@@johnsurreal There are all kinds of guitar junkies and much like cars some folks want to spend $$$$ on a guitar then put $$ into mods and when they go to sell it and its 'worth' half their investment they are unhappy. I say do what makes you happy and if resale value isn't important cool for you. If I sold my rack of guitars off today it would net more than I have in them. For every guitar on that rack I went through sometimes a dozen guitars to find THAT guitar that I want to keep long term. By being aware of resale value and doing all my own work I afforded myself the options to own a lot of different guitars over the years.
Same here. I research the living crap out of stuff before I buy, so if/when I plop down my money, it's coming home for good. I have had my Ibanez RG421 for 4+ years & last year I bought a brand new Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster in butterscotch blonde for a wicked screaming deal of $200! I wasn't even planning on buying anything that day, but when I saw that price, I immediately jumped on it.
I agree with you, Max. I never buy a guitar wondering how much I can sell it for down the road. But I’m a player and not a collector. I buy a guitar that feels good in my hands, plays well, and sounds good. That’s all I care about. I own many guitars, both expensive and inexpensive. Most of my budget guitars play better than many “name brand” guitars I own or have owned. I have a really nice Firefly LP copy that I bought a couple years ago. It’s my go-to for most stuff I play. I replaced the stock pups with some Bare Knuckle Stormy Mondays, and it plays and sounds better than any stock $2,000+ Gibson LP I have ever picked up. I have a couple of those AIO Strat-type guitars as well, and they are pretty darn amazing. People get too caught up on name brand. I don’t care about what the headstock communicates to one’s eyes. I care about what the sound communicates to one’s ears, and that it feels good in my hands, and that’s it. And let’s face it, the QC on some of the mass produced name brand guitars these days is just garbage anyway. You’re better off buying a decent foundation for less, and modifying it the way you want it.
Its a bit simple to try and label us either players OR collectors. I have a pretty solid 8 rule right now its 9 I have a project guitar that had a neck break at the headstock but once its rocking again one of them will have to go. I can't play them all every day and not 1 of them would sell for less today than I have invested even what was purchased new. I agree a 'budget' guitar can play as well or better than an expensive one. I do all my own work so setups and mods get them playing and sounding great. I buy or trade for what I want but am not prone to 'Ooo gotta have THAT' which would have me paying what I consider too much which always has to do with resale value. If I really wanted a PRS core model then I would have one and whatever the resale value was would be cool. But I have found things I like more that hold value so for me the tag I would use is a swapper. Love what I have on my rack but I may still want to swap something out down the road so I like to keep my options available
In the early 70's, we had a vintage guitar store in St. Louis.. They would travel and find used vintage Gibsons and Fenders in the rural areas and resell them to local musicians for under $500 or so. Johnny Winter bought guitars there as well. Then, collectors came in and started buying them all up. Prices skyrocketed. Working class musicians were stuck with new guitars that were never set up at all. And no one knew how to set them up . Every time I tried out a new Les Paul it had fret rattle everywhere. No setups from the factory. I could never find a guitar that played well until a few years ago when I got an All In One guitar thanks to your channel. I have been playing for 57 years and have owned many guitars one at a time.
My guitars are tools that I use. When I buy a drill, a set of wrenches, or any other tool I NEVER consider what they would be worth when used. I buy tools to keep them and use them, not to re-sell them.
I get what you're saying, but it goes beyond tools imo. I don't have any personal sentiments towards my tools. My guitars are like my baby's. Extentions of me... I Fn love my guitars.
40 year plus player who has also become a collector. Rarely think about resale value and have guitars and basses across many price ranges. Just got a relic Firefly LP the other day and having fun playing that too!!
That's a nice looking guitar, I saw it here on Max's review. I have a FF Classic LP style and I don't really like the feel of it that much, it's not terrible just not to my liking. I also have a FF ES 335 Style and I really like that one
And today there are a ton of great options in that price range. My Harley Benton has great tone and plays very well for a sub $200 guitar so I don't own any other tele
Yeah I just got an Ibanez S521 it was $360 total and its amazing. Ive played Caparisons and MIJ ESPs and they are 10x the price but they are not 10x better.
I agree with you, Max. I have 4 guitars, all together cost less than $1500. None of them have any resale value at all, which doesn't matter a damn cause I'll never sell them. Love em all, they play and look great. What a great time to be a player on a budget! Thank you for teaching me about Firefly and Harley Benton. Ye doth rock, good sir!
Hey Max... This was so profound... thank you for saying this OUT LOUD! Sometimes, I don't really care what they're worth. The question is, how do they play? With that said, I do have a "collection" of guitars, but none of them would be considered "collector's items." Cheers to you for this one! Keep 'em coming!
Once I was able to do my own work and remedy issues that previously kept me from buying something that needed work to play well the lights came on and I no longer had to limit my purchase options.
Gear rarely leaves my collection, unless i gift it to someone. I have different price ranges of guitars, I like some of my cheap better than expensive. I love aio/wolf guitars a great instrument for the price.
To add to earlier comment, I play what works, and what I can afford to abuse. My stage guitars are mostley ESP LTD, or Schecter guitars. I have earned my living with these guitars and will always promote them. My only purpose in chiming in on this discussion was to point out the difference between player grade guitars, and collector grade guitars. Some of the guitars in my collection don't equal the guitars in my player rotation. The facts that equal value don't mesh with the factors that equal playability . My #1 guitar , that I have played at over 1000 gigs since 1974, cost me a whopping $197.00 in 1973. I a still play that guitar to this day. You, player, collecter. Or both nèed to decide what you are doing. Collecting and playing are two different things. You can do both, or choose one or the other. You need to decide.
@@Jaybird_67 well said, I am interested to know the brand of your $197 guitar, and what it is worth now, if u sold it. Not that you would, as it sounds like you love it as a family member. Not surprized by ESP usage as they're a quality MIJ brand. The buyer be aware policy is at play with all guitar purchases these days. Most cheap new guitars have low quality hardware, which makes them uncollectable. They'll be stacked 10 high at the rubbish tip in ten years time, or had an excessive amount spent on replacing rusted/ corroded & broken hardware.
I've never given a flying v about resale. My oldest guitar is an Electra Phoenix (made in Japan)I bought new in 1985 and it still is one of my favorite guitars with HSH and push-pull pots to coil spit, it can sound about like any electric. Probably worthless but it is a very versatile tool. Buy what you like and make em' pry it out of your cold dead hands!
Good points, and overall video as always MAX. How thick and obtuse does a dullard have to be to ask a question of resale value on guitars under a thousand dollars? One needs to watch the Christie's Auction House sale this year of Mark Knopfler's collection. These guitars are considered collector guitars and went for 5 and 6 figures. If the resale value of a guitar under $1000 is a real issue and not just trolling, then maybe start collecting bottle caps and subway tokens. Or, play your guitar and damn the head stock name.
This was super good. Most of my guitars are life "mile markers", my wife has bought me three since we've been married and I had three before. The only "vintage" I have is a 93 mim strat that was given to me by our worship bassist right before he retired. Played that one at service today. My most played is a 200 dollar Jackson s11, the "couch guitar". They all get used, and all have their strengths. Player, definitely. Again, well done, well presented. Subbed.
