“Don’t see myself buying anymore” Keyan are you ok? Are you under distress? Who is making you say you these crazy things? There’s always more guitars to buy.
Reason why you SHOULD buy a high-end instrument: if it's exactly to your spec and the quality is immaculate to the last detail, it's going to serve you for a long time, you will build a connection with the instrument and it will be truly yours. I bought guitars that were amazing, but "only" 99% there. That 1% will show at some point, be it months or a year. It's a mindset that's getting lost in today's world of buying again and again: Work hard, finally spend that money on something you dreamt off and use the fuck out of it.
Can't +1 this enough. If you're someone who's confident about music, playing guitar, etc, the cons of buying a high end guitar shouldn't be a huge deal. I would never sell my customs--they mean enough to me that I wouldn't even care what the resale value is. Besides, it's not like I'd be able to replace them with non customs for such a specific spec. Also, great content dude!
Agree. I buy a guitar something like once every ten years, and I buy them to keep for life. I mostly play the same high end Maton custom electric I bought 20 years ago for $2699. That's $134 a year, which I consider good value. If I'd been guying and reselling cheep shitty stock models from Indonesia, I'm pretty sure I would have burned through more money than what the initial outlay of that one guitar was. I am currently doing research for either a 7 string or baritone 6 string (or both if it seems necessary) for a future recording project, and I damn well intend to spend as much money as is required so that I do not waste money in the future buying and reselling.
@@marcdigiambattista751 I think especially if you get more affordable version of something and its your main instrument (ie. PRS SE) you'd have a core model in the back of your mind.
I’m not trying to be too critical, but some of your points are a little off. For example, Jackson has multiple guitars outside of the custom shop or even USA made lines that use graphite reinforcement in the necks. And the point about the 20” radius, that’s an artist specification not really a premium feature. On the Pro series MM you get a roasted neck (they call it Carmelized) with a 20” radius and graphite reinforcement for like ~$800 usd new if memory serves. Things like stainless frets are still semi premium, but they’re becoming more common and you can get them on more budget friendly guitars like various Harley Bentons. Same can be said for roasted necks. Granted, there’s clearly trade offs with everything mentioned. Finding a guitar with name brand everything (bridge, tuners, pickups, nut etc) stainless frets, roasted neck, reinforced neck, aaa flamed maple cap, made in USA etc will definitely lock you in to the high end price point. Just like with everything, the more specific and demanding you get about specs the less options and typically higher the price will be. But compromise on any one of those things and you can likely find something at a more reasonable price. Personally, I’d say the number one reason against buying a custom/super high end guitar is diminishing returns. Unless you are getting something ultra specific, you’re likely going to be able to find a guitar in the 1-2k usd range that will play just as well as a 3k+ custom shop guitar. The gap between a $200 guitar and a $600 is pretty substantial. The gap between a $1200 and $3k+ is much less so. All that said, I enjoy your content and you’re playing man. Keep killing it.
@juna wood That's an unfortunate spot to be in. I'd say you definitely fall into that situation of your number of specifics locking you in to a higher end guitar. As I mentioned though, if you compromise slightly, a Schecter C-1 FR (S) Apocalypse fits your criteria pretty well. 24 steel frets, 12'-16' compound radius (slight compromise), FR 1500 (which is made up to OFR material specs, but produced in Korea instead of Germany. I would classify that as equal personally), HB bridge, and either a sustainic or HB neck (would be the biggest compromise of your list, could possibly drop a coil split-able pickup in but that goes against your not buying a new guitar and modifying preference). Outside of that, without digging for you more myself, seems like you're in the market for a custom guitar unfortunately.
To me it's all about finding a guitar that INSPIRES you to pick it up. Regardless if price tags. Sure, a $3000 will be great, but that doesn't mean that you won't find the joy in life in a $900. It's not always about the fretborad, or the craftsmanship, or the hardware etc... it's about the vibes. Sometimes, a guitar might inspire you just because of its finish and it could be a Dinky made in China.
thats how i approach guitars its the feel before sound or aesthetic, now of course i want some trophy case looking guitars but everyone does. but i bet you i'll just go back to playing my $900 7 string more then any other guitar because of the feeling of it. and most of the time when buying high dollar custom shop guitars its the create a certain feel
Totally agree. I find myself playing wayyyyyyyyy better on a 800 dollar guitar compared to one of my more expensive models going 1500+. It's just different inspirationa man. They speak to you in a way 😅😅😅
I've been really enjoying my $170 Ibanez Gio over my $900 Jackson lately, or any of my other guitars for that matter. It really is about the feeling the guitar gives you.
