Here's the official "Brent's Guitar Price Evaluation Guide" :
-To me, any decent guitar (looks good, sounds good, plays good) under $500 is a no-brainer--e.g., the recent 7620 sale at AMS is too hard to pass up
-Anything between $500-1000 I look for basic improvements in functionality (e.g., better trem, better pickups) but don't expect anything fancy looking--e.g., I'd pay a little extra for an RG570 over a 470 any day of the week just for the improved trem.
-Between $1000-1500 is where I start expecting nicer inlays, fancy finishes, etc. along with high-end components--e.g., the Jem7DBK and RG3120 are top-notch for components and workmanship, and still have nice and/or unique finishes.
-Anything over $1500 new I really have to think about. Beyond $1500 and I expect to see large amounts of craftsmanship.--e.g., the JEM90, JPM90, and RG-ART fall into the category of guitars that required a lot of finishing work. And it pays off, because those are the first guitars that people notice in my collection. But looking cool isn't enough... they still need to play great and sound great. Major technological innovations, as seen on the
Parker Fly or Steinbergers, may also help justify buying a guitar in this price range.
-I can't imagine ever spending more than $2500 for any new or used guitar. Period. No matter how much of Steve Vai's blood is in it. *
I often compare guitars incrementally when I'm making a major purchase. For example, take the UV777BK vs RG7620. When I bought my UV several years ago, it was only a couple hundred more than the 7620, since they were new and in relatively short supply. To me, it was worth the extra $300 to get a guitar with all the binding and inlays on it... I could tell they spent extra time on the guitar at the factory, and that's worth a few hundred extra bucks to me.
When I look at the DNA Jem, I can't justify the cost. Why? It may be a unique finish, but beyond the finish, it's not drastically different than the DBK. The pickups and most of the parts are similar. Now I know that the DNA is a limitied run and there is obviously a lot more attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into it, but it's also 3-4 times the cost of a DBK. I could buy a DBK, have the body converted & refinished and have new inlays installed and still come out a couple thousand ahead on the deal. But, that's just my opinion (so don't feel obligated to beat me up for it).
--B
