The non-allure of pricey guitars....

[JohnnyB]

He's a pretty good guitar player, gets the occasional coffee-house/bar weekend gig. He also makes good wages at his day job. But he is of the mind that any guitar over $1k is money wasted, simple as that. I've tried explaining materials/labor costs and such, and he fully understands it. He's played my Hamers ... but still thinks any guitar over $1k is money wasted; "They're just wood and some parts", he says. Other than never having to worry about him becoming a Hamer USA collector, does anyone see his point of view? Like I said, he makes good money so that's not an issue. It puzzles me, that's for sure.

specialk

It doesn't puzzle me. Everybody has things they appreciate at a higher resolution and things they don't. Being a connoiseur in all things is exhausting. And you can be interested in and like something, but don't have to be a cork sniffer about it.

After all, we're here because we appreciate the extra mojo in Hamer guitars--how they have tone to die for and sustain for days. Any one could assume that anyone who likes Hamers plays music, is associated with music, and probably spends a bit of time and energy matching good amps (electronics. speaker cabs, and effects) to these fine instruments.

Yet, my posts about high performance home audio attracts only a small handful of people here, and even arouses hostility in some. It's about music, and it involves electronics, and yet it's of little to no interest to many players who choose handbuilt guitars made of hand-selected wood, played into high resolution tube amplifiers.

Similarly, I love cars, and can appreciate the responsiveness of a great car such as a BMW or Corvette, but my main driver is a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis that I bought for under $3000. While I appreciate the quality, it's not important enough for me to spend the money to own it and drive it for myself. For me, if it gets me from point A to point B without drama or breakdown, I'm content to drive a car that's worth well less than my guitars and amps, let alone my home audio equipment.

[Punkavenger]

Right now I've got 4 Hamers .... 82 Blitz, 82 Proto, 96 Daytona and 95 Special FM ... All keepers and all under $1000

Any one of these guitars a professional musician could play on stage with his band and sound fantastic.

I also prefer guitars with a few (a few! ) battle scars ... otherwise they just seem too damn new and squeaky clean. I'm a little afraid to play em lest I cause some sort of damage. I'm mostly playing the Proto now because it's the most fucked up! I also feel a little guilty because my crappy playing doesn't justify a $3000 guitar and quite frankly I'm not interested in bling anyway. I grew up with punk, indie rock and grunge. Not too much bling there!

I want the weight, neck and tone to be right and after that everything else is minor.

The only pricey guitar that I would consider buying is that awesome PRS custom 24 for $2499 I saw the other day. I'm in love with that guitar! (Thank God its sold already )

If I had had the money to invest in a mint condition 1959 Les Paul then that would be a different story. I would consider that a good investment as they are always going up in price. Probably better than anything you could do in the stock market right now.

[HSB0531]

Well....

Let me finish your friends statement.

any guitar over $1k is money wasted in the hands of a crappy guitar player,...simple as that.

There, that makes more sense!

[Don Brown]

Well....

Let me finish your friends statement.

any guitar over $1k is money wasted in the hands of a crappy guitar player,...simple as that.

There, that makes more sense!

Hey, I resemble that remark!

but I appreciate the thread, it has got me thinking....maybe my wife is right about all those guitars in the basement

nah, that can't be it

[specialk]

Well....

Let me finish your friends statement.

any guitar over $1k is money wasted in the hands of a crappy guitar player,...simple as that.

There, that makes more sense!

Unless, and I do stress the Unless, buying the guitar of their dreams inspires and spurs them on to become better guitarists. Certainly someone would want to get the full use of their new instrument/tool/muse/ and so would practice more. Maybe I'm way off base here, but I could see it happening. More so than buying an expensive car would spur someone on to become a better driver, anyway.

And who can look at that new Hamer Earthen Talladega and not covet it in their heart! If my banker was willing to lend me the money, one would already be in my house, damn the price. After all , money is just another tool to use. Our time is the most important thing we own, and time spent on that beauty would be worth whatever the price of admission, IMHO.

specialk

[HSB0531]

Don:

LOL! Collect as many Hamers as you wish Brother!

specialk wrote:

"And who can look at that new Hamer Earthen Talladega and not covet it in their heart! If my banker was willing to lend me the money, one would already be in my house, damn the price. After all , money is just another tool to use. Our time is the most important thing we own, and time spent on that beauty would be worth whatever the price of admission, IMHO."

I get your point. I feel inspired to write stuff & play better when I've played a 12 string - both guitar & bass.

Am I worthy of a 12-string Hamer Standard Bass loaded with lots of options?- hell no LOL!

Do I want one HELL YES hahaha!

Some day....some day....