Indeed. And after certain price point, the guitar just can't get better. Will a 3000$ guitar sound 2100$ better than 900$ guitar? it's subjective, but a fact is, that it definitely wont. It all comes down to personal preferences in the end like choosing the right pickups for you and getting a guitar that is comfortable for you(neck profile, fretboard radius and hardware)
@@__DaveAlexander same thing man. I own an SE Holcomb and 20" radius is one of the key features of this guitar along with Alpha/Omega pups and satin finish neck. The only thing I dislike is plastic nut but it can be easily upgraded to graphyte one
Hahaha Hahaahaaa! I own a MH PRS, AND I own a Jackson Juggernaut Pro. I had to buy a Hipshot bridge and tuners and get a grapthech nut to keep it in tune, and it has stock pups. The Holcomb PRS, I only needed to put a graph tech nut to keep it in tune ANDDDDD, it CAME WITH ALPHA/ OMEGA PUPS!!! I've said it in the past, I love Misha, I do, but he's ripping people off with these Jacksons. Both the customs and the Indonesian models. Out of the two guitars, I tend to play the Holcomb more. It sounds better and the neck just feels better, however, the juggernaut is a beast too, it's just, if I want it to REALLY sound like Mishas, I'd have to shell out ANOTHER big wad of cash for Bare knuckle pups.....like almost $300. Again, with all that said, even after all upgrades, the Indonesian Jackson comes in at about $1200 I bought mine used at Sam Ash for $500 in absolute MINT condition then added the above upgrades except for the bare knuckles. I payed $969 NEW, for the MH PRS WITH a very very nice gig bag.
I'd add another reason, and that's that you're gonna be more scared of damaging it. That's especially bad for touring because you'll get worried about every single battle scar, and to me it just adds more to the anxiety I already have. That's why a lot of professional musicians save their high end guitars for the studio and bring lower end guitars on tour, like for example speaking of Periphery, Mark Holcomb, he tours with his SE guitars. That's why I'm not gonna bother spending more than like 1500$ on a guitar, because I already have enough anxiety already and I'd rather save some than have a guitar that's not gonna be that much better
I can't argue with your points, especially as far as electric guitars are concerned. The closest thing I have to a high end electric guitar is my Charvel So-Cal that I bought used. The most expensive/high maintenance component of it is arguably the floyd rose bridge. I personally believe that you can get A LOT of guitar for $500-$800 especially if the guitar does NOT have a floating bridge. I'm willing to bet that you can get a perfectly suitable fixed bridge guitar for bedroom DAW producing for less than $500. Even freeware amp sims can make it sound amazing! Now acoustic and classical guitars... that's another story. I have a Milagro 10-string classical guitar that sounds like the
Reason #3 is very true and great insight! I just bought a custom Kiesel and got it in after my 3 month wait.. within a month I have sold almost half of my guitars because now that i have experienced that level of quality I have no intention to touch the others and deal with all the subpar issues I didn't even know existed before.. kind of a bummer because I used them all and loved them all before I got the Kiesel haha
I totally agree with point #3. I have a Aristides 070 and it is very hard to back and play other guitars. For me it was my dream guitar and now having it, I dont want to play anything else.
After getting a Strandberg boden, I can say thats partially true. Cheaper guitar do come short but with modding and upgrading you can get similar resaults. I still like my standard chapman, I just need to tweek it better and more suitable. I do still find it comfortable and enjoy it. Yes, I will go forward with more strandbergs and aristides, but I wont give up on the tools I own and love which can be improved for better resaults. Still a great video
I agree with everything you just said. Getting a standard guitar, be it an Ibanez or Prs, companies you can expect quality mid-range instruments from and upgrading them over the years with the highest end specs (steel frets, pickups, tuners, bridge, other electronics etc)
Jackson js22-7 $200 new Graphtech nut $15 Change pups. $350 for juggernauts I personally just swapped the bridge and used a SD distortion so got out for $100 Eventually will swap tuners but for now they're serviceable. Very very playable guitar for $315
On a more serious note though, since finally getting gear that is really what I'm looking for to get my sound, I hate playing anything else. I work at a music store, but I always bring my guitars and Axe Fx into work because it sucks playing anything else haha
4:48 There are a few features the mid tier 'pro series import' versions can't provide. The main one being timber selection. That piece of quilted maple is INSANE. Also the timbers are aged and dried MUCH longer than the import counterparts making them more stable and less susceptible to the elements. Another huge feature that isn't a tangible item, but makes an incredible difference is the skill level of the lutiers involved. If you do a side by side of the hand work on custom shop vs production model, you have an appreciation for what went into it. Fully copper shielded cavities vs sloppy shielding paint, Noticeable soldering skill differences, perfectly cut nut, routing cleanliness, neck pocket tightness, etc. The premium build quality is a feature that can't be matched by underpaid assembly line workers. And finally, the ethics. If you get a custom shop instrument, you are speaking with your wallet telling the guitar producers that you support luthiers that work in premium facilities in nations with adequate workers rights. I can't speak to how indonesian factory workers are treated, but I know america (gibson, fender, jackson, charvel), the netherlands (aristides), Australia (ormsby), japan (fujigen/ ibanez, esp), etc. factory workers are treated like human beings with rights. That might not matter to you, but it is something everyone should be at least aware of. You ought to know how the instrument got to you.
I bought a used RG Prestige a couple years ago, now I have 3 of them as my mains. (Two 6s in different tunings and a baritone). I have been actively avoiding playing anything pricier because of the issue of not being able to go back down. My 'blues guitar's is a Fender Road Worn Strat. Sure, some of the stuff isn't as refined as my other guitars, but I just like it for layering in a different sound occasionally.
The problem with "custom" guitars is that the manufacturer rarely stipulate if it's handmade or CNC cut, most do handmade because they cant afford the CNC machine, nor want to, but the difference is huge. So handmade involves the makers "labor" which drives up the cost to a buyer who wants a better deal, so handmade is a bad type of custom for the customer. where as a CNC custom just requires adding the metal hardware such as pickups, bridge etc but the wood is shaped proportinately, symmetrical and ensures a consistent quality. CNC routered custom guitar body and neck therefore can be made cheaper, quicker and offer better, consistent results where imperfections made with a chisel for example, are not apparent.
