I'm a gearslut... I still want a Trainwreck.

 
I don't see that ever happening... I've already tasted the honey.

When I was a kid one of the older guys that took the time to teach me about guitars told me something I think was very wise... and accurate: "Don't worry about it kid, you won't even know what strings you like for at least 10 years."
 
Every off the shelf guitar I have purchased has been to feed a curiosity about their quirks, foibles, and strengths. They have also, bit by bit, informed my personal opinion about what I might personally enjoy on one occasion or another.
 
I value that as much as I value the idea of having something made that incorporates all the things that I have learned that I enjoy the most.
 
I hope that makes some sense.
 
best regards,
mike
 
 

spacey-
well, i'm a great believer in custom built guitars....
 
there are certain things i like, which have almost never been all put together in a factory production model...
 
and after it was all said and done, the product i ended up with was equal or superior to the best off the shelf models, PLUS i got it customized.
 
 
so i tell everyone 'build it'.
 
or in my case, contract someone to build it, my favorite guitar right now, is the one i bought pieces for from USACG and various other sources, and hired my local luthier here to properly put it together for me....
 
 
there is an obvious hipness to owning a 'known' name guitar....
it's a status symbol, that starts all the way back to your first love of music, and the artists your aspire too.......
 
but with guys like brian may building a totally unique guitar at home, in his garage..
to van halen playing a 200 dollar piece of crap, and customizing it to his needs, and making the records he did...
 
i'm inspired more by that.
 

Bat I assembled a guitar. I bought a Korina (black) neck and sent it to CA to have the frets done right and also have it finished. I had a Jap Strat body that was fantastic. When I got it assembled MAN! What a lucky combination of parts.
I had it no time and was telling a friend that picks about it and...there it went. He wanted to trade his Strat for it and I couldn't say no to him.
I was probably nuts....I had almost 700 in the neck alone...oh well...I have a very happy friend LOL.
 
 
Mike it was the SS. I was glad when I finished...building it about killed me. Ground up.

 Yorolpal, I really like the idea of trading guitars. Wish I had a bud that would trade, hot rod my guitar and then trade back :)
 
 Craig I almost didn't play guitar because I bought a few real clinkers for guitars. I know what you mean when you say playing a cheap instrument can discourage. The first one I bought had the action so high that you needed a lot of strength just to chord anything. I was a newb...still am in a way... and didn't know the action could be better.
 
 Spacey I seriously considered setting myself up to make  guitars,even watched a ton of videos on the methods and tools necessary to do it. If I ever find an auction and clean up on wood tools I will seriously consider it. Right now though I can't justify it. You do a heck of a good job at it.  
 When it comes to guitars I do the same kind of thing when I see how much some people in my trade charge to do a job. I know the profit is pretty nice.Even deducting for expenses and taxes,and yet the customer gladly pays it. The company gains a good reputation and no longer needs to be the low bidder to get the job. The haves will pay for what they want. The have nots will go low bid. The haves in this case will buy a nice Gibson if they want a nice Gibson. Many of them won't have a clue what went into it or the quality involved. They just know it's a name brand,they want it and they can afford it. The have nots still buy nice guitars  but appreciate them more I think and take longer to save for them. 
 
 I mentioned Carvin. One of my buddies bought a nice Carvin SH575 with all the goodies on it. I think he might have slept with it  :) A good example of a nice guitar that is expensive but not into idiot pricing territory. The average guy can save up and buy one.
 
 I'm a non-conformist. Just the fact that Gibson is popular makes something inside of me say I want something else. If I find a real deal on one I might end up with one some day, but the name itself does nothing for me, in fact, it works against what it is in my case. In the early days I think there was a good reason people looked to Gibson. There weren't nearly as many other competitors in the market and Gibson made a good guitar. I'm no longer sure that this is now always the case . I think Gibson uses plek? I think plek is wonderful but there goes the personal luthier touch.So no matter what the name, the same techniques are employed as many other makers.
 
  I know re sell is a factor. I always ding everything up and wear it out anyways lol. 
 
 
 
 

I hope my point hasn't been missed.
 
By some of the statements I'm inclined to believe it may have been.
 
For most of my life information was very limited. Usually it was relayed by a person you hoped knew what they were talking about. Now there is information about almost anything and not hard to find. Also not really hard to find out if it's BS or not too.
 
It's no big deal...when I spend my money I like to know what I can about what I'm needing and my options. Sometimes it doesn't matter much and sometimes it does.
"Options" may not always be known by others. Words like "luthier", "custom made"..etc,  can maybe turn some off and leave them thinking "high dollar" when compared to the prices for assembly line name brand models one may find that it just isn't what they thought.
 
I'd much rather send an email to Mr. John Page and ask, if I didn't know, than just whip out a bunch on a hunch...or name. I sure wouldn't be asking the guy at the counter in Guitar Center but I understand that some are fine with that. I am too...whatever works for you.
 