[Willie G. Moseley]

+1 on the more expensive and clean they are, the more paranoid I get. Moreover, if and when I ever sell one of my fancier/rare instruments on eBay, I oftentimes fear that the buyer will be going over it w/ an electron microscope when he receives it (to my knowledge, I've never sold a guitar on eBay to a female). Sometimes I think I'd rather just have the one or two heirlooms I've had custom-made + a few utility instruments, but the pricey ones in my collection are, for now, an emergency nest egg if needed.

So who's planning on selling almost all of the pricey guitars in theiir collections when they get to age 65, like I'm planning on doing?

[polara]

+1 on the more expensive and clean they are, the more paranoid I get. Moreover, if and when I ever sell one of my fancier/rare instruments on eBay, I oftentimes fear that the buyer will be going over it w/ an electron microscope when he receives it (to my knowledge, I've never sold a guitar on eBay to a female). Sometimes I think I'd rather just have the one or two heirlooms I've had custom-made + a few utility instruments, but the pricey ones in my collection are, for now, an emergency nest egg if needed.

So who's planning on selling almost all of the pricey guitars in theiir collections when they get to age 65, like I'm planning on doing?

Even in light of the current economy, those odds are pretty long. For everyone who bought a Les Paul new in the 50s and hung onto it and flipped it in 2006 for a huge profit, (i.e. no one) there are a zillion plain ol' "old guitars" that may SEEM to have appreciated nicely until you look at the ROI in inflation-adjusted dollars AND then consider how investing that same money and getting 8% a year, with dividends reinvested, compares. I'm not staking even a sliver of my retirement on which pop star of the 80s will be viewed as iconic in 20 years, and hoping I snagged his or her guitar. Anyone who buys a vacation house off the sale of a '59 Lester had better be glad the stars aligned over Jimmy Page and maybe send him royalties! I buy utility guitars and stick a healthy chunk each month into my retirement funds.

[Willie G. Moseley]

Fine tuning: The operant word in my post a bit earlier is "emergency". We've got IRAs, money market funds, etc. (particularly through my wife's employer). I don't outright count on having to cash in the collection, as least, not at this point...and I'll be 65 in seven years.

[edgar_allan_poe]

Are you guys afraid to use a new hammer when you get one for fear a scratching the head? Do you not drive your new car for fear of a ding?

Just asking.....

I use every one of my guitars live and could care less if they get honest wear and tear.

[veatch]

FWIW - my perspective:

I also don't consider guitars investments. Some have worked out very well - purchased for $250, sold for $2000, that type of thing. But by and large, as polara sed, any profits generally don't track with inflation, etc.

But while i don't consider guitars investments, i *do* consider them "rentals". Unfortunately, they happen to have a sizable deposit up front. I fully expect to sell guitars after i've used them, and for guitars i've bought used, i *almost* always get my full "deposit" plus some extra back.

Most of the "long-term rentals" (ie: "keepers") i've had over the past 10 years have had a "deposit" in the $1000 to $1500 range, so i tend to think yer friends number is a little low, at least from my perspective and opinion.

As far as big-$$$ guitars: I have one "high end" Hamer. Was it worth the extra "deposit"? Debatable. I think so, but it was my money, so i could be simply justifying things to myself. Then again, it *was* my money, so i don't *have* to justify things... Only time will tell how much of that "deposit" i'll get back, though at this time, i can't even contemplate selling that guitar...

[mykel]

Are you guys afraid to use a new hammer when you get one for fear a scratching the head?

no, but unless you work for the government, you likely didn't spend 3k+ for the hammer.

i don't have any pricey guitars. just plain-jane Hamers and G&Ls (no fancy tops, etc.). not against them, just haven't acquired one yet.

[HSB0531]

"Are you guys afraid to use a new hammer when you get one for fear a scratching the head? Do you not drive your new car for fear of a ding?"

Why yes, I am lol!

After the first ding and the yelling of explitives and general upset, I'm ok.

As for the value of my stuff, the '81 Standard Bass went up the least.

The '77 Inca Silver Stingray went up the most.

But I never buy to speculate.

And I just can't part with any of my basses.

So, I just play and enjoy them.

They're all different and I appreciate them all.

I have only 2 hobbies left: cars & basses.

Playing music now is like therapy to me. It calms me down and makes me feel real good. It's a way to create good music with good friends.

It's a way to release all the tensions of the past week.

I guess you really can't put a "what's this going to cost me" limit on that.

[edgar_allan_poe]

no, but unless you work for the government, you likely didn't spend 3k+ for the hammer. smile.gif

Which is why I also made the analogy of the new car. I would imagine that most people spend considerably more on a new car than a new guitar. Do you not drive a new car for fear of damage?

Sorry guys, I just don't get this. Never have and never will. I gig regularly with my Hubers and have never even thought twice about it. I buy guitars to play. I think it is crazier to buy an expensive guitar and NOT play it. Now *that* is something that I think is crazy.

