the fact is that a short time after people make most high-end purchases they begin to slowly lose their desire for the actual object itself. Oftentimes people only begin to seriously question both the monetary & intrinsic value once they finally own it. One's desire & elation likely peaks somewhere from the time they decide to purchase until a short time after it actually becomes theirs. Marketers know this very well, and use it as a tool for selling everything

Part of the magic of guitars for me is that wood is so variable and unpredictable that you can have a mechanically amazing instrument at almost any price point, so long as its reasonably well put together; and everything else is cosmetic or to do with status. Once you've hit upon a few fantastic guitars (used in my case) in the £200-700 range it gets very hard to justify spending thousands, if you're of a certain mindset.

The most I've spent on a guitar arrived last week; a new PRS DGT. In my case, I'm quite happy! Here's why: in the 90's I bought a Gibson '58 reissue Les Paul, which I ended up having re-fretted with Jumbo frets, and had the fingerboard corrected (it was terribly uneven). Replaced the pickups, electronics, bridge/tailpiece, tuners and even the stupid plastic jack-plate was replaced with a metal one. All that work happened over a period of several years, and the money I invested years ago to correct the poor quality in craftsmanship (fingerboard) was well above what I paid for the PRS today. So, getting a PRS that's built properly the first time, with hardware & electronics that work properly, and the size frets I like-- represents a real bargain. Also, I must mention that this guitar is intended to be the last one I purchase. I do have one other guitar, one amp and one multi-effects board (Boss GX100). With a few quality pieces I can return my focus on improving my playing and playing with others. Where I am now is a result of 40-years experience with guitars & gear ;)

Hard to hate a guitar that sounds this GOOD.

I fell in love with those Greeny USA guitars when first announced. All my Gibson Les Pauls have been plain tops, but that AAA top (versus the AA on the Faded Standard) just stops me dead in my tracks. Since new Greenys won’t be coming until October, I’ve been looking for alternatives… then I saw this video and my heart dropped. Such a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. As far as value, I’m still down with getting one. I just bought a Les Paul Tribute. Lots a QC issues, but I love it because it is so fun to play.

For a ‘possibly worth it’ expenditure guitar, try a Suhr. I have one that was embarrassingly expensive, but it plays and sounds incredible. If anything, I doubt you will ever encounter quality control problems with a Suhr.

The most expensive guitar I have is a Fender custom shop ‘51 Nocaster which I bought, used, for £2.5K. To be honest I can’t quite see why these guitars are so costly but I don’t regret buying it. It’s a wonderful instrument and I was fortunate enough to have the money available at the time. I’m always puzzled by people on YT who say “I spent 4K on a Custom blah, blah whatever and when I looked there was a small nick on the back of the headstock so I’m returning it”. If I fell in love with an instrument and bonded with it I would never return it due to minor cosmetic blems.

My most expensive guitar is a LP standard 50 which is around 3k US. In comparison I have an Epiphone ES-339 at $560 US. I enjoy both equally but would not go and spend that much money again for the LP. In fact, now that I have seen how good the Epiphone is, I would most likely try to fine a good LP Epiphone and as light as I can. Name on headstock not that important anymore. By the way your playing is amazing. Real inspiration

My most expensive guitar is a Shijie custom shop strat. It really is perfect. But a non-custom shop guitar from Shijie that costs a third of the price is perfect too. It's more about paying to have a unique guitar made to your specifications that no one else has, as opposed to value.

My limited wall of guitars are what I believe to be good value; Sterling JP150, PRS Tremonti SE Custom, and Schecter Nick Johnston HSS. I refuse to believe guitars three times their cost/value would make me any happier or a better player. I love these guitars.

I bought a Fender Custom Shop ‘56 relic Strat new ~10 years ago. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever held in my hand, and it’s been and will continue to be my #1 guitar. So, that was worth every penny for me. I’ve picked up other Fender CS strats/teles and have not had near the connection. So maybe I got a good one? Every other guitar I have is in that $500-$1,500 range and they are great. I’ve gone through core PRS, USA Gibson’s etc, and have had the same buyers remorse as you stated. I’ve since sold those off and am extremely happy with what I have now! Including one of those PRS SE DGT’s, absolutely worth selling off the Gibson LP studio I had to get it!

