I thought about buying a Les Paul style when I was contemplating a short scale. I looked at mid-range LP copies made by LTD, Schecter, etc. Then I thought- no, if I am going to go for a LP style, I am going to bite the bullet and get a Gibson. So that became what I believed- that I wouldnāt settle for a copy. And I am not interested in the Epiphones (or Squiers). Then I looked at Gibsons. Then I decided I didnāt really need a short scale after all. 
And this coming from someone who invests whatever the cost is in quality when its a buy-it-for-life product. Gibson prices are just too astronomic. Buy it for life. More like buy it for five lives.
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If a 20 yr old bought a brand new Les Paul Custom today for $5000 and kept it until age 65 it would work out to .30c a day. Less than a sip of coffee from a chain coffee shop. So hardly astronomic. Expensive yes.
I paid $800 for a 1979 Les Paul custom new in 1979. If I still had it I could sell it for over $4000 today.
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True! But to buy it at 46 or 56 or 66ā¦
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Or 69 ? Why not, as @sairfingers frequently says, no pockets in a shroud. 
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At 46 itās still less than a cup of coffee and by 65 your kids will thank you, just ask Toby. 
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My grandson will snatch up the 2 basses in a heart beat, the minute Iāve stopped breathing ! But he grumbles about them only having 4 strings, as heās a 5er !!
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If you had bought a $200 guitar in 1979 and invested the other $600 in an S&P 500 index fund, that fund would be worth around $110,000 today.
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So if JK gets a midrange guitar instead of a high end guitar what do you recommend he invests the left over dosh in?
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A lot of interesting posts, cherry picking hereā¦
I thought you had a couple of Gibsons Toby? Splitting hairs on definitions here, but all Gibsons seem pretty high end compared to the alternatives.
If only there was 2, and if only I could make up my mind.
That is what keeps me conflicted. My Indonesian made Fender is awesome.
Thatās a pretty good idea.
No cork-sniffery here, I only buy affordable high-value gear.
Find the guitar form(s) that appeal to you (you may already have a few favorite guitars on hand) and install the Guitar Fetish Kwikplug pickup system:
Swap in some different pups and keep on rockinā. 
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Hey JK,
Enjoy your search mate.
Fortunately for me, there plenty of great guitars in the low-mid price range price. Iāve got 2 Artists; an LP and Tele style, and couldnt be happier.
Had them both for 4 years now, and doubt Iād have progressed any faster or played any better with a $3000+ guitar.
Nice things are nice to have though, for sure.
If I had the money, Iād go custom for sure. The fun would be in the journey as well. The specs I suppose depend on what type of player you are.
Cheers, Shane
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I have no idea where mine would fall on your continuum. I decided to buy from quality makers, but at the āentry-levelā end of their catalogs.
My electric is a Dean Zelinsky Tagliare. The least expensive Tagliare currently goes for about $1600 (todayās price for comparison purposes, they were less when I bought mine in 2016) but mine was a factory refurb so it was considerably reduced. I couldnāt find a flaw when I got it. Zelinsky sells only factory-direct, with a very generous return policy, so mine may well have been someone who just changed his/her mind. The Z-Glide neck was new and optional then; maybe they just didnāt like it.
My acoustic is a Taylor, but itās a 114e. Not their rock-bottom model, but definitely entry level.
So I guess Iāve got mid-range in the market instruments from high-end makers.
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Well, based on the GAS rampant around these parts, I recommend Gibson and Fender stock
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Now this looks like the kind of thing that should make expensive brands quake in their boots! Esp. as thereās no premium price to be paid for versatility.
If I cared much about my tone, Iād definitely be looking into these 
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Over the years I have owned cheap guitars and expensive guitars. I have learned three things ā¦
- If you really want a particular guitar / brand etc and can afford it without impacting you or your family then getting something cheaper is a false economy because it will not scratch the itch for long.
- A better guitar will not really sound or play significantly better than a mid range one, but you might feel better when playing it
- If you buy a good guitar second hand (particularly a popular brand) you wonāt lose your shirt over it.
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I solved the problem by building one. Or two. Actually 7. To sell of course. Except I havenāt yet. I havenāt solved the problem, have I?
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Built or sold?
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and then there are those who claim that there are no stupid questions 
Go Go Go 
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And JK, keep dropping one and adding a new oneā¦rearrange and repeat 
And if after a year you have not been able to make a choice in this way, you are simply not ready for another one ā¦
Have fun 
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