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My feelings about vintage guitars


salem

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Hi. I was browsing the famous Southworth guitars website and came upon a 1955 Strat going for $90,000. I'm just wondering why. During the early vintage days of electric guitars, Fender and Gibson didn't know what they were doing. They were winging it, playing by ear. If a strat or a Les Paul happened to sound good, it was an accident. Today, guys like Tom Anderson, Don Grosh, and John Suhr know what they're doing, they have researched and refined the art of guitar making. Their guitars sound good because that's the way they planned it.

I would rather buy a new boutique Strat for $2400, than that 1955 Strat for $2400. I feel the modern small luthiers make better guitars today than the vintage instruments.

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most people ( myself included ) have that opinion until they have the privlege to play these old instruments , I agree its too much for a guitar, but it is a rare collectable and a 55 strat can be one of the best guitars ever made , period. play some before you decide, it's not just snake oil and mojo, it's there to feel and hear

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most people ( myself included ) have that opinion until they have the privlege to play these old instruments , I agree its too much for a guitar, but it is a rare collectable and a 55 strat can be one of the best guitars ever made , period. play some before you decide, it's not just snake oil and mojo, it's there to feel and hear

I'll be the first to confess I've never played a vintage instrument. But it's hard to consider that a crudely made 1950's instrument will be playable and sing and sustain all over the neck the way a lovingly made modern strat or tele will that comes out of the small production guitar companies. There, you have one man, usually the owner, going over these guitars, playing them, before they leave the shop.

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dude, you just dont know what your talking about, sorry. a bubblebee wont fly on paper and the early crude shop guitars were the best made in some cases, yeah there are dogs but a straight 55 strat is a thing of wonder, why in the hell do you think 90% of people playing for a living are after vintage "players" it's not for the collectability or good looks

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Guest pirateflynn

I like both, although I am gravitating toward the vintage guitars. Now, while I have played some 50s-60s guitars I don't currently own any and so the vintage guitars I speak of are 70s Hamers. I just don't get trading your Anderson for a Suhr and then a Huber, etc. because the new one "just kills" the last one. I guess I just don't need a guitar that's any better. The ones I have are pretty good!

Concerning the top vintage guitars that are 10s of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, those are for collectors and no longer for utility. If you have an opportunity to buy a vintage guitar within your budget (and it stays in tune!) why not go for it and enjoy the hell out of it.

You make a good point about some of todays builders making great and consistant guitars. How many times have we heard that a guy will only buy a Hamer sight unseen or an Anderson sight unseen, etc? If you are strictly utilitarian and have $2,500-$3,000 to spend, a new boutiqie is a great way to go.

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I would rather buy a new boutique Strat for $2400, than that 1955 Strat for $2400. I feel the modern small luthiers make better guitars today than the vintage instruments.

Ok. Do me a favor: Find me some '55 Strats for $2400. I'll buy every one you find and pay you $2400 for each one you find. Deal?

Just when I thought you could not further prove your ignorance, you prove me wrong yet again.

Do you really believe the shit you fling, or do you just say what you say to get a reaction out of the people that actually know better?

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Concerning the top vintage guitars that are 10s of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, those are for collectors and no longer for utility.

That seems sensible to me. I think the old vintage guitars must have something to 'em or people wouldn't spend those insane amounts of money. But my only real experience with one is my '65 ES-330. Not a very scientific sample and not a model attracting the realy big price tags.

At the same time, I'm really glad we have such a wide variety of great stuff being made now.

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When we were in junior high and high school some of us had the opportunity to play some cool old guitars. I know I held a few old Fenders in my hands along with some Mosrites. I cannot remember much about them other than my '58 Les Paul Jr. I would not consider the quality of those 50's Strats to be crude at all, even if there were some that slipped through with a variance in tolerance.

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how can one have a preference if one has only tried one of the choices?

I can't say I have a preference but the way most vintage guitars are priced they are not even an option for me. I'm sure the great ones are great but to me (and even though I haven't had many ocasions to paw real vintage gear) there is no way they sound and feel X amount of dollars better than new stuff, coughtengrandpaf'scough! I'm sure others feel differently.

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The reason early stuff is generally best in my opinion is you still had highly skilled people who had been engaged in this:

DI107G1.gif

which went into these for 40 years:

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-468/ch4-3.htm

culminating in some of the most remarkable wood airplanes of all time:

mosquit5.jpg

The 1942 DeHavilland Mosquito, which no metal (or any other) fighters could catch until the jet age.

The point being, there were thousands upon thousands of people trained in woodworking skills any one of which could probably lay out a guitar in their sleep. Now it's a "specialized" skill of the few.

Edited to add: they started retiring in the mid 70's and are dying off now.

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Hi. I was browsing the famous Southworth guitars website and came upon a 1955 Strat going for $90,000. I'm just wondering why. During the early vintage days of electric guitars, Fender and Gibson didn't know what they were doing. They were winging it, playing by ear. If a strat or a Les Paul happened to sound good, it was an accident. Today, guys like Tom Anderson, Don Grosh, and John Suhr know what they're doing, they have researched and refined the art of guitar making. Their guitars sound good because that's the way they planned it.