It's So Damn easy . I made my 2000 Les Paul Same Head Stock : Guitar Madness Pickups same voltage and flipped Bridge Changed Two Knobs . Looks Identical & Sounds Greeny Moore 💫

Your candid stance on value for money (or lack of it) from such a high cost purchase is shrewd and refreshing. The FGN Expert Flame is a single cut, set neck, mahogany guitar that strikes me as being on the other end of the value spectrum. Would you maybe give it a try on your channel? Thanks for your efforts!

In the US, this guitar costs $700 more than a Standard Faded. Looking at the tops on Standards they have at Sweetwater, I actually don’t have an issue with the $700 up charge for the guitar you have considering the top and the pickups. The real question to me is should the Standard cost $2500? That seems high for what you’re getting. Any time you’re paying for a fancy wood top guitar, first you’re never getting a real value because you’re paying for the appearance. Once you accept that, the relative value to me comes down to how nice the top is.

!!! I think Phil McKnight talks about this where especially these days the more affordable guitars have gotten so much better that the gains achieved by the super expensive ones is smaller. Like the broad strokes that make it great players are more readily achieved these days but the details the small strokes or hands on time are what you get for more money but the playability isn’t locked into super expensive only.

I would definitely try out an eastman. I have an eastman archtop, and it is incredible, and a lot of people have great experiences with the sb59 model if you are looking for a les paul.

When you sell/return the Gibson, it’d be great to see what you make of the Eastman LP

Hate to say it - because I love their plugins - but the Neural Quad Cortex was probably my biggest 'buyers remorse' piece of gear lately. It was good - just not $2k good. I think they rushed it to market too quickly - and they're dropping the ball on updates and delivering on their initial promises. Their plugins are best-in-biz though. Love the MKIIC+.

Yes, I agree. I have a Lazarus that I converted over to a Slash AFD, putting the Slash SD APH2 pickups in it and it sounds amazing as well as the excellent feel/playability that it has. I had originally purchased the Sweetwater Gibson Les Paul Standard 60's in Lemon Burst and it had a lot of problems, even after my Luthier tried to give it a good setup twice. It was just not right and I ended up sending it back. Luckily, the JB Lazarus came out just after I sent that back and I though, yea... that is what I want, and it has the look that I like as well as some great features. I like the look of the Gibson 50's Faded, I think if one came along with a nice top I would jump on it, but you know what. I have a great 59 that looks sweet and I am fine that it says Epiphone on the headstock, I never really look up there when I am playing anyway. Haha Great playing by the way, I really like your videos and love the way you use that subtle vibrato with your fingers.

I bought a Brian Moore C90P.13 over 20 years ago ($4,000 then as I remember it) and last year I spent over $1000 on a few timely maintenance items and pro full set up and I have NO REGRETS. It is amazing, beautiful, diverse, a true work horse and plays like butter. I've owned dozens of guitars over those 20+ years, and none match the Brian Moore.

I bought mine on a whim as huge GM fan, I don’t even love LP’s very much and play my YGM scalloped Strats which are the most expensive guitars prior to this one that I ever purchased, tiny fret wire Felt very alien for a day, but a few days with this guitar and I like it a lot, i also got an exquisite top on mine and pickups sound great too, middle position quacks like a Strat, it’s a very well put together guitar I couldn’t find any QC issues to complain about.

Imagine all the other amazing guitars from amazing builders that you could've got for the price of that one

You should try an Eastman SB59 sometime. There is NOT a better single cut in existence. One piece body and neck, long tenon, lollar or SD antiquity, nitro, ABR-1, pitch black ebony board, insane fretwork. Easily the best value on the market.

