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The appeal of getting a "birthday year" guitar......


onewilyfool

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This is a really interesting thread - I hadn't given it any thought.

 

For a few years I was on a mission to find a bottle of 1960 vintage Port or a fine single malt - but have never been able to afford it (or, more accurately, justify the price).

 

So, a couple of days research reveals - - - - exactly the same thing with guitars :(

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Not quite, missed it by a year. My SJ was advertised as a '48, but when I got it, I realized it was more likely a '49. Some research, and Frank Ford and Dennis Berck, all confirmed that. No biggie, I didn't buy it for that, but I admit that I was intrigued by the idea when I saw it for sale.

 

My dad was a good player, and bought himself a Gibson when he got out of the Navy in 1945 following WWII. Most likely a J-45, but I'm not really sure, the guitar is long gone. Some of my best memories of him were sitting and listening to him play and sing when I was a little kid, and sometimes I think he would have really liked my Southern Jumbo. He taught me my first chords on his guitar, which to me was huge at the time (6 or 7). One of the things I love about having vintage guitars is knowing that they've made so many songs for someone long before me, and hopefully will long after me too.

 

Dennis

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Not quite, missed it by a year. My SJ was advertised as a '48, but when I got it, I realized it was more likely a '49. Some research, and Frank Ford and Dennis Berck, all confirmed that. No biggie, I didn't buy it for that, but I admit that I was intrigued by the idea when I saw it for sale.

 

My dad was a good player, and bought himself a Gibson when he got out of the Navy in 1945 following WWII. Most likely a J-45, but I'm not really sure, the guitar is long gone. Some of my best memories of him were sitting and listening to him play and sing when I was a little kid, and sometimes I think he would have really liked my Southern Jumbo. He taught me my first chords on his guitar, which to me was huge at the time (6 or 7). One of the things I love about having vintage guitars is knowing that they've made so many songs for someone long before me, and hopefully will long after me too.

 

Dennis

I agree with ya on vintage guitars, Dennis. That is part of the allure and mojo of vintage to me also...Rod

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I agree with ya on vintage guitars, Dennis. That is part of the allure and mojo of vintage to me also...Rod

 

Yeah, fun isn't it. Interesting that so many people want a vintage guitar that looks as pristine as possible, but there's a special place in my heart for the old beat up boxes that have obviously been around the block a few times. They've been well loved and played hard.

 

A little more on topic, folks that are interested in a birth year guitar should realize that they're likely going to have to put some money into it for repairs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you plan for it and factor that into what your willing to pay (no matter what the seller says about it never having had a neck reset and not needing one). My LG-2 is beat to heck, has a repaired side-crack, and is borderline in need of a neck reset, but man is it a great guitar. Not being pristine also means that I got it for a really good price.

 

Dennis

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Dennis.....AND, you dont have to worry about that first scratch!!! My friend, who collects old vintage guitars, says that the best SOUNDING ones are often the beat up ones, because they've been PLAYED....lol....makes perfect sense to me!!!

Yeah, fun isn't it. Interesting that so many people want a vintage guitar that looks as pristine as possible, but there's a special place in my heart for the old beat up boxes that have obviously been around the block a few times. They've been well loved and played hard.

 

A little more on topic, folks that are interested in a birth year guitar should realize that they're likely going to have to put some money into it for repairs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you plan for it and factor that into what your willing to pay (no matter what the seller says about it never having had a neck reset and not needing one). My LG-2 is beat to heck, has a repaired side-crack, and is borderline in need of a neck reset, but man is it a great guitar. Not being pristine also means that I got it for a really good price.

 

Dennis

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Dennis.....AND, you dont have to worry about that first scratch!!! My friend, who collects old vintage guitars, says that the best SOUNDING ones are often the beat up ones, because they've been PLAYED....lol....makes perfect sense to me!!!

 

True that (to both thoughts).

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