SFR "Premium" purchases you found to be "worth it"

[Brian]

My Seagull S6+ works just fine for my acoustic needs.

Guitars can be almost a living and breathing...

I've heard identical new high end guitars in a shop sound much different from each other.

My Dad got my Mom a used prewar (pre-truss rod) 16" acoustic archtop from the luthier he worked for. It has a solid carved top but was built and sold as a basic, decent quality workingman's instrument. My Mom never really played it but my brothers and I did. We were hard on it (abuse). I had it refurbished after my parents passed on.
In the early 2000s I tried out a handbuilt 17" acoustic archtop at a guitar luthier show. It was very ornate and had been fashioned with a hand carved spruce top and figured maple sides and back from an antique piano soundboard and cabinet. I really wanted that guitar.

The show venue was close to home and I went home thinking I might try to work a trade with my nicest instrument. I picked up Mom's archtop, strummed one chord and found it sounded waaay better than the guitar at the show.

One thing I liked to do back in the day was to play a couple of the most expensive acoustic flattops in a shop, then go around and play the low to mid-tier solid top guitars they had. It wasn't unusual to find a modestly priced instrument that had a sound quality close to that of the most expensive guitars in the shop.

BTW I've played some nice sounding Seagulls doing that and have occasionally experienced the same thing test casting fly rods.

 

[adamcu280]

Guitars can be almost a living and breathing...

I've heard identical new high end guitars in a shop sound much different from each other.

My Dad got my Mom a used prewar (pre-truss rod) 16" acoustic archtop from the luthier he worked for. It has a solid carved top but was built and sold as a basic but decent quality workingman's instrument. My Mom never really played it but my brothers did and I were hard on it (abuse). I had it refurbished after my parents passed on.
In the early 2000s I tried out a handbuilt 17" acoustic archtop at a guitar luthier show. It was very ornate and had been fashioned with a hand carved spruce top and figured maple sides and back from an antique piano soundboard and cabinet. I really wanted that guitar.

The show venue was close to home and I went home thinking I might try to work a trade with my nicest instrument. I picked up Mom's archtop and strummed one chord and found it sounded waaay better than the guitar at the show.

One thing I liked to do back in the day was to play a couple of the most expensive acoustic flattops in a shop, then go around and played the low to mid-tier solid top guitars they had. It wasn't unusual to find a modestly priced instrument that had a sound quality close to that of the most expensive guitars in the shop.

BTW I've played some nice sounding Seagulls doing that and have occasionally experienced the same thing test casting fly rods.

I’ve done similar A-B testing with guitars and fly rods and am perfectly happy with my choices in both departments!

Acoustics are especially variable given their organic nature so it’s worth playing/testing all of them with a paper bag over the headstock.

 

[Paige]

I wish I had the passion and discipline and skills (and budget) to really enjoy a truly high quality acoustic instrument. I've played some nice stuff (Collings, pre-war Martins, and so forth) but I'm honestly more stressed out about handling them and disappointed in what I can't do with them than I am "wow, I need this!"

My Seagull S6+ works just fine for my acoustic needs.

Guitars, like fly rods, are deeply dependent on personal feel, and can vary an incredible amount! Find what you like and plays how you want it too.

I'll walk into a guitar shop and ask "do you have any race horses" if they get it, great. If not, I won't ask to many more questions and move one.

 

[adamcu280]

I will say that ~25 years ago and back when I was more into acoustic stuff than I am now there were two specific guitars that I played many times in their respective shops. A Tacoma koa parlor and a Taylor RSSM Richie Sambora. Both way out of my budget but I can still feel and hear them in my head. Maybe I like koa? Still can’t afford it…

Tokyo is my favorite place to go guitar shopping. I could spend days in Ochanomizu and Shibuya.

 

[Evan B]

How could I forget my recent custom-built rods? Never had a custom rod built. I've had rods reworked, repaired, restored, etc, but never from scratch.

All built by ProLite in Olympia.

