Recently, a custom guitar that was built for and toured by the person who inspired me to play guitar has come up for sale on ebay. $2500 is the asking price, and that's about right. I was thinking of working for my grandparents every Saturday for a year to pay for it, in addition to selling $700 worth of gear. However, it's a very long shot because I know that there's no way my grandparents could comprehend that there really are guitars worth $1800. And it would completely kill all chances of getting a car before college.

Also, if I am ever going to get a guitar in the $2000+ range, I would really like a Fender Custom Shop Strat.

And I was also thinking, with $700 I'm well on my way to affording a Fender Road Worn Strat, which is still a big upgrade from what I have. And my birthday is in about a month. My grandparents would understand pitching in $100 for a guitar I've been saving for better than they would understand a $1800 loan.

So my question is what would be the smartest thing to do here. Beg my grandparents for loan to buy the nice non-Strat guitar that has a load of sentimental value, wait for years to save up for a Custom Shop Strat, buy a Fender Road Worn Strat (which I like very much) potentially in time for my big trip to Austin this summer, or not do anything at all.

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Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
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I'm sure you know the answer to that question better than any of us. Good luck Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I wouldn't burden my grandparents financially, period.

If you're going to spend that kind of money on a guitar, it should be exclusive to YOUR personal tastes and requirements. And when you eventually do have that kind of money, your tastes, requirements and allegiances will probably have evolved to the point where you'll be exceedingly glad that you didn't drop a hefty price tag on a used, "nostalgia guitar".

Listen to this grandparent: Do nothing, bide your time. You'll thank me later!

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You dig?

I couldnt begin to advise you as to what you shouold do. I will however say that it doesnt seem like the best time finacially for you to be purchasing a $2,500 guitar.

Best of luck with whatever you decide!

~ all_thumbs

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"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

Is the stars guitar authentic?
was it really theres?
Is it worth $2500 if they never played it and had no association with it?

Jimi hendrix once played a danelectro, hank marvin used to play 60's burns guitars, brian jones played vox phantoms. I wouldnt give any of them £200 for those guitars never mind $2500. Is the guitar worth its money, thats all it comes down to. You wouldnt pay $2500 for a starcaster played by this person would you.

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No no and no

The voice of reason!!!

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You dig?

TEX,I know how it is when you want something bad and ebay can be an angel and the devil at the same time.First the guitar you want from your Idol i would assume it is a Fender.I only say that because if you see my screen name I am a big BRIAN SETZER fan.I wanted a Gretsch like his for I dont Know how long then one day a friend called me up and said they had a used one in a shop near me.Now I was in my 20s at the time I ran down with $2,300 and was going to pay for it and take it home without even playing it thats how stoked I was.But I plugged it in and could not play that guitar for sh*T.It felt so weird nothing like I was used to (Fenders)and walked out after an hour of trying to convince myself but I knew better it was not for me.I also never had a high end guitar till I was in my 20s.I have 11 and 7 are high end but I dont have a custom shop nor really do I want to spend 3-4 grand on a guitar at 47 where am I going.I have a friend his name is SANE and he is a hell of a player that still gigs and he has the cheapest guitars I ever saw but it does not matter to him .When he does studio work I lend him what he wants but if he plays a show he wont borrow nothing because he says he is to worried he is going to ding it.I think you should stick with what you have right now and once that auction is over it will sting for a day but you will get over it .Believe me I have been outbid with 3 seconds left and I flip out but you get over it and something else pops up,and just put your money on the side and save for something that makes you happy.Most pros dont syart using custom shop models till they make it,and some dont use them at all.Even with the price increase 2 grand is enough to by a pro guitar and belive me you can buy a $300 guitar and mod it with great pups and believe me you have a pro guitar.Hey how many collectors have guitars worth tens of thousands of dollars and suck at playing.You cant buy chops.

tgs , Bro , forgive me if you've posted the answer to my qustion answering yours , are you a player?

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

i feel your pain on the guitar/car thing, im 16 soon getting my liscense and just banked close to $1000 for working the last couple months...i really wanted a new gibson/martin acoustic but figured a car would be the better choice. i can keep saving for a guitar but i dont want to be the only guy without a car.

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Paddle faster! I hear banjo music!

Hey texas guitar slinger

Sorry but i really have no advice for you but i would ask someone who you trust and who could also relate to you for advice.

