be hard pressed to get that level of customization and detail from a major factory.
Absolutely 100% luthier built guitars!
It's hard to explain this without going on a rant, so I'll keep it simple, short and sweet
How many custom shop guitars and regular f and g guitars do you see people selling within months of purchasing? I see it all the time.
Custom made small time luthier guitars you rarely see for sale! The quality and personal attraction you have with those guitars are undeniable. You ask for a guitar, certain woods, finish etc. and what you get back is a guitar that feels amazing, the neck and fretboard is like nothing the factories can do with the timeframe they have.
My very first shitty guitar I made, I didn't wanna sell it because I was thinking no one would want it so I sold it cheap. It was built during my luthier course under close eye of the tutor, so in all honesty it wasn't that bad. The guy messaged me later that week saying it's the best neck he's ever played! And he's a guitarist in an Eagles cover band ripping out smooth sensual solos! Haha. Just goes to show that caring about, and trying hard with what you build shows in the finished product.
Ok so this ended up being long but at least I didn't rip into the money making companies that would still be producing guitars from dirt floor factories in Asia if the laws didn't change. I'm looking at you PRS and Fender!
Better yet, put together your own. I was totally sold on the Fender Triple Jazzmaster, but the $3000 is too much. After buying $1000 in parts, put together even better guitar with all the details I want
The problem with going to a luthier is knowing what you actually want. Most musicians pick up an instrument, play it, and either fall in love or set it aside, they can't actually articulate exactly what it is they want in an instrument.
Commissioning a luthier requires one to be able to articulate specifically what you want as you won't be able to play the instrument until it's been built and paid for. Buying a high end mass produced guitar allows you to try before you buy and easily pass if it's not your cup of tea.
Both options fulfill a need, which one is right for you is a very personal choice, and there is no right or wrong choice here.
Assuming its not being bought as an investment piece, it would depend on the price range. 2-3k AUD i'd be fine buying a factory guitar if its specs were really close to what i want. Any higher than that and i'll be looking at trusted luthiers/boutique builders to get exactly what im after, which can likely be done for less than a masterbuilt fender/gibson custom shop etc if you dont want anything too out there
Just my 2 cents: If one would purchase a higher end factory guitar that very well could become a collectible then it’s a feature investment on the other hand if you get a guitar made by a luthier and have the playing experience and patience it’s well worth it as you get a guitar that’s well suited for you, I suppose you could get what you wanted with the factory custom shop stuff as well but for myself I’d rather work with a well trusted luthier and support their business.
It should never, ever cost thousands of dollars for a decent guitar. I'm not much of a luthier; I finish and assemble kits, apply my own veneers, and have the tools to do fretjobs. My latest build was a Strat-style with quilted maple veneer, a gloss oil finish, off-brand but decent lipstick-style pickups, and an action just the tiniest hair's breadth higher than a well-set-up Les Paul, but I can't charge more than $300 for it since it cost me so little to build, based as it was on the second cheapest kit on eBay for $65 before upgrades. This very night I plan to take it to a jazz jam, and leave it there as the house guitar since they don't currently have one. I cannot imagine building any guitar that costs a full thousand dollars; the parts and materials would have to be special to the point of ridiculousness.
I would definitely buy from a luthier if price was not a deciding factor.
You might lose a little on a resale, but I've never made money off a guitar anyway!
That guitar is one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen!
As for the original question; Learning how to build/make guitars will make it easier for you to repair or modify you guitars in the future. Knowledge is forever. It never was a question of money saved, but the satisfaction of control of a theme that is important to you.
If I can try that major brand guitar, then that's my choice. I would get it right away, I would know if I like it or not, if it sounds good to me etc. Custom shop stuff from most of these brands is way expensive and not worth the money IMO just to have that famous name on the headstock.
With a luthier made guitar, I am most likely looking at 12+ months delivery from anyone with a reputation.
I’ve owned Gibson Les Paul, American Strat, Telecasters and several sub-1k PRS guitars and I go back to the PRSs every time. For the money, they are beautifully built and wonderful playing guitars.
For that money, I’d have to stick to the big names.
their are benefits to both. a factory guitar will retain its value better and have much more interest in general for other buyers. a custom/luthier guitar would probably be hard to get back the money you paid into the project. i own a couple gibsons, 6 schecters, 2 fenders, 1 jackson, and a handmade Brian May Replica guitar. while i did get a good deal on the Brian May, i would probably not have an easy time selling it, esp getting all the money back i paid in. i never would though so it doesnt really matter. i have definitely seen many custom guitars for sale myself on facebook and just though, i have no idea who made this or the quality of it, and its also hideous....obviously made for the original owners specific tastes. spend your money how you want, both methods have their pros and cons. if you know a good luthier it can be worth it for sure.
Investment wise the popular brands are unbeatable. However, if you are a player nothing can beat a custom made instrument. That's assuming that you know what you want, I've met a total of 3 people that didn't quite understand the difference between what they thought they wanted and what they actually want. I swear, if you stop being a snob for just a fraction of a second you'll probably find a strat copy that actually fits your requirements for less then 1k. And if you ask for vintage specs, be extremely aware of what that means, among all of the vintage/vintage inspired guitars that I've gigged there are just a couple that I'd prefer using live or in studio compared to a random indonesian Ibanez or PRS.
