Need help with pricing Tama

[TheJackal]

I need help determining a fair price for a Tama auditorium model acoustic. The guitar belonged to a friend of mine who passed away earlier this year. His widow just contacted me with this message:

"I am going through Jeff's guitar collection getting ready to sell and/or give them away. You had said something about his Tama guitar. If you are interested in this guitar, let me know. I don't care about the money, I want someone who will appreciate it. Let me know if you are interested."

Of course, I replied that I was interested, but only if I could determine a price that would be fair to both of us. I know that she would have agreed to gift the guitar to me, but that just didn't seem appropriate to me considering the history of the guitar. I also offered to help her find good homes for his other guitars though I don't have details about what he may have accumulated.

Here is HIS description of the history of this guitar:

"The first Tama acoustic I bought was while I was in high school in 1977. During the course of about eight months of playing in various bars, outdoor shows and other events, the bridge began pulling up and the (string) action began strongly resembling that of a dobro.
I happened to run into the Tama rep at my music store and he asked me how I liked the guitar--I was one of the first in west Texas to get one. I told him it played real nice. . . as a laptop slide guitar, and then showed him. He was horrified. He asked the shop owner for his phone. Long story short, he called their factory, chatted a few moments, then reached in his briefcase and pulled out some paper and told me to "build the perfect guitar" and that Tama would make it and deliver it to me for no charge--I only had to give them the defective guitar back so they could determine what had gone wrong. In looking back over the years, I sure wish I'd know more about acoustic guitars on that day than I did. However, I did manage to get matching aged 50-year-old Brazilian rosewood bookended on the sides and on the back, Russian spruce on the top and for whatever reason, I asked for a rosewood fingerboard rather than ebony. And I didn't even think about the tuners. . . We're not at our brightest when we're sixteen.
I've had this Tama guitar now for almost forty years. It stays mainly in the closet in its hardshell case, but today I was rummaging through the other guitars and pulled it out and played it for a while.
You just don't see these around much anymore, and I figured a few of my guitar playing friends might appreciate an old vintage guitar."

I've looked online and found a few of these with prices all over the place. I'm not sure that the back and sides are solid brazilian. From what I've found, the top is likely solid spruce. Despite the sentimental value, I'm not going to put big money into the guitar, nor would she expect me to do so. I'd feel about right at the $500-$600 range. I've got to travel a day or so to pick it up so I don't have the opportunity to examine the details of the guitar before I get it.

Any thoughts or ideas about a fair price? Thanks in advance.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by TheJackal

I need help determining a fair price for a Tama auditorium model acoustic. The guitar belonged to a friend of mine who passed away earlier this year. His widow just contacted me with this message:

"I am going through Jeff's guitar collection getting ready to sell and/or give them away. You had said something about his Tama guitar. If you are interested in this guitar, let me know. I don't care about the money, I want someone who will appreciate it. Let me know if you are interested."

Of course, I replied that I was interested, but only if I could determine a price that would be fair to both of us. I know that she would have agreed to gift the guitar to me, but that just didn't seem appropriate to me considering the history of the guitar. I also offered to help her find good homes for his other guitars though I don't have details about what he may have accumulated.

Here is HIS description of the history of this guitar:

"The first Tama acoustic I bought was while I was in high school in 1977. During the course of about eight months of playing in various bars, outdoor shows and other events, the bridge began pulling up and the (string) action began strongly resembling that of a dobro.
I happened to run into the Tama rep at my music store and he asked me how I liked the guitar--I was one of the first in west Texas to get one. I told him it played real nice. . . as a laptop slide guitar, and then showed him. He was horrified. He asked the shop owner for his phone. Long story short, he called their factory, chatted a few moments, then reached in his briefcase and pulled out some paper and told me to "build the perfect guitar" and that Tama would make it and deliver it to me for no charge--I only had to give them the defective guitar back so they could determine what had gone wrong. In looking back over the years, I sure wish I'd know more about acoustic guitars on that day than I did. However, I did manage to get matching aged 50-year-old Brazilian rosewood bookended on the sides and on the back, Russian spruce on the top and for whatever reason, I asked for a rosewood fingerboard rather than ebony. And I didn't even think about the tuners. . . We're not at our brightest when we're sixteen.
I've had this Tama guitar now for almost forty years. It stays mainly in the closet in its hardshell case, but today I was rummaging through the other guitars and pulled it out and played it for a while.
You just don't see these around much anymore, and I figured a few of my guitar playing friends might appreciate an old vintage guitar."

