Dh500,000 Vs Dh5,000 Guitar: Which Sounds Better? A Guitar Shop In Dubai Can Help You Find Out

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Back in 2000, American guitar manufacturing company Gibson approached the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, with a limited-edition, custom-made guitar. It featured the magazine's iconic silhouette of a rabbit wearing a bow tie and was built from hand-carved pieces of pearl. Because there were only 10 units made, Gibson gifted the guitars to several celebrities, like Leonardo DiCaprio. Hefner got the first unit, which had the serial number“PBY 001” inscribed on it, raising its status.

That guitar, signed by Hefner himself and by members of the band Tool, eventually found its way to a guitar collector in Dubai. Rick Vlemmiks, founder of Art of Guitar, paid almost Dh350,000 to get his hands on the guitar, which was auctioned off after Hefner passed away in 2017.

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Aside from selling its usual rounds of Fenders, Yamahas, and Gibsons, Art of Guitar has made a name for itself as the only guitar store in the Middle East that sells exclusive, one-of-a-kind instruments. One of those is a guitar signed by none other than the English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, when he paid the store a visit in early 2024.“About 500 [guitar] stores around the world applied for Ed to come and he only came to our store,” the guitar store owner told KT LUXE.“Everybody thinks it's divine, 'You gave him a load of money'. [But] he wouldn't take a penny,” he said.

That night, Sheeran was due to perform at The Sevens Stadium, with 70,000 people in attendance. Though Sheeran's agent repeatedly told him to leave for the concert, Vlemmiks recalled how the British pop sensation wouldn't leave until he had answered all the questions the students had for him, and he wound up staying in Art of Guitar for hours longer than planned. Vlemmiks said that his music school, which gives 100 free lesson packages to children with special needs, attracted the pop star.“My son's got autism and playing music helps him,” Vlemmiks said.“And Ed was so interested in [the school].”

Vlemmiks opened Art of Guitar six years ago in Dubai's artsy and trendy Courtyard centre. It took him a year to open the store as there were a lot of factors to take in when storing these priceless guitars, and everything from temperature to humidity had to be taken into account. Today, Vlemmiks has amassed a collection of rare guitars, amplifiers, and posters signed by the biggest stars in the guitar industry.

By far, the most expensive piece he purchased was a prototype of Eric Clapton's acoustic guitar, which the Tears in Heaven singer himself worked on with manufacturer Martin Guitars. Vlemmiks spent a stunning $500,000 (Dh1.8 million) on it and sold it for $700,000 (Dh2.5 million).

Among the other prized items that music-enthusiasts will appreciate are signed guitars and prototypes from John Lennon, Jeff Beck, Coldplay, Pink Floyd, and Rolling Stones.

Does more money equal better sound?

Now for that quintessential question: do expensive guitars - inlaid with mother of pearl, dotted with gold flakes, or carved out of rare Alaskan Sitka spruce wood – sound any better than regular ones?“Some people say, 'Oh, once you go past a certain price, you never hear a difference.' I totally disagree with that,” Vlemmiks said.

He explained:“I've got guitars out there for Dh5,000 that I can happily play on and sound really good. If somebody comes in and tells me my budget's Dh5,000 and I want the best sounding guitar, [then] I will find them the best sounding guitar [within the budget]. But if they say, I just want the best sounding guitar and money's no option, then I'll show them the Slash guitar.”

Slash, the lead guitarist for the rock band Guns N' Roses, had a custom-made guitar at the request of his wife, made from an ancient Alaskan Sitka spruce wood, edged with copper and gold flakes, and quilted with carbon fibre.“Often, it's the player who gets the best out of the guitar. It's rarity, it's collectability,” Vlemmiks added.

We've had to sign NDAs saying we won't even talk about what guitars come in, but they only trust us to do the fixing of it. We even have customers who will have repairs or setups done under NDA"

Rick Vlemmiks

NDA for a guitar?

Vlemmiks tells KT LUXE that some guitars are so exclusive that people have had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), a legally binding agreement between two parties that prevents sensitive information from being shared.“We've had to sign NDAs saying we won't even talk about what guitars come in, but they only trust us to do the fixing of it. We even have customers who will have repairs or setups done under NDA,” he said.

When Vlemmiks opened his store, he knew the importance of having a wide range of guitar instruments for certain occasions. He said guitarists also want options. They may want an electric to shred metal and rock music to, another for bluesy tunes, and an acoustic for more organic playing.“Guitarists aren't like pianists or violinists,” he said, referring to the versatility that some guitarists prefer in their instruments.

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