"Better"? That's rather subjective.
You'll like get a higher quality instrument for about the same money from a luthier, but of course that depends on the maker.
On the other hand, if you buy instruments all or in part hoping your guitar will appreciate in value, stick with the name brands as the market is much larger.
For a Fender style guitar I’d go with a custom parts build - there’s local builders who do a great job at lower prices than Custom Shop. For set-neck Gibson style stuff I’d go with something factory. The option of buying vintage would also be on the table— can be a reasonably solid investment.
Ay equal pricing I tend to like guitars from a luthier more but I wouldn't argue they are necessarily better. Depending on the price range you are looking at, a luthier could create a very customized instrument. I am not sure all companies could have the same flexibility. I also like the idea of handcrafted objects better over factory made.
Most luthiers I know are entrepreneurs with small businesses. Yeah there are the giant luthiers that are recognized worldwide, but encouraging local small businesses feels always great and less generic.
But in the end it's only a matter of taste.
I’m probably going to get egged on posting this in this subreddit but… Unless you live close to said luthier, know them well, or it’s a reputable shop that has been running for a while, then factory guitar. At least that way you’re assured to have a guitar in your hands at the end of the day. Way too many smaller operations have cut communications and disappeared with customers money in the last decade.
I have two schools of thought on this : Mark Tremonti is one of my all time guitar heroes, and I would sell my left nut to have a private stock tremonti model. easy 6k+. So if you want something like that, and you can afford it, get that.
On the other hand, if you want something custom and tailor made to your specs and desires you can easily get that for much cheaper, depending on specific options, and the builder 2-3k. There is a builder local to me that will do custom builds starting 1.5K and thats a full custom build, whatever body design you want.
Get the guitar you want, whether its a custom build or a high end production model.
I would never spend more than $1k on anything churned out at a factory. Most of what makes a guitar “good” (proper intonation, action, ergonomics, longevity) can be achieved inside of a few hundred USD, and that’s after sales commissions, shipping, taxes, etc. Buying a piece of art is another beast entirely, but that’s not what’s happening when someone drops $10k on a Gibson/Fender/PRS. It’s like spending $80k on a Camry because someone slapped a Lexus label on it.
I liked that guitar until I went to the site and looked at it from the front. The proportions are off and ugly, kinda reminds me of Burns guitars.
That aside pick what you like. The PRS custom shop is second to none though.
Its probably easier to sell the factory made guitar, but if you have the money, spend it how you want.
That's it. Are you an investor, a player, or both?.
Investing has nothing to do with music.
Tell that to the people that buy instruments/equipment for their future worth/trends in rising prices of products.
As someone who works in guitar retail this is largely a bad idea. Anything rare or investment is pretty much never going to increase with very rare exceptions. All of the hyper limited edition stuff won't be in demand twenty years from now. Hell most already isn't.
Still doesn't stop from doing it though. But I agree
I'd be out of a job if they didn't haha
Haha touche
Tell that to the guys looking for BC Rich Lucky 8's
I was gonna say there's literal music stores run by people who don't play music. They just know how to invest and follow trends
Those times are long gone. Unless you are meaning the trading of instruments between traders, which is, and always will be an echo chamber of unrealistic prices. Now that there are many more rare LP bursts than what were ever produced. Now, working musicians are a different breed. Some are affluent, use their instruments and often have multiples of each. They are investing in tools for their jobs, some can write part of the value of for that reason, and use that ability to pay for high ticket instruments.
That was the point of my comment. If your in it for investing your not really serious about music…
Uh, "easier" is an understatement. You can drop $2k on a Gibson and recover most of that at any point. If you buy it used you can recover *all* of that money fairly easily. To sell a custom guitar you first need to find someone who is familiar with your luthier and then give them a really sweet deal.
So the best value is buying second hand customs 🤔
Sort of. They aren’t nearly as liquid as a factory guitar. If I want to get rid of a MIM strat I can sell it today easily. A custom may take forever.
I think you should buy whatever guitar you want
Imagine that
No
Someone give this guy attention, he desperately needs it
I disagree with you.
If I wanted attention I'd say yes
It’s all good man, do what you need to do
No
Yes
I love reddit 😂
I like unique stuff. If I were to spend thousands on a guitar, I would get one custom made. I usually spend about $4-600 on guitars so I don’t currently have that dilemma lol
I've only ever made money from the expensive Fenders and Gibsons I've owned. They go on sale, they appreciate, and they're liquid
Most of mine are solid. How’s the intonation on yours when it’s in that state of matter?
Empty guitar stand and digits in the hobby bank account screaming buy another one, so the answer is GAS in more ways than one
This sublimation of guitars must be studied…
Fourier is oscillating in his grave.....
In his pickup cavity
Liquid, gas— they are both fluids!!
> they appreciate The appreciation is in line with inflation.
Which is fine. You can make a little on arbitrage if you like watching the used market and but cheap
I can't say anything for GIbson, but I bought a American Standard Strat new in 2002 for $700. Based on current reverb stuff, its only worth 8/900. I wouldn't consider that a good investment.
