Mesh

Starise
  They all look good from a distance.

When I was in high-school, we used to say this about some girls......nice from far, but far from nice. Applies to guitars as well?

  I would say there are definite similarities.

spacey
To me there is only one kind of guitar...the ones I'd never want to sell.
 
 
 
 
 
 
That is the thought that has started and finished every guitar I've built.
When it is not...I will quit.
I've also told every person that received one if they didn't feel that way...don't keep it. I'll take it back. 

When I used to build bicycle wheels regularly I would finish each one and announce loudly "This.... is my greatest masterpiece".
 
Finally the guys said the joke was wearing thin, to which I replied "It's not a joke... that's the attitude I'm bringing to the table each time I build a wheel."
 
Years later one of my mentees showed up on my doorstep and explained that he now headed the custom race wheel department for a famous name bicycle parts manufacturer and he said "I just wanted to stop by while I was in town visiting my family and thank for teaching me about *attitude*".
 
Good stuff.
 
 

There is intrinsic value and perceived value.
 
You're talking about the former; they're selling the latter. For iconic guitars, there's a certain appeal to that name on the headstock, even if it doesn't signify much in the modern world.
 
It's really no different than, say, the modern, artificially "rare" sports cards market - some people are willing to pay lots of money for a piece of cardboard with some printing on that's marginally different from the printing on next piece of cardboard. I don't get it, but...
 
Some of us don't have much interest in perceived value or "status", so we focus on intrinsic value and, IMHO, come out way ahead in the long run.
 
But then I also already have some instruments with iconic names on the headstock too. And if I won the lottery I'm pretty sure I'd buy at least a couple more - not because they're better,but because they're iconic. And pretty. 
 
But in the mean time, I'd rather put together my own and get more or less exactly what I want and the same or better quality for considerably less money.

I think I will always buy guitars second hand. If the wood survives the first couple of years then it's likely to stay good.
 
Now I don't mean the expensive collectors items. But if you look you can find some well built second hand guitars for $ 300. For example Japanese guitar round 1980.
 
Maybe one day I would have I guitar built for me.......I ilke that idea.

To me, there's one kind of guitar.............The guitar that plays well.
 
 

My only comment on this thread is.
 
Thank you Spacey.

LOL !!
 
You're welcom Wookiee.

There are many things that are over priced. I paid about 60% of retail for my Gibson historic because I bought it used. As much as I agree with Michael, I do think that brand recognition is important when it comes to selling. G&L makes some great guitars that should be much better investments than Fender. If you need to sell it you'll find it hard to get any serious money. I don't know why but I've seen this many times.
 
If you can't go for a custom build, used is the way to go IMO. I know a guy that made some really nice replicas of a Gibson burst. He did everything right and used the finest woods. They are floating around the area and regularly sell for $6,000. A Gibson historic VOS burst sells for about the same. So what do you buy? The Gibson repro or the private repro. I've seen the aftermarket repro's priced as high as $20,000 and I think it's insane. Often people will tell you that they've used vintage parts and real PAF's but even those are being forged. Check out Crazy Parts in Germany for some sticker shock.
 
Based on the postings, Spacey guitars are a real cut above when it comes to build quality and materials. I like to think my amps are in the same quality bracket and have a lifetime warranty. They don't sell because I have no brand recognition and can't charge what they cost me to build. The only way it makes sense is if I give my time away for nothing. $500 in parts and sell the amp for around $1,200. Sounds good, but I had to design it and build it.
 
Making music equipment on a small scale is only viable as a hobby unless somebody big starts using your stuff and talking about it. If that happens it can be great. Look at Trainwreck and Dumble. Good stuff yes, but no way are they worth $20,000 to $40,000. It's crazy.

My best friend and I have recently made a pact (which we couldn't keep if you put a gun to our heads) that to cure our occasional bouts of needless guitar acquisitions...should one of us get the urge for some new guitar...we'll just swap one of our own with each other.  And should we ever want it back, we'll just re-swap.  We actually tried it a couple of weeks ago.  I gave him my "dolled up" sonic blue mexi strat with emgs and a custom pickguard and he gave me his 62 reissue 1996 Anniversary Custom Tele Deluxe with a bigsby (two strat pups and a tele bridge with a 5 way switch).  Only trouble is I've already ordered new Seymour Duncans, new electronics, new switch/volume/tone plate and knobs and a new custom pickguard.  Total cost $300 or so.  This swap thing sucks:-)
 

That's pretty much exactly the guitar I want. :/ Or one of them, anyway.  If for no other reason than sometimes in life, you must go after what you really want. 
 
I know that obviously I'd be paying more than what it's actually worth. 
 
That being said, the above guitar probably comes w/ some sort of lifetime warranty. I'm guessing that there are plenty of authorized dealers everywhere in America and elsewhere to help me sort any issue if I need the guitar serviced. And the fact that Les Paul passed away not too long ago doesn't change a thing to that. Gibson is still there to honor that warrantee, to manufacture pieces and all... That's also what paying for the brand means, imho. 
 
And if I pass away and my wife or kids decide to sell everything, they can easily figure out how much these can be sold for.
 
I guess that's also what you pay for - to have some kind of official grid, to keep it all within a certain set of boundaries, a reference frame, a market. Going custom takes you off that grid.
 
BTW, I know this is all theoretical. 
 
W/ all that being said, I'm very happy w/ my Epiphones - especially the newest one. The pickups on this baby just sing. From what I read, they're Epiphone's own version of Gibson's Burtsbucker 3 and '57 Classic. I wish I could replace the ones in my black LP w/ a couple of those.