Now that i think about it that was advice.

What i was going to ask you is i thought you had a mim standard with vintage noisless pups but i could be mistaken

oh yeah who is your idol you were talking about

I'm with everyone else on this... best thing is to just take a deep breath, let it go, pretend you never saw it. It's hard, though. You've already got a plan, which is a great thing for someone your age. You should stick to it, and always have the best-playing guitar you can afford. If that means a Squier this year, a Road Worn next year and a Custom Shop further down the line... nothing wrong with that. Scraping together everything you've got and going into debt for sentimental reasons is only going to hamper your musical development, and you're too good for that.

Also, regardless of how fine everything may seem at the time, it's best to avoid borrowing money from family. I know you can't really learn from others' experience, but I'm sure anybody else who has had to do this would agree that it's not something to be entered into lightly.

When I was 17, I saved as long as I could for the best flamenco guitar I could afford. I was lucky enough to have my parents equal my contribution for my birthday, and I found a Conde Hermanos guitar for $1500 that a guy had been keeping under his bed. It was their semi-pro model from the '60s... not a concert guitar, but better than a student version. That guitar has brought me more pleasure than I can describe over the years (20 of 'em, now). If I were to order a new replacement from Conde Hermanos (the original builders are all gone, now), the equivalent model would start at over ten times the price I paid back then.

That's beside the point, really; the main thing is to remember that it's best to put your money towards your development, not towards nostalgia. That's what you do when you hit midlife crisis time like me! Heh. Nah, seriously, when you're a bit older and have some more funds at your disposal you'll probably get this opportunity again... and you may decide to pass on it for entirely different reasons.

I'd save for the car. Chicks dig guys with guitars but I think they like guys with wheels even more!

Seriously, it's ultimately your choice, but it's usually a good idea to make sure your basic needs are covered before making luxury purchases. $2,500 is a lot of money for anyone to spend on a guitar, and even more so if you're a teen with limited income. Believe me -- college can be expensive, you'll want to save all the $ you can get your hands on before then.

if you haven't got the cash to buy it, don't buy it.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I would say go road worn. It seems practical, easier financially, and easier on the grandparents. Who needs custom shop? Who needs guitars that have so much value (both sentimental and otherwise) that you'd be afraid to touch it? I'd get the strat with a future, the one that will accompany you on your drive down the Texan roads. You won't mind dropping it so much. It should hold up.

Just don't sell your old gear for it, work for the moola.

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"Speak the truth, and speak it ever,
cost it what it will
for he who hides the wrong he did
did the wrong thing still."
-Miss Uel

Couple things:

I would never personally borrow that kind of money to buy a guitar.Not that i would rule out spending that, but never borrow that much.

Is this purchase really worth the trade off, on the gear you would sell. if I recall correctly, you are beginning to play gigs, even if they are a rarity? If this is the case, I would be thinking about how any purchases might fit in with that. I would probably never gig a guitar like the one you are talking about, and maybe your cash might be better spent on stage worthy gear.

Also giving up every Saturday for a year? man I would give up all my guitar gear to relive my Saturdays from when I was 17. and although playing guitar might help get girls (it does ) none of them will know or care what kind of guitar you have, but having a car will matter (get one with a decent backseat.)

Also at your age you should be developing your own voice, looking forward to your future, not collecting a memento of someone else's past. get your own guitar, and plan for some other kid in a few years to contemplate buying it, as you are his hero!!! another thing I find sort of amusing are all these 'custom guitars!!' that some pro's burn through like cheap underwear. I mean if this guitar is made to their specs why is it for sale? I don't know why i would want to pay a premium for a guitar that the star obviously doesn't like.

If i recall correctly you have a nice start on a musical instrument collection, drums and a few guitars including a squier, and an MIM Strat?
Honestly I disagree that the roadworn is a 'BIG' upgrade for you. maybe rather than set your goals for the sun with a $2500 purchase, or aim low for a sub 1K RW, think about splitting the difference and save a little longer and aim for a Strat at a slightly higher price point, like maybe a Deluxe? at your age a deluxe would be a pretty nice investment, you would have a pretty sweet stage worthy, and versatile guitar that will last you for as long as you would choose to keep it.

lastly i think you answered your own dilemma via the guitar loan. you say how they won't understand, and also ask if you should beg. neither of those things sound appealing to me.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.