Where do I find my dream guitar? How much is that guitar in the window worth? part 2
January 26, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Where do I find my dream guitar? How much is that guitar in the window worth? part 2
Last time we covered the rise and continued rise of the vintage , collectable guitar market. We found out these guitars rise in price , not necessarily due to quality but due to supply and demand. All of us reading this can not or will not buy a guitar for $500,000. So what do we buy ? Well there are many factors to consider. Are you a player ? Are you a collector ? Are you an investor? Or are you all 3 ? Let’s look at some basic things. To find that certain guitar that your hero plays , might prove to be challenging. Especially if you would like to obtain the guitar at a steal ? The days of the yard sale find or the little old lady with the old guitar under the bed , have become almost extinct . Sure there are exceptions to every rule. With the advancement in technology and just overall media coverage , you have fewer opportunities to make a big score .In the early days of the internet (circa 1993) I remember searching for guitars , etc. To my surprise , there was quite a bit of information available for such a new technology. (14.4k modem=slow)
I remember doing my first transaction via the internet. I believe I made the connection through Harmony Central . I think it was a pedal trade with Kevin Bolembach , who now is the president of GodlykeDistributing (www.godlyke.com) . I remember thinking how great it was to be able to reach out and buy , trade , and sell things with the whole world , as opposed to taking an ad out in my local paper or paying a small fortune in a National Publication. A few years later Ebay came along. Faster internet connections , user friendly web sites followed . The good , the bad and the ugly . With all of this technology around , we are now able to make deals with a wider audience . The major down side is everybody thinks that everything they find is gold. Many times when working in a store , people would come in with the biggest pieces of junk and ask ridiculous amounts . As it turns out , someone told them or they saw something similar on the internet . On the other side of this , you have a buyers who are unknowledgeable and they overpay , thus driving the price up when they sell it . The endless vicious cycle .
Are there still great guitars to be found ? YES ! Just be prepared that the guitar you may want , may be very expensive . Let’s use the Gibson Les Paul from the last article . Now say you’re a huge Jimmy Page fan , and that’s the guitar you want . If your swimming in dough , then go after the real deal . Most of us aren’t so what can we do ? There is something available in everyone’s budget .If your looking for pure playability , consider Epiphone’s (Gibson’s import brand-designs from Gibson-manufactured over seas )various models . They offer models between $300-$1000 , that will quench most appetites for playing. Gibson offers many models between $800-$2000 , again for playing . If your looking for a collectable piece , you will need to spend a bit more .Gibson offers various models made in their custom shop and in their historic division . These models have better craftsmanship and more attention to detail . Most of these models start at $2000 and go up .Can I guarantee these models will be collectable in the future ? NO! If I could I would play the lottery more . Gibson , Fender , Gretsch ,PRS , etc. , have made custom shop , limited editions , numbered editions etc. Most of these have held their values, some have gone up , few have gone down . I will and have told anyone looking at the future value of a guitar, to buy a guitar because they like it . If they don’t play , buy it because you like the way it looks or the way it’s made or your favorite player plays it .Don’t over extend yourself either . Look around . There are many used guitars out there .Stores , private owners ,the internet . The guitar you want may be $2000 new, you may find a used one in good condition for $1400. Happy Hunting!
-Johnny Rodriguez