Where would draw the line?

[Hgb5000]

I have a Daytona that I really like. I've owned it for more than 10 years and I like how it feels and plays. However, I have never been crazy about the color and am considering sending it to Stike for a refin. I would also like to upgrade the pickups, shield the guitar and possibly install the Suhr BPSSC system. These three modifications will cost more than I paid for the guitar, but much less than buying a boutique strat. I go back and forth between thinking its all worth the price and feeling that I would be sinking too much into the guitar.

[cmatthes]

I don't regret getting my Daytona "Stike-A-Fied" one bit. It is one of two guitars that I grab all the time. I wouldn't trade it nor sell it for 4x what I've got into it.

[Hgb5000]

Yeah, I think I've seen a post of your Daytona after Stike's work was finished and it was fantastic.

[Steve Haynie]

My Blitz bass was bought cheap, then refinished, new electronics, and refretted. It became my "go to" bass for a while. Fifteen years later it still can be fun to play, but when thinking about gear to let go the Blitz has crossed my mind. With $900 invested in a Blitz bass there is no way it will ever bring that much back. It cannot be replaced by another Blitz with the same features. Over the years I have gotten a value out of the enjoyment of playing the bass. The investment was not that much, so it is no big deal. (It is not for sale right now, either.)

At the time all the work was done the idea was to make the Blitz "my bass." It cost less to have the work done than it would have cost to have something similar made. The same is true for a lot of used Hamers that pop up for sale-- Hamer does not make them or they do not make them cheap anymore. For the quality of what you are getting, how much will you pay?

Getting your Daytona refinished and hot-rodded is a good idea if you absolutely love the guitar as it is now. Do you grab the Daytona first? Having it for ten years is a good sign, but is it one of many in a stable of guitars that do not always get played?

Pickup changes never increase the value of a guitar, and only people who understand what the Suhr BPSSC system is will consider that a plus. Stike's refin ought to be a plus because he is known as a pro working for a real guitar company. Although it would not be an official Hamer refin, it would virtually be the same as far as credibility. Your Daytona would become the equivalent of the boutique guitar that cost more than the modifications at the lower price just as you said. You will never get the investment back if you sell, though. The boutique brand will always be a boutique brand, and your Hamer Daytona will still be seen as a Hamer Daytona.

I say do the mods if you are sure you will be keeping the Daytona another ten years. Get what you want and enjoy it.

[Hgb5000]

Steve, making the guitar like I want it is what got me planning these modifications and I agree with everything in your post. I feel like I could buy another guitar but it still might not be shielded enough for my tastes, etc. and I would end up modifying the new guitar as well. I have no plans to sell the guitar for what I might put into it as I agree with you that I could never recoup my investment. I just kind of like the idea of taking what I have enjoyed for many years and tweaking it to my liking even more. Thanks for the reply.

[Lockbody]

You will never get the investment back if you sell, though. The boutique brand will always be a boutique brand, and your Hamer Daytona will still be seen as a Hamer Daytona.

+1

I'm relearning this lesson again trying to sell my MIM Strat. While most MIMs go in the $300-350 range bone-stock, I've tried to sell mine with a good $300 worth of upgrades for only a little bit more then the normal used price, and if I get another nibble it will be the first one. It doesn't matter the real worth of the guitar, only the perceived worth.

I imagine if you saw a Daytona with all the upgrades you're about to do for the price you're about to pay to have them done, you wouldn't pay that price. "What? $1200 for a Daytona? No friggin' way!"

[BubbaVO]

I upgraded a Daytona with a new trem and bridge pickup. Cost a little more than what I paid for it.

And I love it. It's my go to guitar. I play it everyday and the more I play it the more I like it.

After a certain point, its not about the money or a new toy. To me it boils down to is this instrument helping you tap into yourself and produce the music you want to. If yes, then consider making those changes that will enhance that.

[Hgb5000]

Lockbody, I know the feeling. I have a mid-eighties USA made Fender Telecaster. Over the years I changed the saddles, switched the pickups and had the guitar set up every few years as needed. I got an email the other day from Musicians Friend about their new used gear selection and stating that they would make me an offer on any used equipment I have. That Tele is the only guitar I would consider letting go and so I sent in the form to get a quote. Two days later they offered me $240.00 - ha ha - I know I wouldn't get back what I had invested but that was really a slap in the face for a well playing American made Telecaster in my opinion.

[Punkavenger]

I've dumped some cash into every Hamer I own ...

IT WAS HORRIBLE SOMEBODY SHOOT ME NOW!

I do it for fun, it's turned into my #1 hobby and I'm not going to worry about it!

[GaryT]

My thinking is this. If you play the guitar now? Then you will REALLY dig it upgraded. On the other hand, I would never upgrage a electric I don't play.

But I also agree that sinking Something into just about every guitar is almost unavoidable.

[karmma1]

The question i would be asking myself is...what will make me happy with this guitar. True, as others mentioned, you wont get much return on the upgrades, but if the axe becomes one of the dearly beloved, you'll never want to sell it anyways. If you should happen to hit hard times and need to part with it, you can always slap the original pickups back into it and sell the replacement pickups seperately. The BPSSC is also reversible and could be sold or reused in another guitar. I don't think the total losses would be too severe in this case, as a pristine finish certainly adds to resale value.

If it was me, i wouldn't even say it needs to be a guitar i play all the time...it would only need to be the Strat-style guitar i grab when i'm feeling the strat mood. And if you don't have a favorite strat-type...then maybe the upgrades will make this the one.

One final thought...from a personal standpoint, i'd rather have an upgraded Hamer than a boutique instrument. I just loves me some Hamers that much. The $ saved versus outright buying a 'tique instrument is icing on the cake.

.02