I was a gigging musician for years and had owned dozens of guitars in that time. My favorite brand is PRS, and I was ecstatic when I reached a level of success to afford a core model custom 24. The first one I purchased was a rare ten top in sapphire smokeburst and I was in love with that guitar. The problem was that I rarely took it out of the case because at $4800 I couldn’t stand the thought of even leaving fingerprints on the finish. I bought several more over the years and amassed a collection of high-end guitars I rarely ever played. I especially never brought them to gigs, and with my original band (Drop C music similar to Tool, APC, Karnivool, Lesser Key, etc) I was still playing Jackson, ESP and Ibanez guitars, usually through EMGs or Bare Knuckles and the occasional Seymour Duncan’s, because I wasn’t excited about swapping out a set of expensive core model 58/08 or 85/15s. The turning point came when I finally took the plunge and picked up an SE and S2 that I wasn’t afraid of doing some work to. And then I picked up the SE Mark Holcomb model and was shocked how unbelievably high quality that guitar was for the price. Now my Drop C music is played through an SE Holcomb modded with Mules and an Evertune Bridge, and most of my standard stuff is played with S2s and CEs. Still pricey guitars but nowhere near the $3-$5k core models that I was just storing in a closet. Eventually I sold the cores, realizing a long time ago I was not a collector but a player. Now my setup is simple and economical; three guitars, a Line 6 Helix with a Digitech Drop in the loop, a pedal tuner, and a Boss Katana MkII 100/212 for practice. All the half stacks of amps and thousands of dollars in heads are gone and I’m all the happier for it. You don’t need to break the bank to get quality. Being a better player does a lot on that front. So instead of buying expensive guitars, I put the time in to practice and improve. Great videos bro. Keep up the amazing work.
I did the same. I still own a high end PRS Custom 24 and Gibson LP but I'm usually gigging with my Holcomb SE for Drop C and Laguna Greg Howe model for standard tuning. I've had great results with them and I don't worry about marking them up at gigs.
In my opinion a lot of that is highly subjective, especially the pickups. Also, some brands are starting to offer really well specced out guitars at the 1500-2000€ Range that make it quite hard to justify the price difference (except for the craftsmanship part) between those and a custom shop. That beein said, I still wouldn't say no to a mayones duvell or an esp custom or something like that :D
Man there's just something about those Mayones designs hey. I can't help but find myself on reverb every few weeks just trying to figure out if i can ever afford one haha.
@@Craigs_mums_bush I feel ya :D... and tbh, the mayones configurator doesn't really help here. They're just so beautifully pointy. But I personally would not get one without having played at least a similar one in a store. Too risky for my liking at that pricy point
@@VoixObscure I have a mate who recently bought a regius and says it's the most incredible guitar he's ever owned but the issue is that we all have different tastes hey. I recently got an Ormsby and a lot of people hate the multiscale.. I love it.
@@Craigs_mums_bush That's exactly the issue, finding out what you personally like as opposed to what you like just from looking at it can be quite tricky :D. I never tried multiscale tbh, but i normally prefer esp/schecter type necks for example, and i heard the mayones guitars are more like ibanez necks, so trying one out first might not be the worst idea
@@Craigs_mums_bush yup, had a Vandermeij 7 that had the nicest top but I couldn't bond with the fan, sold it to fund an Aristides and those just fit me.
Nice video :) 25 years of playing, cheap guitars only. Looking to buy a high end one finally. I've been doing a ton of "research" lately, and I've concluded this: waste of money. Find a 1-2k guitar with good hardware and nice profile that suits you (can be even cheaper tbh), take it to a skilled luthier for fret/nutwork if needed, change pickups to taste, set it up well, and sound/playability -wise you're set.. possibly saving 2k or more. Basically I think one only needs to find a guitar with stainless steel frets (although these can be installed by a luthier or oneself too) and a nice woodwork (not premium, functional is enough), and fixing the rest is comparatively cheap and easy. That said, I could try a Suhr just to see what's what and possibly save me some trouble. They seem to have everything done right, and the resell value is probably high.
I've been struggling with what modern metal guitar to buy for over a year. The mark Holcomb PRS/se model has most of the high end features you mentioned. I actually like his SD pickups better than BK too but not hard to switch. In the end, I just pulled the trigger on a Cort kx500, which has yet to arrive. Just a lot of guitar for the money. May have to change out the fishmans though. Keep up the great vids!
As a beginner with no equipment costing more than 200, I can both understand and agree with you, and not relate. Although I do think my stuff is high quality for the price, and I can't enjoy playing high action guitars as I got used to really low action.
Not sure what you're using but I have a $80 used Epiphone LP special and a $200 new js22-7 that both have great adjustable action that go as low as you want. I added $15 tusq nut, and swapped bridge pickups ($80ish each Seymour Duncan JB in epi, and distortion in 7) and both of those cheapos play great and fast. Tuners will be next but they're serviceable for now, Jackson is slightly better than the epi. Bridges on both could also be better, but neither are bad enough for me to really want to change. Just my personal budget guitar experiences and I have 2 extremely playable guitars that together still don't equal the price of one of those mentioned in the video.
