KH3 custom shop special order value?

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Wilder

I have a special order blue KH3 custom from I think the early 2000s ( it could be earlier but without digging it out of the loft I cannot remember)  , with rosewood board and dot markers.The guitar has no stickers, and comes with the ESP certificate , custom case and remains unplayed from new. The case still has the outer cardboard  transit packaging.

I am wondering what this might be worth, as I have never seen  a blue version of this model anywhere.

Pushead

It's hard to make that kind of judgement without seeing at least some pics of the guitar.

Am I correct in reading that you've never taken it out of the box? Or do you just put it in the box when you stored it? How long has it been in storage, and in what kind of conditions? Can you even be sure it's in playable condition?

Big Daddy B

If I recall, I remember someone posting online years back about ordering a blue KH3. I will see if I can find the thread.

Wilder

Wilder

I just got it out to take these pics. It has been stored correctly in  a bedroom closet ( until 2 weeks ago when it went in the loft.), with the strings slackened off around a full tone. I has been out of the box periodically but never to play it. Just to check it over &  wipe it down. As you can see from the certificate its 2005 model.

Hope this helps. tx

Pushead

Nice! I'd guess you'd need to find the right buyer, but I could see it going between $1500 and $2k.

Sorry, when I read "loft" I immediately thought of a top floor storage area. Maybe that's just a local term for it, though. The loft at my place isn't heated or cooled, so I got worried.

ESP 348

What a unique guitar! Looks great in that colour.

Would have been amazing if it had the KH3 Spider and Skull inlays.

Thanks for the pics, I don't know what it's worth, but you certainly have a cool guitar there.

Big Daddy B
ESP 348 wrote:

What a unique guitar! Looks great in that colour.

Would have been amazing if it had the KH3 Spider and Skull inlays.

Thanks for the pics, I don't know what it's worth, but you certainly have a cool guitar there.

I couldn't find the original post online but IIRC the original buyer liked the KH-3 when he was younger then thought the spider and inlays were stupid so ordered it "plain." Something to that effect.

Wilder

Some interesting observations there guys.

From what I believe, this guitar cost significantly more than  $1500 when it was bought new  in 2005, so rarity being a key factor among collectors, I would find it unlikely that it would only be the same value now or even less than when it was new.

 12 years on, and it is still unmarked and unplayed.  Trying to gauge the value is difficult, but $1500-$2000 would make it around half to a third the value of a normal (new) KH3.

I am sure someone out there is an expert on these guitars, but its so hard finding accurate information on how many special orders were produced. This is the only one I have ever seen in this spec and color, and that may detract from the value, but previous experience tells me its not necessarily the case but I suspect $1500 is way off the mark. I could be wrong ( won`t be the first time) , but I do not know of any case of a perfect example of a signature custom shop ESP lose money over time .

Sephiroth

My view on it is You can come up with any number you like, but it's only worth what someone is willing to pay?

It's second hand, even mint, if no one likes it, no one's going to pay a lot for it.

It was worth what the original buyer purchased it for, now on the open market it's value is determined by what someone is willing to pay and what you are willing to sell it for.

Personally I wouldn't pay $1,500 for it, but there could be others that will. It may be a one off custom, but those features might not be desirable to many. If someone wanted a kh-3 I would think they would want the spider inlays. I don't think you can compare against a kh-3 price of today, as apart from the shape they are totally different guitars.

I of course could also be way off.

BlackJack21

I agree with Sep, you basically have a blue ESP guitar with dot inlays, and a bolt-on neck. And? Just because no one else really has it, makes it rare yes, but it doesn't necessarily make it more desirable. It probably makes it less desirable in all honesty since it's not an actual KH-3. It would be tough for me to give $1,000 for it IMO, but like Sep said it's worth what someone will pay for it.

 

Also there's a reason why ESP stopped selling the KH-3 as a standard sig, because there's less and less of a market for it, since Kirk doesn't play it anymore. So finding a buyer will probably be harder to find.

Pushead

And I might be wrong as well.

It's a Custom Shop guitar and I suppose a "signature" guitar, but Kirk never played one like it. I wouldn't consider it a true Kirk sig. So basically what you have is an ESP Custom Shop version of a Gibson Melody Maker with a Floyd and Kirk's scribble at the head stock. The inlays aren't anything out of the ordinary. It's a bolt-on neck. It's kind of plain.

When you consider dealers were trying to give away new Kirk's DC guitars a few years ago.  (For many reasons including the fact that Kirk almost never played them.)  I think my estimate is pretty solid. It's certainly not a $4000 guitar.

Big Daddy B
Wilder wrote:

$1500-$2000 would make it around half to a third the value of a normal (new) KH3.

Yes that is probably right but if someone was going to custom order one (basically the only way to get a new one nowadays) the buyer is probably also going to want neck thru construction and similar features to Kirk's. Your guitar has neither of those.

I am sure someone out there is an expert on these guitars, but its so hard finding accurate information on how many special orders were produced. This is the only one I have ever seen in this spec and color, and that may detract from the value

There was also a sunburst one I have seen with traditional ESP logo and sunburst finish. I think it had spider inlays as well.

but previous experience tells me its not necessarily the case but I suspect $1500 is way off the mark. I could be wrong ( won`t be the first time) , but I do not know of any case of a perfect example of a signature custom shop ESP lose money over time .

Pushead gave a perfectly good example with the KH-DC. New they are now costing like $5K but struggle to sell for $1500 used. And those are with actual sig spec. Can you think of an example of a signature custom shop model that hasn't lost money over time? The only one I can think of is maybe the '98 bolt on Ouijas.

 

BlackJack21

The JH-1, JH-2, and JH-3 will hold their initial market value at the very least, but unfortunately I can't say the same for some of Kirk's models.

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Big Daddy B
Wilder wrote:

Some interesting observations there guys.

From what I believe, this guitar cost significantly more than  $1500 when it was bought new  in 2005, so rarity being a key factor among collectors, I would find it unlikely that it would only be the same value now or even less than when it was new.

 12 years on, and it is still unmarked and unplayed.  Trying to gauge the value is difficult, but $1500-$2000 would make it around half to a third the value of a normal (new) KH3.

I am sure someone out there is an expert on these guitars, but its so hard finding accurate information on how many special orders were produced. This is the only one I have ever seen in this spec and color, and that may detract from the value, but previous experience tells me its not necessarily the case but I suspect $1500 is way off the mark. I could be wrong ( won`t be the first time) , but I do not know of any case of a perfect example of a signature custom shop ESP lose money over time .

There's a guy on here NRudy, look him up. He buys a lot of one off stuff and may have interest.

Breadfan32

Don't do this.  You will receive an endless amount of messages that don't make sense and in the end you will still have the guitar.  

Guiguitarz

HateEvent

I remember seeing pictures of this guitar on the old forum back when it was ordered.

Unfortunately I'm in agreement - there isn't going to be the same market for it as it isn't 'correct' as such. It's still a custom shop ESP of course, but not necessarily of a desirable spec to many prospective buyers.

I bet it plays and sounds great though!

Wilder

I certainly agree, the value is simply as a custom shop unplayed guitar , and whatever that may be. 

ESP 348

Thanks for the info BigDaddy.

 

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