I'd love to own a Custom Strat. But it would probably be too similar to the Parker Nightfly I own in terms of tone. And I can't justify having two of the same type guitar financially.

4K plus for a Stratocaster?? get the hell outta here. NO post 1965 strat on the planet is worth that.

I dunno. I would be willing to spend £4000 if it was a vintage one of a kind Strat that had great tone and played perfectly for my style.

I do struggle to see why people think that say £2000 is too expensive for a Strat but if it were a Gibson Les Paul then its entirely reasonable?!

Don't get me wrong I love both Strats and Les Pauls but I would rather pay through the nose for a Strat I loved than a LP I loved contrary to their respective and relative prices.

"I do struggle to see why people think that say £2000 is too expensive for a Strat but if it were a Gibson Les Paul then its entirely reasonable?!"

No... 20000 pound for a "new" LP is too expensive too..

There is my opinion on the "custom shop" both Gibson and Fender..
They (the custom shop) are making guitars the way they SHOULD be made on the factory floor but aren't and charging ridiculous prices for them..

Just look at the Gibson "1959 LP re-issue".. So far there has been SEVERAL iterations of that product and they STILL aren't right to the Vintage spec's. It's really NOT that hard.. Use the best woods you can get and the highest components and have just a modicum of quality finishing work and you have a quality product that, when sold as the primary product, isn't anywhere close to the price they are today..
Go back to the 60's and if people want to spend 100 dollars for a guitar let 'em buy off shore with off shore brands (tesico, Electra, etc).

It's NOT just Fender and Gibson .. PRS Grestch all do the same thing..

Rickenbacker doesn't and you can't get one of those unless you're VERY lucky for a year after it's ordered.. hmmm..

Listen if you like those custom shop 60's get a 62 ri instead...i love mine as i obviouly talk about it so much..The new guitar i built is a 62 as well with a warmoth neck..little customized...The 62's cost 1400 new (i would get one from the early 80's though) or more depending on when it was made. If you can't afford that i am sure the japanese 62 ri's are not bad either...tghey go for 600-800 dollars...not quite american parts but you could always replace that later. If you have the cash for a custom shop you have the cash for a 62 ri americazn and i would just get one of them as it's all the smame specs minus the custom shop pickups and some relic job..you want to pay an extra 1500 for your guitar to be reliced just drop it off at my house and i will tie it to the back of my saab and drag it down the street. Get the reissues...they are better bang for the buck and to be honest i have fralins in both of mine and they probably are way better (in my opinion) than the custom shop 60s. I played one and yeah it looked cool but did not have the action of my vintage piece or even the new one i built...DOn't waste your money!!!!

I have an early 80's 62 ri and yeah i think it's gone up in price because they were hand building them during those years (could be wrong about that...anyone please confirm)...my 84 62 ri is a monster and i was NEV ER a strat guy before. I started on strats 20 years ago and then i moved to prs and others...then went back with the 62 ri's! Try one in a store or try anything in the store before you buy it and then get it on ebay and save yourself some cash..even the custom shops 60s are only 2800 in comparision to a new one which is way over priced. You can have a guitar made the way you want it to spec so NO guitar unless it's a collector's piece needs to be over 3k like those...

'I have an early 80's 62 ri and yeah i think it's gone up in price because they were hand building them during those years (could be wrong about that...anyone please confirm)..."

in 1982 Fender was still in the depth of the "dark years" and still owned by CBS. There were no "hand built" guitars in those days. (and damn few today despite the claims.. CNC machined though and though).

Duane,

The 80's models from 80-85 have gone up to the 5-6k on ebay. I don't know why or even if it's just a temp. thing. I was wandering why and i was told by someone that they were hand made or at least made better..it could be because they are so old..i don't know. I doubt it will stay at that price because i've seen a revival of the old kramer guitars go up due to nestaligia and then it went back down..i'd never sell mine.

"he 80's models from 80-85 have gone up to the 5-6k on ebay. I don't know why or even if it's just a temp. thing."

The answer is simple really.. The sellers are trying to cash in on that "vintage" thing.. just like saying 70's Gibsons are "vintage" and "hand made".. They aren't. In the world of guitars age as LITTLE to NOTHING to do with the meaning of the term "vintage".
Vintage in the guitar/amp world are guitars made during the "golden era". i.e. 19xx though about 1968.. Remember in 1965 Fender was sold to CBS and the cost cutting started and in 1969 Norlin bought Gibson and again, the cost cutting started. It stayed that way until 1987 or so when Gibson was sold again.

Many dealers and uninformed buyers are pushing the idea that 20 year old guitars are 'vintage".. They aren't they're just used.