The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Mr 9finger

Mr 9finger

Digitally Challenged
You ever look at your modern production guitars and wonder what they'll be worth down the road? Some people buy certain guitars for this very idea. I don't, but it does cross my mind every once in a great while. With modern production methods and what not, I don't think there will be few, if any that will reach legendary status like 59 LP's or 54 Strats.

I know things are mass produced and made as disposable these days and that will affect everything. Just makes me wonder is all.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Mr 9finger said:
I don't think there will be few, if any that will reach legendary status like 59 LP's or 54 Strats.
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No, and none ever will. Right now there aren't even any modern classics. High quality guitars are still made, for sure, albeit in low numbers and they're not known well enough to become "icons".
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

1. Classic stuff that is attached to a music scene or player stays the most collectible.
2. Top of the line, rarely low or midline.
3. Limited numbers of exceptionally cool gear rises the most in price. In the future, they'll be gems.

Since the 50's and 60's gear has peaked, certain 70's, 80's, and 90's pieces are what we should be looking for right now, before their vintage value goes up. The most popular 90's boutique amps and pedals are a sure bet. 80's gear associated with hair metal is a good bet. 70's silverface Fenders are being scooped up as we speak, and usually blackfaced w/new speakers to bring them up to par.

I have a feeling all the signature gear will be sought after, especially if it's rare.....ie Cornell 335, Bonamassa Fuzz Face, Cobain Fender Jaguar, Petrucci MM, Van Halen stuff etc.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

I don't buy stuff for what it's gonna be worth 50 years from now.

I wish I hadn't gotten rid of some stuff over the years that's already worth a lot more than I paid for it though.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Gearjoneser said:
1. Classic stuff that is attached to a music scene or player stays the most collectible.
2. Top of the line, rarely low or midline.
3. Limited numbers of exceptionally cool gear rises the most in price. In the future, they'll be gems.

Since the 50's and 60's gear has peaked, certain 70's, 80's, and 90's pieces are what we should be looking for right now, before their vintage value goes up. The most popular 90's boutique amps and pedals are a sure bet. 80's gear associated with hair metal is a good bet. 70's silverface Fenders are being scooped up as we speak, and usually blackfaced w/new speakers to bring them up to par.

I have a feeling all the signature gear will be sought after, especially if it's rare.....ie Cornell 335, Bonamassa Fuzz Face, Cobain Fender Jaguar, Petrucci MM, Van Halen stuff etc.
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I agree. It's only going to be really rare stuff from the birth of movements. Things like the first year PRS, Taylor and mk1 Boogies. Original Way Huge and other first wave boutique pedals, and off the wall items that flopped and were later associated with an artist, like that DOD Ring Modulator that Jonny Greenwood used.

It's kind of sad, the state of guitars today. We all own too many crappy instruments instead of one or two really nice guitars. It's nice that everyone can afford a decent guitar, but they are nearly a commodity now.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

King IzzO))) said:
There were thousands of 55-57 Chevies too.
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Great point.

I'm keeping my 1996 American Standard Stratocaster and my 1996 American Hot Rod DeVille for that reason --- those two were Fender's flagship regular-production offerings that year, and having that pair might be really cool one day. Also, they both have the same "50 Years of Excellence" badges on the back of them, and I believe that was the last year for HRDs being an American-made amplifier.

Anyways, I believe that good guitars will always be worth something. Meaning your American made stuff will probably always be cool.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

King IzzO))) said:
There were thousands of 55-57 Chevies too.
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Little known fact is the 57 ford fairlane outsold the chevy's belair by a long ways.

Not really relevant to the discussion at hand but just an interesting tid bit.

Try locating both and see whats easier to find and which commands higher prices.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Well, I've got a plain jane 66 Chevy II four door with 230/powerglide, I don't really have any idea what it's worth, but I can't think of the last time I saw another.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Rarity aside, the Chevy looks way cooler to me. Christine vs Andrew Dice Clay? Hmmmm, I'll take the possessed Chevy, please :lol:

As for guitars, I have no delusions that my Jacksons are going to go for '50s Gibson prices one day. No one in the '50s thought their Les Pauls would, either. The Flying V and Explorer were laughed out of the room in '58, just as the Jackson Warrior was in 1990. All 3 came back as popular production models.