Hey Max, I'm a die-hard player and I play in a band. But I am kind of collector also. And by the looks of the wall behind you you are a collector as well. I could be wrong but that's just my thought. And you are a kick ass player as well and I consider myself a pretty good player too. But I noticed that a lot of the negative stuff on RUclips Facebook Instagram Twitter most of that negative stuff comes from younger people people that don't have quite as much life experience. Even if it's an older person they probably don't have as much experience because everything you said in this video is total common sense. You learn these things as you go through life, then you act accordingly. If you're smart I guess😊 Great video great channel I totally agree with you not because I want to be cool but because it seems like common sense to me everything you said. All right bud I will talk to you on the next one Have a good weekend 🤘🌞🤘🌞😎
I’ve been playing guitar for 54 years now and never really thought about “ investment instruments “. But I have made extremely good purchase choices over the years. A couple come to mind that made great resale value when I started trimming the collection and I’m glad I bought them. But mainly the standard is you pay too much initially and just enjoy them for what they are…tools, creations, beautiful guitars. Even the cheaper brands produce really playable lovely instruments that can be played for decades….without the resale mindset.
Absolutely agree with you. The guitars that you show on your channel is to give people an opportunity to purchase a guitar without breaking the bank while having fun playing and/or learning to play guitar.
Usually a player, however, I just recently survived a stroke in which I awoke in a hospital and had to spend about a week rebuilding meself and me strength so I haven't played guitar in that Time. I've been focused on rebuilding me health. 🤟 I'll return to the shredding as soon as me body allows, no worries 🌞
@zengroove16 Glad to hear you're coming out ok. Whole new lease on life & outlook once it Truly sinks in. Similar circumstances, 1st a stroke, then a near fatal car accident spinal injury. 1st affected my playing somewhat, 2nd majorly. But I'm healing and I'm working at it, relearning. I consider it a gift to be able to, every day. And it's a Great Gift. Best of Luck 👍🎸🎶✌️😎
Many guitarists/collectors don't seem to understand the economics of the used guitar market. For that I buy basically all of my gear used in great condition. Seriously a good used Epiphone or Classic Vibe Squier are killer deals. 🎸🤘
I buy mostly used and do my own setups etc. Not only does it save $$$ and hassle being able to get any guitar to play great that helps the resale also. I often sell/trade a guitar for approx what I have in it as far as cash and enjoy working on them so a lot of times my only 'cost' to own a piece of gear is the work I put in which makes playing them more enjoyable to me anyway as the 'relationship' changes when you have been 'under the skirt' a bit so to speak lol
Great video, glad this topic is being highlighted. In my experience, people looking at non-big-name brands, 2nd hand guitars / gear etc with the resale value in mind / trying to save money, probably shouldn't be looking at them half the time because they're likely looking at them for different reasons, rather than looking passed all that and seeing the good in the instrument / gear in front of them. This is just my humble opinion, i'm sure there are those that will disagree with me
Max, I want to echo what many others have commented about the "value" of guitars. I've been playing for over 50 years and have been blessed to collect a number of guitars during that time. The average resell value is probably under $500, but they all have a couple of things in common. 1, they all play well, and 2, they all make me want to play. I call them my kids, and I would sure miss any of one of them should anything ever happen to it. Keep up the good work.
Max, the people that say that crap also have a 80k lifted truck that never see's mud, a 4 car garage with a lift, Snap-On tool box's full of never used tools, Big screen, wifi, RUclips for repair video's, and still goes to the dealer for repairs. Not the local guy, or DIY in the 100k garage, but the dealer because their the most expensive, and they have a big sign, so they MUST know what their doing..🤣 Dig the channel man. Love the axes you show. Peace.😉☠🏴☠
Max I have noted that the best investment is a guitar you recommend, within 10 min after your Vid drops 😆 Your channel is great in part because you provide personal hands on reviews and demos of different makers & models. And you're excellent at it, thank you. I play for enjoyment, so not an artist, and I sometimes buy and sell to help finance gear I covet, or just want to try out. You're right, most ppl look at it upside down. Buy a guitar to enjoy that feels & sounds & looks good in your hands. And if 2 years later you decide it wasn't for you, you find a better overal fit, & sell it & take a $250 loss, it cost a whopping $10.42 a month to enjoy it. Less than nearly everyone's WEEKLY coffee habit. And what return do we get on the Coffee ? Zilch 🤣 Some ppl dream of their dream guitar. Some dream of a rare killer deal on a Icon guitar 🎸 like an authorized "Frankenstein". Then some, are just Trolls 🧌. Trolls will be Trolls 🧌🧌 & more seem to have woke up lately. They feed on negative attention, let em get that at a Troll convention 🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌 GREAT Channel Max, Thanks 👍🎸🎶 Keep being you. ✌️😎
I agree with what you said Alot of people can't afford a expensive guitar as long as the guitar plays well has good set up and sounds good that's what matters most to me because i pllay music I like how you show cheaper guitars that plays good and sounds good cuz there's no way I can afford a top dollar guitar that's only a dream to own top dollar Epiphone or Gibson I'm using a Huntington guitar right now because it was cheap and sounds good considering the price,, A lot of cheap guitars and not that great actions way off don't play very good,, but you show cheaper guitars that are good, someone might see your video and say hey I'm going to buy a guitar cuz I can afford it an have a good guitar, without breaking the bank or quitting because fingers hurt playing cheap guitar that's not very good
Thanks Max! What a fantastic video. I have been playing guitar since 1974, and collecting guitars since the early 80's. Two entirely different endeavors. My collection includes many valuable guitars, that I rarely play. That's not why I own them. All of the guitars I play regularly are ones that are good guitars, like your AIO, Eart, and Harley Benton, but not worth the high dollar amount that my collection is. People need to realize that these are two completely different categories of instruments. Thanks so much for shedding light on this topic.
Playing guitars is the most fun thing of all, regardless of the brand. It is important to find something that fits both in budget and in true added value. Also, when you make modifications to a guitar it is because you really want to improve it and in the end continue practicing, composing your own songs or having fun with music
Spot on Max. I completely agree with you. Glad you bring this subject up. I am also so tired of all the ”investment talks”. The prices now of the big brands are so high right now that im not interested any more. Glad that so many valuable great guitars from newer brands now hit the market. I dont support the greedy high price market any more.
There are guitars and cars you can invest in. There are guitars and cars you can utilize and enjoy. If they happen to be one and the same, then that is a bonus.
I don’t consider resale value buying gear. If someone wants to, go for it, but it doesn’t matter to me. One thing people forget when looking at resale is whether you bough it to play it. If you did that has value as well, so even if the dollars you resell for are lower, what was the value of the time, fun, etc you got playing it? What is the value of the learning on it? And for those who gig or record-you got value from owning it. I have pointed out the percentage thing mentioned in the video to some, and how they can actually lose more, but sometimes get the response mentioned in the video of guitars that went way up in value, but those are exceptions, there is no 100% guarantee.
Resale? Why buy it if you're just gonna sell it? I plan on keeping ALL my gear at purchase. I catch shit for modding. I'm the one playing it. I always want my guitars to be exactly what I want them to be. So if I have to swap something out, I'm gonna do that. Good stuff Max 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thank you for making this video Playing since the 70s Have bought and sold sooooo many that kids today would cry and die for But In all reality , not all old is good And especially , not all name brand ones are up to parr
Bought one of those $60 Glarry strats. Was it a good guitar for $60? No. However, it was a good neck and body for $60 to which I added a bone nut, locking tuners, and Tex Mex pickups. After doing a minor fret leveling and installing Slinky 9s, I now have an excellent guitar setup just the way I like it for around $150. Better than any Fender Strat I have ever played, including the expensive new and "rare" old ones.
There are so many good points here. It took me years to find my perfect sound. It wasn't until I was 65 did I get my Yamaha FG830. Wow, what a sound. I also got an LL6M A.R.E. Last year and recently got an LS6. I won't part with them.
Amen brother, from your lips to Lemmy's ears. A cheap guitar can be priceless if you love playing it, and quality on the "budget" level is better, by far, than it's ever been in the history of the instrument.
I am both but I am always on a tight budget. I like Low to mid range guitars as I like self teaching myself with messing with pickups and components and I am not wrecking six hundred odd value guitar.
