Hey Michael, some weird life stuff has one of my customs headed back to the luthier who made it for now (when he finishes the one he has been making for me I'll get that, plus he sending some cash now so I can buy a car... *Sigh*). Later on I'll be able to buy the first guitar back (I'm very appreciative of his help).
Anyway... That got me thinking and you're a good one to ask
this question of.
I think of guitars more like golf clubs than collector items which is why the ones I've had made are all the same neck and body specs (shape, radius, scale, etc.) but with different features. I think of "collector guitars" as having to have Gibsons, Fenders, PRS', etc. but my approach is a lot more like a bag of matched golf clubs where each has a consistent look and feel with slightly different uses.
What I dream about eventually having are several guitars that feel the same when I play them (with all the parts I liked best from the "name" guitars - scale, radius, weight, hardware, etc.). These would include guitars with humbuckers or single coils, modern high output pups (or active pups), more "classic" lower output pups, with tremolo and without, six string and twelve, then extending down to a B-to-B baritone (I prefer six strings not seven), maybe a bit further down to an E-to-E (Fender Bass VI type) and finally an actual bass (probably five string). At least six instruments, but it could be eight or more depending.
Right now, the customs I've had made have really been over-the-top gorgeous with incredible exotic woods, hardware and inlays. Overkill for my "needs." More like art than instrument (not complaining - just saying
). The one I sold to Space Cowboy made me nervous to play because I didn't want to damage it - lol! It was also so heavy that it hurt to play for any length of time (a big reason the next one that's coming is made of Korina).
So, my question is this: What do you think is the least expensive ballpark cost for a custom guitar that simply is made well and plays great? Obviously there are other variables like what pups and hardware are needed, but I'm just talking about a similar neck (scale and radius, preferably neck-thru) and body style (Gibson double-cut style) on each one.
Just to be clear, I'm thinking of along the lines of mahogany for some of the bodies and some of the necks, korina (black limba) for some of the bodies, and maybe maple for the tops and some of the necks (heck, I'm not even sure what the most basic words are!). Fretboards of ebony or maple. No inlays, no need for exotic wood accents (or "Master Grade" wood), no extra bindings, no finished backs, no gold hardware, no multi-layer dye jobs (basically nothing that's added just to improve the looks beyond a standard finish).
Thanks for any opinions or comments!
I'm mainly doing this because I've found that if I can figure out what I want and plant it in my mind, I tend to eventually get it.