However, with the Warrior, it only took about 7 years' worth of Custom Shop orders to bump the Warrior back into Production Model status - the Flying V didn't come back for 9 years.

The Rhoads LTD/Concorde models will probably be the only Jackson model that goes into the '50s Gibson range, aside from Artist-owned models. I don't see the out-of-production KV-1 Mustaine sig hitting that mark, or the Friedman Kelly, but then, again, no one saw the LP hitting it either, and the import Mustaine Pros are getting harder to find, and thus are in a seller's market while everything else is in a buyer's market.

Old 80s Jackson Custom Shops like the Firebird and Roundhorn Vs and such will continue to rise as well, because they've shot up in recent years due to scarcity.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

PFDarkside said:
I agree. It's only going to be really rare stuff from the birth of movements. Things like the first year PRS, Taylor and mk1 Boogies. Original Way Huge and other first wave boutique pedals, and off the wall items that flopped and were later associated with an artist, like that DOD Ring Modulator that Jonny Greenwood used.
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+1. Things are made in much larger quantities now, so very few will reach collector status. Very little is handmade anymore, unlike vintage guitars. To buy and treasure mass-produced, run-of the-mill stuff based on an imagined value 50 years from now, is kind of lame. There's a lot of guitars from the 1950's & 1960's that didn't appreciate in value nearly as much as a few did. In gun magazines there's always people with old firearms wanting to get estimated values, thinking it's like hitting the lottery, and many are depressed to find out grandpa's gun was cheap back-in-the-day, and is only worth a couple hundred now, in mint condition. Old by itself doesn't necessarily add value. If you want an investment, you're going to have to lay out some serious cash up front.

Assuming you're still alive, and saying you've babied these things for decades, then find out they have little value; it almost makes the whole thing seem like an exercise in futility. Why not worry about playing the thing and getting it to sound like you want it to?
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

70's silverface amps won't ever improve much in value. They are a good investement, itfyou like keeping a bunch of huge things around. They are just terribl;e amps, and not much can be done with them. Don't get mad at me, its just the truth, of course its still my opinion. You can't blackface that crap, i don't care what anyone says. If you mean some of the ones taht are still blackfaces suposeldy , maybe so, IDK>
Therewrere so many changes across the board its just like polishing a turd. When i recently heard a , like 71, silverface pro reverb , i was appauled at just how bad it really sounded, clean and distorted. Aint no amount of circuit teaks wold make that pig sound decent..The silver basmans/bandmasters, etc.... are boat anchors, stay away.

Some early PRS's will aprreciate at about 2% a year, and thats a good investement. All the Custom shopFendee rand Gibson guitars will a also appreciate, not very much though- 2-4%, still a good invest,ment, there are just too many, and they dont sound as good as old fenders.
stuff like y Korean Zkk wyyled les paul will even appreciate eventually in 20 years, acsue they are all Indonesina now, but nt by much.

70's / marshalls are a good bet, and to a lesser extent 80's JCM's. Very Early Boogies are good bets.

A tue vintage Fender or Gibon appreciates on average of 7% a yearr, making them true collectors and investment pices.
Stuff likelimited edition Gibson and fender US guitars wont be worth anything more than they are now for , like, 20 years, and then they could pick up a nice littrel dividend.
 
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Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Chris of Arabia said:
True, but you can roll them in glitter...
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Maybe thre was something wrong with that early 70's pro. I just now remebered I heard a , like '74 stock twin that sounded very pretty. I guess they will go up in value, especally as blackface amps become non existent in the not to distant future.
OTOH< I have NEVER heard a replica Fender even sound remotely close to Blackface or Tweed. The magic isnt there. Havent heard a Victoria Bassman though.
 
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Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Edgecrusher said:
Little known fact is the 57 ford fairlane outsold the chevy's belair by a long ways.

Not really relevant to the discussion at hand but just an interesting tid bit.

Try locating both and see whats easier to find and which commands higher prices.
Click to expand...

It's all about desirability. I just googled the 1957 Bel Air, and I think I might have a situation below deck.
 
Re: The value of modern guitars in 50 years?

Wait until the tail pipe reaches the right temperature!
 
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