I often purchase guitars on Craigslist and often see guitars listed for more than the going price because they have "upgraded" pickups, or pots. I tend to think that what they installed is a matter of taste, and who knows the ability of the person that installed them. I value the guitar as worth less than a original, stock guitar. Let's hear your opinion.

Just more junk you've got to watch out for in the used market. Altho there some quality modifications out there. (Poor Quality Workmanship and defective materials make junk guitars. I'll stick with new gear only.
----Danny,

I totally disagree. I think if you have $300-$400 worth of pickups in a guitar, then you most likely just increased value....of a more recent model that is. If you went and replaced pickups of a 1960's strat, you should be shot. It really depends on the guitar and what pickups, pots, tuners, bridge, etc. that came with it originally. If it's better quality than what came with it, you probably increased the guitar's value. Also, as a buyer, you'll know if the job was well done, etc. by picking it up and playing it and giving it a good look over.

I am not too into modified guitars. My MIA Tele has a little 59' stacked humbucker in the bridge. I had it installed on a whim. All my other guitars are stock. I don't think I would buy a used modified guitar unless I knew where it came from, or was at a really good price. You never know what kind of workmanship went into modifying a guitar when you buy it used.

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personally I never buy a used guitar without taking a peek under the hood. I have seen some awful wiring jobs before. before i got the hot rod I took a look at a Mayer on CL. the guy said all origional, but when I took the pick guard off I found twisted electrical tape connections a wire nut and unmarked plastic bobbin pickups amazingly he didn't seem surprised so that led me to believe he knew it had been molested. just sad

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and for the record, I buy moded guitars and I mod them myself. Believe me, I have made guitars that sounded like crap before, sound pretty damn good after. It's amazing what pickups and pots can do to a guitar......and a good set of tuners for that matter.

If you do good work you have good results . It's as simple as that.
----Danny,

I'm wholly in favour of modifying guitars. The only guitar I have that isn't modified doesn't get played. It's up for sale as we speak. The others are mine and aren't going anywhere.

As for it's effects on the value of the guitar. Well I think it's a bit daft to make a blanket judgement of the guitar having lost value because of it.
What if Larry Dimarzio installed the pickups for you?
Rick Turner reshaped the back of the neck?
Martin Simms personally painted the body?

Would that devalue your £700 American Standard?

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No no and no

I agree Danny. It's always nice to mod your own, buy a modded guitar from someone you know, or know the person who modded it for the seller. The modded guitar I purchased last week happened to be by someone I knew. Once the guy said it was done by that luthier, I called the luthier (who never forgets a guitar), and then handed the guy the cash. Is there crap out there? Yes. Is there really good stuff out there? Yes. If you know what you're doing, you may not care how they wired it because all you have to do is redo it yourself when you pick one up. All it takes is a little soldering. If someone is selling a guitar for cheap and the electronics are worth more than what the asking price is, you can make a damn good deal. If you hate the guitar, you can piece the thing out and make some money.

I've changed out the pickups on almost every guitar I own and I think it's a valuable "upgrade" in that it customizes the sound of an instrument to my personal taste, much like the choice of amp to play through or effects processors to use. I don't think changing pickups should add significantly to the price of a used guitar though.

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

I love 'em. I also love the 'modded' Fenders- Lone Stars, Roadhouse, Big Apple, the Pluses...

I recently bought a Japanese Strat, modded to death. The original trem unit, pickups, scratchplate and fret markers had been all chucked out in favour of, in my eyes, superior units. Bought it, played it, loved it, modded it some more with new tuners & string trees. It now kicks so much $@!, it should be called Bruce Lee.

Modded guitars are good, in the same way modded cars are good- personal taste.

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'01 American Deluxe HSS Strat.
'87 Japan HSS Strat.
'11 Custom Shop FMT HSS Strat.

"Without music, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines and dates by which bills must be paid."

+1 ... My J24V was modded when I bought it.. with a John East U RetroD preamp.. I don't know what the original preamp sounded like.. but I do know that it could not have been as good as what's in there now... The preamp alone new goes for $350.. I got the modded bass for 6yards.. Killer deal on a KILLER bass.. the value or not of a modded guitar all depends on who did the mod ..... and IMO if you have a few hudred bucks to spend on a mod you aren't going to do it slipshod... If YOU can't do it you will take it to someone who can.

I do not think it devalues a guitar, unless it is a poor job or substandard parts. Personally I think if I modify my guitar to my taste, the parts I use are quality parts, and they are better than the orginal OEM parts who cares if I modify my guitar. Does it make my guitar less valuable, not for me. If I sale a guitar, I always put all the OEM parts back on. No harm, no foul and the buyer still gets an orginal stock guitar.

I also love going into guitar shops and finding gems that have been modified with parts that are worth more than the guitar, and buying it for less money than a new one. Prime example...my recent purchace of an old Squier HM III came into my possession for $89 and the tremolo is an Orginal Floyd Rose. The Floyd is worth more than the entire guitar.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Case per Case Basis...Value is in the eye of the beholder....

See my Stratopartster I and II Posts as to where I stand on this one.

As Well as Mr Fender intended that Tele's and Strats should never ever be molested.....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I'm a modding freak.. I want my guitars to be what I want them to be period.

My Squier Esprit is a good example. Bomb guitar if it wasn't for the Duncan Designed HBs it came with. Swapped them with 2 of my favorite pickups, Gibson pots, Orange Drop caps, and rearrangement of knob functions to suit what I like. I also extended the strap button on the upper horn about 3/4 of an inch so it would balance right and not be headstock heavy.

It's a beast now, and that's what I wanted it to be. End of story. It's just the way I handle my business.

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