Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
- MattK
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
- Location: Hobart, Australia
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Back in the 90s I had a Boss Spectrum that I bought for about $20 and used just for a few things. I think I gave it away …
- Jonesie
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4187
- Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
- Location: Massachusetts
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Well, I sold my Yamaha Studio Lord SL450S to a buddy of mine when I needed cash. Later he needed cash and I was able to buy it back, which is fantastic, because this guitar fucking rules. I threw in some Duncan 59s and it does everything I want a Les Paul to do. Sometimes you just want to bang out some Classic Rock riffs with a LP through a Marshall. I think if I didn't get this guitar back it would have been my biggest regret.
- Surfysonic
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1909
- Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:22 pm
- Location: Walkersville, MD
- Contact:
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
I can gladly scratch one regret off my list. It's not the exact same guitar - hopefully, Scout is still enjoying that one. This is the Jazz Strat I've been stalk-, er, watching for the past 4 months on Reverb. I'm going to do my best to hang onto this quirky, exceptionally high-quality, US Fender guitar. I mentioned this waaay back when I got my first one - I sincerely believe this will be the closest I ever get to a custom shop level quality Fender guitar.Surfysonic wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2024 8:46 amFender Parallel Universe Volume II Jazz Strat - ...this is the guitar I traded the AV '52 FSR Roasted Ash Tele for. Really loved this very well built, oddball Fender. Cool Decoboom pickguard, mystic surf finish with matching headstock, AV '65 Jazzmaster pickups. I ended up not playing it very much as I tend to gravitate towards my offset guitars. When the opportunity came up to trade this for my Johnny Marr Jag that I sold to Scout on here, I went for it. No regrets for the trade as the Marrguar is my #1 (and only now, lol) Jag. I have one of these Jazz Strats in my watchlist on Reverb. Maybe after moving some more gear, I'll get another one.
The stock PV (or AV) '65 Jazzmaster pickups are decent enough, however, this might give me an excuse to get a set of Kinman Fatmasters...
The doofus formerly known as Snorre...
- crazyzeke
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 5078
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:19 pm
- Location: West Sussex, England
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
1996 Gibson Les Paul Special Doublecut
Not the actual guitar pictured, but I loved that thing. It had a neck crack at the headstock joint like a lot of Gibsons (not my fault; previous owner) and I had it fixed before I sold it. Definitely not perfect by a long shot - lack of cutaways on the slab body and some other things - but the doublecut meant access to the high frets was insanely easy, dots are better than blocks to my hands and those P90s were just so right - best set I've heard, to this day. 1996 was a great year for me, I have to say, even though I didn't have it until about 2003 I think, so it reminded me of that too. Only guitar I've ever posted as well. Lived in London at the time. Posting guitars was not at all common back then so I got some weird looks.
---
I'm scratching my head trying to think of any others I've missed, but that's probably it, and in the long run I made the better choice because my Jag is my baby. I did have a Lake Placid Blue (apparently; I maintain it was several shades too bright for that) CIJ Jag but honestly that thing was one of the few Japanese made offsets I've played that wasn't up to the usual impeccably high standard, for example the high E string always felt like it was falling off of the fretboard, not cool, and I paid way too much for it at the time, had it shipped from America to the UK... all that nonsense. I owned it for a week before I listed it for sale, and it sold quickly getting me basically all my money back.
2003 CIJ Fender Jaguar, sunburst (SJAG-3n neck, SHR-1b bridge, 500K lead circuit pots/speed knobs, Mastery bridge, Buzz Stop, Squier JM JM vibrato plate, modified whammy bar)
2022 MIM Fender Meteora, cosmic jade (top mounted input jack added)
2022 MIM Fender Meteora, cosmic jade (top mounted input jack added)
- JamesSGBrown
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 782
- Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:36 pm
- Location: Birmingham, UK
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
I had one of those 90's doublecuts! Mine was actually a bit of a dog- didn't sustain much despite the proper body-mounted ABR-1, and wouldn't stay in tune. But it was so cool. Wish I'd just had it worked on really, maybe it would've come to life.crazyzeke wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 12:40 pm
1996 Gibson Les Paul Special Doublecut
Not the actual guitar pictured, but I loved that thing. It had a neck crack at the headstock joint like a lot of Gibsons (not my fault; previous owner) and I had it fixed before I sold it. Definitely not perfect by a long shot - lack of cutaways on the slab body and some other things - but the doublecut meant access to the high frets was insanely easy, dots are better than blocks to my hands and those P90s were just so right - best set I've heard, to this day. 1996 was a great year for me, I have to say, even though I didn't have it until about 2003 I think, so it reminded me of that too. Only guitar I've ever posted as well. Lived in London at the time. Posting guitars was not at all common back then so I got some weird looks.
