When is a guitar vintage?
For antiques it is very easy: after exactly one hundred years something becomes antique. With guitars it is slightly more complicated, because 'vintage' just means secondhand. That can basically be anything, even a guitar from 2018 is vintage by that definition.
But when it comes to vintage guitars , they are usually special guitars from a particular period. Guitars evolve over time and the term vintage means those guitars can be in top condition now. For acoustic guitars this includes pre-war models from the US. Martin guitars from the 1930s are pretty much considered the holy grail. For electric, the 1950s and 1960s are often considered the ultimate vintage guitars. So those are less than a hundred years old. Many guitars from the 1970s are also offered under the label ‘vintage’. So there is no rock-hard limit, as with antiques. Whether a guitar is considered vintage depends on the type and is also a bit fashion-sensitive. If an artist suddenly puts an almost forgotten old model on the map, it might just become vintage. You can roughly say that after about 30 to 40 years, the label vintage definitely comes into view.
Which vintage guitar should I buy?
No guitar is the same, so that depends entirely on what you want to do with a vintage guitar. Play on it? Or do you want to complete a collection? Maybe you see it as an investment and the guitar stays in its case, hoping that it will be worth more one day. Our advice: buy a guitar that you enjoy. Of course, that pleasure can be that you play on it for hours , but we see that a lot of people enjoy, gathering information about that one model or brand or series and when they finally manage to buy the one they were looking for…WOW! Collecting can be great fun!
In addition, of course, we can give general guidelines on sought-after vintage guitars. As mentioned, pre-1940 acoustic guitars are always interesting. Especially from a big name like Martin or Gibson. Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters from between 1950 and 1965: no brainers. The same goes for Gibson Les Pauls from around 1960. The supply of these guitars remains very limited, demand is high, so they usually come with a hefty price tag. Not all guitars from this period are the same, there can be a lot of difference between them. Sometimes there is too much tinkering and there are fakes in circulation. That's why it's important to look into it before you buy something, ask the seller questions, if necessary ask someone who knows about it to have a look at it.
And don't forget, maybe you want something completely different than these most want guitars. If so: you are absolutely right! What's crap today, could be the next big thing tomorrow.
What does collector- & player grade mean?
These qualifications refer to the condition of a guitar. Collectors will be looking for 'collectors grade 'guitars. That means everything original with as little damage as possible also known as mint. Players will be looking for player grade guitars that might show some more traces of use, but are still playable. In short: mint, near mint, excellent et cetera indicate how 'clean' a vintage guitar is.
Are vintage guitars always expensive?
No. The slightly lesser brands, such as Guild and Epiphone, also made good guitars in the 60s that have only got better sounding and are still reasonably affordable. Want even older guitars on a limited budget? You can! For example, there are very affordable prewar parlor guitars from Stella, Oahu and Harmony. If you bump into those, for less than a thousand euros you can buy a real vintage guitar that is already 80 to 90 years old with that wonderful vintage barky blues sound.
Are they as good as a vintage Martin or a Gibson? They are different, with a distinct character of their own. At that time, production could be rather erratic and not everyone has been careful with the instruments over the years. Not all of them are great, so you have to pay attention when you buy something.
What is my vintage guitar worth?
This depends on many factors: brand, model, year of construction and the state and therefore varies greatly from one guitar to another. There are useful tools that can help determine the value. For example, there is the very comprehensive Vintage Guitar Guide for guitars and amplifiers.
In addition, there is the Blue Book for Guitar values. Online you can search by make and model and request a more detailed report for a fee. Both of the above reference books focus mainly on American guitars.
reverb.com the Marketplace for guitarists, has a very full priceguide in which they follow the trends of all the stuff offered for sale through that site. By now this is an impressive database.
The Fellowship of Acoustics also offers a trade-in service where, after completing our web form, we can give a good indication of the value. We offer that service for free.
Would you like to know more about a vintage guitar? Or are you looking for something specific? We have guitars from and for all ages. We'd love to see you in Dedemsvaart.