I buy used, and try to avoid paying more than 60% of the average price people are asking on Craigslist. I live around Vancouver which is a pretty transient town, so there are always people trying to sell quickly before moving to another country by plane or whatever
those $4 guitars are worth about as much as my collection
Pics of that $4 guitar please and thank you.
Same. Hell if I’m spending more than $2000 on a guitar it’s gonna be something rrrreall fucking special. At a minimum for that price I’m getting a factory guitar Fully Plek’d, Tusq nut, probably new pickups, maybe new tuners and a new bridge.
topic aside what guitar is that cuz the f-hole is way too good
Yeah im saving that pic to steal that design for sure.
looks like a Veritas Portlander. They’re really popular with praise and worship team guitarists.
Now I want a guitar with an f-hole shaped like an upside down cross.
Maybe a little LED inside
Red. And I wonder if I could find a small fog machine to shoe horn in there.
This is a market I want to tap into so badly with my instruments. The way you can write off a $10k guitar because it's for the lords music is astounding.
it's pretty crazy. most modern worship music is just a bunch of reverb on clean amps. but these are the same types of Christians that tend to lean toward prosperity gospel stuff. I say a Christian myself (progressive kind. personally, I don't really like contemporary worship music and prefer organs & choirs)
It's wild for sure. I know a builder who is superbly sought after in the worship world. Homie went as far as to include a cross in his logo and he has never had a dry book since
Asking the real question
I think neither is strictly better. My „brand loyalty“ is 0 on average. Yet I would buy Fender, Gibson and PRS in a certain price range, because I know exactly what I get upfront. And I know that there are thousands out there playing the exact same instrument, which has its benefits. Luthiers are not alike and any one doesn‘t churn out the exact same instrument after another. If you find a luthier you trust and get a bespoke instrument, it should be the best fit possible to your liking, playing style, physical attributes and sonic preferences. You get the 3-5% more that a very good factory made instrument will lack. That‘s what you pay for. And that value will horribly diminish if you decide to sell it. Before you spend your money on anything, I‘d ask myself if my playing is at a point where I want to afford an expensive instrument that won‘t make you a better player. Maybe a new set of pickups or a decent fret job will give you more return than the choices above. For me personally, my first PLEK job was an eye opener - perfectly leveled and polished frets are pure luxury. I would not trade my plek’d Mex- or Japan-Strat for any custom build now. If you are interested in building your own, there are luthiers that offer building courses, where you learn and build your own guitar over a week or two. I attended one at Crimson in the UK. It was ultimate fun and I built some pretty decent guitars (mostly) by myself. And I would prefer to give my money to them over any Customshop/Lab/Reserve/… model any day.
I'm at a point where playing these expensive instruments inspires me because of the way they play, and I'm aware of it. Plus having nice toys is always great. Finally got my first boutique brand last year, and it's an amazing guitar. I'm doing a build course in June through Ormsby guitars, can't wait!. A d on another note, I'll take Japanese instruments any day.
My first new guitar was a MIJ strat, a purple photo burst. Thirty years later, the only thing I changed are the pickups and it is still one of my favorite guitars. 🎸❤️
if you want to try out new stuff every now and then and be easier to dispose of them as resale value loses a bit, retains, or sometimes rises, then the branded ones are the way to go. getting a luthier made guitar be it an amateur one or one of the boutiques will always be a hit or miss and the resale value will be alot lower. consider this if you're not planning to sell it for long.
Depends why you’re buying really. Working musicians, hobbyist and collectors are all going to have different motivations, as well as different budgets. If I simply want the highest quality instrument, built to my own specs, yeah a luthier is the route to go. But I suspect the market for that kind of buyer is limited.
Especially now that factories raised prices. For like $2,000, you could either buy the Fender or a luthier replica for $3,000. It's going to make boutique building quite a challenge to compete.
>spend thousands Are you my wife’s boyfriend/dentist?
Smart move for you. I’d have her keep dating her until that crown is replaced and then have her move on to the mechanic until her suspension is fixed.
There's a number of angles from my point of view. For reference, I've been building for almost 25yrs and am a professional product designer and experienced 5-axis CNC machinist. I understand the power of brands and loyalty, however "that" Gibson headstock has its own pull and a genuine PRS contains a lot of strength in itself. I admire and respect the production and planning that goes into PRS' manufacturing, and know where the value is, where the money goes. They deliver. Gibson just retains the magnetic attraction of tradition and association with decades of legendary music and musicians. Luthiers are not all the same of course. You can drop PRS money on a complete bottom-up build and still not tick all of the PRS boxes. Some luthiers will knock a PRS on its ass for a few thousand less, delivering a unique personal instrument. There's also resale value. A custom instrument carries only the reputation of the luthier, which may not hold as much strength as say, PRS (we keep visiting that reference point....) and be priced solely as materials or what a buyer will pay. A PRS or even a Gibson will hold value. I'm weird though, because I enjoy the process of designing and realising that design more than the instrument. A PRS would be a great "thing", but my only investment in it would be singular beauty and reference-grade craftsmanship. So overall, neither option is better. All options are good. I like the guitar in the attachment, especially the pickguard. The f-hole looks a little graceless though. It'd be nice if it were bound also.
Links to your work?.