Honestly I’ve noticed that as long as you oil your fretboard often and take care of it, a cheap guitar will still play amazing. I love the feel of some of the lower end Ibanez RG’s in the $400-$700 range because there’s just something about their neck profile. I might even just buy one of those for my next 6 and take the extra cash to put into better pickups and hardware
Got three guitars at the moment. Ibanez RGT6EXFX, JS22-7 and my most recent acquisition which I bought yesterday, a Sterling JP60 in Mystic Dream finish. The Sterling is the nicest of all the guitars I've ever owned, though not because I couldn't afford better. My Ibby and Jackson played so nicely that I never felt the need to buy anything more expensive for the purposes of simply playing and recording. I was however, feening for a new 7 string that would be more on the high end and have some features that I'd like, such as Fishman pickups or BKPs, or an Evertune bridge. Since I live in a country where these high end guitars need to be ordered from abroad, I instead looked for something a little more easy to find and bought the Sterling because I wanted a guitar with a trem and I always wanted a MM. Couldn't pass this one up even though I wanted a new 7 string and told myself I was only gonna play 7s from now on because of how much I enjoy playing my JS22-7. My plans of buying a high end 7 string are still on, but I'm also super happy and satisfied with the guitars that I already have. I don't NEED anything more, and nobody really needs anything more than a decent guitar intonated properly, with a smooth playable fretboard and proper action and pickups that sound good enough. But if you want a high end with those special specs that might make life a little easier, then go buy it.
Gotta say here in Europe there is a market even for those niche high end gutars. I sold 2 Skervesens close to what I paid new (people get turned off by the wait time). Might be because Poland is around the corner, but Skervesen and Mayones are not that hard to find around here. Also Aristides is not that hard to find or sell either. Australia might be a little different.
funny, and ironically, you list all the reasons why i WOULD want a Custom Shop Jackson. I have a fantastic Suhr that is a JOY to play, but i also love playing my modified Squier Classic Vibe '60s Strat. each of my guitars, even the Suhr, has its flaws. part of the delight, is bonding with those flaws and making music with them. GREAT VIDEO!!!
It's like paying more for higher-quality coffee. It will probably taste better if you pay a high price, but you can still get a really good cup of coffee at a more affordable price. On top of that, both cups of coffee will serve their purpose the same in giving you energy, one may just have a more refined flavor. You could go with the Pro series model of these guitars and get nearly the same experience in terms of functionality, so it's really only worth going so significantly up in price if you're interested in the "flavor" aspects on top of the functionality. the Pro Series models are really good and will suit most peoples' needs as well as the Signature models. Great video!
Great points on the resale value of higher end (niche) guitars. And another thing is I really don’t notice a huge difference in the playability of $1000 dollar guitars vs $2000+ dollar guitars. A good example is my LTD M-1000 Deluxe vs ESP E-II Horizon FR-7. My LTD plays just as good and it was about a grand less.
Agree on the LTD Deluxe guitars, i have an LTD EC-1000 that i bought secondhand for a very low price after checking couple of ESP Eclipse and ESP E-II eclipses, could not justify the price difference, specially when i found a mint Korean made EC-1000 for 490€ with a hard case. High end boutique guitars can be justified if you are a upper tier pro musician making money out of your playing, other wise a decently build mass production guitars around 500-1000 is perfectly fine for home recording and occasional gigs. Many known artists play and record using LTD Deluxe series guitars and low end PRS SE´s, cheap Gibson and Ibanez stuff... a lot of GAS and hype...
Maybe it’s because I had such SHIT guitars growing up, but my best guitar “gains” came after I finally owned a high-end, incredible playing guitar (or maybe it was my first time jumping way up the quality bracket?) I dunno, man. When you just pick up something that feels like “the one”, it makes you wanna play more and get better.
My problem is when I jumped from a 150 dollar Ibanez to an ec1000 to an esp e-ii in the span of 4 years I developed the pickyness. I’ll see a killer guitar and see it doesn’t have locking tuners or name brand pickups and be Turned off. I also have which we all have to some degree is that no matter what I buy there’s always that other guitar in the back of my mind that I want/maybe should’ve bought.
As someone who has been playing guitar for 33 years now I can tell you that is simply how G.A.S. works, and it never goes away. No matter what you own, you always want more. lol It's an addiction!
You know....when you spend 4K for your custom guitar and then something happens and you want to sell it for 3K, Mostly people would think: "Why would I buy a used guitar for $3000 when I can get new one for the money? " Don't get me wrong I love my custom guitars and I'm not planning to sell them. That would suck! lol ...and you definitely right about the guitars. You won't ever go back to a production guitar like an Ibanez guitar.
Ι generally agree. For several years now, you get diminishing returns after a certain price point. Since you're showing these two MM Jacksons, which are MIA and a signature model, there are a lot of Fender group guitars made in Mexico, which have very good specs (=no need for upgrades) and they all sit around €1000. I can't personally justify going past 2k Euros/Dollars for a guitar. You're paying for other things than just the instrument and that's costing you money for "no reason".