---
I'm scratching my head trying to think of any others I've missed, but that's probably it, and in the long run I made the better choice because my Jag is my baby. I did have a Lake Placid Blue (apparently; I maintain it was several shades too bright for that) CIJ Jag but honestly that thing was one of the few Japanese made offsets I've played that wasn't up to the usual impeccably high standard, for example the high E string always felt like it was falling off of the fretboard, not cool, and I paid way too much for it at the time, had it shipped from America to the UK... all that nonsense. I owned it for a week before I listed it for sale, and it sold quickly getting me basically all my money back.
- crazyzeke
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 5078
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:19 pm
- Location: West Sussex, England
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Oh no! That's a shame. Mine had amazing sustain for the body thickness (or thinness depending on how you look at it), very few tuning issues despite having a cracked headstock. There were a lot of good Gibsons made in the mid to late 90s, based on what I've played. It's like the Gibson version of how MIJ/CIJ stuff is now worth triple what it was a few years ago, above inflation price increase wise. CIJ Jags are like £1,200 now, stock with the crap pickups I've always found them to have, it's crazy town.JamesSGBrown wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:43 pmI had one of those 90's doublecuts! Mine was actually a bit of a dog- didn't sustain much despite the proper body-mounted ABR-1, and wouldn't stay in tune. But it was so cool. Wish I'd just had it worked on really, maybe it would've come to life.
2003 CIJ Fender Jaguar, sunburst (SJAG-3n neck, SHR-1b bridge, 500K lead circuit pots/speed knobs, Mastery bridge, Buzz Stop, Squier JM JM vibrato plate, modified whammy bar)
2022 MIM Fender Meteora, cosmic jade (top mounted input jack added)
2022 MIM Fender Meteora, cosmic jade (top mounted input jack added)
- BMWRider
- PAT PEND
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2023 9:47 am
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
There are a LOT of guitars I wish I had back, mainly because they were sold to generate income at the time. I had a killer Butterscotch Blonde AVRI '52 Tele, which I swapped out the neck for a MIM 50s FSR Tele. Light, resonant, and completely bitchin' tone, but my other Tele had the sentimental value (bought it the day my Godmother died, and still have it). Had a Darkback '57 Goldtop reissue which I loved, but I kept falling back into British Blues with it!
If we're talking offsets, my '63 refin JM was up there. Shaved neck, repainted gold, I eventually used it as a trade-in on another guitar (I think it ended up in the UK). There was also my 2013 CAR Bass VI, which I never should have sold; didn't need it at the time, but it was a soft market. Now those instruments are expensive!
If we're talking offsets, my '63 refin JM was up there. Shaved neck, repainted gold, I eventually used it as a trade-in on another guitar (I think it ended up in the UK). There was also my 2013 CAR Bass VI, which I never should have sold; didn't need it at the time, but it was a soft market. Now those instruments are expensive!
- welshywelsh
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 420
- Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:58 am
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Bought a Cobain Mustang for £450. It was at a time I'd bought a fair few guitars, so felt I should move it on.
Should not have
Should not have
- ldp54002
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:19 am
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
I consider myself lucky in this instance, as 99% of the gear I've sold, I don't really regret it. Either I was ready to move on anyway, or I was able to trade up and get something I liked more. For the longest time, I only had two regrets--a Classic Player Jaguar HH and a MIM 70s ash Stratocaster. I missed the Jag almost immediately after I got rid of it, but I'm over it at this point.