I have always bought guitars thinking I may sell it so I try and buy name brand guitars. And of course I have never sold one guitar in my life.. Your channel has opened my eyes to some of the other brands like Eart, Jet, Firefly, Leo Jaymes, etc... Not sure I am a collector or maybe even a musician, but I try..
One of the first decent budget guitars I had was a BC Rich inexpensive model of a Warlock. Where I lived was about a 3 hour drive to Guitar Center. Anyway, when I came back home with that guitar, I had friends that when they seen it immediately wanted to buy it off of me. I was surprised by how much they were offering to buy it for. I gave it some thought, because I didn’t really want to part with it. When I realized I had more than one friend who wanted one, and what they were willing to offer, I sold it and eventually made another trip to Guitar Center and came back with 4 more of the same model. l didn’t actually expect to sell all four. I was trying to have one for myself. I gave them all up, and made another trip to Guitar Center. This time, there weren’t any more 😢 For a budget guitar in those days, they were actually really good. I made a good profit off of those guitars, but in the end I didn’t have one for myself. The most positive aspect of this is, these guitars helped a couple of my friends get really good at guitar.
I consider guitars beautiful art. I love the sounds they make and the way they look. I don’t own many but I consider mine very important whether they’re $5.00 or 5000.00. I honestly watch your videos to hear and see guitars that are interesting, attractive, and unique. My machines will just get passed down to my kids. Thanx Max!!
I’ve bought five affordable guitars, since April..well 2 I diy built out of spare Strat parts. Love Eart, love donners now. I was basically one of the first people to order an eart sight unseen yeaaars ago. After wards I saw the reviews and knew it was truth Totally feel you. I love being able to have so many tools at my disposal for cheap. The only huge expense is the perfect pickups but I’m not longer putting amazing pickups into a low end 90s squire that doesn’t deserve them
💯 agree with you! I love guitars that feel good but also look good and a lot of these new "budget" brands are making some killer looking guitars! I don't think my skill level justifies me spending more than maybe five or six hundred dollars so budget guitars for me are always a win and it's cool to have channels like yours that review them and make me feel more confident about buying them! You rock! 🤘
I agree, I'm a player not an investor. In all the years that I have been playing, I've never MADE money selling a guitar (and truthfully, there's not a single guitar that I didn't wish I had kept). The same would be true of any of my current guitars, they just depreciate. The only exception is an 83 Les Paul that I KNOW I would make money off of, partially because I got a steal on it, and partially because their value has only risen over the years. But that's one of those "cold dead hands" guitars for me, no plans to sell it ever.
I've been a guitarist since 1974. I also build bolt neck style guitars from scratch (not partscasters) including winding my own p'ups. I've also collected many guitars that have high resale value, but I'd never sell them or any of the dozens that I've built. I'll give them to my children and grandchildren and they'll sell them off when I'm gone.
...." you buying a headstock or heady tone ?" Don't let a cheap guitar ruin the learning adventure and progress . AIO is a great value, I liked the used Wolf at my local G.C. but these AIO are so beautiful going new was a must.
I have been extremely happy my Cort MBM-2. There are different versions and some are super affordable with the same neck as the models with more gear on them. I have big hands and really took a long time to find a guitar that fit as good as my Parker nitefly from 97 that I regretfully had to sell below what I bought it and now worth much more. Fit is soooo much more important. Thanks for the insights.
I have an expensive PRS Hollowbody II It is a gorgeous work of art that I am afraid to play... It was my dream guitar and I never use it and I actually hate it because of that I have one of my first guitars A Schecter C1-P SLS Blackjack and I use that ALL THE TIME because I love the way it feels and sounds I have a few DIY guitars as well and I love them too because they are FUN to play I recently bought an expensive Strandberg and returned it after 3 days because I knew it was going to be another PRS situation I then bought an NK 7 and LOVE that guitar I don;t care about it's resale. I care about how much I'm going to enjoy playing it. The NK now has Seymour Duncan Nazgul and Sentient's, upgraded internals and I upgraded the bridge and locking nut. I have WAY more into it in parts than it cost, but it is one of my favorite to sit in my lap and hold while watching TV etc. My PRS... hangs on a wall collecting dust, like all of my dreams I guess
Great video and you certainly nailed it. If I buy a example higher end Squier then I do $200 worth of Luthiering work plus the upgrades I'll have up to about $700 in it and I intend to keep it, because no one would pay for those upgrades and work. But it's mine and I get a lot of satisfaction when someone says this plays and sounds better than my American Tele. I say sorry not for sale. I have 11 of these. Have a good one.
Very interesting topic, I have always been drawn to guitars that are unusual or can be modified. Never really thought about resale value. I like the concept of functional art.
Great video. I love having a variety of guitars and the most I ever had at once was 17 and it was overkill. Got it down to three and now I am back up to 8. I am at the point now where if one comes in, one has to go. At least that's what I tell myself. A big thing that I did to stop getting so many, was avoiding all the Firefly drops. There was a time where I had four Firefly Les Paul models lol.
I also have never purchased a guitar as an investment, except as an investment in my own enjoyment. I don't purchase for resale value or with the intent to resell the guitar. There are times when I say you know this person or that person can you use a nice guitar so I give them one of my guitars. It is my way of saying I love you and I appreciate you to that person.
It’s the same with modifying guitars, they say that if you put Seymour Duncans in a Harley Benton you won’t sell it for the price of the parts, but if I upgrade a guitar it’s because I like it and I want to improve its weaknesses. The only case in which I would be selling my guitars is if I was about to be homeless, and that is less likely to happen if I don’t buy ridiculously priced guitars for its “resale value”
I have said exactly the same thing on guitar forums. People will only "see" or reason on what they want to "see" or reason on. Some people won't admit when they are wrong.
Great video Max! I buy guitars I see for a really good deal that I know I can usually make money when I sale it. There are some deals like that out there. Eventually I should actually sale some of them. 😅😂
Graeat video, thanks Max! Unless is like a "big oportunity" like some who needs money and is selling part of his collection, I only go for guitars that I would love to keep because of the way they look and play.
I have a collection of player guitars. Playability first and utmost. I'm not worried about it becoming vintage and gaining worth. I have a very old Les Paul Custom. It plays and sounds great but I bought it when I was in high school.... back in the mid eighties and it was already 10 years old. I planned on music school and that's why I bought it. I needed something to last. Now other companies make equivalent or better. I have an ESP and 3 Schecters that I play as well as Sire S7 vintage. They're fantastic. If you love playing ... it's about playing not the collector value.
I'm more of a collector than a player, but that's okay because I enjoy it, it brings me happiness and it's better than wasting money on alcohol or other vices!
Dude you are right on. I don’t buy high end guitars because I can’t afford them in 2007 I bought an Gibson explorer for 1300 now it’s 2700 and any LTD plays as good if not better but way cheaper. Anyway love your videos I respect all of your insight
I play my guitars. Since ,at one time, Samick made guitars for all the major companies in Korea. Found a Samick on EBay languishing in a music store in New York state. Great guitar plays as well as my Canadian built guitars. Yes, unless I make it big, I can only dream of holding a Gibson or Martin.
I buy what appeals to me because I'm planning on keeping them. I was wondering do you have a video that talks about your past and what you have done before? Love the channel! 👍
Oh contrair, sir. It is not as easy to figure out prices as you may think. So often I see people on FB asking how much their guitar is worth. LOL I'm just kidding. I'm with you, just do a bit of research to learn things. Like current prices of guitars. Peace, dude. Love ya.