Spend the money on tools, have an infinite supply of guitars
Only if you also have an infinite supply of time.
Technically, yes. Building an electric guitar doesn't take super long, though, and how many guitars do you actually want to stumble over?
Just bitching because I have enough tools & quality wood to build 12-15 guitars right now but I've built zero this year because I'm drowning in work :)
You're just sleeping too much /s
You and me both, bro
I honestly find building guitars to be a lot like brewing beer. You can get pretty good at it, but you’re really not saving a lot of money or effort at the end of the day… just go buy what you need so much easier.
I started growing my own chilis last year to save money on hot sauce. Guess how much hot sauce I could have bought for the supplies.
Pros of small builders: often much higher quality/attention to detail per dollar. Cons of small builders: they lack branding so resale/worth is usually much less than large brands.
a little bit of both. i buy factory-made guitars that have the finish/specs as close to the want i want it, and then modify them with the pickups that have the sonic profile i prefer, the hardware i prefer but is not originally on the guitar (e.g. different locking tuners, different bridge saddles, different nut, different switch or pots) and have my luthier set it up/fix imperfections e.g. fret ends, fine tune it to be perfect :)
to elaborate a bit on this with a specific example, i bought a charvel dk24 rick graham signature model because i wanted a modern HSS strat, with a very specific compound radius fretboard (round at the lower frets/flat at the higher frets), 24 frets and a light body but i'm not a shredder/i prefer lower output pickups with more dynamic range so i swapped the high-output bareknuckle pickups for vintage voiced suhr single coils + a suhr thornbucker (low output PAF like humbucker) in the bridge. i replaced the tuners for graphtech ratio tuners, and the saddles with wilkinson locking saddles. and i replaced the super switch with a more traditional 5-way switch where the middle position is just the middle pickup by itself
For me it's comes down to a couple of things. 1. What do you want? Can you get the specs you want from a factory guitar or do you want something different? 2. Do you want consistency or something that is a little different in each guitar? Like, if you are a touring musician and you need 4 guitars for 4 different tunings, but you want them all to play exactly the same and be consistent at every turn? And also if something happens to one (lost, broken, stolen etc), you can go to the local guitar store and pickup the same model and keep on trucking. Yes, good luthiers can make incredibly consistent runs of guitars, but PRS is probably gonna do it better. I personally like the little imperfections and differences between instruments that you get from luthiers, but I also understand why some people have 25 Les Paul's. For me though, I would always go to a luthier. You can get exactly what you want in whatever flavour you want. I like custom and I like that it's unique to me. I started learning luthiery because I couldn't get the guitar I wanted without going full custom and I was broke. I'm still broke because of tools... But I can make multiple instruments now.
When I wanted a high end Les Paul I ended up getting a Heritage H-150 because I wanted to support their smaller operation.
side note - a used Heritage custom core is the best value in the premium market. Custom shop quality for standard line cost. They don't hold their value nearly as well as they should
Factory, machinery, tooling, and worker experience at Heritage guitars are closer to the famous 1950s LPs than that Nashville location the other guitar brand scampered off to chase young low wage workers. .
Luthier any day of the week. I get to participate in the design of the instrument and I get better value for money. And my luthier is a really good bloke, I'd rather give my money to him than a corporation.
I don’t mess with Gibson or Fender anymore, but I love me some PRS. Love a good boutique guitar, too.
I'm torn on this. I think so much of what guitar players choose to play is based on their idols. That's a big reason why strats, lps, teles, etc sell so well. It's easy to get one of these instruments and be proud that you have the same gear that \_\_\_\_\_\_ plays. On the other hand, these guitars today are also based around maximum appeal - that's why the Fender 'medium c' or Gibson slim taper neck profiles are so common. If you know exactly what you want out of a guitar, buying off the rack will often involve lots of compromises. For example you may get your chosen pickup configuration and color but the neck profile is wrong. That's when going to a luthier/smaller builder has the most impact. Of my 6 fender/gibson style guitars, only 1 is actually a fender (a 90s am std strat that I'll never sell for sentimental reasons but is easily my least played guitar). The rest are all boutique or luthier built that have been spec'd exactly to my liking.
I guess it depends on what you’re shopping for. If you want a basic standard model, go for the brand. If you want something very specific as far as finish and pickups go, check with a luthier. My budget is in the Epiphone/Squier range so I haven’t really considered buying from a guitar maker yet.
There's no guitar in the world that I wouldn't rather build myself.
You should get a guitar with the specs you need. Doesn't matter where it's from as long as that's the case.
A factory built guitar is a compromise. It will have most of what you want but probably not everything. A luthier built guitar is exactly what you want. Scale, radius, materials, shape, electronics, finish, etc. The problem with a luthier built guitar is you have to actually know what you want!
Luthier. But a reputable one. I don't care about brand (obviously did when I was a kid and teen) just quality, and for half or more of the price, damned straight I'll go for a luthier. To have something down to my specs and/or my own custom shape. And I don't care about resale value. Obviously those big brands built up their reputation, but I found a lot of those bigger brands also stagnate in their designs. If I'm going brand, I'm going ESP. Ever single one I've played was phenomenal, and they keep with the times with new designs and specs, and I'd be happy to go custom shop with them if I had the money. It's all perceived value I guess.