As an Australian, have you tried out Orsmby guitars? Even the "production" models are hell of a good guitars! Good points tho! I think the best results you will get with a guitar without busting a bank, is to have a certain base guitar and then tweak it to your liking. I have an old Ibanez RGR model, with SS frets, all new electronics, bare knuckle pickups etc. Price for that was around 700 euros, but it plays like a dream, and its perfect for me!
I think it is all about personal preference. Elitist snobs buy high end stuff so they can feel better about themselves. Musicians buy high end stuff because they want to sound even better. I buy garbage because I ain't gud yet 😅 Thanks for being awesome mayne!
@@kennethsmith5383 idk I buy high end stuff because stainless steel frets are 100% necessary for me in a quality of life/playability sense (many cheap guitars don't use them besides schecter, and I'm not really a big fan of schecter). Besides, I find that many boutique brands make guitars that I find cosmetically much cooler looking. I find jackson/ibby/schecter/etc pretty generic and a hard meh from a design standpoint. In terms of headstock and body design, skervesen and mayones (and kind of aristides) are right up my alley, hence I drift that way. I'm just as broke as the next working class guy, and really wouldn't call myself an elitist snob at all, I just don't spend splurge money on non gear items very often. Now, I will throw out there, the best guitar for the price I've came across are the Ormsby GTR range. I got a hype 7 for $1400 USD shipped awhile back and the stainless frets are spotless & it sounds damn good. From my knowledge, the cheapest guitars with stainless steel frets in the USA are schecters at around $1200 USD, Ormsby at $1400, and Ibanez prestige at $1700+ (some ibby prestige's still have nickel frets as well). Other production guitar manufacturers rarely use them, and if they do it's in an absurd price range for production. I'm close to putting in a custom order for a Mayo Duvell 7 because I can't for my life find a 7 string with the combination of stainless frets, 26.5 scale(or any longer than 25.5 scale), wood combination I prefer, and a non-floyd, modern trem system (a la music man style/hipshot contour). For something so specific, custom is perhaps the only way to get exactly the instrument you'd want. There's obviously multiple boutique companies that would build exactly what I just said, but if I'm choosing, it's still gonna be mayones due to them being one of my favorites from a cosmetic standpoint, as well as a craftsmanship consistency standpoint. Now, to totally contradict myself, you can easily get great tones out of regular nickel fret low-mid grade production guitars, just by throwing a nice set of pickups in it. I find that the difference with price is playability, how well the instrument stays in tune and intonates, etc. I feel like I could record the same things with a much cheaper guitar, but I do find it more fun and rewarding to play a guitar that plays as good as it possibly could.
@@thedudeofficial69 “ From my knowledge, the cheapest guitars with stainless steel frets in the USA are schecters at around $1200 USD, Ormsby at $1400, and Ibanez prestige at $1700+ (some ibby prestige's still have nickel frets as well). Other production guitar manufacturers rarely use them, and if they do it's in an absurd price range for production.” Im in the US, and I’ll update your list. You can get an Agile from Rondo music with stainless steel frets for like 400 usd (Agile AL-3101m csbf stainless) and there’s multiple other options below 1k too. It’s a $35 upgrade on their “semi-custom” guitars too. You can get a Harley Benton with SS frets (Fusion-II HH EB PSP Pro Series) shipped to your door from Europe for a little more than 400 usd they also offer other guitars in that range (dullahans for example). Heck, you can get one with SS frets and a roast maple neck (fusion II HH Roasted SSP) for around 500usd shipped. Balaguer Hyperions with SS frets run about 1k usd. Champman Pro series guitars come with SS frets and run 1k-1.1k usd. There’s a few Solar guitars that have SS frets for between like 900-1.1k usd. You used to be able to get an EVH Wolfgang Special with SS frets for less than 1000usd new (Idk if that’s changed to be fair). Schecter C-1 Apocalypses with SS frets runs about 1.1k usd new. This is a different route, but places like warmoth and others now offer stainless still fret in their necks for not a lot more. So, there’s a decent amount of options available at all levels in the US. “ I find that the difference with price is playability, how well the instrument stays in tune and intonates, etc.” If your $1k-2k guitar isn’t intonating or staying in tune as well as your $3k+ guitar, you’ve got problems as typically by that price point the quality of things like tuners, nut, bridge etc are going to be on the same level. You can say things like “the craftsmanship is so much better”, but in reality after a certain point, you’re paying for exclusivity/prestige and aesthetics only. There’s diminishing returns the higher the price range. A $600 guitar is going to be substantially better than a $200 guitar, but a 3k+ guitar will generally only be marginally (if at all) better than a ~$1k guitar.
I have a $350 Ibanez RG6003FM and I’m currently in the process of replacing the pickups, installing a 3-way switch and push-pull pot (Seymour Duncan’s 5 way switch diagram is wrong so I need to try something else), and I’m probably going to replace the tone pot too. Once I’m done with that I’m installing a hipshot bridge and I might even go with locking tuners. At the end of the day, these are about $400 worth of upgrades that will make an already lightweight, comfortable guitar have better specs than my $800 stock schecter. You definitely don’t need a boutique guitar for it to sound and feel it’s best.
