Vintage guitar collecting

[blindboyjimi]

I’m always amazed when people say that old guitars are like old cars and then 10 people disagree.

I think the analogy is perfect. Nowadays a used Prius could be considered the best car. It instantly starts, has unlimited range, gets you to work safely and inexpensively. It’s all you need. Driving a vintage sports cars is a whole different philosophy. They require just a bit more maintenance (once restored) and offer a sensation that no modern car can give. Is it better? Well my 12 cylinder, open top 2 seater has no A/C, has a 4 speed gear box that requires the left foot, gets about 8 mpg, requires a specialty shop for repairs, you wouldn’t use it to drive to work or the grocery store and the Prius is perhaps even quicker, definitely more comfortable and there are essentially no bumpers so a slight fender bender will likely cost a huge sum.

Well, I get the same feeling driving that car that I do playing my vintage Martins and Gibsons.

A used 2000’s 000-18GE/D-28/Taylor 300 series is all you “need”.

[Woolbury]

Well I was going to pipe up until I saw the kind of vintage your talking about I have some old guitars I love and they have increased in value quite a bit. But I wouldn't know where to start if I wasn't looking for a guitar I wanted to play, the vintage universe is just too vast. So I've approached the whole subject as a player, that also realizes a guitar you may be interested in can also be a good value and appreciate quite a bit over time. My 60's ES335 that I bought in early 70's for about $500...

[6 Strings MI]

Originally Posted by blindboyjimi

I’m always amazed when people say that old guitars are like old cars and then 10 people disagree.

Broadly speaking, that's true. Old guitars and old cars both have vintage appeal. As the old cliché goes, "they dont make 'em like they used to."

With cars, umpteen pieces of legislation and regulation outright forbid "making 'em like they used to." Excepting restrictions on raw materials and unavailability of period-correct tools, I see nothing preventing anyone bringing out a guitar that is a very close copy of a 75-year-old example. The copy will just lack the greatness that only time can impart.

And I must disagree that a used Prius could be considered a great car. An old roommate of mine had one, and it was a pain. Give me an old truck with a manual transmission, and I'm a happy camper.

[1Charlie]

Originally Posted by 100LL

Well nobody took the bait of listing specific guitars

Took it into my own hands on searched all used acoustics on reverb, sorted high to low. Leaving off the list anything associated with a specific musician which adds a lot of value, also leaving off strange bodies and customs.... and it looks like this (I know, asking prices are just that):

Martin unless otherwise noted

• 1940 D-28 $89k
• 1942 D-28 $85k
• 1944 D-28 $79k
  
• 1944 D-28 $78k
  
• 1930 OM-28 $75k
  
• 1936 D-28 $70k
  
• 1928 00-45 $70k
  
• 1967 D-28 Custom $70k
  
• 1940 D-28 $65k
  
• 1943 D-28 $65k
  
• 1971 D-Aquisto $65k
  
• 1937 Euphonon D $64.5k
  

I see a trend here. Going several more pages through listings (and not bothering to list them here), it’s really dominated by Martin Dreadnoughts. Some OM and OO here and there. All the way down to the $20k range and Martin is by far the most common on reverb, with an occasional Gibson and Euphonon.
While the D-28 vintage Martins are eye-poppingly expensive, there sure are a lot for sale. Must be a thin market

I’ll take the bait. A late ‘40’s Gibson J-45 or LG-2 can be had for under $5,000 (often well under that), and they will knock your socks off. Same holds true for the smaller, taper braced Martins from 1945-49 (0-17, 00-17, 0-18 and 00-18).

[100LL]

I was about to start a new topic but what the heck, I can just comment here to keep the clutter down.

Man there are a lot of stunning guitars popping up in the classifieds section.

Being a newbie around here I have to ask, is it normal to see so many gorgeous specimens at this frequency?