I've looked online and found a few of these with prices all over the place. I'm not sure that the back and sides are solid brazilian. From what I've found, the top is likely solid spruce. Despite the sentimental value, I'm not going to put big money into the guitar, nor would she expect me to do so. I'd feel about right at the $500-$600 range. I've got to travel a day or so to pick it up so I don't have the opportunity to examine the details of the guitar before I get it.

Any thoughts or ideas about a fair price? Thanks in advance.

It's a 1970's Japanese Martin knock off. Back and sides will definitely be laminate. Top might be laminate but is probably solid. It might be rare but there isn't a huge market for them. I'd say you are being completely fair to offer in the $500-600 range. That's more than she'd pocket in a no reserve ebay auction and definitely more than she'd get selling it to a store.

[woodbox]

First of all, I agree with the comments of Osage above.

In the early 80s I had exposure to a couple Tama guitars, so I have limited experience to share,
including one friend who insisted his Tama was “every bit as good as any Martin out there.”
We all thought he was delusional, but it was a nice guitar and he was proud of it.

This one may be exceptional, but still it’s hard to imagine bringing any more than $500 on the open market.
I doubt I’d be interested in any more than around $300.

But there is another factor here to consider.
Perhaps you would allow her to gift it to you.
Something tells me that might be the best way to handle this.

This is not about a guitar, or money, it’s about how this woman will feel when it’s all settled.
What does she need?

[TheJackal]

Originally Posted by woodbox

First of all, I agree with the comments of Osage above.

In the early 80s I had exposure to a couple Tama guitars, so I have limited experience to share,
including one friend who insisted his Tama was “every bit as good as any Martin out there.”
We all thought he was delusional, but it was a nice guitar and he was proud of it.

This one may be exceptional, but still it’s hard to imagine bringing any more than $500 on the open market.
I doubt I’d be interested in any more than around $300.

But there is another factor here to consider.
Perhaps you would allow her to gift it to you.
Something tells me that might be the best way to handle this.

This is not about a guitar, or money, it’s about how this woman will feel when it’s all settled.
What does she need?

Thanks for your input and observations. I have mixed feelings about offering money for a gift she offered. Perhaps the best option is to just ask her what would make her feel best about this.

[TheJackal]

I drove to Fort Worth and back yesterday to pick up the Tama that my friend gifted to me. It is solid brazilian rosewood back and sides and solid spruce top. Small body guitar seemingly slightly smaller than my OM Larrivee. 1 11/16 " at the nut (not my preference but I'll adjust to it.) 14 frets to the body. The fit and finish is excellent. The tuners are serviceable but not high quality. I'll change those as soon as I find suitable replacements that require minimal modifications. Plastic bridge pins will be replaced, likely with bone.

When I first played it yesterday, knowing it had not been played for at least 10 months, it was in tune and sounded really nice. I restrung it today with light gauge phosphor bronze Martin strings and it came to life. Rich, resonant, with lots of sustain.

Because it was a gift from a dear friend, any modifications I do will be minimally invasive. It is a guitar that has meaning to me beyond the instrument but, it sure seems like a quality musical instrument.

I will post pictures as soon as I get a reasonable set. I'm thankful.

[merlin666]

Wow. In the late 70s Tama was known to have the best stash of aged tonewoods and they had fantastic luthiers which made them top of the Japanese acoustics at the time. This was one of the reasons that Ibanez acquired them and then continued their top line of acoustics for another two years or so. A Tama at the time was my ultimate dream guitar, as Martin and other US makers had tonewood supply and quality control and were not really desirable. As this is a special build it would be difficult to value, but it is likely that a knowledgeable collector should be willing to pay considerably more than for a D45 of that period in similar condition.

[Tube Sound]

I look forward to the pics, Jackal. Touching story about your friend.

Interesting about Tama values and good info, merlin. I've seen two locally in the last couple years. One at a pawnshop, D-28 copy for $129, no case. Lifting bridge and sat there for months if not a year. Could still be there?? Another D-28 copy at 2nd hand store for $300, better shape, w/case. I will take closer looks if ever see any again.

[TheJackal]

This brief video has pictures of the TAMA guitar in this discussion. The recording features this guitar (Blue Yeti USB into Audacity) with no effects.