I own guitars that are north of $3K, as well as under $300. While what Keyan said is true, I feel like there are enough outliers nowadays that it has become less of a general truth and more of a case-by-case situation. For example. there are Schecters that have many or all of the "high-end" features and craftsmanship, but at half of the price. Same with some Ibanez models. The quality of today's production has improved so much that even some entry level models can rival some of the high-end models from decades ago, when manufacturing technology and knowledge wasn't as advanced as today. With that said, I personally do have more expensive taste, but I do temper that with pragmaticism. If I think I can get all the features and quality I want in a cheap model, I will not hesitate to go for the cheap model. If I get a lemon, I'll just exchange it until I get a good one. Most people just don't have the kind of disposable income to buy the expensive models without very careful consideration to budget, and I think it's only necessary to go for the really high-end models if you absolutely cannot find the features/craftsmanship you want in cheaper models in the new and used markets.
imo the only guitar brand worth this price range is Aristides not only are they fully customizable to spec, they're not made of wood so they're basically tanks to play shows with, also resale value is damn good
I recently bought a USA PRS-DW/ce. When I started playing it I was like “oh, this is how a guitar is suppose to feel.” My wife asked me what the difference was and I told her it’s not so much the sound but the feel
Right. These guitars are effortless to play. I had that impression with a Sterling JP that came with roasted maple neck and stainless steel frets, and god the smoothest guitar I’ve ever played
Dude you gotta pick up the newer one with the roasted flame maple fretboard version. I got a steal on one on reverb for $1800 USD! Best guitar I've ever touched.
The only instance in which I’d tell someone to reeeally think about it is if it’s a huge investment in relation to what they can afford and/or if it’s their first proper guitar. I see this a lot; people just getting into guitar who want to play what their favourite artists are playing. Which is totally understandable but it’s risky when they don’t necessarily know what else is out there or what suits them or what features they really need. They might end up out of pocket with a guitar that’s harder to sell that they just don’t vibe with. Beyond that I guess if you can comfortably afford a 3k guitar with immaculate details and finishing...I mean, why wouldn’t you haha. Course, I say that as a guy who has only ever been able to afford production. So I’m in a place where what I have definitely does the job. Buuuut I wouldn’t say no to something nicer ;)
Keyan i recently spoke to a luthier who makes incredible custom shop instruments (around 3000-4000 CAD, which is almost equivalent to AUD) and he never glues on the nut. In luthier school they learn to make guitars without glueing the nut
My first electric was a vintage 1964 Tele reissue. It's a $2000 guitar. I've bought a few mid-range guitars since then and have sold them all. They just don't compare. But I just ordered a PRS CE 24, so wish me luck!
For me another disadvantage of purchasing a custom shop guitar is that you expect it to be absolutely perfect and pristine for the money you paid for it. I’ve tried 7 USA juggernaut’s from different retailers and each one of them came with a different flaw/cosmetic imperfection. I don’t know if it’s the same with other boutique custom shop guitars like Mayones, skervesen and more or is just the crappy QC from Jackson. Of course none of the flaws affected playability or sound, but for paying 4K it’s kinda sad. And trust me buddy, once you notice that blemish you will always see it there bothering you.
Your point on not being able to go back is so on point. Ever since I got an ESP standard, which has been my number 1 for about 2 years, it was just game over for everything else below that level of quality.
I agree! I have a BEAUTIFUL Aristides 060s; best looking/sounding guitar I've ever owned. Although I love it to bits, the fact that I spent 4000 bucks on it gets to me from time to time. Whenever I'm on instagram and I see other boutique guitars like Mayones and stuff like that, I wonder to myself if I would be happier with THAT guitar. It's like an internal battle of whether or not I bought the best possible guitar for the amount of money I spent. I also agree that I can get the same specs on my Aristides for way cheaper. It's not that I regret buying it, it's just I could've gotten two ibanez guitars as opposed to one Aristides.
I love aristides guitars aesthetics and really admire their forward thinking designs and use of materials but I just cant even remotely justify paying upwards of 2.5-3k-4k for a "resin/plastic" guitar considering what other brands offer in those price ranges...
Hard disagree on that last point. Anything annoying is fixable. Bad fret edges? File them. Scratchy frets? Polish them. Bad pots? replace them. Any guitar that resonates with you but has a couple minor annoyances is still worth getting if you know how do give some tlc. Edit: also, 20 inch radii aren't that uncommon. The PRS Mark Halcomb has it and so do all the Strandbergs. Graphite reinforcements are even less uncommon. I've seen Schecters under 800 dollars come with carbon fiber reinforcements and tons of the Ibanez and Jackson guitars come with either graphite or titanium reinforcements now. That's not an uncommon feature anymore.
I found a used Overload custom shop 8 string at second hand marketplace with a price converted to AUD of 3000AUD months ago and I bought it with no doubt. That's really high-end hand made custom stuff but for that price it's extremely rare, and it perfectly meet my demand: Bare knuckle, at least 28 inch scale, fan fretted so I could never find second if I miss this . What I saw from my marketplace here Mayones Skervesen usually cost 4000 to even 5000 AUD for a custom model. I felt super lucky for my 3000AUD custom.
They are amazing And most are around 1500$-2000$ and your lucky enough to get it even cheaper on reverb or eBay even 1000$ LTDs are great for the budget!
You made a video about the ibanez 7-string Geo, while yes it does have issues, I'm no where near the level of guitarist you or other more pro players are. It's basically one of those "well I can make it sound decent in my DAW" things.
I would, Ferraris are for rich dipshits/boomers with too much money no taste and no driving skills. They fall apart if you leave them outside and the batteries go flat overnight. Most of the new ones sound like garbage too. Id take a VXR over any Ferrari.
