To mod or not to mod: That is the Question

[RedMastiff]

It depends....
If you think you will sell the guitar on the future, try to maintain it stock or with reversible changes.
If you are going to use it for gig:
1: If the guitar sounds and hold the tune great, no need to change.
2: If the guitar doesnt fit you at all stock, go mod it, till you like it (sometimes even expensive modding wont make the gibson sounds and play as you expect)

 

[Sp8ctre]

My answer is always going to be
1. Send it to me
2. Its your life man do what you want and tell the man to get stuffed.
3. after you "f' it up ----see #1.

I have come to the conclusion that #1. is always the best response to pretty much any guitar related dilemma when asking you...

 

[eS.G.]

YOu are correct Sir!

 

[Col Mustard]

I did buy a brand new G400 at full GC pop and have invested more into it than what it cost new. IF I had it to do all over, I would have bought a used Gibson, but I had never planned on modding my G400. Oh well, at least I have lots of fun modding it, learned a lot about it and it is still to this day my favorite guitar to play.
So just save yourself the time, frustration and money by sending them to me.

Excellent point! one that I didn't bring up, but is very very worth discussing, and very relevant to the issues at hand.
How about this, modding a cheap guitar such that you've spent more than it's worth, and you'll never recover your cash
(which ain't nothin' but trash).

Another gem of ETSG wisdom states:
YOU CAN PUT A $2000 STEREO IN A $500 CAR
AND IT'S STILL A $500 CAR.

But when we're doing this, we're enjoying ourselves and learning new things and having adventures with hot smokey
dangerous equipment, so we write off the expense as "entertainment." I know some guys who spend too much money
on fast women and slow horses, and they say the same.

 

[DrBGood]

I don't care about resale value, but I would never pay a grand for a guitar either. It's a hobby for me, I don't make money playing my guitars and if I did, the guitar I want would have to be modified to my taste and playing style if that's what needed to be done. No remorse whatsoever.

One thing I don't understand though, is to modify a guitar to make it look like another stock guitar. Buy the one that has the looks you want from the start.

 

[Gibsg]

58pit made very nice mods on his ebony SG , la grande classe !

 

[eS.G.]

That PA "hick" cant even wear SHOES !!!!

Steelers SUCK! Love ya Pit!!!

GO BROWNS!!!! GGRRRRR

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

BTW COL, I now want to add another poll choice. A LA Frank Zappa

"Shut up n Play yer Guitar!!!!"

Like I plan to do when I get home from my buddy's house.

 

[joy-z]

What modifications specifically? Am I missing something here?

 

[Sp8ctre]

What modifications specifically? Am I missing something here?

No mods "Specifically" just a general question...If you spend good money on a guitar should you have to mod it? Should you just play it like it came and if you don't like something find a different guitar that suits you...or should you buy something and then try and reconstruct it to your liking???

 

[smitty_p]

But when we're doing this, we're enjoying ourselves and learning new things and having adventures with hot smokey
dangerous equipment, so we write off the expense as "entertainment." I know some guys who spend too much money
on fast women and slow horses, and they say the same.

That's been my approach when modding guitars. I do it because I enjoy it.

The admonition warning against spending more to mod a guitar than it's worth is a piece of advice I happily ignore. I only mod certain of my guitars; others I leave untouched. But, for those I do mod, I do it for the fun of it.

All things considered, guitars are a horrible investment. Only a very few actually appreciate in value, and even that appreciation is modest when you consider the amount of time it takes for any worthwhile increase in value. Even then, the increase in dollars often doesn't even keep pace with inflation.

Even as much as our own eS.G. flips guitars, I doubt he's getting rich off of it. But, so what? That's an aspect of this whole guitar thing that he enjoys...he turns a few dollars and has fun...more power to him.

 

[RVA]

Random thought:

Resale is not rock-n-roll.

Darn, are we getting so old that we even have to think practically about our guitars?! Let's say we all smash one of our axes at midnight, then just leave it there and go to sleep. Let's live a little!

 

[Raiyn]

Excellent point! one that I didn't bring up, but is very very worth discussing, and very relevant to the issues at hand.
How about this, modding a cheap guitar such that you've spent more than it's worth, and you'll never recover your cash
(which ain't nothin' but trash).