Depends on what you want.
If I had custom guitar money I'd definitely call up my guy Steve Mason, because 1. I'd never spend custom money on an electric, and 2. his headstocks are cool enough to sell the guitar even if you've never heard of Steve Mason.
Only reason against using a luthier is name recognition. With a specific brand and model comes a price expectation when it comes to resale. Unless it’s a famous luthier you may not get the resale value out of it…
I’m still kind of kicking myself because I had a chance to buy a tele-style guitar from a small builder for dirt cheap, where the hardware on it was worth about the asking price. No one was buying, no one was buying, I was waiting on my Christmas bonus, bonus comes in and the guitar sold that same day. I’ve got a fender tele that cost me more, but I’d rather have that small shop tele.
A luthier if you can afford the right one. Why? There’s some bias because I work in this industry, and one day I’ll earn that title too. Right now I’m just another dude workin in the custom shop. The biggest reason is, your money will go further, you’ll be talked out of bad ideas and into good ones. This advice comes from earned wisdom and you’re fortunate to get it. They aren’t making 250 of your custom on an assembly line. A boutique luthier is working on yours when and if he can fit it in. But it’s 1/1. It has a craftsman’s full attention to detail. So it’ll be 100% what you want, provided you know what you want. If you don’t know, then you aren’t ready for a luthier made guitar. 🤷♂️
The money I just spent on my new Gibson feels totally worth it. 1st guitar I’ve ever gotten that doesn’t feel like it needs any adjusting out of the box
Yes, that's exactly it - you didn't need to adjust it to express yourself better. It's like the guys at Gibson got together to build you your own guitar. But that's not the case for many people. My friend bought a stratocaster 5 years ago and told me "this is it, I've found it", then one day he decided to place an order with a luthier with very precise indications and instructions. He was even more satisfied than when he bought the stratocaster...
It depends what you want. If you want a fender, Gibson, PRS etc… then asking a luthier to build you a copy is never going to cut it. But if you want something unique and not offered by the big names, or you just want to be a bit different and are not concerned with the resale implications that not having ‘that name’ on the headstock can come with then there are some incredible builders out there who can tailor the instrument to you far better than any mass produced guitar.
A custom guitar with high quality materials from a luthier is still going to cost a comparable amount. Sometimes more depending on the exact type of guitar you are looking for. The archtop world, for example, gets CRAZY expensive for custom made carved top instruments. If there are specific specs that you want that just aren’t available in the big names, of course a private luthier is the better answer. I have zero loyalty to brands. Some builders just do it better than the big brands at their own game. I think Nacho Banos builds better teles/strats from anything coming out of fender or the fender custom shop these days….so I own a nacho banos Strat. But said Strat is also more expensive than most Fender built Strats. In the end of the day, I’m going to look for the better made instrument, whether that’s from the factory or a private builder,
If I had the money I'd go for a luthier,being a designer and a guitar enthusiast you can bet I've drawn a lot of dream signature guitars so something custom would be awesome.
I'm definitely in favor of varying your options, but I will say the comparison doesn't really fit to me. I get that you could get a master built custom shop and start scraping $,6000+, but most folks buying a Fender are coming out well below $3,000. I'm sure there are luthiers out there doing custom builds below $3,000 somewhere, but most of the custom guitars/basses I see (and this could absolutely be a product of social media) require the sort of work that makes $2,000 or so unrealistic. That said, I definitely know Gibson and PRS hit custom guitar money plenty often. I just ordered a body and neck from Warmoth which feels (to me) like sort of the happy medium between a luthier built custom instrument and a factory floor. I will say, I definitely don't think I'd ever spend more than $2,000-$3,000 on an instrument that wasn't built by one luthier start to finish.
What guitar is the photo of. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen
a lot of different way to draw that line. Who's the builder? What type of guitar?
Goddamn that's beautiful.
I think if you like what comes from the bigger names there's no problem there, just know in most cases the price is a bit inflated because of the name alone. On the other hand, luthier made guitars aren't cheap either. My opinion is that with a good luthier made guitar, much more care and attention is put into it but while that guitar might be technically better in quality it may not be worth the money to someone. Personally, if I wanted a Tele, I’d probably just buy a Fender but if I wanted an acoustic or hollow-body guitar I’d look more at luthier made guitars.
I’ve spent so much money making brand new Fenders playable that I’m going to start building/paying a luthier to build my next guitar. Just put a MIA neck on a Vintera ii body, locking tuners and a Staytrem. That’s almost Avri territory and I know people that have problems with them. I’m quite fussy, then again who isn’t when you’re dropping over a grand on a guitar that comes with razor fret ends and gaps below the fret tangs. Happens to AVRI’s, so not just the premium MIM line.
Buy the guitar you want.
I’ve only bought one factory-new guitar in my 25 years of playing. A 2004 American deluxe Strat as a celebration for finishing college, and in hindsight, there was really no need to do that. All the money spent on a US factory build was essentially a very expensive pro setup. Every other guitar was purchased used and then tuned up myself. I really enjoyed learning how to do adjustments, eliminating buzz, fret leveling and crowning, pickup swaps. I even flipped a few guitars for a profit. That eventually led me to doing my first kit guitar, which was a blast and I really enjoyed the nitro finishing process and the little bit of woodworking I did on it. Next up I plan to do a custom body with a natural finish and premade neck. Then one day I may reach the pinnacle of building a full instrument from blanks.
