Is vintage worth the price?

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
pocaloc
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:40 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Is vintage worth the price?

Post by pocaloc » Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:52 pm

I'm attracted to owning a piece of history, but sound wise, is a vintage Jag worth buying over a thin skin or AVRI with maybe Novak pickup upgrades? I'm looking at a '63 for a good price, maybe $500 more than an AVRI. Everything is in good working condition on the '63 jag.

User avatar
terminalvertigo
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3777
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:08 pm
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by terminalvertigo » Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:18 pm

i always gravitate towards the vintage, but not all of them are great guitars. there are some AVRis, that are probably great.

You are the only one who can determine for yourself if its worthwhile for you.
GoodDeals:Jaguar018-Skip-Scotty66-Noirengineer-Panoramic-Soundhack-Tribi9-Stereordinary-Dug-Ginnungagap-Loomer-Eupat-FenderBob-Franco-AWSchmit-PeterHerman-TweedleDee-Diceman-Prospect-Danocaster-Glimmertwin-Jetset-Staytuned-ukfuzz-Aen-Atomicmassunit-MT,etc

User avatar
pocaloc
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:40 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by pocaloc » Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:25 pm

terminalvertigo wrote:i always gravitate towards the vintage, but not all of them are great guitars. there are some AVRis, that are probably great.

You are the only one who can determine for yourself if its worthwhile for you.
Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I can't play it beforehand, so i have to see if, in general, people think it's better. I'm probably going to do it for the pride of owning vintage. Then at least I can know. Is '63 known as a good year. It must be if '62 in THE iconic year.

User avatar
terminalvertigo
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3777
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:08 pm
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by terminalvertigo » Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:44 pm

both jm and jag from 63 i've owned have been the best example i've played..


my 63jm is going to the grave with me.
GoodDeals:Jaguar018-Skip-Scotty66-Noirengineer-Panoramic-Soundhack-Tribi9-Stereordinary-Dug-Ginnungagap-Loomer-Eupat-FenderBob-Franco-AWSchmit-PeterHerman-TweedleDee-Diceman-Prospect-Danocaster-Glimmertwin-Jetset-Staytuned-ukfuzz-Aen-Atomicmassunit-MT,etc

User avatar
kapepper
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 326
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:51 am

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by kapepper » Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:52 pm

pocaloc wrote:I'm attracted to owning a piece of history, but sound wise, is a vintage Jag worth buying over a thin skin or AVRI with maybe Novak pickup upgrades? I'm looking at a '63 for a good price, maybe $500 more than an AVRI. Everything is in good working condition on the '63 jag.
vintage or new:

well you can approach it from different angles

- you buy the avri and the moment you buy it (at least new), you lose 30 % of its value. Not gonna happen that quickly vintage for sure if you buy smart
- i dont know if a vintage will sound better (or worser) then an avri, they will probably sound both very good
- but if you buy vintage you buy something unique, part of history build in the"good old days" with for sure quality materials
- vintage has a feel that new guitars dont have, thats what I like the most about older-vintage guitars....

so if i were you, buy the vintage one, you wont regret ;)

User avatar
blacktiger
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4125
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:05 pm
Location: banned in DC

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by blacktiger » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:24 pm

If you get a good deal, yes. If you pay out the ass for an all original guitar in a custom color...not so much, unless you're rich enough that money is no object.
Thread killer

User avatar
Hoops
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 955
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by Hoops » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:36 pm

From a financial point of view vintage is "worth it" as if you're smart you'll buy something that will only appreciate in value, whereas AVRIs and all other brand new guitars will lose value the moment you buy them.

From an instrument point of view will a 1962 Jazzmaster sound and play 4 times better than an AVRI? Again subjective but I doubt it.

User avatar
elektrovac
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1007
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Floating in space

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by elektrovac » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:42 pm

Having owned a vintage 1966 Jazzmaster and 1969 Mustang (both bought cheap in the early 90's) I'd say, no, vintage guitars is not worth today's asking price as musical instruments. Probably as investments.

The 1966 Jazzy was wonderful, but honestly, the thin skin Jazzmaster I own today (with pickups from Pickup Wizard) is better sounding, playing and looking than the old one. But in-between I owned a normal AVRI that was awful and dead sounding.

The 1969 Mustang was the worst guitar I have ever owned. The only good thing about it was it's looks (comp blue matching headstock). I replaced it with an AVRI Jaguar that was a wonderful guitar.

Today I am all for new guitars and old amps.