After years and years of just having one guitar a Schecter demon Elite double cutaway with some bad ass tribal inlays that after a hurricane and resulting flood was floating around my house { that I still have after 20 years and yes it still sounds awesome after drying it out and repairing the damage to the PuPs and controls } I finally was able to buy another one , Now I don't have like 50 guitars but I do have like 10 now, most of which are cheap affordable guitars . I do have a Gibson Les Paul {my dream guitar} and Ibanez J custom never once did I ever think about selling any of them.
I hear that all the time too, "you'll never be able to sell that cheap guitar". Well, I just sold a GearIt Strat, the ones that were right around $80 for a while on Amazon...sold it for $75 last week. Also sold a Fender Standard Limited Edition Stratocaster that was a 2018 model. Those retailed for around $700 I sold it for $500. So I lost around 6% on the Gear It cheap guitar and over 28% on the Fender...so much for "holding it's value".
hey there Maxx.. I know you like AIO, but for the money here on the east coast is Rhondo!!! Straight out of the box!!!Specs Prooooov.. Cant play a any big name that gives me any better for the money!!!!
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a firefly modern style LP. Both are great guitars. In all honesty, the $2,800 difference is not as noticeable as you would think. Really actually bummed me out. Even though I did get my dream Gibson, I didn't really need it in reality.
Yeah It's crazy the quality you can get nowadays from affordable gear. And I reckon the Firefly you have with some upgrades to pick-ups (same as the pickups in your gibson) it would sound basically Identical. The only real difference I imagine would be the feel.
@@Greggyboyz60 That's awesome! I don't own one personally, but I have played one that belongs to my uncle and I was deeply impressed with the way that guitar played! It was the purple explorer shape one.
Beautiful guitar you're playing in this video, regardless of its price. I like guitars like this better than the expensive ones. If something happens to it on a gig then it's not as troubling as if the same thing happened to a much more expensive guitar. Also, you don't have to tie up all your extra money in something that goes down in value. Different story if all you do is collect guitars.
Resale value matters a lot more to my wife than it does to me. :) We often pay for experiences that you don't recoup money on, but enjoy your time invested in it, such as playing golf, going to an amusement park, etc. If I buy a guitar for $800, enjoy it for 6 months, and then sell it for $600, did I really lose $200? Some would say yes, but I would ask then if you go to Six Flags for the day and spend $200, isn't that kind of the same thing? Except that you enjoyed it for 1 day vs. owning the guitar for 6 months. Just some food for thought.
Both and I have learned how to play many instruments by myself Harmonica was one of my first instruments. I have been taught how to read music as a young child while taking guitar lessons and learning trumpet and tenor saxophone in high school . I have also learned banjo, mandolin and piano. Bass guitar theory too. I just love music and playing it too. I do have friends in a band I still play with on occasion . We have all played together since we were kids.
I still think a better word is “guitar investors” when I hear “collectors”, I think of people who collect and want to keep them, not sell them off like stocks. Hence, the collectors shouldn’t care about resale value in my opinion. Investors have ruined cars, housing, and etc.
Exactly to your point. I've lost far more money on the few American made musical instruments I've bought new and then had to sell for whatever reason, usually Murphy's law and being a poor working class dude. I would never buy a high end domestic instrument new again considering the depreciation. At most I would wait for open box.
I don't think of resale and I'm a player and collector. I don't collect to resell. I keep all my guitars. I bought, for $500, a 1987 Kramer Vivian Campbell Night swan guitar at a pawn shop in 1990 that I thought was cool looking. I still have it. Turns out today that guitar is selling for $4k-7k depending on condition. No plans to sell even though I could profit on that one.
I am a gray beard and had I become a collector back when I first started hitting up pawn shops and mom n pop music stores the profit margin would be crazy. Buddy of mine bought a Gibson LP Jr at a little shop that had maybe 4 or 5 used electrics and a bunch of acoustics and horns for $125 because the single P90 gave it some amazing tone. Turned out to be a 1969 with all original hardware. Now it is harder to find great deals but not difficult to get great guitars without paying retail
Resale value? Not an issue with me. Collectors are all over the place. Some just enjoy collecting and don't care about resale. Those that do are generally in the business of buying and selling. Some will play their guitars and others will display them. I am all about "Does it play?" In context when I was growing up in the 60's the budget guitars were, to put it bluntly, crap. You had go the the pawn shops and look over the used ones and pray that the owner did not know the value. I do know that several rock guitarists that made it big started with pawn shop guitars that were used. Today, we are blessed that so many budget guitars do play well.
I guess I'm somewhere in the middle of player-collector because I have way more than I need and I can't/won't stop getting more because it's so much fun. I don't "worry" about resale value, but I do think about it a little in the sense of "someone is going to have to deal with all these when I die."
I started out a guitar player with plenty of time to play but no money for the gear I lusted over. As time went on I became a guitar collector with the money for the gear I lusted over, but no time to enjoy it. Hoping in the next few years I can take my foot off the gas at work and start to enjoy my gear in the time I have left
Max, you should do a video on Shijie guitars. Purchase at Leen Music in Hong Kong. They run about $1000 to $1250, not cheap but not super expensive. Theyre on par with Suhr, Tom Anderson etc for a fraction of the price . - Cheers !
Here's the thing about resale value with a guitar worth thousands of dollars. You have to find a buyer. Now, I'm not interested in becoming a guitar dealer. I'm likely to pay something below retail, but not below wholesale. With an expensive guitar I'm going to lose hundreds of dollars. Also, what we see people selling for is not what they're getting. So if I buy a $400 guitar and sell it for $250, I've lost $150. 38% of the value. If I buy a $3000 guitar and sell for $2500, I've lost $500. But only 17% of the value. It has held its value better. But I've lost $350 more. Which is the whole price of a higher scale budget guitar. This just means that guitarists are bad at math, ans mostly bad at investing.
I look at is as opportunity cost. When you buy at $1000 and sell for $800 but got to own a guitar for a while it cost $200 to own it. Try to buy below retail and hope when it comes time to sell or trade you minimize the opportunity cost makes sense to me.
I never think of resale value when purchasing gear.
I thought that way utill I was left with two $2000 useless irrepairable boatanchors. Now I think about what I buy,
It's doesn't have to be expensive to have mojo, but oftentimes if it has mojo it's expensive
There are still people who do so please accept that.
@@johnsurreal There are all kinds of guitar junkies and much like cars some folks want to spend $$$$ on a guitar then put $$ into mods and when they go to sell it and its 'worth' half their investment they are unhappy. I say do what makes you happy and if resale value isn't important cool for you. If I sold my rack of guitars off today it would net more than I have in them. For every guitar on that rack I went through sometimes a dozen guitars to find THAT guitar that I want to keep long term. By being aware of resale value and doing all my own work I afforded myself the options to own a lot of different guitars over the years.
Same here. I research the living crap out of stuff before I buy, so if/when I plop down my money, it's coming home for good. I have had my Ibanez RG421 for 4+ years & last year I bought a brand new Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster in butterscotch blonde for a wicked screaming deal of $200! I wasn't even planning on buying anything that day, but when I saw that price, I immediately jumped on it.
I agree with you, Max. I never buy a guitar wondering how much I can sell it for down the road. But I’m a player and not a collector. I buy a guitar that feels good in my hands, plays well, and sounds good. That’s all I care about. I own many guitars, both expensive and inexpensive. Most of my budget guitars play better than many “name brand” guitars I own or have owned. I have a really nice Firefly LP copy that I bought a couple years ago. It’s my go-to for most stuff I play. I replaced the stock pups with some Bare Knuckle Stormy Mondays, and it plays and sounds better than any stock $2,000+ Gibson LP I have ever picked up. I have a couple of those AIO Strat-type guitars as well, and they are pretty darn amazing. People get too caught up on name brand. I don’t care about what the headstock communicates to one’s eyes. I care about what the sound communicates to one’s ears, and that it feels good in my hands, and that’s it. And let’s face it, the QC on some of the mass produced name brand guitars these days is just garbage anyway. You’re better off buying a decent foundation for less, and modifying it the way you want it.