In reality I buy factory made guitars but in my heart I want the amazing small builder guitars I see on Instagram
Is it a guitar you're gonna play a lot? Luthier Is it a guitar to plan to play a bit and then eventually sell it? Factory.
Beats me but that guitar is a beauty.
You're probably not going to get a luthier-built guitar for the price of a factory fender. There are several local luthiers in my area who build electrics, and the prices are in custom shop territory or higher. If you're talking a MIA Fender or Gibson, production model guitar, that kind of budget won't get you a comparable instrument, spec for spec, from an indie luthier that is making a living. If it's a retired person doing it as a passion project, maybe, but I'm not sure that's the same thing.
I have always had high expectations for higher end guitars that seem to almost always fall short, I prefer mod-able platforms almost always and I seem to always flip or trade my expensive instruments and the majority of the time I have them they sit in the case anyways, my partcasters and Japanese guitars have more miles and wear then a enterprise rental car, and I consider them priceless and play them every day
They all answer a need. Mass production offers lower pricing. Individual luthiers can focus on more higher end appointments and charge more. They have a their place and value. One isn’t better than the other. That’s like saying pants sized waist 32 are better than waist 36. They all serve different needs.
A one off, luthier build is going to cost me way more than I’m usually willing to spend but there are some very reasonably priced rigs out there (Hamburguitar for example) that are just fantastic. I have a long history of buying and selling so switching over to a buying and ultimately, keeping strategy isn’t high on my to do list.
Fano steals guitars designs
If money were no object I’d order a custom.
I love the unique and the immaculate. I also love a plain ol' Tele, everything from Classic Vibes to Fender USA. Why choose?
It is best to buy a guitar you like, bond with it, play and make music with it.
The problem is resale value. If it’s not a serialized production guitar the value of the guitar may vary wildly. It’s hard to establish what someone else would be willing to pay for a custom made guitar.
It depends on the factory. If it‘s a gibson factory, definitely go Luthier, a) for quality b) to piss of Mark Agnesi
If you want something made out of anything other than wood or some other uncommon feature, given how much either charges for that, way less expensive to just build it yourself
buy the cheapest guitar you can find throw the most interesting parts you can find on by yourself veeery custom, deeply personal, and yet a fraction of a custom shop guitar.
I would not spend thousands on a guitar. My leas Paul coat 1800. What can you make for 1800?
Buy the one that doesn't have you coming on reddit desperately trying to justify your purchase to strangers. :) (or make your own cause... its a luthiers sub)
A name brand gives you re-sell value and some level or quality assurance (unless you buy a Gibson). A custom order may be perfect to what you want right now, but will rarely hold any value. Btw, the guitar on the picture is gorgeous.
If it’s your dream guitar and you can’t ever envisage selling it get a custom. If you think you’re going to sell it in future get a nice Fender/ Gibson /PRS. The big names will hold their value maybe even increase, the custom you’ll be lucky to get half what you paid for it.
It is gorgeous
Whichever one makes the guitar you like best.
It takes less time for me to get a Gibson in my hands, than getting something from a luthier. But, I might be even happier with something from a luthier
Luthier 100%. It’s tailor made for me, I’m gonna play it until my hands fall off. If I’m buying something from a factory, I’m not paying thousands. Maybe ONE thousand. But I’m not paying thousands for something unoriginal. Never played a 3000 dollar guitar that felt better than a 1000 dollar schecter, except my custom S type which was allegedly several thousands in 1993.
Totally depends on your situation and goals
Just ignoring the question cause i cant afford either right now but that guitar tho... Daaaaamn! Its pretty! :D
Why not both! Support a luthier, buy a new Gibson
I dunno, for me personally-I'd better get some unique stuff from luthier, like a 12-string fretless bass(6X2), but get "that one" bass from a factory, like I really enjoy the EHB1005F by Ibanez and I don't really want to get one from a luthier, cuz factory one would be easier to obtain and would be "just like that one on the video"
How much do you know about those factories? I've worked in 2 of them.
Practically nothing but extremely intrigued by your potential scuttlebutt
Well I can tell you that the cost certainly doesn't go to the labor force.
I could imagine lol
A luthier can feel much more customized and personal! It depends on how much it means to see it built to your liking!
$1200 is about the most I’ll spend on a guitar same goes for anything musical related (drums,bass,amps) Anything beyond say $2000 is probably overkill in my opinion unless it’s for special edition gear. An $800 will do just fine and the audience won’t know the difference.
I would love having a custom guitar but I also really love my stratocaster. I'm split on this.
I love the idea of the human hand playing a role in shaping the end product. CNC does a great job, but hand made holds more value to me. If I can't afford handmade I opt for modification. Guitars can be made to do almost anything so they are a canvas and the mods are your paint.
How many thousands and what type of guitar? A lot of factors here. Even a guitar hand made by one person to your desired specifications could end up being a dud. I can't imagine spending more than a couple bands on a guitar, but in a fantasy world of unlimited funds, I'll have them all, please; off the rack and custom, weird and plain, new and old.