12wt glass rod for tuna. Had the 8' blank chopped to 7'6"



After being happy with my 12wt, I had him build up a pair of trolling rods for my fall salmon fishing here on the Columbia. Turns out they have their own blank specifically for the type of salmon fishing we do down here: No downriggers, heavy lead clipped right on the line, and 360 Pro Troll Flashers. Top section is all fiberglass - 10'6" blank I of course had to chop down cuz that's my thing. So both 9'6" - easily the most I've ever spent on a non-fly rod. I'm not entirely sure I've ever spent more than $200 on a gear rod before... definitely had rods that retailed for more than that where I got them on sale or on the used market, but never paid even close to what I did on these. Would do again, though.


(I don't have much for pics of them yet)

 

[charles sullivan]

Mathews vertix and a rinehart full sized elk target.
I did buy the bow used. It had fired 30 or so arrows per the prior owner. The target was a gift from my wife who spends far more easily than I do.

 

[_WW_]

10'6" blank I of course had to chop down cuz that's my thing.

I have grown to prefer shorter rods in the boat. Makes for easier netting.

 

[Evan B]

I have grown to prefer shorter rods in the boat. Makes for easier netting.

Makes for easier everything. On the tuna 12wt, it is the difference between me enjoying using the fly rod or not. I do not enjoy fighting a sounding albacore on a 9' graphite rod whatsoever.

 

[G_Smolt]

I wish I had the passion and discipline and skills (and budget) to really enjoy a truly high quality acoustic instrument. I've played some nice stuff (Collings, pre-war Martins, and so forth) but I'm honestly more stressed out about handling them and disappointed in what I can't do with them than I am "wow, I need this!"

My Seagull S6+ works just fine for my acoustic needs.

When I started my flat picking journey, I got a used Harmony Dreadnaught to learn on, and boy did I learn...mostly I learned how a poorly fit/finished instrument can inhibit progress, especially when the technical details are correct, but the instrument response fails. Instead of burning cash setting up a dog, I got a Taylor 710 and was pretty happy with that for a few years. When the opportunity to buy a good early 90's Martin D28 at a discount came along, I jumped on it, but shortly after that I got to play a Collings and spent the next couple years playing every one I could. The D2H I bought was one of a batch of 5 sent to DS, and besides being the champ of that batch is one of the best-voiced D2Hs I've heard.
Like Leo Kottke's fictional Tilt Billings and his Student Prince, it's "easy to play, with a beautiful sound", and that had a lot to do with my technical and stylistic progression.
Have I made more money as a musician because of a high-end instrument? Not on your life. Matter of fact, I haven't played this guitar for money, ever. I got it because when I play it and get all the parts right, it sounds like the records I've listened to all along my learning journey, and there is something deeply satisfying in that.

 

[up2nogood]

I have grown to prefer shorter rods in the boat. Makes for easier netting.

I had a Fenwick FF856 glass rod I bought new in the 70's broke it long ago. Bought one this past winter on a classifieds here in Utah ,appeared to have never been fished . I fished it all the time when in Montana this summer out of my boat ,mostly indicator fishing. Forgot what a pleasure ,and how forgiving those glass rods were to fish . A friend mentioned you break a fish off with that rod ,shame on you .

 

[Evan B]

I had a Fenwick FF856 glass rod I bought new in the 70's broke it long ago. Bought one this past winter on a classifieds here in Utah ,appeared to have never been fished . I fished it all the time when in Montana this summer out of my boat ,mostly indicator fishing. Forgot what a pleasure ,and how forgiving those glass rods were to fish . A friend mentioned you break a fish off with that rod ,shame on you .

I have two 1970s vintage Fenwick glass 7wts, one being a blank built on by @Salmo_g. I updated the cork, reel seat, and added a fighting butt. Super fun carping stick (it's the one in my profile pic).

 

[up2nogood]

I have two 1970s vintage Fenwick glass 7wts, one being a blank built on by @Salmo_g. I updated the cork, reel seat, and added a fighting but. Super fun carping stick (it's the one in my profile pic).