Recently purchased my most expensive electric guitar - a PRS Wood Library Exclusive Run Custom 24-08. Not as expensive as My Martin 000-42 Acoustic but three times the price of my other two electrics, a Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster (American Ultra and Professional II respectively). Yes, it's a lot of money to pay for a guitar but, in the grand scheme of things, considering how much many other musicians can end up paying for a top quality instrument, it could even be seen as a bargain. Take pro violinists in an orchestra for just one example. It's not uncommon for them to fork out tens of thousands (even hundreds of thousands) for the tool of their trade. A top quality piano will cost the same as a very nice car. The case in point could continue ad infinitum. The build quality and finish of my PRS is a pure joy to behold. It's easy to think of it as a work of art, let alone an instrument I can actually play and get enjoyment from that aspect on top of just looking at it in adoration as you would a painting. The action is glorious, it stays in tune even after vigorous work on the tremolo bar and the 8 pickup combinations give it a broad tonal flexibility. At the end of the day, should I want to sell it (and I don't) I'm not going to lose that much money on it. Hell, I might even sell it for a profit. Of course, value means different things to different people but, in my experience as a whole, you get what you pay for (not always the case I know) and the best guitars I've ever owned happen to be the most expensive ones.

Bits I don't regret - splashed out on a Friedman Smallbox amp and cab 7 years ago and it's one of the best buys I've ever made .. EVERY time I plug it in it makes me tingle. It's just lovely. I felt really crap about spending that much (having two kids and a family and all that) but in terms of the amount I've used it (40+ gigs a year every year since - aside from the plague years - which is quite a lot for a pub band) and how it makes me feel, worth every penny. Guitars - I have a PRS McCarty that is the most amazing guitar - beautifully built and sounds awesome - and yet I pick up my cheaper Les Paul Traditional every time cos that Les Paul (despite being at the cheap&cheerful end of the USA models) just has "something" about it that feels and sounds right. Despite costing less than the PRS .. so, in a way, I regret the PRS just because it just can't displace the LP .. so a bit of a pointless buy even though it's really good .. Friedman and LP in action: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eaePpqR_zb3ViHU.html

Beautiful instrument! As your playing is

Interesting watching yesterday and today's thoughts on this and the discussion about 'most expensive' etc. In 1992 I paid USD 3K for a Roger Sadowsky NYC S Style HSH . . . my staple studio guitar ever since, starting price for the same model now is close to USD 6K. A couple of years ago I bought a Duesenberg Star Player 'Rebound' for USD 2,500 and certainly no regrets - my first semi acoustic electric. My most 'valuable' guitar is my 1968 LP Custom, which I bought 2nd hand in NZ for NZD 800 in 1974. Probably worth upwards of USD 10K now as it was from the first batch (of 1,500, I believe) that Gibson made when they decided to relaunch the LP and before they put the volute on in 1969. Re: this new 'Greeny' - looks and sounds pretty nice to me from all the reviews but I was in Shenzen yesterday (next to HK) and finally got to try the Eastman SB 59/v (@ USD 2,200) and it's beautiful - comparable in feel to a Gibson Murphy Lab I tried here a few weeks ago (@ USD 6,800) so . . . what do you do? TBH I'm sticking to modding my Epiphone 59 & Wino with some Monty's pick-ups and Gotoh hardware, when finished the 2 of them will come in at less than USD 2,500 I reckon, and I'll know exactly what I'm getting. That said - if I were you I'd hang onto the Greeny unless it really upsets you? I like the satin finish and I'd just treat as a nice Gibson Standard with a twist 😀

I empathize with you regarding this dilemma. I've bought several Gibson Les Pauls over the years starting with my first - a 1978 Custom. Heavy as a log, but I loved the tone at the time, but not completely satisfied. Sold it several years later for a tidy little profit and bought a LP Studio. A few years later I bought two Standards, a Classic as well as a Traditional model. Out of all six Les Pauls I've purchased, I have to say the Studio model is my absolute FAVORITE. The feel, the comfort of the body contour, the slim taper neck, the width of the fretboard, the action, and especially the tone of the 490R and 498T pickups all play a significant part in the reason I love this guitar. It is my "island" guitar. I decided to check out the same model but in a newer version and the consistency in the workmanship has waivered somewhat but not much. It's still the most comfortable neck/fretboard I've ever played. And I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the tone of the pickups. But now it comes with push/pull knob for split-coil in the bridge. (Not really impressed with this feature, but perhaps it will come in handy with the right amp and/or pedal.)

