r/BoomersBeingFools • u/CyanShadow42 • 1d ago

What is it with boomers and Harleys?

Some background: I am a lifelong motorcyclist, who likes to do lots of different kinds of riding, so I have a few different bikes. I'm also a bad influence and people who spend much time around me usually end up riding too, so my wife now rides and has a bike of her own. Between us we've got 5 bikes in the garage, all different types, and none of them Harleys because all of them together don't add up to the price of a new Harley and if I wanted that kind of bike I'd rather buy a Royal Enfield for all the 1940's tech without the $25,000 sticker on the gas tank.

The other day my MIL, the boomiest baby boomer to ever boom, upon seeing our garage, comments that she's "never seen so many motorcycles" with disgust almost dripping from the words. I point out that in her own neighborhood, I've seen a few garages with several Harleys that look almost identical except for color and a few accessories and suddenly having multiple bikes seems okay in her mind. I wish that was the only case of boomers being like "motorcycles bad but Harleys good" I've experienced, but it's just one of the more obvious and recent instances. Make it make sense please.

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u/TheRealSatanicPanic 1d ago

Harley is a boomer brand, like Jack Daniel’s and Gibson guitars. It’s a symbol of their youth. I think you’d need a time machine to know exactly why, it must have been in some movie. 

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u/CyanShadow42 1d ago

I enjoy a good Les Paul, or a good strat, but I prefer the copycats that are 90% as good for 10% the price, because I'm never gonna be a pro musician.

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u/fingers-but-hole 1d ago

Literally this, you can pay 3-4k for a new lp, or spend between 800-2000 for something that plays just as well and sounds just as good

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u/TheRealSatanicPanic 1d ago

It’s just a status symbol at that point. I have a friend who does marketing in the industry and according to him most of their customers don’t even play guitar, they just collect them. Fender is one of the few big brands that does outreach to current groups. 

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u/chrispd01 1d ago

Mmmm. I am not so sure - for 4k you can get a Gibson that definitely sounds and plays better than an Epiphone.

I totally agree, though for most of us it’s just not worth the extra money.

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u/GrimmTidings 1d ago

Epiphones are pretty garbage. You can get an ESP LTD EC1000 for around $1200 and it is better than a Gibson IMHO.

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u/ChiWhiteSox24 1d ago

Beat me to it. EC 1000 all day over a Gibson

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u/fingers-but-hole 1d ago

I'm referring mostly to other brands. Tone is subjective to everyone, but there really isn't arguing a brand new LP is going to sound better than a 3-500 dollar epi.

Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, Balaguer all make great sounding guitars in that cheaper price range that are comparable/better than a brand new LP. Use your ears and figure out what you like though bc at the end of the day it's about what you like.

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u/TheRealSatanicPanic 1d ago

I have epiphone hollow body and it’s pretty phenomenal. But their solid body guitars are not as good. 

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u/chrispd01 1d ago

My fucking dream guitar is the gold top hollow body Epiphone model that Scotty Morre played …..

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u/TheRealSatanicPanic 1d ago

They’re great guitars, I honestly don’t know why they aren’t more expensive. I got and Emperor Swingster years ago. I was in a shop comparing it to the Gretsch low end model and it was miles better quality, like even the finish was perfect, while the Gretsch had visible blemishes. I didn’t even replace the pickups, which is usually the worst thing about Ephiphones. I always get compliments on the sound Gibson is a weird fucking company but I understand it’s run by a guy who doesn’t play. 

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u/chrispd01 1d ago

Thanks for the take on the Emperor and confirming a suspicion I had.

I would love to get a Gretsch but only a high-end one …:

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u/TheRealSatanicPanic 1d ago

Me too. A beautiful White Falcon. Maybe someday 

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u/ChiWhiteSox24 1d ago

Throw me a $1200 ESP and call it a day. No need for the super high end stuff

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u/fingers-but-hole 23h ago

Hell yeah brother