Thats why I love that i learned how do do anything to a guitar so I can buy a lower mod guitar and I can rip it completely apart to make it how I want.
Hey Keyan, my HT6 MM sig arrives next year. I'm running STL amp hub with Bogren IR's. I'm just curious as to which heads you're running on the regular!
I bought a Suhr Guthrie Govan Bengal Burst in 2012 for around £2,800. They sell for more than that now but I’d never sell it, it’s easily the best guitar I’ve ever had, as it’s basically a custom quality guitar. I wouldn’t buy another such guitar at that price, but really you only need one good guitar like that, it’ll help you learn and play better, and due to the quality it’ll probably last a lifetime (might even still be around after you’re gone!). I also bought a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard (the one with the dip switches that everyone hates...), I got it for around £1,800, although it originally retailed at £2,799. It’s another great guitar, plays great, sounds great and the quality is very, very high. I really don’t need anything else and it’s better just to get really used to using the tools you have.
Had to resell a Music Man Valentine when they first came out, paid something like $4,500 for it, ended up luckily enough trading it! I’m going to add onto your reasons- DONT BUY A GUITAR BEFORE PLAYING IT (I’ve played $800 guitars that feel and play like a custom shop, and custom shops that feel like shit!) Make sure you play the ACTUAL guitar you’re buying before buying it online- trust me Even though you played a guitar or bass down at bobby joes music centre on the corner and it was amazing, and then you went online to get it cheaper and it arrives and plays like shit, don’t be surprised
Simple to say when there’s zero guitar stores around anymore and we live in a major city. Not a small town. Actually the town I grew up in still has stores but not guitars I would buy at this point anymore. Oh we do have one shop here if you want a $99 beginners guitar. C’mon man you know that’s becoming impossible.
Agreed. howver if you feel the guitar suits you in the shop, why would it be different when it arrives online? I thought by mass production their characteristics would be expected to be very similar
good points made in the video and have to say I agree with them. The pickiness point is absolutely true but that is also where you see the different qualities between the guitars. I have an ESP KH-2 (new probably at €3'500 - made in Japan), a Ibanez Iron Label (new at €1200 - made in Indonesia) and a Jackson Pro Roads Series (new at €900 - made in Indonesia), so different price categories. The Ibanez is good and had close to no defects (Hardware, fretboard, etc.), the Jackson was horrible when I got it, had to take it to a luthier for fret and neck work (+ €200 or so of work if I recall), the ESP was perfect. Just from this stand I would say that a custom/high end guitar is worth it. Secondly even when they are not plugged in you can hear the difference between the Jackson/Ibanez and the ESP for example, of course you cannot really compare different woods but nevertheless the ESP sounds better. You just know by playing them that the higher end one just feels and plays better. After what I had to go through with the Jackson I am set on not buying a low/mid range guitar again (if we can call €900-1000 mid range). I was thinking of a Mayones or Skeversen, but the long wait for the latter is too much for me. I think if you have the means you should go for it if one is looking for such an instrument, I wouldn't go above €4000 for a guitar though, at some point it is like you said you just pay for different wood work and craftsmanship than parts.
Currently have 2 Aristides, Mayones Regius, Jackson USA Chris Broderick(Fluence Devin set), and a Fender Richie Kotzen tele. I know two of them are sigs but they're unique enough where it's not just another model that has someone's name on the headstock. Each of these guitars definitely feel nicer than import stuff, I think if you want something hard enough you can save for it over time. I've had buddies be surprised how I get the money for it but we earn similar amounts and I'm not the one partying every weekend lol. I'm the majority of people commenting with high end gear aren't filthy rich either and had to save.
I played a $3500 EB 7 string and it felt and sounded as good if not worse than my PRS SE. Maybe I need to try a few more high end guitars but so far I don’t think they’re worth it.
The only thing I would say on your first point is and this might not pertain to everyone but I’m saving for a custom guitar but I’m going to keep it forever. If I was spending $4000 it’s going to be a dream guitar that’s never going anywhere but others might not feel that way
You can enjoy cheaper instruments after owning high end ones if you choose to. I have a complete custom shop guitar I bought a few years ago which was very expensive, I just bought a $1000(aud) rg brand new and I love it.
idk ive tried some pricey guitars and nothing is like my charvel pro-mod with BKPs and a custom bone nut. 1500 CAD after some little mods. Maybe I just got a lucky batch.
Another good thing to mention is that Ramon from Andromida had a $5000 custom guitar and it fell apart after a few years of use. He has a $1500 ESP now and says it plays far better.
Yeah but...for that price get a kiesel or Aristides and you pick all the woods via kiesel. Personally I'd go aristides if I had 3k to get something 808s OR skervesen raptor 8. I have schecter Korean c1 fr sustaniac n for price point it's amazing. Stainless frets emg 85 in bridge. It is fr special but I have no issues n paid under 1k. Granted I'm not doing much besides recording backing tracks for my lead practice and learning more advanced end of mixing n di stuff in general. So my needs are small atm.
