Price and the perception of quality

[Br1ck]

I'll buy that (figuratively speaking). I guess I like examples of them all, with maybe one exception. Though I have friends who love them, and a good one that was once a member here, I've never cared for Taylor guitars. It's something about the sound that I get when I play one. I've heard others that make them sound great, just not me. There's just kind of a twang sound I hear in Taylor guitars, or at least in most of them. And I hope not to step on any Taylor owner's toes, they're just not for me.

And Brick, on the $200 thing, well you'd have just had to have been there. We were driving home after I'd spent a bit more than an hour with that Custom D28, I couldn't get it out of my mind as we were heading north for the 300 or so mile drive home. I told my wife I'd been considering it and she said to go for it. I hung an east and drove the 45 minutes or so back to Wimberly after having transferred cash over the phone. I told my wife that $2000 was my limit on that guitar. We arrived at Hill Country Guitars and were invited in by Dwain, the owner and I told him I wanted to sit down with the Martin. It had one small ding on the top, but it really sounded incredible and played like butter. We were ready to get back on the road as I told Dwain my max was $2000. Dwain went back, got on his computer and told me $2200 was the very best he could do. I thanked him for his time and his openness with his shop and we hit the road.

Looking back, it was a mistake, but 10 years ago guitars didn't cost what they cost now. So it was a self discipline thing. If I set a price limit, there is no budging me, with just about anything. On the way home, we stopped by a home and garden center and Mrs. West bought a large flower pot made in the shape of a pig, and she named him "Martin" in honor of that guitar, I still see ol' Martin each and every day, as he sits outside my study, and I am reminded of that guitar. But again, just like our decisions to buy a particular guitar, we only have to justify those decisions to ourselves.

West

My biggest regret was playing a 39 J 35 thinking it was a much later J 45. It was so busted up (expertly put back together) I'd never seen anything close. A third of the top was replaced with period correct reclaimed top, had three breaks in the neck and too many cracks to count. It remains the best guitar I have ever played. At $7500 it was double my budget, but I had money. Just could not pull the trigger. It was a $12,000 guitar in even fair condition. I should have, should have, should have bought it.

 

[Westerly Wood]

My biggest regret was playing a 39 J 35 thinking it was a much later J 45. It was so busted up (expertly put back together) I'd never seen anything close. A third of the top was replaced with period correct reclaimed top, had three breaks in the neck and too many cracks to count. It remains the best guitar I have ever played. At $7500 it was double my budget, but I had money. Just could not pull the trigger. It was a $12,000 guitar in even fair condition. I should have, should have, should have bought it.

I think Neal has a nice old Gibson J-35 or maybe it is a J-50. I remember him posting that it is one of his faves if not his faves.
I know James Taylor had a sweet old Gibson J-50 he loved as well. Sounds like that period was one of Gibson's really excellent periods.

 

[Neal]

Yep. Here it is, a 1949 J-50. I had the neck reset and a new bone nut installed, with slightly wider string spacing than the original. Other than that, it is as it came off the floor at Kalamazoo.



It’s little sister, a 1948 LG-3, ain’t too shabby, either. I also had its neck reset.

 

[West R Lee]

Wow, how cool is that. Fine guitar there Neal. Love it.

West

 

[Neal]

Wow, how cool is that. Fine guitar there Neal. Love it.

West

Thanks, West.

And since we are talking about price and the perception of quality, I paid $2,500 for the J-50 about five years ago, and a little less for the LG-3. Buyers were shying away from both because of the shallow neck angle. I waited for both sellers to come down on their Reverb price to somewhere within spitting distance of my $2,500 limit, and made my offer.

They have nearly identical necks, with the LG-3's being just a tad wider. Both are chunky, not Banner-era fat, but close.

 

[West R Lee]

Thanks, West.

And since we are talking about price and the perception of quality, I paid $2,500 for the J-50 about five years ago, and a little less for the LG-3. Buyers were shying away from both because of the shallow neck angle. I waited for both sellers to come down on their Reverb price to somewhere within spitting distance of my $2,500 limit, and made my offer.

They have nearly identical necks, with the LG-3's being just a tad wider. Both are chunky, not Banner-era fat, but close.

Well see there, you're tickled with your guitars with chunky necks, while I prefer narrow necks and 1 11/16" nuts. But variety is the "spice of life". A man who used to write for a guy here in Texas named Gary P. Nunn had an ol' Gibby Roy Smeck I think it was, offered to allow me to play it down in Luckenbach one year, and that beat up old thing sounded fabulous.

That really is a cool guitar my friend.

West

 

[Neal]

Well see there, you're tickled with your guitars with chunky necks, while I prefer narrow necks and 1 11/16" nuts. But variety is the "spice of life". A man who used to write for a guy here in Texas named Gary P. Nunn had an ol' Gibby Roy Smeck I think it was, offered to allow me to play it down in Luckenbach one year, and that beat up old thing sounded fabulous.

That really is a cool guitar my friend.

West

Here’s something else I have come to realize.

When friends who are players come over (some way more accomplished than I), I never get the same answer as to which guitar they are most drawn to. All over the map.

 

[West R Lee]

Here’s something else I have come to realize.

When friends who are players come over (some way more accomplished than I), I never get the same answer as to which guitar they are most drawn to. All over the map.

Absolutely Neal. Which is why some like thick necks, some like thin. Some like new guitars and some like old. Some like OMs and some like dreads. Some like rosewood and some like mahogany. Some like sunburst and some like a clear finish in nitro, and some even like hand rubbed......some like varnish and some even like poly. It becomes pretty clear that the guitars we own are a personal preference. There is no correct answer, and there is no bad guitar as long as the owner appreciates it. But something tells me you already knew that. In fact, there is no overpriced guitar as long as people are willing to buy them, and are ecstatic with their purchase.

West

 

[Br1ck]

I think the neck on my 70 D 35 is perfect, however I'd get used to the baseball bat on the 39 J 35, or any of the forties necks. The ship has sailed on LG2s. I found two 60 LG2s last week, priced at $4700 in a retail shop. Neither was worth it. Age does not equate to a good guitar. That vintage creep pricing has reached the 60s Gibsons is unfortunate, just like 70s Fenders. They mostly are NOT worth it. The Gibson and Kalamazoo clone Iris brand is a much better bet. I played their LG2 varient and as a guitar, it was a lot better.