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Not sure if this has been discussed but how much Value to aftermarket mods add to a guitar?

Example, Local Guy on CL selling a squier tele for 600 because he upgraded pickups tuners and hardware.

It's still a cheap tele though right?


I seem to see alot of guitars locally where A guy will take a $200 guitar add 150 in pickups and think it is worth 350 (just a basic maths example)

Don't the mods depreciate as well?

Any good stories about overvaluing upgrades?

Those upgrades definitely make a guitar like that more playable.

Whether they increase the value is debatable. Depends on how much the buyer cares about stuff like that.

I think people tend to overvalue all used gear anyway.

Chankgeez wrote:Those upgrades definitely make a guitar like that more playable.

Whether they increase the value is debatable. Depends on how much the buyer cares about stuff like that.

I think people tend to overvalue all used gear anyway.

Not to have to much of a "hey you kids get off my lawn" moment, but I agree, used gear has gotten pretty out of control, especially things like squier teles

One of my favorite things to laugh about while working for Guitar Center was when someone would bring in a $300 (new) guitar with $300 in upgrades and they get all hot headed when we offer them $150 for it.

On a personal level, there are exceptions like a Mastery bridge/tailpiece or if it is a really sweet frankenstein project... but for the most part when you mod a guitar you are modding it for yourself and I wouldn't assign much more value to it if at all.

edit: Really though the most entertaining part of working at a guitar shop was dudes trying to talk up their guitars while trying to sell them to you.

I think there's a balance point. When you add functional upgrades to a moderately priced instrument, I think it helps it maintain the used value a little better. So if a well used, decent condition MIM Strat might go for $350, one with locking tuners and higher end US model pickups might be worth $400-500 to the right buyer. Same with adding a Mastery bridge/trem to a decent Jag or JM, as was said. What I think mods never do is add to the value above the new price. Like Ghost Hip said, and it's not exclusive to music gear, there are some yahoos that think if they're selling a guitar that was $500 new and they put $500 of mods into it, it's a $1000 guitar and that's just ridiculous. The best case scenario for mods like that is they keep the used price closer to the new price...or the used price of a nicer model.

Exactly that ^^^^

Corey Y wrote:I think there's a balance point. When you add functional upgrades to a moderately priced instrument, I think it helps it maintain the used value a little better. So if a well used, decent condition MIM Strat might go for $350, one with locking tuners and higher end US model pickups might be worth $400-500 to the right buyer. Same with adding a Mastery bridge/trem to a decent Jag or JM, as was said. What I think mods never do is add to the value above the new price. Like Ghost Hip said, and it's not exclusive to music gear, there are some yahoos that think if they're selling a guitar that was $500 new and they put $500 of mods into it, it's a $1000 guitar and that's just ridiculous. The best case scenario for mods like that is they keep the used price closer to the new price...or the used price of a nicer model.

Exactly. If I were to buy a cheap Ibanez bass for $300, put in new tuning machines for $100, new pickups for $180, a new nut for $40, and a new bridge for $70 I could probably sell it for $250 when all is said and done.

The best example of this is parts instruments - say you spend around $1100 to $1200 for a custom parts instrument using good shit - Warmoth parts using "safe" woods like a maple/maple neck and mahogany body painted black/white/generic color, Nordstrand electronics, Hipshot hardware, and so on. AT BEST you'll get about a third what you paid for it. For better or worse, untouched instruments with a known manufacturer or luthier on the headstock will give the best ROI, even if you install objectively better parts. Additionally, if you have to swap out parts because something breaks, that's more considered maintenance and won't affect resell in the slightest.

IMO and IME if you're going to mod an instrument (or go the frankenstrument route) you'd better not plan on selling it for a while, if ever. As always, YMMV.

Bassist_Diver wrote: Exactly. If I were to buy a cheap Ibanez bass for $300, put in new tuning machines for $100, new pickups for $180, a new nut for $40, and a new bridge for $70 I could probably sell it for $250 when all is said and done.

The best example of this is parts instruments - say you spend around $1100 to $1200 for a custom parts instrument using good shit - Warmoth parts using "safe" woods like a maple/maple neck and mahogany body painted black/white/generic color, Nordstrand electronics, Hipshot hardware, and so on. AT BEST you'll get about a third what you paid for it. For better or worse, untouched instruments with a known manufacturer or luthier on the headstock will give the best ROI, even if you install objectively better parts. Additionally, if you have to swap out parts because something breaks, that's more considered maintenance and won't affect resell in the slightest.

