Br1ck
Senior Member
If someone wants to own old guitars, it's just a fact of life you need an upkeep budget. I play a lot, and need a fret level and crown every five years or so one each guitar I own. This is very much akin to tires wearing out. This is a foreign concept to some. So most years something will need a level and crown which eventually leads to a fret job. I can not tell you the improvement in tone and feel a fret level will provide. I would say that for me it is a bigger improvement than going from a $3000 guitar to a $6000 guitar, a jump I've never thought worth it.
Today will be interesting in that I'm going to Sylvan in Santa Cruz to try some 60s and 70s Martins, plus they have a 70 Guild D 35 just like mine to try out. Somehow spending $6000 on an old guitar isn't so outrageous to me as spending on a SCGC in the new room is. Anyway, I won't be buying anything, just feeling stir crazy after all the rain. I have played quite a few 50 year old guitars that did nothing for me.
My best money spent in the last year was having my Weber mandolin worked on. That was $550. Nothing more major than a new nut, but many details. It transformed the mandolin. I could have spent $5000 or more to get the same. I have a very developed sense of what I like, and an ultra resonant refined sound is not what I'm interested in. I like straight braced older Martins over the Authentics, good as they are. But I can be very happy playing any dread I own, and some are worth twice+ what others are. All are relatively modest. And I really prize a guitar where you can hear the dreaded clunk sound and not find the new ding.
Today will be interesting in that I'm going to Sylvan in Santa Cruz to try some 60s and 70s Martins, plus they have a 70 Guild D 35 just like mine to try out. Somehow spending $6000 on an old guitar isn't so outrageous to me as spending on a SCGC in the new room is. Anyway, I won't be buying anything, just feeling stir crazy after all the rain. I have played quite a few 50 year old guitars that did nothing for me.
My best money spent in the last year was having my Weber mandolin worked on. That was $550. Nothing more major than a new nut, but many details. It transformed the mandolin. I could have spent $5000 or more to get the same. I have a very developed sense of what I like, and an ultra resonant refined sound is not what I'm interested in. I like straight braced older Martins over the Authentics, good as they are. But I can be very happy playing any dread I own, and some are worth twice+ what others are. All are relatively modest. And I really prize a guitar where you can hear the dreaded clunk sound and not find the new ding.