User avatar
bterry
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1351
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:53 am

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by bterry » Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:45 pm

I think we all ask ourselves this question constantly, even if we know we love vintage guitars and own them. But, there is a scenario that keeps playing out for me that is a good example of why I always go vintage in the end....

I picked up a great playing Fender CS Esquire a while back, I love it. I had my '62 (vintage) down at the shop for a week, and have been playing the Esquire exclusively. Today I got the Strat back. I fired up my old Vibrolux Reverb Amp (the best amp on the planet, but that's another story) and ran the Esquire through its paces...after I thought, I am going to be disappointed when I plug in the Strat, I know it! Well, not only was I not disappointed, I was amazed...so much better than the Esquire, and the Esquire really sounds incredible.

Great guitars are great guitars, but IME the vintage greats are way better.

I know a better comparison would be between a new and a vintage Esquire, but I have done that with other guitars (JMs mostly) and I get the same result.

User avatar
tonewoods
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:32 pm
Location: Orcas Island, Washington
Contact:

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by tonewoods » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:26 pm

elektrovac wrote:I'd say, no, vintage guitars is not worth today's asking price as musical instruments. Probably as investments.
Maybe I've been hanging around the vintage Tele/Strat folks for too long, but I'm looking at vintage Jag and JM prices and am seriously thinking of pulling the trigger on one of each...
Waaaay undervalued, IMHO...

I'm always looking for a place to park some $$ (not that I have a lot), and I couldn't think of a better place right now...
Seriously....

User avatar
sookwinder
Mods
Mods
Posts: 11179
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by sookwinder » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:39 pm

From my perspective the question Is vintage worth the price? is a missleading question because it can be taken from two distinct, almost no compatable, points of view.

The first is ... is Is vintage worth the price from an investment perspective? Well if you are investing in anything (guitars, old china, diamonds, art, cars) you buy them and then you place them in a vault (or a secure area) so they do not get damaaged. Thus the purchase is not for usage but for investment. I am not an investment advisor so I cannot say whether investing in guitars is good or bad. The only thing I can say on te topic is if you have purchased as an investment then at some stage you will want or need to sell that investment, so no emotional ties should be made with you and the item.

The second perspective is a purchase of a vintage guitar for sound quality, playability, features, mojo, history. Like every mass produced item there are great vintage guitars, average vintage guitars and dogs. In my experience the additional $$ spent on a vinbtage guitar is worth it for a couple of reasons.

I have a 99 AV Jag and four 60s vintage jags. The AV Jag is a great guitar ... in fact an extremely good guitar, but the vintage jags are just better. The wood is lighter in the vintage jags (the wood used in the AV production just seems so heavy), the pups have a more 3D sound to them (maybe because they have aged for 50 years). The vinatge jags just seem more organic to me.... that "something" that is impossible to quantify but anyone who has played a great vintage guitar will fully understand. Because there is less consistency in the vintage builds, each guitar almost has its own character. My best vintage Jag (my no.1) is a partscaster... but then again so were Claptons two great strats Brownie and Blackie.

Lastly IMO one would not purchase a vintage guitar as an investment and then also play it ... just doesn't make sense
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

User avatar
tonewoods
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:32 pm
Location: Orcas Island, Washington
Contact:

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by tonewoods » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:58 pm

sookwinder wrote: Lastly IMO one would not purchase a vintage guitar as an investment and then also play it ... just doesn't make sense
Good point, if it's pristine...
But most of 'em aren't...

I just got a Thin Skin Jaguar loaded with Novaks and a Mastery, and it's hard to imagine a better tool out there for doing what a Jaguar does--vintage or modern...
It's just a great guitar...
And, you don't have to worry about gigging it...

User avatar
jim93
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3058
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:11 pm

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by jim93 » Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:25 pm

Honestly they arent as great an investment as people make them out to be.

yearly value by appreciation - value of a year of insurance => not so great

I would try the a certificate of deposit instead, the returns will be higher and you dont have
to pay insurance on it because its a physical object that might get stolen.

Its a much better investment than a new guitar but isnt a replacement for
savings account.

User avatar
pocaloc
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:40 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by pocaloc » Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:30 pm

The one I'm looking at is a re-finish in Natural from the original sunburst. It has the original
case in very good condition, and the guitar is in really good looking and functioning condition. It's about a $1000 less in price because of the re-finish at $1950. Fair price?

P.S. I'm looking more for mojo . And maybe it increasing or keeping value. That 3D sound description sounds like what I want to hear.

User avatar
codog
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 82
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:02 pm

Re: Is vintage worth the price?

Post by codog » Fri Feb 03, 2012 7:12 pm

Vintage is def the way to go

Post Reply