How much does checking devalue an instrument?

[Axelorox]

A few months ago I bought a left-handed used Hofner 500/1 V62 125th anniversary edition bass. Unfortunately, it shipped during a cold snap and the finish checked during shipping (it was already checked when I opened it after a 24 hour acclimation period). The bass is otherwise in good shape and sounds great.

I figure I am better off just selling it for a lower price and getting a new bass, rather than having it refinished. How much does the finish checking devalue the bass? Other used lefty 500/1 V62s go on Reverb for $1700-2400 USD, with the lower end having some other cosmetic damage (not checking). What could I expect selling it on the used market? What about bringing it in to a local store?

Album showing photos of finish checking:

https://imgur.com/a/CJ2lJgD

[J Patrick]

In my experience folks are gonna want a deep discount for that level of checking on a newer instrument...probably closer to your lower price cited...I took a serious beating on a Santa Cuz OM with a similar level of checking even though it was a really fine guitar....I wish I had kept it..

[Livingston]

My guess is that finish checking can dramatically affect the perceived value of a guitar or bass, but I'm not an expert on resale values.

I will say that the best sounding Gibson ES-165 (Herb Ellis model) I ever played had some serious checking. I wanted to buy that guitar so badly, but I just didn't have the money at the time. It sounded wonderful acoustically and incredible plugged in. One of the big fish that got away for me.

I would have purchased it purely for the tone and I would have kept it forever. If resale was a consideration, then I may have felt differently.

On another note, I had a guitar teacher many years ago that had a beautiful sounding ES-350. It was a vintage guitar, but I cannot remember how old it was. At the time I thought it was a piece of junk...it had lost all of its gloss, finish was checked and the wood had the appearance of weather furniture. But man, that guitar sounded like a million bucks. She let me play it once, and it truly played like butter. Changed my mind about how I think about a guitar's look and finish.

I'm not big on the distressed looking finishes that some guitar company's are marketing these days. But if a guitar (or bass) got that way "naturally" and it sounds like a million bucks, I'm all in.

Good luck with your decision!

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Axelorox

A few months ago I bought a left-handed used Hofner 500/1 V62 125th anniversary edition bass. Unfortunately, it shipped during a cold snap and the finish checked during shipping (it was already checked when I opened it after a 24 hour acclimation period). The bass is otherwise in good shape and sounds great.

I figure I am better off just selling it for a lower price and getting a new bass, rather than having it refinished. How much does the finish checking devalue the bass? Other used lefty 500/1 V62s go on Reverb for $1700-2400 USD, with the lower end having some other cosmetic damage (not checking). What could I expect selling it on the used market? What about bringing it in to a local store?

Album showing photos of finish checking:

https://imgur.com/a/CJ2lJgD

Do you know for certain that it had no checking before it was shipped? That seems much more likely than that it somehow developed checking during shipping.

[Axelorox]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

Do you know for certain that it had no checking before it was shipped? That seems much more likely than that it somehow developed checking during shipping.

The seller sent close-up photos of various areas of the guitar that are now checked, showing them to not have any finish damage. Details of the color/paint show it's the same guitar.

[Steel and wood]

You could potentially just keep it. (Eventually going to get some sort of checking and wear if you were to keep it). Heck, some people pay more for their brand new guitars with degrees of checking and wear.

Checking looks pretty light in the photos.

[DenverSteve]

I guess I'll be the one - Why sell it? You presumably purchased it hoping for a great sounding bass. According to you, that's what you got. Also, why even consider refinishing? That would decrease the value as much, or more, than the checking. Most people who have a vintage Nitrocellulose instrument have a finish-checked instrument. What you show in your photos looks fine (almost great) to me. My .02 is - keep it and play the snot out of it. You already have a vintage vibe and no need to worry about any dings or scratches.

[Puerto Player]

Yea, checking doesn't bother me at all. I play my stuff I don't collect it. It's about tone, not about buying mint. Now, if it was packaged incorrectly and it wasn't checked to begin with, I may ask for my money back or a difference in price, but, you bought it and had it delivered during a cold snap, so you are partially to blame as well. Usually, dead nuts mint stuff is mint because it's never played, which is a warning for me. Great sounding stuff get's played, stuff that get's played never stays mint.

[joebloggs]

I find it ironic that people pay outrageous sums for a vintage instrument that is checked and shows much roadwear. People will also pay a big premium for relic/heavy relic custom shop/masterbuilt guitars and then I read this.... Makes me shake my head....

[redir]

If it were a true vintage classic then refinishing it would do far more damage to it's resale value then that crazing. But of course if it was in mint condition with no crazing then it would be worth more. So yes you did loose value on it and that's a terrible shame to have happen on a nice bass like that. Some people do think it looks cool though and I'm one of them. I think vintage instruments with crazing look cool but only when it happens to someone else

[harpspitfire]

if you ask me- a lot- theres a difference between roadworn and bad finish

[markd]

Rich people drive new cars. Poor people drive old cars. Really rich people drive really old cars. Pretty much true for guitars too.