Upgrading , seems to be hot topic.

[GrandpaBill]

I have noticed when talking about upgrading a guitar it seems to bring on a lot of comments about how you don't need to upgrade it and even negative comments because you want to upgrade it.

Just curious about your thoughts , as for me I have some very nice guitars , but I truly enjoy buying something very affordable or cheap that has a feature that I like and making it into something I love just for the enjoyment of doing it.

I upgrade not because I have to but because I enjoy doing it , its fun and sometimes you get a real winner.
I would buy a kit and build but I can't paint.

Why do you upgrade because you want to or need to ?

Curious old man wants to know.
GrandpaBill

 

[generic202]

I upgrade when I'm not satisfied and I have been satisfied for at least 3 years now. But this could change anytime though...

 

[imwjl]

Yeah, my boss and my wife brought up this upgrade topic. I agree. If your spouse has a hard time with stuff like dropping everything to go skiing, getting a guitar, or pedaling your bike for a beer you really do need an upgrade. Maybe even a delete or replacement.

 

[bgmacaw]

I kind of separate things like kits, rehabs and partscasters from factory stock guitars. While I'll often be quick to modify a guitar I bought used and damaged or in parts, I'm usually pretty slow about upgrading one I bought new, even cheap guitars. As a result, most of the guitars I've bought aren't new ones.

 

[68tele]

I say that if you want to upgrade, upgrade. If you don't want to upgrade, don't upgrade.

 

[ahiddentableau]

I think a lot of people who have a problem with it are trying to point out that when you change something on a guitar you're not usually improving it in the eyes of the most players. There are two parts to this. One, the change you made may well improve the instrument in your eyes, but that's subjective. Lots of players are going to have different preferences and disagree. Two, when you use the word "upgrade" it implies an increase in overall value, and that's almost always absent when you change things on a guitar. An instrument in original condition is usually worth more than one that has had parts changed out; and when people know a guitar has been messed with they tend to become suspicious. As in, "what else changed here that I don't know about?"

There's also a group of people who seem to believe that a player changing a guitar is "messing" with its original design and/or functionality, and so it's a kind of ego trip that reflects badly on him. I think that's kind of sad, but it as my grandmother used to say, it takes all kinds of people.

None of this should have much to do with whether you can or should change parts on a guitar or go the partscaster route. So long as you know the risks (namely it could go badly and you're probably not going to recup your investment) and are ok with that, have at it. I build and mod because I enjoy it. It's fun. It teaches me a lot about guitars and how they sound. I can tailor things to my preferences, and I am not as beholden to decisions made by others. I've gotten a great deal of use and enjoyment out of the guitars (and amps, and pedals) that I've built and modded and I am glad I went down that road. Lots of people feel the same, lots of people disagree. And that's fine.

 

[Boreas]

I like fiddling around with cheap guitars, but my more expensive ones I tend to keep pretty stock. But I don't start swapping parts just for the sake of it. To me, even cheap guitars have a unique tone. It is up to me to decide if I like the tone or not. Usually, when in doubt, I'll install a Bigsby...

 

[wrathfuldeity]

I rarely ever find something that is perfect for moi...including Mrs W...been trying like the dickens to making her perfect for 35 years...better but not perfect.

As to everything for me, get a good solid base model and then do the upgrades to fit moi. I don't care what other folks think about upgrading or not...because I am the one playing the darn thing and they are not. Just to add, playing is the return on investment for moi...not the money spent nor the potential for recoup or increased appraisal (appraisal is actually imaginary until ya got the cold hard cash in hand...besides there is inflation to account for...and I gotz better things to do besides count imaginary potential money).

Thus have mia Peavey strat and tele copies and an old Harmony H165 and they all have been heavily modded...bought cheap...but play and sound much better then gits costing many times more. And I love them...thus priceless regardless what other folks think.

 

[985plowboy]

Swapping unbroken functioning parts is part of the hobby.
Sometimes guitars I do.
Sometimes I decide not to.
It’s mostly out of curiosity when I do.
Rarely because it’s necessary.
Don’t overthink your motivation.

 

[Preacher]

upgrading is kind of funny.

I had a hollow body Ibanez that I never really bonded with. I saw a pair of humbuckers online that someone here mentioned as some good options. They were less than $50 so I figured I would try them. They brought that guitar to life.

However, I also have a one off Big Headed Bullet that had ceramic pups in it. I figured Alinicos would really up the ante with that guitar. I installed the Alinicos and it killed the soul of that guitar. I figured maybe it was the pots and so I swapped them out also but to no avail. I put the original pots back in and the ceramics and the guitar came back to life.

 

[bottlenecker]

Sometimes people don't agree about what is actually an "upgrade".

 

[noname_dragon]

I bought a new Roadworn 50s tele and loved the feel. I upgraded to stainless steel compensated saddles to really sweeten up the intonation. After a couple weeks, I decided the TexMex pickups weren't really getting the sound I wanted, so I upgraded to Lindy Fralin... Big improvement.

 

[teletimetx]

I’m all for it! I think the DIY approach produces some unique and wonderful guitars- and modifying or repairing an otherwise stock guitar is all part of that.

IME, the difference in other’s opinions is in the market place. A lot of sellers want to recover the costs of upgrading and a lot of buyers aren’t interested in paying the increased cost.

So, at least on this forum, many have the opinion: go for it, make it your own, but don’t expect to get all your money back.

I don’t think it’s a big deal either way. YMMV, etc.

 

[imwjl]

Swapping unbroken functioning parts is part of the hobby.
Sometimes guitars I do.
Sometimes I decide not to.
It’s mostly out of curiosity when I do.
Rarely because it’s necessary.
Don’t overthink your motivation.

If I recall you posted a new bike a while back. I'm far more prone to do some parts swaps on bikes than I am with guitars. Crazy amounts more for options.