DaveWammbarro wrote:Am I the only one who thinks for the prices of any of these sig. things...that'd I'd go out and manage to get at least three of the equivalent objects (axes, amps, pups, pedals, strings even)...and you go search them out, you'll end up happy.
Sorry, I just don't dig it...
Speaking strictly for myself, I'm okay with that. Of course, I don't own any of the REALLY pricey Joe guitars, just the Epi JBLP, but that one is definitely one I treasure. My No. 1 is a Baja Telecaster I got for a little over $600, and I doubt I'll ever bond with another guitar the way I have with that one. My other Fender is a Jimmie Vaughan Strat that I basically stole from a dealer at his cost because he'd been unable to move it for about three years. It plays and sounds fabulous (to my ears, at least...do anyone else's matter?). To sate my periodic P90 lust I spent around $550 for a gorgeous Hanson Cigno that lets me get my Pete Townshend on just fine without breaking the bank. What I've spent to obtain those four splendid guitars is a little more than half what a Bonaburst or a Gibson Joe B. goldtop would have cost me, so I understand part of your point...
Still, at the end of the day it isn't just about the money, is it? People purchase all kinds of things (cars, houses, etc.) that cost far more than what they NEED to spend (a $250,000 Aston Martin won't get me to work any faster--legally--than a $600 beater will). That doesn't mean people who buy nice cars or expensive houses are fools, does it?
So, if you're saying that my JB Fuzz or Wah pedals are a waste of money, I can't agree with you there. And I doubt that the folks who could actually afford the pricier JB guitars will agree with you, either. The value of a given object can't be understood just by looking at its price relative to other, similar products...
Look at it this way: Unless I hit the Powerball jackpot I'll never be able to own even one of the six heads Joe is currently touring with, but he has the same Way Huge Pork Loin, Boss RV-5, Fulltone Supa-Trem, etc. on his board that I do. Even Joe doesn't necessarily buy the most expensive gear JUST because it is expensive...
Terrance Shuman
New Castle, DE