I bought a brand new 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard back when I first started playing; just $499 at that time, and love it...I've had that guitar for more than 4 decades. But more recently I wanted to have another LP because I did not want to take the chance that my '77 might be stolen at a club gig or jam somewhere, so in 2020 I bought an LP Tribute, which I have found plays and sounds great, bone stock...no pickup changes which has been a usual thing for me to do. I added Grover tuners and speed knobs, but that's about it. This 'Tribute' is also more 'replaceable' should the unthinkable happen again. When your apartment has been cleaned out and some of your guitars and amps are stolen, you just become a little more paranoid about your gear...therefore, the '77 stays home and the 'Tribute' will be the guitar I take to gigs and local jams. All these really choice $$$ models are really wonderful to have and play, but at this point just give me a solid, relatively inexpensive guitar and I will be more than happy. Thankfully nowadays there are so many choices out there, whereas in the past there really were only fairly expensive instruments (name brands) and mostly cheap knock offs that were barely playable. Things have certainly changed. Thanks for another great video, John...and as usual, great playing as well...

My Suhr Custom Modern was around the £4k mark, but it is absolutely perfect for me. Able to keep up in all the areas I use it like no other guitar has done. Everything just works for me. On the other hand I have other guitars that were round £200 and less that I love

Man your playing is AMAZING!!!!

My used Fender American Professional Stratocaster I found on Guitar Center used market for $1300. The frets are superb, neck profile amazing and solid quality.

Most expensive Guitar i've purchased was a 2021 Gibson R8. Was great! Still sold it cos kept and Eastman SB59/v that is for me just as good and liked it as much as the Gibson. 2 Best Lp's I've played, but I realized also I'm good with just 1 LP style guitar.

Man, I love your show and convinced you are one of the finest players on utube. You should be proud of that. It might be possible that you've overlooked something. The faded series have dbl A tops but honestly most we would call plain tops. If you were to spec out a 4A top at the Gibson Garage it would be 475/575$. Top only. The pickups will be for sale soon for 375$. The artist affiliation of course is substantial. I think maybe in those terms it might make a bit more sense. You said yourself it played beautifully? Just some thoughts.

I believe I saw an interview with Peter in his later years where he said he didn't miss the guitar and referred to the out of phase as being something wrong with it.

So true! I have sold off all the high end branded guitars which were surpassed in quality and performance by cheaper alternatives.

my most expensive guitars are my Eastmans and they haven't disappointed me at all :) Ive owned a dozen mid 00s through to 2022 Gibsons (no custom shops) and they were mostly decent, but not a mark on any of my, or my friends Eastmans so...... my next expensive guitar will be another eastman haha.

I just bought a Pre-War Guitar Company 000-18 acoustic used and spent around $5700 US. It is an absolutely unbelievable instrument and my most expensive guitar purchase to date. Luckily, I don’t have regrets with this one.

Beautiful top, it is not a '59 top. The tight straight figuring is what makes the '59 look. I actually think 3k seems fair compared to what they charge in general.

Most expensive guitar I’ve ever owned is my Aristides 070r. I’ve been dreaming of one for years, and I finally was lucky enough to get one built for me almost 2 years ago. Personally, I wouldn’t spend that much money unless the guitar has something you can’t get anywhere else, and in this case it does, with the Arium construction. It’s so resonant that it feels like the guitars alive when you’re hitting it. You feel the vibrations across your entire chest. And it sounds great. I’d really recommend one, Jonathan. Maybe it’s a little too bright for a jazz gig, but I also have Fishman Tosin pickups in there too, cause I use it for bright, hi fi tones. It really is something else.

i just upgrade everything my most expensive guitar is the epiphone bonomassa 1962 Es 335 i got for $1050 i always get gibson's in the year end sale u get good bargains and just hot rod them to vintage specs, I got a Lazarus for $735 new with a nice tiger flame top. my 2020 epiphone Alpine LP custom has everything a real gibson has, Ebony fretboard, gold 490r/498t pickups CTS, Mallory ,grover tuners ernie ball''s it is a beast thru my KatanaMK2 head or my marshall excellent playing

Thanks for the honest no-frills review. For that Gibson price I can get a few Japanese made Les Paul lawsuit-era clones, which if you can get good specimens of are fantastic guitars for the price.

