3-4 guitars. $12,000. What do you buy?

[Thumbwrapper]

A Santa Cruz and a Collings. Done.

[M Sarad]

I’d get Custom shop Tele, Strat, and Les Paul.

[tippy5]

That Gibson J 45 TV recently on sale was the one.

Take the rest of the money and commision a 9.5K dream guitar.

[6L6]

I'd buy a used Martin D-45V and a used Collings D2HA.

[Neil K Walk]

Martin HD-35, Larrivee LV-05, Taylor 458e and use the rest to put toward a luthery workshop (once the lockdown is over) where I'd likely build something along the lines of a Martin 00-18.

[M19]

Let's see...

...start with a Martin 00-18 SH...
...add a McIlroy A30c...
...then maybe do a Taylor BTO custom GC 12 fret cutaway all mahogany...
...Oh, and a 12-er: Taylor 562ce...
...finally for the couch a Gibson AG Parlor.

Wait, I already have these.Never mind!

[MThomson]

I'd go for 2, one steel string, one classical. The steel string would be a Taran, the classical probably by Fylde to get custom guitars from outstanding local(ish) luthiers

[jaytee32]

I'd get me a Sunburst D-18 or maybe D-28, I'd need to try them both. Then I might get Loef guitars to make me a Sunburst OM, otherwise a sunburst Martin OM.

With what was leftover, put good pickups in them.

[L20A]

I'd buy a used Martin D-45V and a used Collings D2HA

This will also work for me.


Or a new Martin D-42 and what ever Collins the leftover money can buy.

[Bax Burgess]

$12,000 would cover my first installment on an Olson.

[leinad]

martin 000-28ec
martin ceo9
gibson sj200
taylor 322 ce 12fret

that should come to about 12 grand or slightly less

[mischultz]

https://reverb.com/item/33233007-bre...-american-made
1400

https://reverb.com/item/13993493-san...-f-custom-2014
5600

https://reverb.com/item/30056795-201...in-pelham-blue
2700

https://reverb.com/item/32958067-gif...ic-pelham-blue
1700

This is a pretty right answer, I think. But goodness gracious, the Breedlove has my head spinning. I really regret having let one go, and if someone offered on my Taylor, I'd probably rectify that wrong in a heartbeat.

[jljohn]

I'd be looking at one of the following:

A wartime D-18,
a post-war / early non-herringbone D-28, or
an early post-war SJ.

If I were spending 12k on guitar(s) for one person, this is absolutely what I'd be looking for.

[FormerFoodie]

I'm a quality over quantity guy, so I would only buy one. I'd try to find a used boutique from one of my favorite builders: Circa, Blazer & Henkes, Froggy Bottom...

[Mark Stone]

My four would be:

1. Martin 000 28 to fingerpick
2. Martin D-28 to strum on
3. Gibson J-45 to do more strummin'
4. Taylor 814ce DLX for an all-rounder. But I already got that one!