Its a bit simple to try and label us either players OR collectors. I have a pretty solid 8 rule right now its 9 I have a project guitar that had a neck break at the headstock but once its rocking again one of them will have to go. I can't play them all every day and not 1 of them would sell for less today than I have invested even what was purchased new. I agree a 'budget' guitar can play as well or better than an expensive one. I do all my own work so setups and mods get them playing and sounding great. I buy or trade for what I want but am not prone to 'Ooo gotta have THAT' which would have me paying what I consider too much which always has to do with resale value. If I really wanted a PRS core model then I would have one and whatever the resale value was would be cool. But I have found things I like more that hold value so for me the tag I would use is a swapper. Love what I have on my rack but I may still want to swap something out down the road so I like to keep my options available
In the early 70's, we had a vintage guitar store in St. Louis.. They would travel and find used vintage Gibsons and Fenders in the rural areas and resell them to local musicians for under $500 or so. Johnny Winter bought guitars there as well. Then, collectors came in and started buying them all up. Prices skyrocketed. Working class musicians were stuck with new guitars that were never set up at all. And no one knew how to set them up . Every time I tried out a new Les Paul it had fret rattle everywhere. No setups from the factory. I could never find a guitar that played well until a few years ago when I got an All In One guitar thanks to your channel. I have been playing for 57 years and have owned many guitars one at a time.
My guitars are tools that I use. When I buy a drill, a set of wrenches, or any other tool I NEVER consider what they would be worth when used. I buy tools to keep them and use them, not to re-sell them.
Exactly, tools get used until the point of destruction or theft.
I get what you're saying, but it goes beyond tools imo. I don't have any personal sentiments towards my tools. My guitars are like my baby's. Extentions of me... I Fn love my guitars.
@@kiezersosay49 agree 100% . I definitely care more for my guitars than I do my tools, but resale value is not a factor when buying them.
40 year plus player who has also become a collector. Rarely think about resale value and have guitars and basses across many price ranges. Just got a relic Firefly LP the other day and having fun playing that too!!
That's a nice looking guitar, I saw it here on Max's review. I have a FF Classic LP style and I don't really like the feel of it that much, it's not terrible just not to my liking. I also have a FF ES 335 Style and I really like that one
I don't worry about resale at all. Having said that I don't abuse budget guitars and try to keep it new as long as possible.
I've never owned a guitar expensive enough to worry about the resale value. I enjoy guitars that all together can cost less than a set of pickups
And today there are a ton of great options in that price range. My Harley Benton has great tone and plays very well for a sub $200 guitar so I don't own any other tele
Yeah I just got an Ibanez S521 it was $360 total and its amazing. Ive played Caparisons and MIJ ESPs and they are 10x the price but they are not 10x better.
I am both,,but I rarely ever get rid of any guitar I aquire ,and I have expensive guitar,and budget guitars that I collect to use.
I agree with you, Max. I have 4 guitars, all together cost less than $1500. None of them have any resale value at all, which doesn't matter a damn cause I'll never sell them. Love em all, they play and look great. What a great time to be a player on a budget! Thank you for teaching me about Firefly and Harley Benton. Ye doth rock, good sir!
check out the iyv lp's
Hey Max... This was so profound... thank you for saying this OUT LOUD! Sometimes, I don't really care what they're worth. The question is, how do they play? With that said, I do have a "collection" of guitars, but none of them would be considered "collector's items." Cheers to you for this one! Keep 'em coming!
Once I was able to do my own work and remedy issues that previously kept me from buying something that needed work to play well the lights came on and I no longer had to limit my purchase options.
Thank you Max, this needed to be said.
Gear rarely leaves my collection, unless i gift it to someone. I have different price ranges of guitars, I like some of my cheap better than expensive. I love aio/wolf guitars a great instrument for the price.
The fleetwood broughm was a beautiful car! The height of luxury.
Those are increasing in value now due to rarity...so many of those big old cadillacs got smashed in demolition derbies
To add to earlier comment, I play what works, and what I can afford to abuse. My stage guitars are mostley ESP LTD, or Schecter guitars. I have earned my living with these guitars and will always promote them. My only purpose in chiming in on this discussion was to point out the difference between player grade guitars, and collector grade guitars. Some of the guitars in my collection don't equal the guitars in my player rotation. The facts that equal value don't mesh with the factors that equal playability . My #1 guitar , that I have played at over 1000 gigs since 1974, cost me a whopping $197.00 in 1973. I a still play that guitar to this day. You, player, collecter. Or both nèed to decide what you are doing. Collecting and playing are two different things. You can do both, or choose one or the other. You need to decide.
@@Jaybird_67 well said, I am interested to know the brand of your $197 guitar, and what it is worth now, if u sold it. Not that you would, as it sounds like you love it as a family member. Not surprized by ESP usage as they're a quality MIJ brand. The buyer be aware policy is at play with all guitar purchases these days. Most cheap new guitars have low quality hardware, which makes them uncollectable. They'll be stacked 10 high at the rubbish tip in ten years time, or had an excessive amount spent on replacing rusted/ corroded & broken hardware.
Gibson, Les Paul Junior. Best money I ever spent. BTW....that was a lot of money back then.
@@Jaybird_67 yes, good example of bronze turning into gold
I've never given a flying v about resale. My oldest guitar is an Electra Phoenix (made in Japan)I bought new in 1985 and it still is one of my favorite guitars with HSH and push-pull pots to coil spit, it can sound about like any electric. Probably worthless but it is a very versatile tool.
Buy what you like and make em' pry it out of your cold dead hands!
Good points, and overall video as always MAX. How thick and obtuse does a dullard have to be to ask a question of resale value on guitars under a thousand dollars? One needs to watch the Christie's Auction House sale this year of Mark Knopfler's collection. These guitars are considered collector guitars and went for 5 and 6 figures. If the resale value of a guitar under $1000 is a real issue and not just trolling, then maybe start collecting bottle caps and subway tokens. Or, play your guitar and damn the head stock name.
This was super good. Most of my guitars are life "mile markers", my wife has bought me three since we've been married and I had three before. The only "vintage" I have is a 93 mim strat that was given to me by our worship bassist right before he retired. Played that one at service today. My most played is a 200 dollar Jackson s11, the "couch guitar". They all get used, and all have their strengths. Player, definitely. Again, well done, well presented. Subbed.
Hey Max, I'm a die-hard player and I play in a band. But I am kind of collector also. And by the looks of the wall behind you you are a collector as well. I could be wrong but that's just my thought. And you are a kick ass player as well and I consider myself a pretty good player too. But I noticed that a lot of the negative stuff on RUclips Facebook Instagram Twitter most of that negative stuff comes from younger people people that don't have quite as much life experience. Even if it's an older person they probably don't have as much experience because everything you said in this video is total common sense. You learn these things as you go through life, then you act accordingly. If you're smart I guess😊 Great video great channel I totally agree with you not because I want to be cool but because it seems like common sense to me everything you said. All right bud I will talk to you on the next one Have a good weekend 🤘🌞🤘🌞😎
i disagree with this entirely.
Any generation born past the 80s AINT investing in anything lol.
They cant even afford rent.
I’ve been playing guitar for 54 years now and never really thought about “ investment instruments “. But I have made extremely good purchase choices over the years. A couple come to mind that made great resale value when I started trimming the collection and I’m glad I bought them. But mainly the standard is you pay too much initially and just enjoy them for what they are…tools, creations, beautiful guitars. Even the cheaper brands produce really playable lovely instruments that can be played for decades….without the resale mindset.