The Strat, however, poisoned me against Guitar Center, so much so that I have not stepped foot in a GC in 14 years and will likely never do so again, unless they finally got bankrupt and have some sort of liquidation sale. I used the Strat as a trade-in down payment on a limited edition Gibson Explorer that the manager swore up and down they had an allocation for, and that I was at the top of the list. After jerking me around for five months, they finally called me to say not only was I not getting my Explorer, but no one was--their store never had an allocation, and by the time I learned this, the entire run had been spoken for. I heard from a mutual acquaintance that this was not the first time that store's manager had straight up lied to customers to secure a sale.
As for one that got away, it will always be the 1966 Jaguar at Emerald City Guitars in 2013. It was a couple notches above player grade--some minor dings, the mute foam definitely needed replaced, and I suspect it would have needed at least a partial refret in the cowboy chord area. But it was also $2250 (just over $3k in today's dollars), included the original case and some paperwork. I sat and played that thing for almost two hours, trying to justify buying it. My wife was sympathetic and could tell I loved it, so even given our somewhat limited funds at the time, she said I should get it if I wanted it. I knew deep down we weren't in a place where I could spend that much money on something I didn't "need", so I eventually hung it back on the wall.
I should have bought it.
The Strat, however, poisoned me against Guitar Center, so much so that I have not stepped foot in a GC in 14 years and will likely never do so again, unless they finally got bankrupt and have some sort of liquidation sale. I used the Strat as a trade-in down payment on a limited edition Gibson Explorer that the manager swore up and down they had an allocation for, and that I was at the top of the list. After jerking me around for five months, they finally called me to say not only was I not getting my Explorer, but no one was--their store never had an allocation, and by the time I learned this, the entire run had been spoken for. I heard from a mutual acquaintance that this was not the first time that store's manager had straight up lied to customers to secure a sale.
As for one that got away, it will always be the 1966 Jaguar at Emerald City Guitars in 2013. It was a couple notches above player grade--some minor dings, the mute foam definitely needed replaced, and I suspect it would have needed at least a partial refret in the cowboy chord area. But it was also $2250 (just over $3k in today's dollars), included the original case and some paperwork. I sat and played that thing for almost two hours, trying to justify buying it. My wife was sympathetic and could tell I loved it, so even given our somewhat limited funds at the time, she said I should get it if I wanted it. I knew deep down we weren't in a place where I could spend that much money on something I didn't "need", so I eventually hung it back on the wall.
I should have bought it.
- finboy
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1874
- Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:31 pm
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Most of the guitars I’ve sold I have nostalgia for, but know they wouldn’t live up to it once I got them back.
A few hits:
Shoreline gold Telecaster xii with matching headstock, cross neck, thinline tele custom body. I just couldn’t get this playing to a point where I was happy with it. Nothing wrong with the guitar, but I went flat-wounds, and just couldn’t get a good feeling from it. Ironically I’m gathering parts for another tele xii build for redemption.
Rocketone phantom in sparkle blue - sold on here, it bounced around on reverb a couple times, I was a student again and cleared out some inventory to keep myself afloat.
ADH Jag-squire - sold to a friend who now uses it as one of his main guitars. I made a great friendship out of it so at least I can visit.
Turqoise rickenbacker 360 - bought for $1200 and sold to mike and mike’s during the peak of covid when I was selling a lot of gear at the peak. This was a cool guitar but I’m not a Rick guy. Had I kept it, I wonder if stringing it up in Nashville tuning would have resolved my search for a perfect “12” string guitar.
72 Les Paul gold top with 50’s p90’s, again selling at the peak and I have other p90 guitars that play great and don’t have a thin neck. Sold to another Canadian who was quite happy with it, but it was quite the looker with a great feel.
There is more, but I still love my current pos-covid fleet. Part of my selling was a realization that 20+ guitars and hundreds of pedals (don’t get me started on regrets there) would be a nightmare for family to sell in a few decades when i’m gone. I timed the market well and have a good mix of guitars today that I play more (even if I find myself eying up the occasional adjustable bridge Gibson acoustic)
One outlier! I sold this body TWICE before finally building it into this final form and I’m happy with it. First time I bought it I was going to run a tele bridge pickup in the neck and bridge position, never got around to it and sold it. Second time I put a wide range in the bridge and ran it like pat’s bronco blaster, parted it out and sold it again. Third time owning it, I made a keef-stang tuned in open g, and I actually use the damned thing.
