What Makes A More Expensive Guitar Better?

[postal]

CNC is not the issue here... Charvel and Jackson were using CNC in the 80s and those guitars are awesome. (correct me if I am wrong please)

I dont think so. Mostly pin router.

To this day, they do a LOT of work with a pin router and templates. As of 2007 Jackson got a 2nd CNC... And they really only use it on the production stuff. Jackson custom shop- Mike S, Pablo, Chip, Red- use the pin router.

I spent 3 yrs at fender. Whenever I had a question on how to /why to- I'd ask those guys... Hadnt worked there since 2007.

Thanks for the correction.

One more for you. Can you verify this.

I read the late 80s model 1,2,3,4,5 guitars were built in Japan and shipped to Fort Worth for assembly. I had an 89 Model 4 and it was a pretty nice guitar. Not the greatest but pretty nice.

-----oh--- and CNC *IS* the issue here when prs tries to pawn off CNC cranked out guitars as handmades. The ONLY reason they get the prices they do... fenders are CNC and go for $600. Better setup and QC like PRS would still only mean what....$900? So a PRS is actually worth that same $900? Maybe 1k? Okay... even stretch it, and call it $1,300.... Big drop from that $2.5k aint it?

Don't get me started on PRS. I am not a fan and never will be.

Worked at fender corona from 2004-2007- Knew what was going on in corona, never payed any attention to mim and asian imports. No idea about the late 80's imports... but I never heard of anything going on in Texas either. Sorry man... just dont know.

[postal]

CNC isn't the issue here. It's the incredible amount of work that comes after. As we all know, routing and rough shaping only accounts for a small percentage of the time and effort, which is what the CNC process does. Bodies don't come out of the machines ready for spraying any more than they do after you take your angle grinder to the top to carve it.

And postal, PRS isn't trying to "pawn off CNC cranked out guitars as handmades." Just the opposite, they're very open, honest and actually proud of the fact that they use the technology to make better guitars.

It takes fender 6 hours of man and machine time to crank out a piece of strat. That doesnt include glue and paint drying. Gibson even has a cnc setup to buff paint...

So a better setup, and a little more work in the details... means cranking out a PRS in what.... 8 hours? 9? Ok... even 12 hours... double the time as fender... makes it double the price as fender.... and its a $1,200 guitar....

If they're so honest and proud of the cranked out cnc mades... ask them to honestly, and proudly explain their justification for those ridiculous prices....

Edited September 16, 2010 by postal

[DC Ross]

If they're so honest and proud of the cranked out cnc mades... ask them to honestly, and proudly explain their justification for those ridiculous prices....

Simple answer: Supply and demand Why else can Gibson ask 2x again as much? Because people will pay it.

Another simple answer: Man-hours. It takes way more than 12 to complete a PRS. Heck, it takes an experienced guy 45 minutes just to level sand after base coat.

At any rate, I'm not trying to convert anyone, we all have our preferences, and noone is going to change anyone else's mind.

[Prostheta]

Wise words Ross. Something is only worth as much as someone will pay for it. If nobody would buy the Mona Lisa, it would be worthless other than as a curio for example.

At some point, solidbody price goes beyond the material worth of the item and tops out. Acoustics cost WAY more than solidbodies (other than notable random examples) in the boutique custom market, often several tens of thousands.

To answer the question from an acoustic standpoint - exacting choices of materials, beautiful appointment and detailing, sensitive tonal and dynamic craftmanship and the indelible experience of the luthier. The same could be said of a solidbody, but not in such a grand magnitude.

To answer the question from a pedantic standpoint - define "better".