Buyers remorse on my Les Paul Goldtop .....dark and muddy even with a pickup upgrade from 57's and new harness ....hated the neck ...no more LP's for me ...bought a revstar 620 ....modded the life out of that ...still had change ....very happy

You have from the best tone and playing on youtube in general and honestly I think you get the best tone out of this guitar from all others and it looks great so....

I'm pretty surprised that you found the core DGT disappointing and suspect you got a very rare lemon - I have a couple of core PRS's and they are all fabulous, effectively flawless guitars, but the last PRS I bought, a goldtop Core DGT just knocked it out of the park - just a perfectly built, perfect feeling and sounding, utterly beautiful instrument. (which I played the living daylights out of - covered in little dings and scratches from the gigs of a super energetic power pop band I played in for years) I also have a couple of pretty high end Gibsons (actually more Gibsons than PRS's) and yeah, they do that Gibson thing, but every one of them is in some way or another a lesson in frustration.

I recently pulled a trigger on a R9 Wildwood Spec. I also have an R4, and I’ll tell you the custom shop is the only department doing it right IMO. It’s unfortunate they’re so damn expensive.

Gibsons are difficult if you mainly play Fender type guitars. They are difficult to keep in tune without a lot of fiddling. The shorter scale length means they feel a little loose. They have a sound that is difficult to escape from. I have a lovely 335 and it plays beautifully, but I always pick up my Strat type Xotic xsc1 or 2. they feels right in my hands with perfect string resistance. I can get a much wider range of tones and the fit right into whatever I am playing. Not so much the 335. I was thinking of getting a Les Paul until I played my friend's R8 - not a fan.

Previously my most expensive guitar was an old LTD EC-1000. It never lived up to my expectations, but now 10-13 years later I have learned to appreciate it. My next was a PRS SECU24. It was a blemished guitar I purchased without seeing in person. It was $175 off. Turned out to he a beautiful guitar and now one of my favs. Finally in my late 30's I purchased a PRS CE24. That was by far the most I've ever spend on a guitar. $2300 US. It is beautiful, plays well, and is my go to guitar. To me it is on the upper end of price vs value. For a full US core model it is $2500 more. Sure they look better, and the body carve us a little more pronounced, but is that really worth it? I don't know if I think so.

I don't regret my Suhr or Tom Anderson, they are my only guitars, but the diminishing returns are immense past a certain point obviously. The more different high end guitars I tried, the more I started caring about a specific set of spec, rather than a perceived level of quality, since the setup seems to matter more than anything else as long as its not made of duct tape and paperclips, especially in this age of incredibly good imports. I got a PRS wood library guitar, and it was a new level of expense beyond even the previous boutiques I had, and I definitely regretted it and sold it soon after, because I felt like I wasn't getting out what I put into it financially.

i bought an esp eclipse second hand for 500 pounds equivalent in australia, best les paul type guitar iv ever played , the active pickups had been replaced by seymour duncan ap1s

Bought an Washburn 4N - that was pricey but I love it (have several in the £1500 kinda range)

My most expensive guitar purchase is an R8 I got second hand. I top out around 4k US for anything I might buy. The only expensive guitars I have regretted are a dgt, still own it but struggle to get on with it, and a music man cutlass sss, the neck is painfully thin and the body is thinner than a usual strat and pickups are meh. I did have a les Paul standard 50s and wasn’t crazy about it either but the r8 is nearly a perfect guitar. I do think the Gibson custom stuff, provided you can get it second hand is worth the cost.

I lucked out on a Gibson Custom '59 Les Paul Beauty of The Burst model, 7.4Lbs of solid ultralight mahogany, it was 2 years old but did not get play time, so it was mint. I refuse to admit what I paid but I don't have any regrets lol.

I've recently come across an old Godin freeway sa, you can pick them up for 11lbs! Cash wise £650? After 5 minutes playing it feels like the neck has been coated with butter. Absolutely gorgeous. I have also seen the most beautiful Suhr, but that was £3,999. Decisions, decisions. (I'd also love an Aston Martin in racist green, but that's even more than the Suhr, believe it or not).