IMO and IME if you're going to mod an instrument (or go the frankenstrument route) you'd better not plan on selling it for a while, if ever. As always, YMMV.

I tend to agree with that. If you buy an instrument to play, do whatever you want to it. There are certainly options for every taste or proclivity out there. If you buy instruments as an investment or you flip or just trade up all the time...don't mod shit, it's a waste of money. It makes more financial sense to keep all the original parts, assemble it back to stock shape and sell everything separately, from a financial stance.

Pretty much but what everyone has said, however, as someone that mods a lot of stuff and buys a lot of parts and things for parts. Buying a cheep guitar with awesome mods is not something of interest. Because as said above mods are more about personal tastes more than it being "better" because to you "better" might be a pointless waste of money to someone else's opinion. That's why when I "mod" something that I might sell I make it so it is reversible and put the old parts in the strings and shit compartment in the case.

On the other hand have I sold/traded a grossly modded and refinished bass for what I paid for it? yes I have

Just for the sake of perspective, I have a cheap Ibanez guitar that retails for $200, new. I bought it used, in like new condition for $80. Right now the the same model sells for around $120 + shipping at cheapest online right now. I put a $35 set of locking tuners on it, upgraded the wiring/pots/knobs and put a pair of $250 pickups in it. I didn't BUY the pickups for that purpose, but I had them, so what the hell. If for some reason I decided I wanted to sell that guitar, I'd throw a set of cheap humbuckers back in it and I can't imagine selling it for more than $150 max. In that particular case though, I was looking for the cheapest possible guitar used in the nicest condition that met certain specs I was looking for. If I bought it new at fully price and did the same thing, I could expect the same value out of it at best.

Chankgeez wrote:Those upgrades definitely make a guitar like that more playable.

Whether they increase the value is debatable. Depends on how much the buyer cares about stuff like that.

I think people tend to overvalue all used gear anyway.

'95 Camaro V6
Ran when parked
Asking $6000. No tire kickers, I know what I've got!

Achtane wrote:

Chankgeez wrote:Those upgrades definitely make a guitar like that more playable.

Whether they increase the value is debatable. Depends on how much the buyer cares about stuff like that.

I think people tend to overvalue all used gear anyway.

'95 Camaro V6
Ran when parked
Asking $6000. No tire kickers, I know what I've got!

This is the type of thing I am talking about!

99 Affinity Tele, added Duncan Pickups and Locking tuners asking $600 No Low Balls


I have bought some modded stuff that I thought held great value but I see other things and it just makes me wonder.


Also: I will never fault anyone for getting a good sum of money for something, if you got a guitar at a thrift shop for 20 and sell it for 300 good for you.

I think you can pretty much only profit off flipping gear if you find an insane price used or the value of it suddenly goes way up. I've had some nice confluence of both situations happen in the past....Rickenbacker basses, Peavey, Laney and Sunn amps, Kramer aluminum neck basses and guitars. If you buy any already pretty popular mainstream brand new though (Fender/Gibson/Squier/Epiphone, etc.), I don't see much hope for getting a profit out of modded instruments. You can definitely get a lot of VALUE for personal use though. I think stuff like putting a Mastery on a decent used JM is more a deal for a buyer than a boon for a seller, honestly.

IMO mods added to guitars don't increase the value much, I think they are worth less than the mods on their own used. So if theres a 300 dollar Squier, with a 130 dollar humbucker in it, I would not add the cost of that $130 humbucker at it's used price (say about $75), I think it would add about 25-30 bucks to the price of the guitar. Also things like upgraded electronics or tuners or pickguard don't really add anything. Most of the time, a completely stock guitar that is in excellent condition goes for more than that same guitar that's been mucked about with and upgraded.

repoman wrote: Also things like upgraded electronics or tuners or pickguard don't really add anything.

They totally add "value". Just not anything you can quantify monetarily to any specific degree.

Find the right buyer and they'll be more than willing to pay for those upgrades.

Unfortunately, finding the right buyer is sometimes like looking for a pick on your floor in the dark.