Conference napalm::guitar

    
    what kind of guitar is it?  i might be interested....
    
    paul
    

    Two places in the Boston area:
    
    The Music Emporium, Mass. Ave. in Cambridge
    	mostly acoustic instruments (didn't say if your guitar was
	electric) but I have seen old arch-top electrics in there and
       they can certainly appraise it for you.
   
    Craig Jones, somewhere in Cambridge
    	specializes in vintage guitars and amplifiers
    
    check the phone book for these places, I don't know the numbers

    What a vintage guitar is worth. From a store you are going to get
    a worthless number because they probably will not buy it for that
    amount. You probably get an idea of what you should be asking, but
    what will you get? Well, that depends on getting some one to look
    at the guitar and is willing to talk money. When you close the deal,
    you know how much the guitar is worth to the other guy.
    

re. -1

     Yes and no. There is a certain "market" value for name brand vintage
    guitars. A number of years ago I was able to get the "book" values for
    my guitar from a place in Nashville, TN. Since then, I've lost the
    letter they sent back to me and can't remember what the exact book 
    values were depending on condition. Maybe someone else can think of
    the place in Nashville. I believe they advertise nationally and deal
    in all types of string instruments, acoustic, electric, new, used,
    and "vintage".

     However, you're correct in that regardless of book value, the cash
    in hand is what the guitar is truely worth. I just want to get a ball
    park figure - $100 or $1000 ?

    

    I was once doing the same thing, trying to figure out what my
    late sixties Gibson acoustic twelve string was worth. I was looking
    to trade up. I ran into a guy who would look it up in the origanal
    catalog, he had an etensive collection of these, and get the 
    origanal 'list' price and how many were made. Then, correcting for 
    infaltion, he would estimate what it would be in 1986 dollars, he had 
    his own calculation. That would give him what the instrument would
    cost today in 'new' condition. Then he would depreciate for dents,
    nicks, twists and cracks. This figure he used as his starting point 
    for determining value. He would then play it. At this point he would
    give you his best figure. If you wanted to sell to him, he would
    chop 20% off for his profit on resale.
    
    I don't know if this is a common method or even a remotly accurate
    method, just a method. The whole process seemed a tad bizarre to me, 
    but thats what this one dealer did. Then there are those that get,
    shall we say, emotionally attached to a particular instrument and
    all this means nothing.
    
    Dave.
                                     

    Find a place that does "consignment" sales.  The price the guy comes
    up with that he's willing to put on the guitar and hang on his wall
    will be a pretty good average price.  If it doesn't sell, he doesn't
    get his %%% and is wasting valuable display space on his wall.
    
    I've actually sold a couple of guitars this way through a shop
    here in Colorado Springs ( an early 60's Gibson SG and a 1938
    National Dobro ).  But, you don't need to use a consignment shop
    to sell the guitar.. just have the proprietor tell you what he'd
    sell it for.
    
    						Good luck
    						Doug Dickerson
    

    While I'm NOT in any way in the market to buy a guitar, either reply
    here or send me mail and I'll be glad to give you some information.

    Another thought.
    
    When your in Boston, put an add up on the board at Berklee College
    of Music.  There are many guitar players there, many are just
    exploring jazz for the first time and might be interested in old
    accoustic guitars.

    Re .4 : I am a sales rep in the Nashville office. The vintage
    instrument shop that can help with market values is Gruhn Guitars
    on Broadway, here in Nashville. No, he (George Gruhn, writes column
    for Giutar Player Mag) won't give you what your instrument is
    necessarily worth, but he will do a written appraisal for you for
    $10 an instument. He is among the top vintage instrument dealers
    in the world, and is recognized as such by his peers. He also knows
    other stringed instruments as well. He'll put you on his tri-weekly
    mailing list for $10, too.
    
    GRUHN GUITARS, INC.
    410 BROADWAY
    NASHVILLE, TN  37203
    Phone:  615-256-2033
    
    He knows his stuff. I bought a Gibson 1920 Model A from him. He
    also sells instruments for you on consignment, and deals all over
    the world.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    ben     		

 That seems to ring a bell. It may have been Gruhn since I believe I
was into reading Guitar Player at the time.

 Thanks !

    - mike

    I don't think that there is any way to "calculate" the price (value)
    of any vintage guitar.  The going price is almost always dictated
    by supply and demand, and the demand portion is volitile.  Gruhn
    Guitars in Nashville has a great reputation.  His price list is
    worth the $10 since it contains 100's of instrments.  You can get
    a pretty accurate guage of value from the list.
    
    Paul