The ‘law of diminishing returns’ doesn’t seem to apply in this case, as the added cost is purely due to the Greeny-Moore reference - if it was half the price it would probably seem like good value … but when Epiphone Inspired by Gibson guitars are now not much less, that’s never going to happen.

I sold my 2019 Mojave LP Standard a few years ago. Did not miss it all.

No regrets buying my PRS DGT (10 top) in 2009. Same with my Collings OMH SS. Both were expensive but worth every penny. Both still seeing lots of playing time.

Dear John, I've been watching a lot of your videos lately. Good videos. But always the music is louder than your words, so I must turn down the volume when you are playing but then turn it up when you talk. Is it possible you could equalize the loudness across your video a bit better? I don't find this issue with many of the other similar channels I watch. Thanks.

I must admit that I think the expensive guitars and signature series ones are overrated. You can do so much better buying a middle of the road one and modifying it. That’s what I’ve always done. I love always love your playing. Greet improv on this. You’re a natural at melodic phrasing. I love it!

I think that the quality of mid-priced guitars, think Epiphone, Gretsch (made in China), Mex and Japanese Fenders, etc., has improved so much that the value in super hi-priced guitars just doesn't make sense. I think I'd question whether they're better at all. I have a Mex Tele I bought for about $450 that is an excellent guitar. I have some 60s Gibson that are sometimes selling for close to $10K, and the Tele a is quite comparable to them in sound playability.. and the workmanship, fretwork etc. is perfect. Then if you consider the after market pickups like Lollars and others that can be bought for a few hundred dollars (you can buy pretty much all the Fender pickups after market for $100 or less) , how in the world can anyone justify many, sometimes many many, thousands of dollars for any guitar? This is especially true for solid body electrics, which are quite obviously blocks of wood with a neck attached!

i sold 3 guitars recently that i never use and bought a PRS custom 24, just over 4000 euros for a non ten top, been gigging it a while though and its very good, light, easy to play, the best of a strat and a les paul, i got the 08 version which has 8 tones instead of 5, so live i really take advantage of the single coil tones, having said all that its not that much better than my ibanez AZ prestige which is half the price and comes with stainless steel frets and a more responsive trem, but the PRS is certainly nicer, so, no regrets.

Sucks that Greeny isn't doing it for you. A couple years ago I got a Custom Shop 68 Gold Top reissue. Not a single regret at all. It really is the one and will likely stay my most expensive piece of gear. On the other hand, I had a Les Paul Tribute that was very nice, no issues, but just didn't do anything for me.

I have a calculation that happens subconsciously. Cost per use. If I’m going to spend £3k on a guitar (I’ve gotten close) I’d want to feel in my head like I’d be playing it a few times every day - once a month would make the CPU very high so I’d not buy it.

I got my hands on a poor man’s greenie. A Tokai LS-160 and can’t be happier. Maybe a pickup swap but it is damn perfect in every other aspect.

We just have to see how the market dictate the price of this one. I just don't like that Gibson marketing dictate that this is Kirk guitar, because for me, it's more associate to Gary Moore who make this one famous. Btw, would like to see you review a Tokai LP and what you think about it? Or maybe an Edwards LP? Thank you 🙏

I purchased a Martin D28 several years ago. I've been very pleased with it and did not experience any buyer remorse. It was close to 3000 at the time. However I think I am more interested in finding the 'value' instruments. I have a Reverend OG that was made in Indonesia that is superb

Killer playing on the intro. I can understand the buyers remorse on that purchase considering you can get a paul for half the price.

What Pickups do you have on yours ? In the Gibson website the "Les Paul Standard 50s Faded" has a different humbucker Thanks And for my eyes and ears your guitar looks and sounds great :)

I'm only a few yrs in on really trying to get better at guitar. And I'm mid 40's.. but man this guitar is really tempting, mostly based on the tops and color. 3k is a lot tho...

