Our Vintage Guitars.. more than Investments

[LPDEN]

When I first started playing guitar in the mid-70's, guitars were mostly purchased by those of us who actually played them. The 80's and 90's things changed that big time. Today, of course, those many great electric guitars from the 50's and '60's that could have been bought for alot less in that era when I first started playing are now into the atmosphereric price range...

 

I've been lucky, yes lucky, throughout that time in that of the handful of guitars I bought early on, I only sold off a few. While I still play all of my guitars, I admit with a bit of shame that lately I have treated my higher value guitars more as investment-grade instruments than as players.

 

One thing that I am the first to admit to is that while there seems to be a never-ending appeal for vintage guitars, the fact is the manufactueres have filled a void and even have played a role in steering consumers away from the high priced instruments of yester-year, to the excellent renditions of Custom Shop Historics. Gibson (and Fender's) success in this realm is downright overwhelming, and to me that is a great thing. I am the first to admit that my the '59 std LP VOS resissue that I owned and the '58 std VOS resissue that I now own have been better guitars to me for playing than my '60 std LP. I think that is becuase I now treat the '60 LP as more as a museum piece than a player. Right or wrong, for many reasons I am glad I have held onto it and a few others. Mostly becuase it has shared with me my life's joys, disappointments, celebrations and tragedies in my life. Whether it was the time I played it at my wedding when I sang a song for my wife, or the time I spent grieving with it playing songs of the past after my best friend lost his battle to cancer. The companionship it provides me makes it more than just a guitar.

 

There is alot our guitars provide us, some of which you can't put a price on. Somethings in life are indeed priceless, and the best thing their real-world value isn't always the most important factor about them...

 

And yes, I still am the aficionando I have always been for vintage guitars. They're just too appealing to not want to pay attention to.

[Notes_Norton]

I own a 1970 ES-330 "long neck" which I paid $300 for (used). These guitars are now going for $5,000 or so on eBay. That's amazing. My guitar turned into a collector's item, and I now treat it as one and do not take it to the gig anymore. Since I "double" on sax, flute, wind synthesizer, guitar, vocals and keyboards, there are plenty of opportunities for a guitar to get dinged up in those sometimes quick instrument changes between songs.

 

So I bought an Epiphone Casino. It is the closest thing to a 330 currently in production. The major difference is that the neck joins at a lower fret, but since I rarely play that high, it doesn't matter much to me.

 

For all practical purposes, other than where the neck joins the body, the Casino is every bit the guitar that the ES is. The ES sounds better unplugged, and the Casino sounds a bit louder and brighter plugged in. But the plugged in difference is minor.

 

I like the nitro finish, the real pearl neck inlays, and the Gibson headstock on the 330 better, but I'm very happy playing the Casino on stage.

 

If the collector's item craziness didn't happen, I'd still be playing the Gibson on stage.

 

I've changed the white pickguard and gold knobs on the Casino to look more like the Gibson because I like that look better.

 

To see the differences, look at the pix.

 

 

Will I ever sell the Gibson? Depends on how much I'm offered for it. Probably not any time soon, but if the price continues to skyrocket, who knows?

 

Notes

[L5Larry]

If a guitar I own is worth so much money I'm afraid to take it out of the case, much less take it out of the house, then it IS time to sell it.

 

I'm a guitar player, not a guitar collector, and each one of my instruments is more or less a tool of the trade. I own a few VERY valuable, and they go out to work just like any other, and I usually have a lit cigarette hanging out of my mouth over them. I do have a thing for vintage and high quality instruments, but thats because I enjoy (and can afford) playing them. Yes, I have had guitars and other equipment damaged at gigs, but it's about the same thing as blowing speaker or frying an amp. You gotta pay if you wanna play.

 

The only thing that will keep me from taking my finest instruments to gigs is enviromental elements. An outdoor festival show in the middle of 100 degree July heat, or the opposite, an outdoor mainstage New Years Eve gig here in St. Louis that can be in the 20's, will make me think about what guitar I'm taking. That's why keep a couple of "bolt-on" neck guitars around.

 

By the way, yes, I have also had a couple of guitars stolen, but that's not going to keep me taking my "A" team to work. All guitars are meant to be played and heard, and the thought of how many great vintage instruments are locked away in collector's vaults, probably to never be heard or played again, makes me wanna puke. So dig 'em out, dust 'em off, and PLAY 'EM.

[Notes_Norton]

If a guitar I own is worth so much money I'm afraid to take it out of the case' date=' much less take it out of the house, then it IS time to sell it.

 

I'm a guitar player, not a guitar collector, and each one of my instruments is more or less a tool of the trade. I own a few VERY valuable, and they go out to work just like any other, and I usually have a lit cigarette hanging out of my mouth over them. <...>

The only thing that will keep me from taking my finest instruments to gigs is enviromental elements. An outdoor festival show in the middle of 100 degree July heat, or the opposite, an outdoor mainstage New Years Eve gig here in St. Louis that can be in the 20's, will make me think about what guitar I'm taking. That's why keep a couple of "bolt-on" neck guitars around. <...> All guitars are meant to be played and heard, and the thought of how many great vintage instruments are locked away in collector's vaults, probably to never be heard or played again, makes me wanna puke. So dig 'em out, dust 'em off, and PLAY 'EM.

 

[/quote']

 

Since my Casino sounds a little better than my Gibson amplified, I bring it on stage and since my Gibson sounds a little unplugged, I play it at home. I get the best of both worlds.

 

In fact, the reason I bought the Casino is because it has the same body and pickups as my ES-330 (I really like the P90 sound). And on the gig, when I switch from guitar to any other instrument in 10 seconds or less, I don't have to worry about dinging up my Gibson, which is not only a collectors item, but has great sentimental value to me, it was my very first guitar and has been my friend for a long time.

 

But there is always more than one right way to do anything.

 

Notes