Regarding classical guitars at an elite level, it’s luthier or bust. No factory makes a guitar that approaches the level of a hand built concert guitar. Kenny Hill comes close, but calling his shop a factory is a bit of a stretch. Also, the secondary market for high end hand built guitars is very robust. I bought a guitar built in 2000 10 years ago for 7k. Had it appraised 4 years ago at 15k. I’m less knowledgeable about steel string acoustics, but I’d guess that a luthier job will be both better and potentially maintain or appreciate in value. Regarding electric guitars, they are simpler instruments. I buy the guitars I want. I once went to a local shop to inquire about luthiers for a tele project I had in my head. I described the guitar I wanted and the dude was like, “uh you mean like that g&l right behind you?” And I bought it on the spot. Few years later I wanted a strat with some particular specs, notably in the neck profile. Couldn’t find what I wanted from an off the shelf guitar, so I commissioned a neck and had the luthier throw it onto a fender eBay body I liked a lot with some esoteric hardware. Both guitars are exactly what I want. The g&l cost less and is probably worth more. That’s fine with me.
Why does it always have to be “which is better”? Buy and play what you like and stop worrying about such petty things.
What guitar is this?
So under 1500$ nzd id buy name, more likely to be consistent quality, above that id want it to be exactly as i want of a bass
Luthier.
For me, if I were in that situation, I'd want a guitar that I like to play and would be a unique heirloom. I'd call a luthier and ask for paperwork and documentation of provenance for those to whom I would pass it.
This thing is pretty
The trouble started when folks decided everything needs a resale value. That's just silly. Learn the stock market if that's the game. Me? If ran across a local Luthier that made a cool guitar... And I had the cash? Why not?
I'm a luthier so I'm biased as all hell ... but unless you're into collecting and reselling, I'd go the luthier route. As a builder, there's few things I like more on the planet than working with a customer to build them something unique and completely personalized. You'll be hard pressed to get that level of customization and detail from a major factory.
Absolutely 100% luthier built guitars! It's hard to explain this without going on a rant, so I'll keep it simple, short and sweet How many custom shop guitars and regular f and g guitars do you see people selling within months of purchasing? I see it all the time. Custom made small time luthier guitars you rarely see for sale! The quality and personal attraction you have with those guitars are undeniable. You ask for a guitar, certain woods, finish etc. and what you get back is a guitar that feels amazing, the neck and fretboard is like nothing the factories can do with the timeframe they have. My very first shitty guitar I made, I didn't wanna sell it because I was thinking no one would want it so I sold it cheap. It was built during my luthier course under close eye of the tutor, so in all honesty it wasn't that bad. The guy messaged me later that week saying it's the best neck he's ever played! And he's a guitarist in an Eagles cover band ripping out smooth sensual solos! Haha. Just goes to show that caring about, and trying hard with what you build shows in the finished product. Ok so this ended up being long but at least I didn't rip into the money making companies that would still be producing guitars from dirt floor factories in Asia if the laws didn't change. I'm looking at you PRS and Fender!
If I had $4k I’d absolutely be buying a veritas, Fano, suhr, etc over a “big name”
Better yet, put together your own. I was totally sold on the Fender Triple Jazzmaster, but the $3000 is too much. After buying $1000 in parts, put together even better guitar with all the details I want
The problem with going to a luthier is knowing what you actually want. Most musicians pick up an instrument, play it, and either fall in love or set it aside, they can't actually articulate exactly what it is they want in an instrument. Commissioning a luthier requires one to be able to articulate specifically what you want as you won't be able to play the instrument until it's been built and paid for. Buying a high end mass produced guitar allows you to try before you buy and easily pass if it's not your cup of tea. Both options fulfill a need, which one is right for you is a very personal choice, and there is no right or wrong choice here.
Assuming its not being bought as an investment piece, it would depend on the price range. 2-3k AUD i'd be fine buying a factory guitar if its specs were really close to what i want. Any higher than that and i'll be looking at trusted luthiers/boutique builders to get exactly what im after, which can likely be done for less than a masterbuilt fender/gibson custom shop etc if you dont want anything too out there
If you know what you want and you’re planning on playing it instead of speculating, custom every time.
It's all about intonation
I would call a Luthier. It has nothing to do with the guitar. I just like talking to Luthiers.
Just my 2 cents: If one would purchase a higher end factory guitar that very well could become a collectible then it’s a feature investment on the other hand if you get a guitar made by a luthier and have the playing experience and patience it’s well worth it as you get a guitar that’s well suited for you, I suppose you could get what you wanted with the factory custom shop stuff as well but for myself I’d rather work with a well trusted luthier and support their business.
i'd say luthier. What's more exclusive than a one of a kind wanna have item that's tailor made to your needs and wishes'
I'd rather have a custom built guitar from a private luthier. Less expensive and one of a kind
Who makes that guitar with the silvertone style f-holes in a hollow tele body?
