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#16
04-03-2020, 05:46 PM
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I've bought a few vintage guitars. Many of the older ones were built for stores and distributors. In order to stay in business, Martin, Haynes, Gibson, Oscar Schmidt and others would make guitars and add the name of the distributor or company ordering them. So what may be an off brand name inexpensive vintage could have been made by a name brand now expensive vintage manufactuer.
I recently picked up a 1902-1912 00 vintage Bruno made with Brazilian Rosewood and spruce top. Very few know the name Bruno so it went for a very fair price vs what the same guitar with the actual manufacturer's name would have brought. As others have mentioned; if you want to get into vintage guitars, do your research. 
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#18
04-03-2020, 07:19 PM
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Although reading about vintage guitars on this forum, and having played a few expensive ones at Eric’s store in Tiburon, I never was sufficiently impressed to search one out. The concept of a birth year guitar (1950 for me) was intriguing, but the one 1950 Martin D-18 I tried a few years ago, was underwhelming, especially for the price.
Last August I stopped in at Empire Music in Nevada City. Jaime sometimes has some interesting guitars there, and this time there was a 1950 Martin 00-18 on the wall. It had obviously had a hard life, and I saw evidence of cleated, repaired cracks, plus lots of scratches, dings, and wear from aggressive picking. It was really dry, the center seam in the lower bout was very slightly open, and flexed differently on each side of the top just below the bridge. If it hadn’t been from 1950, I might not have even tried it. Luckily I did, and the sound was amazing. The neck had been reset, the action was on the low side, with plenty of saddle. Although really beat up, it appeared structurally sound. I was concerned about the center seam, and asked Jaime if he would try stabilizing it with glue, which he did and left clamped overnight. We suspected it might have closed up on it’s own with a more normal (>40%) humidity level. The very minimal glue application did the trick, and after setting overnight, the differential flex was completely gone when I returned the next day, and it sounded even more stellar. I didn’t think the price was that outrageous, but went on Reverb to check comps. From other 00-18's of that era, and from the condition, I estimated what a fair price would be. It was about 25% less than the asking price, and considering it was on consignment, I added $200 more. That brought the price to about a 20% discount. Thanks to the Reverb info, and from what I have learned on this forum, my offer was accepted. It came with an old, ill fitting case, and was strung with a set of D'Addario PB lights. Regarding vintage sound, there’s something amazingly special about this guitar. Notes and chords are very distinct and resonant, it’s really responsive to the lightest touch, and the notes ring a perfect length at a louder volume, but then you can still hear faint overtones. All in all, it’s the ideal sound for me. The body shape is nice and comfortable, and it’s got plenty of headroom. It took some time adapting to the neck, but that had to do more with improving my technique. It’s so responsive that you hear every nuance, and my playing has gotten significantly better and more accurate. There’s something very inspiring about it's tone and dynamics, and I’m practicing more than ever. It cost me less than a new 00-18 would, I’m not concerned with getting dings or scratches, and as turn 70 next month (God willing), there isn’t time to wait another 70 years to see how a new one would turn out. I did get a new TKL case that fits perfectly. Interestingly, a month later I had the chance to demo a 1947 Martin 00-28 from a private collection at a local store, "marked down" to $23,000. The rosewood was visually beautiful, but for my ears the sound was overly resonant, and the fingerboard had some deep divots by the first few frets. More surprising, considering the price, was how the high e string buzzed at the 10th and 11th fret. That made me appreciate my 00-18 even more, at 1/10 the cost. Which brings me to the final point about vintage guitars. The 1947 00-28 was clearly priced based on rarity and collectibility, and IMO wouldn’t work as a daily player. My 1950 00-18 is well worn, but the action is great, it sounds phenomenal, and was an incredible value for the price. As others have mentioned, if you can find a vintage instrument for an acceptable price, even though it looks worn, and may have a few repaired cracks, it can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience to play.
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1950 Martin 00-18 RainSong Concert Hybrid Orchestra Model 12 Fret Eastman E20OOSS. Strandberg Boden Original 6 Eastman T185MX G&L ASAT Classic USA Butterscotch Blonde Rickenbacher Lap Steel Voyage-Air VAD-2 Martin SW00-DB Machiche 1968 Guild F-112 Taylor 322e 12 Fret V Class Last edited by seannx; 04-03-2020 at 11:14 PM.
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#20
04-04-2020, 06:16 AM
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We have lots of opinions here, but that’s just what you are getting. No one is wrong and not everyone is right. Read up from many sources and then formulate your strategy. This is a subject that is not effortless. Good Luck Blues
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#21
04-04-2020, 07:27 AM
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Bruno is actually very well known. They were not builders but distributors. So which company provided the instruments they sold is anybody's guess which is why you can score them on the cheap. I have owned a few and if I recall those with rosewood bodies were built in the U.S. and those with mahogany bodies were imported.
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"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard
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#22
04-04-2020, 07:37 AM
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2018 Guild F-512 Sunburst -- 2007 Guild F412 Ice Tea burst 2002 Guild JF30-12 Whiskeyburst -- 2011 Guild F-50R Sunburst 2011 Guild GAD D125-12 NT -- 1972 Epiphone FT-160 12-string 2012 Epiphone Dot CH -- 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard trans amber 2013 Yamaha Motif XS7 Cougar's Soundcloud page
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#23
04-04-2020, 07:59 AM
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One thing that is often overlooked in truly vintage guitars (before 1965 for Martin and perhaps before 1960 for Gibson):
They stay in tune, much more reliably than newer guitars. They seem to be impacted less by changes in humidity and temperature. It makes them terrific gigging guitars.
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Neal A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell...
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#24
04-04-2020, 08:14 AM
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I have a house full of old guitars. I never intended to buy "vintage" guitars but bought "used." My take on it is that there are certain guitars such as the early-1930s Gibson 12 fret Advanced L Body instruments and even the early 1960s Gibson B45-12s where there has been nothing like them before or after. Others such as the Banners have the ability to speak eloquently to a specific time and place. Hard to describe the feeling but it is not as much that I own a 1942 J50 as I am its current caretaker.
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"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard
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#26
04-04-2020, 09:42 AM
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Bottom line, speaking to the OP, vintage guitars are a lifestyle. If you decide you can hear the difference, then you invest time in learning about the makes, the models and the stories, and you start to check them out in shops and realizing that certain things matters to you, but ultimately, you are inspired by what an old guitar can do.
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An old Gibson and a couple of old Martins; a couple of homebrew Tele's
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#27
04-04-2020, 10:16 AM
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But those days are long gone. Good deals on vintage pieces have evaporated. If you go to a guitar show (I'm amazed they still have them) and try to sell a guitar for what it's worth, nobody's buying. Attendees are looking for a great deal and dealers only want to pay wholesale. I get that there's a certain romance in playing a vintage guitar. Hey, I'd love to be strumming a 1940's era D-18, but that can set you back almost $30K these days if it's in really good shape. Deciding to collect vintage guitars, for any reason, requires some rather deep pockets these days...
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#28
04-04-2020, 10:31 AM
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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
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 Last edited by 100LL; 04-04-2020 at 10:42 AM.
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#29
04-04-2020, 10:34 AM
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#30
04-04-2020, 10:37 AM
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a nearby guitar store... all the finish is rubbed off the back of the neck from one end to the other... and it is a mere $45,000  ... -Mike "I see the pattern too "
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