[HamerHokie]

no, but unless you work for the government, you likely didn't spend 3k+ for the hammer. smile.gif

Which is why I also made the analogy of the new car. I would imagine that most people spend considerably more on a new car than a new guitar. Do you not drive a new car for fear of damage?

Sorry guys, I just don't get this. Never have and never will. I gig regularly with my Hubers and have never even thought twice about it. I buy guitars to play. I think it is crazier to buy an expensive guitar and NOT play it. Now *that* is something that I think is crazy.

Yeah, but if you are careless and easily distracted by shiny objects, like me, 'normal wear and tear' becomes something a bit more noticeable. I've got damage on some of mine that were easily avoidable had I not made it easy for the cats to play with them, or put them in a different place when packing up after a gig. I don't think I could gig with a $5000 guitar.

[bobbymack]

Sorry guys, I just don't get this. Never have and never will. I gig regularly with my Hubers and have never even thought twice about it. I buy guitars to play. I think it is crazier to buy an expensive guitar and NOT play it. Now *that* is something that I think is crazy.

+1 agree completely

[harry65]

Sorry guys, I just don't get this. Never have and never will. I gig regularly with my Hubers and have never even thought twice about it. I buy guitars to play. I think it is crazier to buy an expensive guitar and NOT play it. Now *that* is something that I think is crazy.

+1 agree completely

abso-fuckingl-utely, guitars are for making music aren't they????????????????? they are tools to vent your soul, giime a break.................

[edgar_allan_poe]

Yeah, but if you are careless and easily distracted by shiny objects, like me, 'normal wear and tear' becomes something a bit more noticeable. I've got damage on some of mine that were easily avoidable had I not made it easy for the cats to play with them, or put them in a different place when packing up after a gig. I don't think I could gig with a $5000 guitar.

I have a big dent in the back of the neck of my Redwood Dolphin. With all of the options, you couldn't touch that guitar for under 6K. It happened when my Bass player put his bass on a stand we were sharing and the whole thing came tumbling down.

My response...I laughed my ass off.

It also helps to have insurance for your instruments. Mine are covered for *any* and all damage related to my gigs. I didn't have it at the time of my Redwood damage but if anything disastrous were to happen, I would be covered.

Hell...I just bought a Huber Orca with a broken headstock. I could give two fucks about that. As long as the break is fixed correctly (BCR will do the repair as soon as I get done paying for it) it really doesn't matter to me. I plan on banging the hell out of that thing.

Again...sorry guys, but I just don't get it.

[Craig S]

I kind of agree with his statement from the guitar as a instrument... I still like a U.S made pro level instrument however and that's why I buy so much stuff used. Back in the days when you could buy a used USA Hamer for about the same as a new import it was a no brainer. There are some guitars that are still worth the larger price tag to me however... It more comes down to the individual piece.

[shredmeister]

I agree also. However, personally I like a guitar made the way I want so for me a premium is worth getting the shape and neck measurements that I want as well as the other features that I like.

[Hamer of the gods]

I think it depends on the guitar and the way it makes you play. I've picked up $5000 Les Pauls that were lifeless, and $150 Squiers that were amazing!

Case in point:

Over $2000 and absolutely killer in every respect...(Thanks Greg!)

This one was three fitty (including a set of Seth Lovers)and is also pretty killer! (and I can take it to the French Quarter without too much worry about it being stolen!)

[harry65]

I agree also. However, personally I like a guitar made the way I want so for me a premium is worth getting the shape and neck measurements that I want as well as the other features that I like.

that's what it's all about, it's a tool, paying extra to have an instrument perfectly fitted to your needs is way cool, it's all about releasing the inner beast..............

[puji]

I think even objectively, the US Hamers are more than worth their price. Just show your friend the Hamer DVD of the Custom shop. There is a lot of excellent craftsmanship that goes into a custom guitar and it ain't cheap. It may look effortless, but something you see someone do in 1 hour can be thought of as 25 years +1 hour (dig where I'm coming from). I'm having a dude come over today to build me some wood storage units. 3K! I guarantee you his craftsmanship won't compare to the woodwork on my Studio Custom. I would much rather have a US Custom made. Sure you can find CNC'd imports that play great, but a truly handmade instrument is an incredible gift of being human. ..........and being human is EXPENSIVE!

[Guest pirateflynn]

I don't mind playing/gigging with an expensive guitar so long as it can be replaced. I doubt very seriously that I would play my '77 Sunburst out, but my Newport ..... absolutely.

So there are some guitars that are probably better off left at home.

[edgar_allan_poe]

I don't mind playing/gigging with an expensive guitar so long as it can be replaced. I doubt very seriously that I would play my '77 Sunburst out, but my Newport ..... absolutely.

Now *that* is something I can completely understand. The vintage thing is a different animal. That being said...I would gig with Kiz's Strat in a heartbeat. LOL!!!!