I bought a PRS SE Hollowbody II last year in the November sales. Great value. Do you get much more if you spend lots more? Probably not. I’ve got a lovely Gibson Lucille and a custom shop Strat from the early 2000s and a Trussart I spent quite a bit on used just pre pandemic. They all feel less mass manufactured (especially the Trussart!) - the PRS does feel a bit plasticky, but there’s no way you’d say the PRS doesn’t hold up sound wise - and the same is true for my Korean G&L. The mass produced Greeny (as opposed to the £/$20k custom shop one) does feel like Gibson pushing it a bit. What’s great is the value you can get these days

Do you think that with upgrades that the Lazarus guitar could be as good as the Gibson? Maybe pickups and a little fret work ? Still less than $1500.

The most expensive guitar I’ve bought is a 2017 Gibson Memphis ‘63 ES-335 VOS in cherry. Was about $4,100, but I’ve got to say that if feels worth it. Looks and feels much better from the general release ES guitars that are available from Gibson right now.

my most expensive guitar ever was a Dunable that was custom built and cost right around what this Les Paul did. it was a great guitar and it did its one thing really well, but at the same time, it kinda only did one thing. sold it back to the builder and bought two K-Lines (on your recommendation haha) for less total than the one Dunable and both are much more versatile guitars that I will never part with. and saying all that, the guitar I still reach for the most is probably my mid-00s Gibson les paul studio, that i got for like $500 haha. price tag doesn't mean everything, for sure.

I paid a bit for a Suhr SSS and I love it. Also my K-Line Truxton... those two guitars are great values. Excellent workmanship and great sound on both made them beyond my expectations.

I bought myself a 2011 Les Paul Traditional Desert Burst top for my 40th for $2,500 CAD, and I play that guitar every day. It's not "perfect", but it's perfect for me. It was a lot of money, but certainlynot as much as I could've spent. The guy who sold it to me was pissed because he had it stored in the back, and after having tried nearly every guitar in the shop (L&M Vancouver) they brought this one out to me. I'm no bigshot anything....just a bedroom guitarist these days...but this one just fit me somehow. It was the 1st LP I'd ever bought, and I had been actively looking for one that I got on with for a few yrs in Canada, the US, and even South Korea & Japan to that point. I was going to quit the search, but on my bday wifey asked if I'd like to try finding one, so we went down and it happened. My point is there are things that just feel right, and things that don't. If it doesn't feel right, sell it. It still does sound incredible, though.

I tell other guitar players all the time. Once a guitar reaches around $700-$1000, you're getting pretty much top of the line specs, hardware, finishes, etc. Because pretty much after that, you get diminishing returns, the eletrci guitar by itself, is simple. It boils down to pieces of wood glued together with strings and magnets that will receive the sound. If you got the money and want to buy the 3k Gibson Les Paul, be my guest, but the average person can not afford such an exorbitant asking price. Most guitars that are $700 will play just as good as the Les Paul and will sound just as good.

I’m right there with you. $1600-1800 seems to be the sweet spot for a high quality electric guitar or bass. All of my instruments are in this range or cheaper. The next level up starts to exhibit diminishing returns quickly. By the time you get to the $4500 custom shop guitars you’re getting a 10% better instrument for over twice the price.

Most enjoyable axe I have is a £500 Kramer Nightswan made in Indonesia. Excellent build quality. Plays and sounds phenomenal. On par with a MIJ Jackson Dinky and MIJ Fender HM Strat. Instead of spending more on guitars, I’m all in on modellers.

Man I build partscasters ,They play the way I want when Im done with them.Never go over 700.00 ,No kits ,Good bodys and warmoth necks isa good starting point.

im kind of let down by things like the $3000 greenie also. i did pay $2000 for the Rick Beato LP special and love it to the point of sanding back the neck. but I expect a certain level ,of QC when spending a couple thousand dollars (in us).

My most expensive guitar is a $3k Gibson Les Paul Modern. I later picked up a Reverend Sensei Jr for $850 that had I found first would have kept me from getting both the LP modern and a 60s LP standard. The Modern is a nice guitar, but it just doesn't feel 3k nice. My reaction to having purchased it is above disappointment but below excitement. My next most expensive guitar is a Fender Telecaster UltraLuxe and I absolutely love it. I would buy it again all day long.