I would rather buy a new boutique Strat for $2400, than that 1955 Strat for $2400. I feel the modern small luthiers make better guitars today than the vintage instruments.

you think that fender and gibson did not know what they were doing for over 20 years. fender made the telecaster, the stratocaster, the precision bass, the telecasterbass, the jazzmaster, the jaguar, the fender acoustics king, kingman , the starcaster, the unique montego and ltd jazzguitar, the fender V and VI bass.

all those instruments leo fender and his team invented, and developed over a period of 25 years. i don t know any bolt on guitar which is not based on any of above mentioned guitars and basses.

i don t want to mention all the gibson models, because gibsons made the best acoustics already in the begin of the last century. till the end of the 60s the gibson invented in acoustic and electric guitars anything which was to invent.

of course there are also other companies which made important pieces.

so what do you think who were the idols of the modern luthiers during the last 30 years.

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a bubblebee wont fly on paper

huh? :ph34r: haha

there is no way they sound and feel X amount of dollars better than new stuff

gotta agree. but hey, i'm cheap, errr, realistic.

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so what do you think who were the idols of the modern luthiers during the last 30 years.

I agree the modern luthiers I mentioned idolized Fender and Gibson. I think, however, that they have improved upon the old vintage guitars. The new ones, made one at a time, have flawless frets, impeccable neck pockets, less harsh sounding pickups, and plek finishing. I don't think anyone will argue that the old Fenders were mass production models, produced in a large factory.

The only argument that holds water is, "I have played a '55 Strat and it sounded more beautiful than anything I have ever heard."

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Anyone who is paying $90K for a Stratocaster isn't buying a guitar. They're betting that they will be able to sell it at a profit at some point in the future. So far, this assumption has proved to be correct with respect to many, but certainly not all, Fender and Gibson guitars made in the 50's and early 60's.

Comparing a '55 Strat to an Anderson or Suhr is like comparing an early 60's Jaguar XKE to a new Mazda Miata. The Mazda will top the Jag in every technical spec you can name. The Jag will still sell for 5x the price. In 10 years, the Jag will be worth substantially more than it is today. The Mazda will be worth scrap value.

Completely different market. Utility value vs. investment value.

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Here is a description of an old Strat at Southworth guitars:

" Shaller tuners removed, a couppla changed pots and two extra string tree holes. Minor (less than 2") body crack on bass-side cutaway (ain't no capital crime) otherwise, this 50's spaghetti logo/slabboard Strat® is all there and sounding like a warm fuzzy angry dog. The original worn frets could stand to be replaced, but we don't know your repairman or what fret wire you prefer. So, we'll knock $500 off of our asking price and you can figure it out. Also, see our refin blonde '59...choices, choices, choices. The beauty or the beast? Have a great day"

This guitar is selling for $22,500! Gee, this one or a John Suhr Classic sunburst for $2300. It's a no brainer!

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Here is a description of an old Strat at Southworth guitars:

" Shaller tuners removed, a couppla changed pots and two extra string tree holes. Minor (less than 2") body crack on bass-side cutaway (ain't no capital crime) otherwise, this 50's spaghetti logo/slabboard Strat® is all there and sounding like a warm fuzzy angry dog. The original worn frets could stand to be replaced, but we don't know your repairman or what fret wire you prefer. So, we'll knock $500 off of our asking price and you can figure it out. Also, see our refin blonde '59...choices, choices, choices. The beauty or the beast? Have a great day"

This guitar is selling for $22,500! Gee, this one or a John Suhr Classic sunburst for $2300. It's a no brainer!

"No brainer" is right.

An original finish '59 with original pickups and hardware for $22,500 is the going rate. Next month it'll be a steal.

Buy 10 Suhrs with that same money and try to get half of it back in a month.

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Here is a description of an old Strat at Southworth guitars:

" Shaller tuners removed, a couppla changed pots and two extra string tree holes. Minor (less than 2") body crack on bass-side cutaway (ain't no capital crime) otherwise, this 50's spaghetti logo/slabboard Strat® is all there and sounding like a warm fuzzy angry dog. The original worn frets could stand to be replaced, but we don't know your repairman or what fret wire you prefer. So, we'll knock $500 off of our asking price and you can figure it out. Also, see our refin blonde '59...choices, choices, choices. The beauty or the beast? Have a great day"

This guitar is selling for $22,500! Gee, this one or a John Suhr Classic sunburst for $2300. It's a no brainer!

yes - it is 10 times more, b u t the statement was if the strat would cost also usd 2.300,-- he would prefer the suhr.

a 55 strat or a current suhr - regardless the price - .... for me also a no brainer.

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Here is a description of an old Strat at Southworth guitars:

" Shaller tuners removed, a couppla changed pots and two extra string tree holes. Minor (less than 2") body crack on bass-side cutaway (ain't no capital crime) otherwise, this 50's spaghetti logo/slabboard Strat® is all there and sounding like a warm fuzzy angry dog. The original worn frets could stand to be replaced, but we don't know your repairman or what fret wire you prefer. So, we'll knock $500 off of our asking price and you can figure it out. Also, see our refin blonde '59...choices, choices, choices. The beauty or the beast? Have a great day"

This guitar is selling for $22,500! Gee, this one or a John Suhr Classic sunburst for $2300. It's a no brainer!

How much will you be able to sell the $2300.00 Suhr for in two years?

There is a reasonable chance that that beat Strat will appreciate to, say, $30,000.00.

Again, utility value vs. investment value. Your sole criteria is utility and therefore the price of the Strat makes no sense to you. An investor wouldn't touch the Suhr at $2,300.00 because he knows that it will depreciate (or at least that there is no proven market appreciation for Suhrs). Strats have been appreciateing at geometrical rates for the past 5 -10 years. To the investor, it's also a "no-brainer" in favor of the strat!

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