Honestly everything you named is why I want a high end guitar and am saving to buy a Kiesel. My schecter isn't bad but I want a high end well built instrument
Holy shit I was in the exact same position as you 😂. I first had a Schecter SLS 6-string and it was the only guitar that I played for years and years. Then just a couple of weeks ago I got my first kiesel. It was an Osiris 7 string and let’s just say... I’m not going to be using my Schecter that much lol. It’s playability and the feel and even the looks just blow my Schecter out of the water. The kiesel lithium’s are also just out of this world!
I've had a polar opposite story with my ESP LTD Snakebyte Snow White that I tricked out with two EMG 89s. It was the most expensive guitar I bought at the time, and as soon as my hands got bigger, it was just straight up not playable and I ended up transitioning into cheaper 7, 8, and 9 string guitars and to this day, the 9-string guitar that I play primarily is priced far lower than even the blue 7-string Agile guitar that I don't play that often anymore, although the next guitar I'm likely to buy is a Legator. -WintermintP P.S. Furthermore, nowadays if I don't like specific parts in a guitar such as tuning pegs or pickups, what I tend to do nowadays is just buy new parts to fit into the guitar, and so far the only two things I've always been picky on are the number of strings and the scale length, albeit having the guitar blue is always an added bonus.
Im thinking i need to shoot a video next week, on why you Should buy-order a custom Build guitar versus production I mean shoot if your gonna spend 3G, i would do a build over a production any day On the way out, loved your guitar tone and excellent topic Cheers from Michigan
I was in love with Mayones Regius before I get one when I get my first one I get disappointed, the armrest is terrible so uncomfortable, even the new ones, it's so sharp and hurts my forearm, I could not get used to the guitar. The string spacing is also weird, I found myself playing my cheap Ibanez RGD, I was way more comfortable, however, the Mayones was the best sounding guitar that I had. If telecasters don't hurt your forearm then you be good with a regius. I ended selling it. Another downside of Mayones is that customizations are pretty expensive, a A4 quilted maple option adds $800 to the price, if you want gloss front and satin back you need to pay an extra $250, at Skervesen those customizations will be more affordable.
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. Once you try a high end guitar its hard to play anything of less quality. The downside is so many people think getting the nicer guitar will make them better players and to a slight degree it might, but its usually not the case unless they are already advanced. I feel like most young guitarists need to understand the guitar is a tool, Its up to the wielder to pull the potential from the instrument. That's a large part of what you pay for, the high end guitars have so much more potential.
I bought the satin white, pro model HT6 Juggernaut used, in mint condition for $500 at one of my local guitar shops. I got home and it kept going out of tune. One Grapthech nut swap later and it was much better. Being the crazed maniac that I am, I ordered the same bridge and tuners from Hipshot that Misha uses on his customs, which puts me at around $700 or so. I really wanted to order the Bareknuckle Juggernaut set for it too, to complete the guitar, but I ended up really liking the voicing of these MM1 pups that Misha worked on with Jackson. So I've held off. But then!!! A few weeks ago I bought a brand new MH PRS SE for $969 with a sweet looking gig bag and when i got home and plugged in......oh fuck!! You guessed it, the Seymour Duncan Alpha/Omega pups were beautiful sounding!! I quickly grabbed the Misha Jackson and started swapping the cord between the two guitars and I became sad lol...because I realized that the MM1's actually sound like a fly caught in mud compared to the Alpha/Omega pups. So now..... what do I do?? Spend another almost $300 on the BK Juggernaut pups for my Misha Jackson?? Idk yet what I'm going to do. But I do know this, I've not been able to put the MH PRS down since I got it. I'm writing this comment with my toes! The ONLY thing I had to do, was swap out the nut for a Grapthech nut and the MH PRS stays in tune beautifully. Although, I DID order locking tuners for it and they are on the way lol. Just out of curiosity. What set of pups would you guys put into the Misha Jackson pro if you didn't see yourself spending close to the $300 for the Bareknuckles. And that's before even considering the cool looking covers! If you want those, that'll fucking cost ya too!!!! Anyway....peace!!
Serious question, do you feel disappointed having to put that fret wrap on such a nice guitar? Like like should you not need it at that price, or can you just never eliminate all noise no matter how high end the guitar?
I'm kinda screwed regardless of what I get. I don't want to buy an expensive production model because I'm left handed and we don't have many options, so I would have to modify it anyways. So I buy dirt cheap guitars and upgrade them which are nice but I can't sell them for much if I want something else. And I just spent like $1300 CAD getting some parts from Warmoth to do a custom build, and even though it'll be over $1500 when it's done, I'd be lucky to get like $400 should I decide to sell it, but I'm hoping I never will. :P
Well ur maybe right with some points, but some high end instruments inspire ideas that cheap ones dont. I always really enjoy it when u get a really resonant electric guitar which sounds great even unplugged
Love your channel and your honesty. I would love you to review the Dutch brand with apoxy build. Everyone says is the best brand in today modern guitar.
My m80ms are immaculate from factory with a good setup $1,500 price, in addition an ESP E-II HRf NT8 $2,200 and no set up, amazing. Extensively Played and inspected $4,000-$8,000 guitars like Taylors Gibson’s and the quality in my eyes isn’t any different after effects and a good setup. Not disagreeing but sharing my experience. I love those guitars in this vid.
So only smaaaaallllllll thing i thought was wrong with is the tone pot comment @9.30, and only because my production run HT6 has that feature and only cost £650 new. But otherwise love it mate, keep it up