Absolutely agree with you. The guitars that you show on your channel is to give people an opportunity to purchase a guitar without breaking the bank while having fun playing and/or learning to play guitar.
Usually a player, however, I just recently survived a stroke in which I awoke in a hospital and had to spend about a week rebuilding meself and me strength so I haven't played guitar in that Time. I've been focused on rebuilding me health. 🤟 I'll return to the shredding as soon as me body allows, no worries 🌞
@zengroove16 Glad to hear you're coming out ok. Whole new lease on life & outlook once it Truly sinks in. Similar circumstances, 1st a stroke, then a near fatal car accident spinal injury. 1st affected my playing somewhat, 2nd majorly. But I'm healing and I'm working at it, relearning. I consider it a gift to be able to, every day. And it's a Great Gift. Best of Luck 👍🎸🎶✌️😎
Honestly smartest thing is to buy used. You can get an excellent condition EC 1000 for $600 all day in LA. That’s half off for a new one
Many guitarists/collectors don't seem to understand the economics of the used guitar market. For that I buy basically all of my gear used in great condition. Seriously a good used Epiphone or Classic Vibe Squier are killer deals. 🎸🤘
I buy mostly used and do my own setups etc. Not only does it save $$$ and hassle being able to get any guitar to play great that helps the resale also. I often sell/trade a guitar for approx what I have in it as far as cash and enjoy working on them so a lot of times my only 'cost' to own a piece of gear is the work I put in which makes playing them more enjoyable to me anyway as the 'relationship' changes when you have been 'under the skirt' a bit so to speak lol
Great video, glad this topic is being highlighted.
In my experience, people looking at non-big-name brands, 2nd hand guitars / gear etc with the resale value in mind / trying to save money, probably shouldn't be looking at them half the time because they're likely looking at them for different reasons, rather than looking passed all that and seeing the good in the instrument / gear in front of them.
This is just my humble opinion, i'm sure there are those that will disagree with me
Max, I want to echo what many others have commented about the "value" of guitars. I've been playing for over 50 years and have been blessed to collect a number of guitars during that time. The average resell value is probably under $500, but they all have a couple of things in common. 1, they all play well, and 2, they all make me want to play. I call them my kids, and I would sure miss any of one of them should anything ever happen to it. Keep up the good work.
Max, the people that say that crap also have a 80k lifted truck that never see's mud, a 4 car garage with a lift, Snap-On tool box's full of never used tools, Big screen, wifi, RUclips for repair video's, and still goes to the dealer for repairs. Not the local guy, or DIY in the 100k garage, but the dealer because their the most expensive, and they have a big sign, so they MUST know what their doing..🤣
Dig the channel man. Love the axes you show. Peace.😉☠🏴☠
i agree with all of this but...whats wrong with using youtube videos for repair? Ive fixed so much stuff that way lol!!!
You raise some really good points and by the way, i love budget brand guitars!! Keep making the videos!!
Max I have noted that the best investment is a guitar you recommend, within 10 min after your Vid drops 😆
Your channel is great in part because you provide personal hands on reviews and demos of different makers & models. And you're excellent at it, thank you.
I play for enjoyment, so not an artist, and I sometimes buy and sell to help finance gear I covet, or just want to try out.
You're right, most ppl look at it upside down. Buy a guitar to enjoy that feels & sounds & looks good in your hands. And if 2 years later you decide it wasn't for you, you find a better overal fit, & sell it & take a $250 loss, it cost a whopping $10.42 a month to enjoy it. Less than nearly everyone's WEEKLY coffee habit. And what return do we get on the Coffee ? Zilch 🤣
Some ppl dream of their dream guitar. Some dream of a rare killer deal on a Icon guitar 🎸 like an authorized "Frankenstein". Then some, are just Trolls 🧌. Trolls will be Trolls 🧌🧌 & more seem to have woke up lately. They feed on negative attention, let em get that at a Troll convention 🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌
GREAT Channel Max, Thanks 👍🎸🎶
Keep being you. ✌️😎
I agree with what you said
Alot of people can't afford a expensive guitar as long as the guitar plays well has good set up and sounds good that's what matters most to me because i pllay music
I like how you show cheaper guitars that plays good and sounds good cuz there's no way I can afford a top dollar guitar that's only a dream to own top dollar Epiphone or Gibson
I'm using a Huntington guitar right now because it was cheap and sounds good considering the price,,
A lot of cheap guitars and not that great actions way off don't play very good,, but you show cheaper guitars that are good, someone might see your video and say hey I'm going to buy a guitar cuz I can afford it an have a good guitar, without breaking the bank or quitting because fingers hurt playing cheap guitar that's not very good
Thanks Max! What a fantastic video. I have been playing guitar since 1974, and collecting guitars since the early 80's. Two entirely different endeavors. My collection includes many valuable guitars, that I rarely play. That's not why I own them. All of the guitars I play regularly are ones that are good guitars, like your AIO, Eart, and Harley Benton, but not worth the high dollar amount that my collection is. People need to realize that these are two completely different categories of instruments. Thanks so much for shedding light on this topic.
💪ESP🤘DIEHARD👍
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ESP UP!
I have been down this road before and bottom line is that you’re 100% correct!😊
Playing guitars is the most fun thing of all, regardless of the brand. It is important to find something that fits both in budget and in true added value. Also, when you make modifications to a guitar it is because you really want to improve it and in the end continue practicing, composing your own songs or having fun with music
Spot on Max. I completely agree with you. Glad you bring this subject up. I am also so tired of all the ”investment talks”. The prices now of the big brands are so high right now that im not interested any more. Glad that so many valuable great guitars from newer brands now hit the market. I dont support the greedy high price market any more.
Player for sure, Ive been playing since the late 80s and I never had more than 3 guitars at any one time.
There are guitars and cars you can invest in.
There are guitars and cars you can utilize and enjoy.
If they happen to be one and the same, then that is a bonus.
I don’t consider resale value buying gear.
If someone wants to, go for it, but it doesn’t matter to me.
One thing people forget when looking at resale is whether you bough it to play it.
If you did that has value as well, so even if the dollars you resell for are lower, what was the value of the time, fun, etc you got playing it? What is the value of the learning on it? And for those who gig or record-you got value from owning it.
I have pointed out the percentage thing mentioned in the video to some, and how they can actually lose more, but sometimes get the response mentioned in the video of guitars that went way up in value, but those are exceptions, there is no 100% guarantee.
Resale? Why buy it if you're just gonna sell it? I plan on keeping ALL my gear at purchase. I catch shit for modding. I'm the one playing it. I always want my guitars to be exactly what I want them to be. So if I have to swap something out, I'm gonna do that. Good stuff Max 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thank you for making this video
Playing since the 70s
Have bought and sold sooooo many that kids today would cry and die for
But
In all reality , not all old is good
And especially , not all name brand ones are up to parr
Bought one of those $60 Glarry strats. Was it a good guitar for $60? No. However, it was a good neck and body for $60 to which I added a bone nut, locking tuners, and Tex Mex pickups. After doing a minor fret leveling and installing Slinky 9s, I now have an excellent guitar setup just the way I like it for around $150. Better than any Fender Strat I have ever played, including the expensive new and "rare" old ones.
There are so many good points here. It took me years to find my perfect sound. It wasn't until I was 65 did I get my Yamaha FG830. Wow, what a sound. I also got an LL6M A.R.E. Last year and recently got an LS6. I won't part with them.
I think you nailed this topic Max.
Thank You! This needed to be said. A true musician values the tool that can express their renderings the best and not hearing the price tag
Amen brother, from your lips to Lemmy's ears. A cheap guitar can be priceless if you love playing it, and quality on the "budget" level is better, by far, than it's ever been in the history of the instrument.