Another gem of ETSG wisdom states:
YOU CAN PUT A $2000 STEREO IN A $500 CAR
AND IT'S STILL A $500 CAR.

But when we're doing this, we're enjoying ourselves and learning new things and having adventures with hot smokey
dangerous equipment, so we write off the expense as "entertainment." I know some guys who spend too much money
on fast women and slow horses, and they say the same.

With all the mods, tools, and accessories I bought to trick out my G400 I easily topped my original purchase price by a good chunk. What about me recouping any of that at some later point? SWMBO will get offers for an insane amount of cash for it, but ultimately she'll lend it to the RRHOF for prominent display.

Random thought:

Resale is not rock-n-roll.

Darn, are we getting so old that we even have to think practically about our guitars?! Let's say we all smash one of our axes at midnight, then just leave it there and go to sleep. Let's live a little!

Given that it is past 11:30 here, I only have the one axe, and I'll be dammed before I give the local troll the satisfaction, that's gonna be an issue. I'd have to book down to da SupaWallyWorld and buy one of theirs only to smash it. While it would almost certainly be a mercy killing, I just can't afford to be so cavalier with my cash. Of course if I've hit either of the big lottery drawings.....that'd be something different. "A Florida man......" RVA are you licensed in FL? Wanna be on retainer?

 

[JohnnyGoo]

Thanks for the chuckle there RVA. i agree but dont have any i want to smash lol

 

[Kerry Brown]

I very rarely buy new guitars. When I do I play many guitars, research them, play some more, think about it, then play them again. I've never modded a guitar I bought new. I buy pretty much exactly what I want. I buy a lot of used guitars. Those I mod like a madman. I usually buy other people's mistakes, old, grubby, poorly modded, abused guitars that I know I can repair and mod into a rock star.

 

[Raiyn]

Oooooh another permutation! Is it more acceptable to mod a used guitar than a new one? Follow up question: When does a guitar cross the threshold of "used" and become "collectable"?

 

[RVA]

Thanks for the chuckle there RVA. i agree but dont have any i want to smash lol

Agreed Johnny. I can think of an even better way for you to get rid of an ax. I'm waiting!

 

[RVA]

Leaving the obvious Pete Townsend smashing spree aside as too obvious, what if he did not do the windmill because he did not want to scratch the finish?

Picture KK Downing turning to Tipton and saying "Do you think this leather will leave a rash on my finish"?

What if Peter Green said "You jerk, you ruined this guitar. It is wired all wrong and now it is worthless!!"

What if Jimi said "I can't play this upside down, the pickguard is in the wrong place. Do you have any idea what will happen to the finish fool!"

What about Billy G. Picture him saying "Let me get this straight. You want me to put FUR all over my new guitar?!"

It is odd that in thinking of these examples, I had trouble coming up with constructive mods made by R&R guitarists. Once again, I just do not think they thought about it that much. It was more like.."Sounds good, let me rock the sh!t out of this thing!!"

 

[RVA]

Another gem of ETSG wisdom
YOU CAN PUT A $2000 STEREO IN A $500 CAR
AND IT'S STILL A $500 CAR.

I say this gem is a Fugazi. Again, this only focuses on resale value. A modded cheapie plays better, so it IS better for its intended purpose. The intended purpose, I hope, is to play it, not to resell it. Going to Wav's example, who is to say the used Gibson would be a better fit for him than the modded Epi. I play my G400s as much, if not more, than my CS.

 

[smitty_p]

In a way, this conversation reminds me of my muscle car days. The same dilemma exists there, too. Though, admittedly, the resale potential is WAY more influential than with guitars.

Anyway, many guys wouldn't think of modding a genuine, all-original GTO Judge, but they would mod a Le Mans. I wouldn't mod an all-original Olds 442 or a Hurst Olds, but I would (and did!) mod a Cutlass. You realize I'm talking the classic years, here!

I guess I have a similar attitude towards guitars. I wouldn't mod a limited-run or special edition, but I would mod a standard model. Take my Strat, for example. It is the Diamond Anniversary model. I wouldn't mod it, but I would mod a regular American Standard Strat. As for Gibson SGs, I wouldn't mod my SG Original 2, but I would mod a regular SG Standard.

This is just the way I look at it. That's not to say others have to think the same way, but it's kind of my approach.