Nice . I like these old Fenwick's . I haven't fished dry's with this 6 weight ,but I should try it . It's what I fished in the 70's ,but just don't remember much about the rod, until now . As said didn't know how nice they are , might feel different casting dry's all day with a heavier glass rod . Indicator fishing out of a boat is a whole different program .

 

[Evan B]

Nice . I like these old Fenwick's . I haven't fished dry's with this 6 weight ,but I should try it . It's what I fished in the 70's ,but just don't remember much about the rod, until now . As said didn't know how nice they are , might feel different casting dry's all day with a heavier glass rod . Indicator fishing out of a boat is a whole different program .

Dries and indicators aren't really part of what I do much these days, so not sure. I'm sure the 5wt with a double taper or presentation taper would do just fine. Probably would need a more aggressive line for good indicator fishing. I'm guessing it'd be more suited to dries overall, though.

They're fun rods. They're not going to compare to modern glass or graphite in performance, but there's a feel to them that's just fun to use in the right circumstances.

 

[up2nogood]

Dries and indicators aren't really part of what I do much these days, so not sure. I'm sure the 5wt with a double taper or presentation taper would do just fine. Probably would need a more aggressive line for good indicator fishing. I'm guessing it'd be more suited to dries overall, though.

They're fun rods. They're not going to compare to modern glass or graphite in performance, but there's a feel to them that's just fun to use in the right circumstances.

Indicator fishing , casting is not much of an issue , so the performance in that part is not much of an issue , just nice with a fish on it . I'm fishing a weight forward 6 weight line on it . Probably a good double taper would work okay for dry's. Never fished a modern glass rod .

 

[adamcu280]

When I started my flat picking journey, I got a used Harmony Dreadnaught to learn on, and boy did I learn...mostly I learned how a poorly fit/finished instrument can inhibit progress, especially when the technical details are correct, but the instrument response fails. Instead of burning cash setting up a dog, I got a Taylor 710 and was pretty happy with that for a few years. When the opportunity to buy a good early 90's Martin D28 at a discount came along, I jumped on it, but shortly after that I got to play a Collings and spent the next couple years playing every one I could. The D2H I bought was one of a batch of 5 sent to DS, and besides being the champ of that batch is one of the best-voiced D2Hs I've heard.
Like Leo Kottke's fictional Tilt Billings and his Student Prince, it's "easy to play, with a beautiful sound", and that had a lot to do with my technical and stylistic progression.
Have I made more money as a musician because of a high-end instrument? Not on your life. Matter of fact, I haven't played this guitar for money, ever. I got it because when I play it and get all the parts right, it sounds like the records I've listened to all along my learning journey, and there is something deeply satisfying in that.

You describe how I feel when I play my electrics through my Ampeg VT40.

 

[Brute]

 

[Bugmeister]

Pyzel pintail

 

[Brute]

When I started my flat picking journey, I got a used Harmony Dreadnaught to learn on, and boy did I learn...mostly I learned how a poorly fit/finished instrument can inhibit progress, especially when the technical details are correct, but the instrument response fails. Instead of burning cash setting up a dog, I got a Taylor 710 and was pretty happy with that for a few years. When the opportunity to buy a good early 90's Martin D28 at a discount came along, I jumped on it, but shortly after that I got to play a Collings and spent the next couple years playing every one I could. The D2H I bought was one of a batch of 5 sent to DS, and besides being the champ of that batch is one of the best-voiced D2Hs I've heard.
Like Leo Kottke's fictional Tilt Billings and his Student Prince, it's "easy to play, with a beautiful sound", and that had a lot to do with my technical and stylistic progression.
Have I made more money as a musician because of a high-end instrument? Not on your life. Matter of fact, I haven't played this guitar for money, ever. I got it because when I play it and get all the parts right, it sounds like the records I've listened to all along my learning journey, and there is something deeply satisfying in that.

I was a fan of Leo Kottke…after seeing him about 40 years ago at Andrews Amphitheater on the University of Hawaii campus, i wanted to get a 12 string and play open tuning’s… but I never did. “Slack Key” guitar had a renaissance in Hawaii with Gabby “Pops” Pahinui paving the way…I’m sure you also listened to Ry Cooder as well…