Buying an old used guitar
- Thread starter Bananagab
- Start date
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
A lot depends on the owner(s).
There's a lot of 50's/60's Strats that are doing just fine...
A lot depends on the owner(s).
There's a lot of 50's/60's Strats that are doing just fine...
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
& '96 ain't "old", Dammit.
& '96 ain't "old", Dammit.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Buying an old used guitar
Seriously. A quality guitar that's been well cared for isn't old at twenty. Aside from fret wear, it could well be in top playing condition with all original parts.
& '96 ain't "old", Dammit.
Seriously. A quality guitar that's been well cared for isn't old at twenty. Aside from fret wear, it could well be in top playing condition with all original parts.
chevyaddict83
New member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
Guitars and electronics age well. My pedal collection is starting to consist of 30+ year old pedals
Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
Guitars and electronics age well. My pedal collection is starting to consist of 30+ year old pedals
Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Buying an old used guitar
An original 1950s Strat that was never used for more than Major chords will be an excellent choice for playing solos, but might have some fret wear on the first 4 or 5 frets that make chords sound a bit off. A 1996 Strat might have some low frets further up the neck and almost none on the first 5, depending on who owned it.
Know what you're looking for and at on a used guitar. The condition of the frets and the overall neck condition are the only things you cannot fix the same day you get it home. If the body is beat, the pots crackle, and you get no sound on 4 positions, and the bridge chews up strings, that's easy to fix. If the frets need to be replaced, or the neck is warped, not so much.
An original 1950s Strat that was never used for more than Major chords will be an excellent choice for playing solos, but might have some fret wear on the first 4 or 5 frets that make chords sound a bit off. A 1996 Strat might have some low frets further up the neck and almost none on the first 5, depending on who owned it.
Know what you're looking for and at on a used guitar. The condition of the frets and the overall neck condition are the only things you cannot fix the same day you get it home. If the body is beat, the pots crackle, and you get no sound on 4 positions, and the bridge chews up strings, that's easy to fix. If the frets need to be replaced, or the neck is warped, not so much.
Re: Buying an old used guitar
The risk is the same as any secondhand guitar....that you don't know how its been treated, and if you're not too adept at spotting any potential issue that you could end up with an unusable guitar.
The reward is that guitars do mature a bit, and some of the movement inherent in new guitars will have already taken place. No matter how good the wood drying process is, it never replaces pure time.
The risk is the same as any secondhand guitar....that you don't know how its been treated, and if you're not too adept at spotting any potential issue that you could end up with an unusable guitar.
The reward is that guitars do mature a bit, and some of the movement inherent in new guitars will have already taken place. No matter how good the wood drying process is, it never replaces pure time.
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Re: Buying an old used guitar
I got my 2012 MIM in 2013 used
It still had the plastic on the pick guard
I thought $300 out the door was a steal
Your finances may be different
The 96 stray may have had the same neck radius as a modern MIM
Its up to you though
We don't know what it looks like or the price or anything
Just a "96" strategy
Pic and price would give us a better idea of the deal
I got my 2012 MIM in 2013 used
It still had the plastic on the pick guard
I thought $300 out the door was a steal
Your finances may be different
The 96 stray may have had the same neck radius as a modern MIM
Its up to you though
We don't know what it looks like or the price or anything
Just a "96" strategy
Pic and price would give us a better idea of the deal
chevyaddict83
New member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
Guiatrs and electronics age like fine whiskey
Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
Guiatrs and electronics age like fine whiskey
Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
H
HiFiRebel
Guest
Re: Buying an old used guitar
I have a '97 MIM Strat Deluxe and a '99 MIM Strat. The '97 is going in for a new nut this week because I broke it playing the way I do. The '99 got all new electronics last week because they were shot. Got 17 years out of those electronics. And they were full of dust, rust, bad repairs from years back and just general corrosion.
I have a '97 MIM Strat Deluxe and a '99 MIM Strat. The '97 is going in for a new nut this week because I broke it playing the way I do. The '99 got all new electronics last week because they were shot. Got 17 years out of those electronics. And they were full of dust, rust, bad repairs from years back and just general corrosion.
Re: Buying an old used guitar
Rand-o, sadly, as much as it breaks my heart,96 is prolly considered vintage. I get queasy every time one of the bands I was into in my teens gets referred to as "classic rock".
Bananagab, You already got most all the good advice you need. Ill just word alil differently. Almost any decent guitar is going to be ok, regardless of year if its been taken care of and plays well. Whether or not the seller is pricing it fairly is the question. yes, there have been a few brands, or notorious duds, but for the most part. So, if its in good shape (playability wise) and plays well, then it pretty much boils down to if the price is fair.
Rand-o, sadly, as much as it breaks my heart,96 is prolly considered vintage. I get queasy every time one of the bands I was into in my teens gets referred to as "classic rock".
Bananagab, You already got most all the good advice you need. Ill just word alil differently. Almost any decent guitar is going to be ok, regardless of year if its been taken care of and plays well. Whether or not the seller is pricing it fairly is the question. yes, there have been a few brands, or notorious duds, but for the most part. So, if its in good shape (playability wise) and plays well, then it pretty much boils down to if the price is fair.
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Buying an old used guitar
I thought thirty years was the cutoff for vintage.
I thought thirty years was the cutoff for vintage.
Re: Buying an old used guitar
The prices are in CAD. The guy asks for 950 bucks and doesn't want to go lower than that. A new American Standard Strat sells for $1800 roughly.
Here's the 3 photos he sent me.
The prices are in CAD. The guy asks for 950 bucks and doesn't want to go lower than that. A new American Standard Strat sells for $1800 roughly.
Here's the 3 photos he sent me.
Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
Normally a 20-year old guitar has a neck that has started to develop a 'wavy' fretboard. Definitely still playable and not a problem but hard to make it dead straight on both treble and bass sides.
But whatever you do, don't buy that mumbo-jumbo BS dubbed 'mojo'.
Normally a 20-year old guitar has a neck that has started to develop a 'wavy' fretboard. Definitely still playable and not a problem but hard to make it dead straight on both treble and bass sides.
But whatever you do, don't buy that mumbo-jumbo BS dubbed 'mojo'.
Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Re: Buying an old used guitar
That wear is what I mean, partially, by broken in. It's like scalloping, but more subtle. As long as the frets aren't notched, I would consider it a bonus. Someone else has worn their mojo into it.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
That wear is what I mean, partially, by broken in. It's like scalloping, but more subtle. As long as the frets aren't notched, I would consider it a bonus. Someone else has worn their mojo into it.
Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
Re: Buying an old used guitar
If we talk specifically guitars, and Fender in particular, the year of 'vintage' and not stays the same as the guitars get older and older.....1966 and before is vintage. 1969 and before is vintage for Gibson.
If we talk specifically guitars, and Fender in particular, the year of 'vintage' and not stays the same as the guitars get older and older.....1966 and before is vintage. 1969 and before is vintage for Gibson.