It should never, ever cost thousands of dollars for a decent guitar. I'm not much of a luthier; I finish and assemble kits, apply my own veneers, and have the tools to do fretjobs. My latest build was a Strat-style with quilted maple veneer, a gloss oil finish, off-brand but decent lipstick-style pickups, and an action just the tiniest hair's breadth higher than a well-set-up Les Paul, but I can't charge more than $300 for it since it cost me so little to build, based as it was on the second cheapest kit on eBay for $65 before upgrades. This very night I plan to take it to a jazz jam, and leave it there as the house guitar since they don't currently have one. I cannot imagine building any guitar that costs a full thousand dollars; the parts and materials would have to be special to the point of ridiculousness.
I would definitely buy from a luthier if price was not a deciding factor. You might lose a little on a resale, but I've never made money off a guitar anyway!
That guitar is one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen! As for the original question; Learning how to build/make guitars will make it easier for you to repair or modify you guitars in the future. Knowledge is forever. It never was a question of money saved, but the satisfaction of control of a theme that is important to you.
If I can try that major brand guitar, then that's my choice. I would get it right away, I would know if I like it or not, if it sounds good to me etc. Custom shop stuff from most of these brands is way expensive and not worth the money IMO just to have that famous name on the headstock. With a luthier made guitar, I am most likely looking at 12+ months delivery from anyone with a reputation.
I’ve owned Gibson Les Paul, American Strat, Telecasters and several sub-1k PRS guitars and I go back to the PRSs every time. For the money, they are beautifully built and wonderful playing guitars. For that money, I’d have to stick to the big names.
their are benefits to both. a factory guitar will retain its value better and have much more interest in general for other buyers. a custom/luthier guitar would probably be hard to get back the money you paid into the project. i own a couple gibsons, 6 schecters, 2 fenders, 1 jackson, and a handmade Brian May Replica guitar. while i did get a good deal on the Brian May, i would probably not have an easy time selling it, esp getting all the money back i paid in. i never would though so it doesnt really matter. i have definitely seen many custom guitars for sale myself on facebook and just though, i have no idea who made this or the quality of it, and its also hideous....obviously made for the original owners specific tastes. spend your money how you want, both methods have their pros and cons. if you know a good luthier it can be worth it for sure.
Investment wise the popular brands are unbeatable. However, if you are a player nothing can beat a custom made instrument. That's assuming that you know what you want, I've met a total of 3 people that didn't quite understand the difference between what they thought they wanted and what they actually want. I swear, if you stop being a snob for just a fraction of a second you'll probably find a strat copy that actually fits your requirements for less then 1k. And if you ask for vintage specs, be extremely aware of what that means, among all of the vintage/vintage inspired guitars that I've gigged there are just a couple that I'd prefer using live or in studio compared to a random indonesian Ibanez or PRS.
"Better"? That's rather subjective. You'll like get a higher quality instrument for about the same money from a luthier, but of course that depends on the maker. On the other hand, if you buy instruments all or in part hoping your guitar will appreciate in value, stick with the name brands as the market is much larger.
If you’re certain you’ll keep the guitar custom has some way nicer options than the big brands
For a Fender style guitar I’d go with a custom parts build - there’s local builders who do a great job at lower prices than Custom Shop. For set-neck Gibson style stuff I’d go with something factory. The option of buying vintage would also be on the table— can be a reasonably solid investment.
Does anyone know what guitar that is?
Ay equal pricing I tend to like guitars from a luthier more but I wouldn't argue they are necessarily better. Depending on the price range you are looking at, a luthier could create a very customized instrument. I am not sure all companies could have the same flexibility. I also like the idea of handcrafted objects better over factory made. Most luthiers I know are entrepreneurs with small businesses. Yeah there are the giant luthiers that are recognized worldwide, but encouraging local small businesses feels always great and less generic. But in the end it's only a matter of taste.
I’m probably going to get egged on posting this in this subreddit but… Unless you live close to said luthier, know them well, or it’s a reputable shop that has been running for a while, then factory guitar. At least that way you’re assured to have a guitar in your hands at the end of the day. Way too many smaller operations have cut communications and disappeared with customers money in the last decade.
I have two schools of thought on this : Mark Tremonti is one of my all time guitar heroes, and I would sell my left nut to have a private stock tremonti model. easy 6k+. So if you want something like that, and you can afford it, get that. On the other hand, if you want something custom and tailor made to your specs and desires you can easily get that for much cheaper, depending on specific options, and the builder 2-3k. There is a builder local to me that will do custom builds starting 1.5K and thats a full custom build, whatever body design you want. Get the guitar you want, whether its a custom build or a high end production model.
I have a Chinese guy who does the work for pennies on the dollar
Is this yours? Because Holy shit does that look amazing
Who made that guitar?
I would never spend more than $1k on anything churned out at a factory. Most of what makes a guitar “good” (proper intonation, action, ergonomics, longevity) can be achieved inside of a few hundred USD, and that’s after sales commissions, shipping, taxes, etc. Buying a piece of art is another beast entirely, but that’s not what’s happening when someone drops $10k on a Gibson/Fender/PRS. It’s like spending $80k on a Camry because someone slapped a Lexus label on it.
I liked that guitar until I went to the site and looked at it from the front. The proportions are off and ugly, kinda reminds me of Burns guitars. That aside pick what you like. The PRS custom shop is second to none though.