I couldn't imagine spending money for a custom shop Strat when I could possibly have one made by the man that ran the shop. It's just a thought...it's just an option...it's just so easy to find out rather than try nothing and take the short road. JMO and YMMV.
 
 
 
 
 

"For most of my life information was very limited. Usually it was relayed by a person you hoped knew what they were talking about. Now there is information about almost anything and not hard to find."

 
Before the internet was wide spread, the earliest volumes of Vintage Guitar magazine (it was newspaper back then) begat a treasure trove of information and the success of that periodical seemed to inspire a efflorescence of well researched and foot noted books about the history of guitar design, construction and playing. I have several book shelves full of the books that spun off from the articles. I always looked forward to the next one being released, and have read them so many times I guess I take it for granted that the stuff is out there for people to enjoy.
 

Some of the brands and models that didn't make it through the 1960s sold far more guitars than Fender and Gibson... yet they are all but forgotten because they don't play electric so well.
 
If you have any great enthusiasm for pickups you may find it easy to agree that Fender and Gibson more or less cornered the market on producing great sounding pickups. It's especially true of Humbuckers. The Patent Applied For and the Patented versions of Gibson's pickups were very unique for the duration of that great 1960s sales bubble. Gretsch and whom ever else wanted to sell DeArmonds could offer a sloppy second choice. Ric had some unique pickups that people still crave. Danelectro had the lipstick which can sound great.
 
 
 
The rest of the choices never seemed to amount to much.
 
"The Strat was at one time looked at with not much respect"
 
I think that's a myth made up by Les Paul fanatics. There has never been a time period when there wasn't some significant playing being done on a Strat. People enjoy the unique sound. :-)
 
Buddy Holly, Jimi, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Adrien Belew, etc.
 
 
I don't want to sidetrack spacey's thread but I love old guitar stories. :-)
 
 

Well all I remember growing up in my little town (there was only one music store until I was a sophomore in high school...and then just two) was that the only brands the music store had were Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and Vox.  And mostly just Fender.  I wanted the Gretsch that George Harrison played (single cutaway) but got a sonic blue musicmaster instead.  Wished I still had it.
 
PS:  I do have to admit though that they did have a white Vox Phantom in the window that I was nutty in love with.  Thank gawd I never had enough money to buy it.

I don't know if strats were looked sown upon, but there certainly was a period in the 80s when Les Paul's weren't exactly the most sought after guitars in the rock/metal world.
 
Ace Frehley mentions in his book that he got rid of a bunch of his for ridiculously little money because every one was into super strats.
 
Had Van Halen (and later, Yngwie Malmsteen, Satriani and Vai) played Les Paul, things might have been different. 

craigb
Talking about Ace Frehley reminds me...  I'm trying to think of those that tried three humbuckers on their Les Pauls...  There was Peter Frampton, Ace (who sometimes had a smoke bomb in there instead) and, I think, Zack Wylde.  Anyone else?  (Well, besides Nigel Tufnel of course!  )

If you count adding a Super Distortion between 2 mini HB's, Townshend's famed numbered LP Deluxes.

Never knew what Randy played, but Jimmy?  Definitely never saw him actually play something like that!

I grew up playing with a guitarist that played a Black Beauty.
 
I wasn't "into" Randy but I really liked his playing- I thought the "V"
was his main guitar. ? ( I don't know why I think that)
 
 
 
 
I know if I went to the store looking for one that I don't think I could
expect to find something like this from Gibson and I know that if I did
I'd pay no telling how much more for it and I also believe that it would
need to go to a luthier to get it setup for me.....when  I could have just
called a luthier from the start. Probably saved a lot of money and ended up
with a guitar that was built to fit and look as I wanted.
 
 
Here's one a "nobody" built. ( not me although I have had templates for one for years)
Personally I don't like the jack location or the fret dots but isn't that what is really cool...being
able to have little things changed to make it "right" ?
 
(magnetic control cavity cover and truss-rod cover- nice touch)
 
 

Man I wish I had the skills....working on it Randy.
 
I've wanted a White Falcon as far back as I can remember. I really can't think of another
guitar I can say that about. I honestly don't know why I never saved my change to buy one....I still don't think I will.
 
I've started working on binding and spray finish skills. Then I'll probably move to top carving (solid body first) and then I'll focus on hollow body...semi-hollow first.
 
I really think the only problem I'd have building lefty is I wouldn't be able to evaluate the playing during set-up....that would be strange...but fun.
 
I put P-90's in a beautiful Tele style ...I built just to have for somebody that may want it. Problem was I didn't get the tuner holes perfect. Somehow something tilted during drilling and I had to straighten out the holes which left slack in a couple of them. Couldn't tell by looking but I knew so I kept it. The P-90s are just insane. I love the sound. I'll be winding more of them for guitars I make for myself. If you're a picker and don't have an axe with those pups...man, give them a shot.