I get what your saying about value. You are describing a guitar at this price point that doesn’t feel “premium “ from a supposed “premium “ brand. The good thing you should be able to sell it fairly easy! I love your playing!!!

Purchased a PRS 513, a beautiful guitar but after 7 years of playing it would not respond to my changing style and tone. Never regretted buying it and no remorse when I sold it.

My most expensive guitar is a Music Man Axis Super Sport, it's perfect. It was over $3k USD but worth it. Immaculate craftsmanship, perfect setup from the factory, insanely easy to play, killer tone. Still, you can get phenomenal guitars around $1k, at which point you reach diminishing returns. Also, Fender, Gibson, and PRS overcharge. Music Man, G&L, Kiesel/Carvin, Godin, and others give you far more value for the price.

My most expensive electric is a Collings i35 LC Vintage. It’s probably the best playing guitar I own. I absolutely love it! I would say it’s either my best guitar or my second best (the other being a Nik Huber Krautster II). Oddly enough even though they are probably my best they don’t get played the most often 🤷🏻‍♂️

My most expensive guitar is a Custom Shop 2020 Gibson Les Paul Custom, £4,099. Not a day goes by without playing it even for 2 minutes, it will be with me until I die. But it’s not for everyone, I absolutely love it. Recently broken my pinky finger on my fretting hand and I’m devastated that it’s just sitting there 😫 Lots of time to make up on it!!

I have the Harley Benton versions of your PRS and that Les Paul. They look exactly the same. They make guitar sounds. £200 each brand new when I bought them.

I've spent £3k on a guitar. A secondhand PRS and I've never regretted buying it. It was at a time when i had a bit of savings and knew that times were changing and I'd soon not be about to afford such indulgences (child on the way). So it was a last hurrah of sorts. I've played it without any second thoughts over the last 9 years and and as it has a nitro finish it's showing its wear in places but i don't care

I could watch this guy play all day!

i paid £1600 for a custom shop 58 historic 13 years ago... i love it to bits! but now they are 4k!! .. pretty crazy, i did pay £2300 for my k-line last year and its the best strat ive ever played. I sold a strandberg prog 6 to get the k-line, .... did i do the right thing? i dont know.. buying and selling guitars is an emotional mine field! - i just move on,, nothing you can do about it .. its the past now

You could also try a vintage v100. Its a les paul model for like 400 dollar, and I see people say they like it better than their Gibson les paul.

It might get too expensive to touch or indeed expectations...I like affordable guitars and amps, not entry level but two or so notches up.

I have a 2016 faded 50s neck standard that similar to this model. I paid at least $1000 less for it than the model you are demonstrating.

Also, give the new Harley Bentons a try. You might need to dress the frets a bit and do a setup, but they are surprisingly good for the price.

First all the PRS SE line punch way above thier cost. Locking tuners, new nut, duncan pickups and your golden on those. On the Les Paul thing, does it have stainless frets? No.... Are the pickups something aftermarket and great? No... Esp LTD kill Gibson for much less and play much better, built better if at least from South Korea. Older Gibson are wonderful. New Gibson just isnt up to par with imports that have upped thier game. Expensive gear doesn't always equal that ideal play through or show high quality in this day. Good thing is you and i can spend less lol and maybe focus on our tones with gear we love to create them on. Your playing on here today is phenomenal btw cheeers dude 😎👊

You got your Calines for under this? Seems like last I checked, they were in that range. Maybe I misremember…

Gotta sell it if you dont love it, but man that song at the end was amazing 🤩

I'm more willing to spend that kind of money (or a bit more) on vintage guitars (so we're talking 70's Gibsons, a late 60's maple cap Telecaster, a 40's Levin Deluxe (archtop)), so here the scarcity is responsible for the price but I feel I'm getting value for it due to the sound of the guitar, which in some part is simply due to the age. I have not been disappointed in these, and bought them without having played them first.

Sounds amazing. What scales are you using for this? And Nice run at 0:50

Well your expectations may not have been met, but you sure sound inspired in this opening piece :)