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Expensive Guitar Gear that is actually worth it! – What is actually worth spending a lot of money on?
Introduction
There is a lot of gear in the world! Some of it is affordable, and some of it is very expensive guitar gear! However, I want to go over a few things that I have purchased that I fully believe are worth the cost!
I will be going over some expensive guitar gear that I believe is worth the money and is worth the investment! I will go over each piece of gear and then give an example of what I bought, why I like it, and why I think it is worth the money! Believe me, I will try my best to justify my reasoning!
Don’t think that I am not saying that you should go out and buy all of these things! They are only worth their money if you need them! Don’t find a reason to buy gear! Especially if you don’t need it! With that being said, let me start with the first piece of expensive guitar gear that I think is actually worth it!
Custom Guitars
I never thought I would own a custom guitar; they always seemed like some mythical and very expensive thing. However, after starting this site and getting to know a few builders, I now own a few! Want me to be honest? They are some of the best guitars I have ever played!
It isn’t about them just being good! What I love is that you can pick and build whatever you want! Want a certain design, scale length, or colour? You can do it! Now, of course, I can’t ignore the fact that some of these guitars are very expensive! For a custom guitar with a decent amount of options, you will be looking at £2k plus! However, once you pick up that guitar, there is nothing like it! Just how you designed and planned it!
There are so many brands I would recommend for custom guitars builders; I have put some links below to help you out if you want to have a shop around and see what they do.
Custom Cables
This is one that I didn’t think I would enjoy and feel value from as much as I have! I have got custom cables from two different UK builders. When I was ordering custom cables, I didn’t think it was going to be worth it. However, getting high-quality and perfectly built cables made to order to your exact size is just wonderful! Any colour and design to a length that you need! I found that the store-bought cables ended up being very expensive and were either way too long or way too short. Custom ordering the cables solved this!
For gigging and band, I currently use Practical Patch, and for studio use, I am using Axe Custom Cables. Both are amazing! Practical Patch has a huge selection of cable colours and patterns! You can find both their links below. If you are gigging and performing, then having custom cables is amazing! They can do everything from speaker cables, instrument cables, and even full-build pedalboards! I am so happy with my cables I have; they get so much use out of them and still feel and look the same as the day I got them!
"No matter how good your pedals are, your guitar, or even your amp, if your power is rubbish and noisy, it will all sound terrible and hissy!"
Well made power supply
You hear “I love this pedal but it is just so noisy” from a lot of people! However, most of the time it isn’t because they have a pedal that generates a lot of noise; most of the time it is because they have a cheap power supply! Cheap power supplies often create a lot of noise from low-quality parts, not being fully isolated, and in general, having to hit a budget! Using a higher-quality power supply means you will get less noise and a much clearer tone!
No matter how good your pedals are, your guitar, or even your amp, if your power is rubbish and noisy, it will all sound terrible and hissy! A good power supply will fix this!
There are a few companies that spring to mind if you want a high-quality power supply. The Gig Rig is the first brand that comes to mind. The second is the newly released Schmidt Array Power supplies. I have linked both of these companies below. They are both modular power supplies, so you can expand and contract your power with your needs.
Guitar Cases and Gig Bags!
Taking your guitar out of the house means it is at a high risk of getting damaged or broken! Getting a good case or gig bag will prevent this! Your case or gig bag isn’t something you really pay attention to or might not even give it a second thought; however, when taking your gear out and about, it can be the difference between gigging and not gigging!
I have found that most affordable gig bags tend to be heavy, have little to no pockets, and offer little in the way of protection for your guitar! Spending some money and upgrading your gig bag will not only protect your guitar and give you peace of mind but also allow you to carry more!
I am a huge fan of the Ritter cases; I will put their link below. I find them a great option, and while they can be fairly expensive, they aren’t as bad as some other brands! They are a great middle ground.
"It is very tempting to buy a cheap or knock-off product, but you will end up having to buy twice"
Guitar Pickups!
This one follows on from my first point, and that is guitar pickups! If you aren’t happy with your guitar currently and are looking at another one, I would consider swapping the pickups out rather than buying a whole guitar! It will be night and day between the two! You can take any affordable or even cheap guitar and bring it back to life.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing affordable and budget-friendly pickups out there (Tone Rider, for example); however, when you start paying more, the quality and sound take a notch up as well! From my experience, cheap pickups always sound muddy. They sound like someone is covering the amp with a towel. Putting better quality pickups in brings out the sound, the strings, the attack, and transients! A world of difference!
Final Thoughts
You may have noticed that a lot of the points above are for custom gear. I am not saying that production guitars and cables aren’t great; you can get some killer gear. The reason I love to venture into custom gear is that I can get what I want! If you get a custom guitar, you will get the exact guitar you want. When I say custom guitars, I don’t mean Fender or Gibson custom shops; I am talking about a local or smaller guitar builder! They produce amazing (you could say even better) quality guitars. If you look into it, you will be surprised at how affordable it can be!
I am a strong believer in the “buy nice or buy twice” phrase you will hear! It means that if you are buying something, then buy something at the highest quality and best you can afford. It is very tempting to buy a cheap or knock-off product, but you will end up having to buy twice, maybe even more! Where this gets complicated is that not every cheap product is bad! There is a huge difference between cheap and affordable! Maybe I should put an article out about that subject!
There is a lot of expensive guitar gear which isn’t worth it and overpriced! Maybe I should do another article! I have covered expensive guitar gear; maybe I need to cover inexpensive guitar gear. Check back to see if I have!
Conclusion
That are a few expensive guitar gear choices that I believe are worth it! What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know over on our contact page. Did I miss any expensive guitar gear off that you were thinking? Send us your thoughts! I have a few articles similar to this lined up, so keep checking back to see more content like this! Don’t worry, the reviews aren’t going anywhere!
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