What I saw buying a used tennis racquet today
 

A Craigslist deal, and the racquet was a steal.

But I saw an open guitar case in the guy's living room, over on the couch. I asked if he played and he said yes, he likes doing harmonica and guitar and singing. The one on the couch was a Takamine dread, a beauty, looked felt and played and sounded like a $4,000 guitar.

He asked if I know about guitars and I said not really. Out of the closet came one he says he has thought about selling. It was a Martin D-28 Vintage 1983, some kind of special edition for the 150th anniversary, had CE IV and CE III sigs on the label looking through the soundhole.

But back to the Tak. What a guitar! Satin finish, mint condition, he said it was from maybe the middle 80s. I played it and was amazed.

I've found you can be fooled on how good a guitar sounds by playing it only for a few minutes. Sometimes it's just the fact it's something new that makes me over praise it.

It takes me at least a week before I truly can evaluate how good a guitar sounds. Probably why I have bought and trades so many.:)

Having said that I'm not doubting that it was a nice sounding guitar but maybe not quite as good as that theoretical $4,000 guitar.

I saw a Takamine dread in a pawn shop couple of years ago that was beat up bad but played like butter, sure wish I would have bought it, what a dummie. Would have been a good gig guitar, had a pickup.

Aren't you posting this 75 days too early?

I knew what I was experiencing with that Tak. I had played my D-18 for about 90 minutes before taking the ten minute ride to see the tennis racquet.

It had a neck and fretboard that worked like magic, and some super sustain from top to bottom. I probably played it for 25 minutes straight, before setting it down to admire the D-28.

I'm sure the OP can evaluate a guitar in the time period he mentions. It takes me one strum, two at most to know if the guitar is worth playing longer or placing it back on the wall.

I've played a few 4K guitars that didn't make the third strum and some Tak quality guitars that I didn't want to put down.

But never when buying a tennis racquet, so thanks for the post!

Me too, but it take longer than that to know if will be a keeper.

Take that racquet and turn it into a funky guitar!

Many of the higher end Takamines surpass American guitars that are double or triple the price. They are the true sleepers.

What was the racquet?

I want to know too, what was the racquet?

Its worth what your ears tell ya its worth. I once played a 1981 (not a historic year or anything for martin) d-28 that peeled paint and rattled the walls i offered up to $4k twice what it was worth market wise. but the guy just smiled. Cause he knew he could pay $50k and may not beat it. Also Played some chords on a 52 d-18 and said yuk before.

You didn't think to get the model number?

Wilson Sledge Hyper Hammer 2.0 Carbon racquet, with 118 square inches string area and 8.5 ounce weight. The tennis equivalent of that '83 D-28.

I had a Takamine F340S (D-18 clone) from the 'lawsuit' era; solid top, laminate back and sides. Sounded ok as I recall, but that was back in the '70s so my memory is likely faulty.