I am both but I am always on a tight budget. I like Low to mid range guitars as I like self teaching myself with messing with pickups and components and I am not wrecking six hundred odd value guitar.
I have always bought guitars thinking I may sell it so I try and buy name brand guitars. And of course I have never sold one guitar in my life.. Your channel has opened my eyes to some of the other brands like Eart, Jet, Firefly, Leo Jaymes, etc... Not sure I am a collector or maybe even a musician, but I try..
One of the first decent budget guitars I had was a BC Rich inexpensive model of a Warlock. Where I lived was about a 3 hour drive to Guitar Center. Anyway, when I came back home with that guitar, I had friends that when they seen it immediately wanted to buy it off of me. I was surprised by how much they were offering to buy it for. I gave it some thought, because I didn’t really want to part with it. When I realized I had more than one friend who wanted one, and what they were willing to offer, I sold it and eventually made another trip to Guitar Center and came back with 4 more of the same model. l didn’t actually expect to sell all four. I was trying to have one for myself. I gave them all up, and made another trip to Guitar Center. This time, there weren’t any more 😢 For a budget guitar in those days, they were actually really good. I made a good profit off of those guitars, but in the end I didn’t have one for myself. The most positive aspect of this is, these guitars helped a couple of my friends get really good at guitar.
I consider guitars beautiful art. I love the sounds they make and the way they look. I don’t own many but I consider mine very important whether they’re $5.00 or 5000.00. I honestly watch your videos to hear and see guitars that are interesting, attractive, and unique. My machines will just get passed down to my kids. Thanx Max!!
I’ve bought five affordable guitars, since April..well 2 I diy built out of spare Strat parts. Love Eart, love donners now. I was basically one of the first people to order an eart sight unseen yeaaars ago. After wards I saw the reviews and knew it was truth
Totally feel you. I love being able to have so many tools at my disposal for cheap. The only huge expense is the perfect pickups but I’m not longer putting amazing pickups into a low end 90s squire that doesn’t deserve them
💯 agree with you! I love guitars that feel good but also look good and a lot of these new "budget" brands are making some killer looking guitars! I don't think my skill level justifies me spending more than maybe five or six hundred dollars so budget guitars for me are always a win and it's cool to have channels like yours that review them and make me feel more confident about buying them! You rock! 🤘
I agree, I'm a player not an investor. In all the years that I have been playing, I've never MADE money selling a guitar (and truthfully, there's not a single guitar that I didn't wish I had kept). The same would be true of any of my current guitars, they just depreciate. The only exception is an 83 Les Paul that I KNOW I would make money off of, partially because I got a steal on it, and partially because their value has only risen over the years. But that's one of those "cold dead hands" guitars for me, no plans to sell it ever.
I've been a guitarist since 1974. I also build bolt neck style guitars from scratch (not partscasters) including winding my own p'ups. I've also collected many guitars that have high resale value, but I'd never sell them or any of the dozens that I've built. I'll give them to my children and grandchildren and they'll sell them off when I'm gone.
...." you buying a headstock or heady tone ?"
Don't let a cheap guitar ruin the learning adventure and progress . AIO is a great value, I liked the used Wolf at my local G.C. but these AIO are so beautiful going new was a must.
I sold my purple AIO LP guitar for almost what I bought it for, probably because it was a lefty and they no longer had purple in stock.
Great video Max! That intro solo was slick.
Thanks Lester!
I have been extremely happy my Cort MBM-2. There are different versions and some are super affordable with the same neck as the models with more gear on them. I have big hands and really took a long time to find a guitar that fit as good as my Parker nitefly from 97 that I regretfully had to sell below what I bought it and now worth much more. Fit is soooo much more important. Thanks for the insights.
LOVE THE TONE WOW! KEEP IT UP. I THINK I MIGHT HAVE TO GET ONE THOSE AIO GUITARS SEEM IMPRESSIVE.
Was going to comment on but then you stolen my thunder ESP love the channel Max
There you go!
I have an expensive PRS Hollowbody II
It is a gorgeous work of art that I am afraid to play...
It was my dream guitar and I never use it and I actually hate it because of that
I have one of my first guitars A Schecter C1-P SLS Blackjack and I use that ALL THE TIME because I love the way it feels and sounds
I have a few DIY guitars as well and I love them too because they are FUN to play
I recently bought an expensive Strandberg and returned it after 3 days because I knew it was going to be another PRS situation
I then bought an NK 7 and LOVE that guitar
I don;t care about it's resale. I care about how much I'm going to enjoy playing it.
The NK now has Seymour Duncan Nazgul and Sentient's, upgraded internals and I upgraded the bridge and locking nut.
I have WAY more into it in parts than it cost, but it is one of my favorite to sit in my lap and hold while watching TV etc.
My PRS... hangs on a wall collecting dust, like all of my dreams I guess
Great video and you certainly nailed it. If I buy a example higher end Squier then I do $200 worth of Luthiering work plus the upgrades I'll have up to about $700 in it and I intend to keep it, because no one would pay for those upgrades and work. But it's mine and I get a lot of satisfaction when someone says this plays and sounds better than my American Tele. I say sorry not for sale. I have 11 of these. Have a good one.
That AIO guitar is SICK. Man, their guitars are so sweet looking.
Great playing Max ! Damn
Thanks!
Very interesting topic, I have always been drawn to guitars that are unusual or can be modified. Never really thought about resale value. I like the concept of functional art.
I collect and play the cheap stuff.
Same. I end up modding them all to hell and back so they feel like their embued with my essence lol
Great video. I love having a variety of guitars and the most I ever had at once was 17 and it was overkill. Got it down to three and now I am back up to 8. I am at the point now where if one comes in, one has to go. At least that's what I tell myself. A big thing that I did to stop getting so many, was avoiding all the Firefly drops. There was a time where I had four Firefly Les Paul models lol.
I also have never purchased a guitar as an investment, except as an investment in my own enjoyment. I don't purchase for resale value or with the intent to resell the guitar. There are times when I say you know this person or that person can you use a nice guitar so I give them one of my guitars. It is my way of saying I love you and I appreciate you to that person.
That's a beautiful AIO guitar. I own the newer red Wolf axe Guitar Max has. It's a keeper.
Excellent!
It’s the same with modifying guitars, they say that if you put Seymour Duncans in a Harley Benton you won’t sell it for the price of the parts, but if I upgrade a guitar it’s because I like it and I want to improve its weaknesses. The only case in which I would be selling my guitars is if I was about to be homeless, and that is less likely to happen if I don’t buy ridiculously priced guitars for its “resale value”
Another Great Vid Mad Max! I'm gotta buy myself one of those AIO's There really are great guitars
I have said exactly the same thing on guitar forums. People will only "see" or reason on what they want to "see" or reason on. Some people won't admit when they are wrong.
Great video Max! I buy guitars I see for a really good deal that I know I can usually make money when I sale it. There are some deals like that out there. Eventually I should actually sale some of them. 😅😂
Graeat video, thanks Max! Unless is like a "big oportunity" like some who needs money and is selling part of his collection, I only go for guitars that I would love to keep because of the way they look and play.
I have a collection of player guitars.
Playability first and utmost. I'm not worried about it becoming vintage and gaining worth. I have a very old Les Paul Custom. It plays and sounds great but I bought it when I was in high school.... back in the mid eighties and it was already 10
years old. I planned on music school and that's why I bought it. I needed something to last. Now other companies make equivalent or better. I have an ESP and 3 Schecters that I play as well as Sire S7 vintage. They're fantastic.
If you love playing ... it's about playing not the collector value.
Great video Max and spot on all round.
