Highly strung
A canny investment in a vintage guitar might just end up hitting all the right notes
THE UPSURGE IN THE PRICES OF VINTAGE GUITARS MEANS IT IS VITAL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING IN A MARKET AWASH WITH SHARKS
BACK IN THE Fifties and Sixties, guitar companies were producing tools for what they considered would be a short-lived trade, so the fact that any survived is in some ways a happy accident. Besides looking, feeling and sounding great, other aspects can significantly increase appeal, such as a particular artist seen playing something different or a limited edition. Although it has a 50-year history, this makes the electric guitar market only predictable to a point.
The year of production is key; “vintage” generally applies to any instrument made a minimum of 25 years ago. Vintage status is usually accompanied by a hefty price hike, regardless of quality. With money firmly in mind, the trade tends to ignore factors than differentiate between good and bad. Most electrics from the 1950s and 1960s are for the super-rich, but for the rest of us there is the whole of the 1970s to play with.
The mainstream models from this decade are quickly rising in value and less popular models are now achieving recognition thanks to bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. Fender Telecasters, including the Custom and Thinline, and Gibsons, including the Les Paul Deluxe and Recording, have become expensive. Other Gibson models, such as the Marauder, S1 and L-6S, have yet to reach this limelight and remain more of an investment gamble.
Surprisingly, some important 1960s electrics remain affordable; the original Ampeg Dan Armstrong See-Through being one example. Fender’s Jaguar and Jazzmaster have up-to-date credibility but cost less. Gibson SGs have rocketed in value but their Epiphone equivalents, including the Crestwood and Coronet, continue to lag far behind. Interestingly, the 1970s Japanese-made versions have come back from the dustbin thanks to bands such as The Hives.
The rise of these cheaper Far East alternatives is unusual because, while virtually anything vintage and American rises in value, the same isn’t true elsewhere. The high-spec Ibanez Professional and Artist series of the late Seventies and Yamaha’s Flying Samurai reversed-body guitars are attractive options.
From the UK, only the Burns Marvin from the Sixties is a reasonable investment. Another oddball oldie is the Hagstrom P46 Deluxe from late 1950s Sweden, recently rekindled in the hands of Franz Ferdinand.
Mosrite is a famous US name and the Ventures solids from the 1960s do well. Cheaper equivalents from 20 years later lack that association but carry a handwritten message from the late Semie Moseley himself, which should increase value.
Paul Reed Smith, a new major brand from this era, is unusually already awarded vintage credibility. Their early Customs and Standards sell for many times their original prices and this looks set to continue.
Frequent modern limited editions are cold-bloodedly calculated to make money, pushing their investment potential far into the future. Instead, it pays to investigate the instruments that were limited by accident, badly marketed or suffered a cool reception and poor sales at the time.
And the most expensive guitar ever auctioned? The honour goes to a “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster with 1956 and 1957 parts, owned by Eric Clapton from 1970-1985, which was sold for $959,500 at the Rockefeller Centre in New York for the famed Crossroads Guitar Auction.
BUYING
- KNOWLEDGE Swot up on the subject via books, the internet and experts.
- BUDGET Buy the best you can afford.
- CONDITION Older isn’t necessarily better. Big money breeds hype. Avoid irreversible modifications.
- HOW TO BUY Purchase in person if possible. Take along a knowledgeable friend. Thoroughly inspect the instrument. Be prepared to haggle.
SELLING
- KNOWLEDGE Verify the year accurately and compile an analysis of all features.
- PRICING Your asking price should be flexible to allow for haggling. Compare with adverts.
- CONDITION Be as accurate and honest as possible. Unfairness will usually result in an aggrieved buyer.
- HOW TO SELL Selling to or via a vintage instrument dealer avoids the hassles of time wasters.
HOW MUCH?
- TOKAI Stratocaster or Telecaster copies (early editions): £350-£750
- EPIPHONE Coronet or Crestwood Custom or Deluxe: £500-£2,500
- FENDER Telecaster Custom, Deluxe, or Thinline (1970s): £1,000-£2,500
- PAUL REED SMITH Custom: £1,500-£3,500
