Let me start by saying I have no intention to rain on your Parade, but $6,000 is a hell of alot of cash to spend on an artificially aged guitar with zero provenance . Understand when you purchase it, that is what you are getting, and you should plan on keeping it forever, because regardless of how it plays, it will most likely never be worth more than a new 6128 or what you paid for this one. There are far more Guitars out there appreciating as we speak if you have $6,000 to spend. I have a Cadillac Green 6128 vintage 2004 with factory simulated aged block inlay fingerboard markers and gold hardware, its real nice but I am sentimental over nothing so If I had to part with it one day so be it. As far as custom shop goes if you follow stuff like that you may remember the Gretsch special edition George Harrison 6128 (aged and dinged) that was targeted to sell for $10,000 are on the secondary market now at $3,600 so think this one through. This is almost like buying an extra $150,000 Porsche and just letting it sit in the garage.
I really wanted the cstm Just my 2 cents, as this is always a highly debated subject.
you might not appreciate the actual art of a relic'd instrument in the same way another individual might? Maybe you do? I certainly dooo. I paid for my hand made rutters 52' telecaster to be relic'd as a well played closet classic. Basically as If a player gigged for many yrs with the guitar, and then one day stopped playing and it sat on a stand in a room forever. So you get the look of a guitar that had initial wear n tear but over the yrs the finish coat ambered significantly and also crazed significantly while sun through the windows faded the original color of the paint. See, I found a 52' tele behind glass that had that exact life, but it was a gigabazillion dollars.. So a master builder and artist w killer skills in relic'ing was able to create a brand new instrument for me with all the specs I want but made it look just like that old fender behind the safety glass. Highly worth the price for me, as that is far more impressive than a shiny guitar. I cheated on the bridge,edges on the steel bridge plate and slant on the control plate
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Funny thing is my two Strats were pristine until I got my son. He would drag them around sit on them and I considered it a memory but if someone else would have done that I would have been all over them! Still funny how our brains and what we find acceptable, work.
I would disagree. I've been keeping an eye on these for years, and they hold their value fairly well, and won't be depreciating to the price of a new Proline 6128 anytime soon. In the US, depending on specifics, Custom Shop Gretsches in the Jet family run about $5500-$6000 new. And they typically sell in the $4500-$5000 range used. Occasionally you can find a deal and snag one for less, but likely only if you find a motivated seller. Prolines depreciate similarly. As should any brand new product. I wouldn't try to talk somebody out of spending good money a nice new luxury sofa or high performance treadmill because they'll take a hit on resale. You spend good money on a high-end new product because you love it, not because you want to be able to get your money back out of it.
I think you're way off there. MSRP on those was $20,000. IIRC, street was around $17,000. They don't pop up often, but on the few occasions I've seen secondhand examples come up for sale, they're usually priced well above $10,000. Now, I don't know what any given one might change hands for, but $3,600 would be an absurdly low price. I'd buy 10 at that price and make myself a small fortune.
I don't think Mr Swisher would be looking at buying this one unless he intends to use it.
Good luck. I hope for you the spark is there. I really love the feel of the Custom Shop Gretsches I've tried and look forward to owning one, hopefully somewhat soon. But like you said, we like what we like, and not everyone like the same things.
That's the right frame of mind to have.
She’s a keeper that one. Take real good care of her. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be (still) married to the same wonderful lady after so many years of my own ‘special’ brand of rock and roll nonsense.
That’s right mate. Somewhat irritatingly wives do have a tendency to be inconveniently right in my strictly limited experience of the subject.