Both! 6 and 7 string baritone scale and multiscale guitars are cool
I'm more of a collector than a player, but that's okay because I enjoy it, it brings me happiness and it's better than wasting money on alcohol or other vices!
Dude you are right on. I don’t buy high end guitars because I can’t afford them in 2007 I bought an Gibson explorer for 1300 now it’s 2700 and any LTD plays as good if not better but way cheaper. Anyway love your videos I respect all of your insight
Your message is very valid but goddamn! that shirt is AWESOME. Rock on, Max!
I play my guitars. Since ,at one time, Samick made guitars for all the major companies in Korea. Found a Samick on EBay languishing in a music store in New York state. Great guitar plays as well as my Canadian built guitars. Yes, unless I make it big, I can only dream of holding a Gibson or Martin.
Great video, best one i have seen from this channel. I learned something, i like when that happen!
I buy what appeals to me because I'm planning on keeping them. I was wondering do you have a video that talks about your past and what you have done before? Love the channel! 👍
Oh contrair, sir. It is not as easy to figure out prices as you may think. So often I see people on FB asking how much their guitar is worth. LOL I'm just kidding. I'm with you, just do a bit of research to learn things. Like current prices of guitars. Peace, dude. Love ya.
After years and years of just having one guitar a Schecter demon Elite double cutaway with some bad ass tribal inlays that after a hurricane and resulting flood was floating around my house { that I still have after 20 years and yes it still sounds awesome after drying it out and repairing the damage to the PuPs and controls } I finally was able to buy another one , Now I don't have like 50 guitars but I do have like 10 now, most of which are cheap affordable guitars . I do have a Gibson Les Paul {my dream guitar} and Ibanez J custom never once did I ever think about selling any of them.
I hear that all the time too, "you'll never be able to sell that cheap guitar". Well, I just sold a GearIt Strat, the ones that were right around $80 for a while on Amazon...sold it for $75 last week. Also sold a Fender Standard Limited Edition Stratocaster that was a 2018 model. Those retailed for around $700 I sold it for $500. So I lost around 6% on the Gear It cheap guitar and over 28% on the Fender...so much for "holding it's value".
hey there Maxx.. I know you like AIO, but for the money here on the east coast is Rhondo!!! Straight out of the box!!!Specs Prooooov.. Cant play a any big name that gives me any better for the money!!!!
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a firefly modern style LP. Both are great guitars. In all honesty, the $2,800 difference is not as noticeable as you would think. Really actually bummed me out. Even though I did get my dream Gibson, I didn't really need it in reality.
Yeah It's crazy the quality you can get nowadays from affordable gear. And I reckon the Firefly you have with some upgrades to pick-ups (same as the pickups in your gibson) it would sound basically Identical. The only real difference I imagine would be the feel.
I have two Fireflies that are incredible right out of the box. Then again I’ve never owned a Gibson.
@@Greggyboyz60 That's awesome! I don't own one personally, but I have played one that belongs to my uncle and I was deeply impressed with the way that guitar played! It was the purple explorer shape one.
Beautiful guitar you're playing in this video, regardless of its price. I like guitars like this better than the expensive ones. If something happens to it on a gig then it's not as troubling as if the same thing happened to a much more expensive guitar. Also, you don't have to tie up all your extra money in something that goes down in value. Different story if all you do is collect guitars.
Resale value matters a lot more to my wife than it does to me. :) We often pay for experiences that you don't recoup money on, but enjoy your time invested in it, such as playing golf, going to an amusement park, etc. If I buy a guitar for $800, enjoy it for 6 months, and then sell it for $600, did I really lose $200? Some would say yes, but I would ask then if you go to Six Flags for the day and spend $200, isn't that kind of the same thing? Except that you enjoyed it for 1 day vs. owning the guitar for 6 months. Just some food for thought.
Both and I have learned how to play many instruments by myself Harmonica was one of my first instruments. I have been taught how to read music as a young child while taking guitar lessons and learning trumpet and tenor saxophone in high school . I have also learned banjo, mandolin and piano. Bass guitar theory too. I just love music and playing it too. I do have friends in a band I still play with on occasion . We have all played together since we were kids.
You make great videos and I enjoy and learn much from you and I do need a classical guitar. Thanks again Max
I still think a better word is “guitar investors”
when I hear “collectors”, I think of people who collect and want to keep them, not sell them off like stocks. Hence, the collectors shouldn’t care about resale value in my opinion. Investors have ruined cars, housing, and etc.
Exactly to your point. I've lost far more money on the few American made musical instruments I've bought new and then had to sell for whatever reason, usually Murphy's law and being a poor working class dude. I would never buy a high end domestic instrument new again considering the depreciation. At most I would wait for open box.
I don't think of resale and I'm a player and collector. I don't collect to resell. I keep all my guitars. I bought, for $500, a 1987 Kramer Vivian Campbell Night swan guitar at a pawn shop in 1990 that I thought was cool looking. I still have it. Turns out today that guitar is selling for $4k-7k depending on condition. No plans to sell even though I could profit on that one.
I am a gray beard and had I become a collector back when I first started hitting up pawn shops and mom n pop music stores the profit margin would be crazy. Buddy of mine bought a Gibson LP Jr at a little shop that had maybe 4 or 5 used electrics and a bunch of acoustics and horns for $125 because the single P90 gave it some amazing tone. Turned out to be a 1969 with all original hardware. Now it is harder to find great deals but not difficult to get great guitars without paying retail
As a digression from far away. I recently saw a 1979 Fender Stratocaster in the window of a guitar shop in Australia for the equivalent of US $3770.
Resale value? Not an issue with me. Collectors are all over the place. Some just enjoy collecting and don't care about resale. Those that do are generally in the business of buying and selling. Some will play their guitars and others will display them. I am all about "Does it play?" In context when I was growing up in the 60's the budget guitars were, to put it bluntly, crap. You had go the the pawn shops and look over the used ones and pray that the owner did not know the value. I do know that several rock guitarists that made it big started with pawn shop guitars that were used. Today, we are blessed that so many budget guitars do play well.
I guess I'm somewhere in the middle of player-collector because I have way more than I need and I can't/won't stop getting more because it's so much fun. I don't "worry" about resale value, but I do think about it a little in the sense of "someone is going to have to deal with all these when I die."
I started out a guitar player with plenty of time to play but no money for the gear I lusted over. As time went on I became a guitar collector with the money for the gear I lusted over, but no time to enjoy it. Hoping in the next few years I can take my foot off the gas at work and start to enjoy my gear in the time I have left
Definitely a player. My collection consists of one starter kit Fernandes Monterey, and probably will stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Loving the shirt!!
Max, you should do a video on Shijie guitars. Purchase at Leen Music in Hong Kong. They run about $1000 to $1250, not cheap but not super expensive. Theyre on par with Suhr, Tom Anderson etc for a fraction of the price . - Cheers !
Here's the thing about resale value with a guitar worth thousands of dollars. You have to find a buyer.
Now, I'm not interested in becoming a guitar dealer. I'm likely to pay something below retail, but not below wholesale. With an expensive guitar I'm going to lose hundreds of dollars.
Also, what we see people selling for is not what they're getting.
So if I buy a $400 guitar and sell it for $250, I've lost $150. 38% of the value.
If I buy a $3000 guitar and sell for $2500, I've lost $500. But only 17% of the value. It has held its value better.
But I've lost $350 more. Which is the whole price of a higher scale budget guitar.
This just means that guitarists are bad at math, ans mostly bad at investing.
I look at is as opportunity cost. When you buy at $1000 and sell for $800 but got to own a guitar for a while it cost $200 to own it. Try to buy below retail and hope when it comes time to sell or trade you minimize the opportunity cost makes sense to me.