Photo of the keef-stang and some other departed beauties
IMG_3958 by adamfindlay, on Flickr
IMG_3959 by adamfindlay, on Flickr
A few hits:
Shoreline gold Telecaster xii with matching headstock, cross neck, thinline tele custom body. I just couldn’t get this playing to a point where I was happy with it. Nothing wrong with the guitar, but I went flat-wounds, and just couldn’t get a good feeling from it. Ironically I’m gathering parts for another tele xii build for redemption.
Rocketone phantom in sparkle blue - sold on here, it bounced around on reverb a couple times, I was a student again and cleared out some inventory to keep myself afloat.
ADH Jag-squire - sold to a friend who now uses it as one of his main guitars. I made a great friendship out of it so at least I can visit.
Turqoise rickenbacker 360 - bought for $1200 and sold to mike and mike’s during the peak of covid when I was selling a lot of gear at the peak. This was a cool guitar but I’m not a Rick guy. Had I kept it, I wonder if stringing it up in Nashville tuning would have resolved my search for a perfect “12” string guitar.
72 Les Paul gold top with 50’s p90’s, again selling at the peak and I have other p90 guitars that play great and don’t have a thin neck. Sold to another Canadian who was quite happy with it, but it was quite the looker with a great feel.
There is more, but I still love my current pos-covid fleet. Part of my selling was a realization that 20+ guitars and hundreds of pedals (don’t get me started on regrets there) would be a nightmare for family to sell in a few decades when i’m gone. I timed the market well and have a good mix of guitars today that I play more (even if I find myself eying up the occasional adjustable bridge Gibson acoustic)
One outlier! I sold this body TWICE before finally building it into this final form and I’m happy with it. First time I bought it I was going to run a tele bridge pickup in the neck and bridge position, never got around to it and sold it. Second time I put a wide range in the bridge and ran it like pat’s bronco blaster, parted it out and sold it again. Third time owning it, I made a keef-stang tuned in open g, and I actually use the damned thing.
Photo of the keef-stang and some other departed beauties
IMG_3958 by adamfindlay, on Flickr
IMG_3959 by adamfindlay, on Flickr
- Gonkulator
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2969
- Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:31 am
- Location: Massachusetts
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Was this the one I sold you years ago? Paul Rhoney replaced the neck on it. I got it from AWSchmidt. That was a cool guitar!
Chippertheripper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:02 amReally wish I had this unicorn back:
Heavily modded sg1 from the 90’s.
- Caddy65
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 2:45 am
- Location: NW Indiana
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Been playing since 1957 and have only sold a couple guitars. The first was sold once i bought my new 1964 Jazzmaster right after high school graduation. The other was that Jazzmaster that I sold in the late 70’s after having gigged with it a a couple different bands. At the time my wife had left me with four very young sons. She just wanted away from the whole married with kids thing. She never came by ir contributed any thing. Never even bought them gifts for birthdays, Christmas, etc.
Money was tight and I thought I could help things out by selling my Jazzmaster, the only guitar I had ither than a classical nylon string guitar. It was a foolish idea that I have always regretted. Foolish in that the sale if a guitar really doesn’t change your financial situation for more than a very short time. Learned my lesson and never sold another guitar after that.
I missed having that Jazzmaster for about 40 years but had quit gigging and couldn’t justify the cost of another. Once the Squier VM Jazzmasters hit the market I bought a new one in 2012. It is sunburst as was the old one and I now feel much like I have it back again. Very nice guitar that I upgraded pots, switches, jack, etc. and pickups to Fender Vintage’62’s.
Money was tight and I thought I could help things out by selling my Jazzmaster, the only guitar I had ither than a classical nylon string guitar. It was a foolish idea that I have always regretted. Foolish in that the sale if a guitar really doesn’t change your financial situation for more than a very short time. Learned my lesson and never sold another guitar after that.
I missed having that Jazzmaster for about 40 years but had quit gigging and couldn’t justify the cost of another. Once the Squier VM Jazzmasters hit the market I bought a new one in 2012. It is sunburst as was the old one and I now feel much like I have it back again. Very nice guitar that I upgraded pots, switches, jack, etc. and pickups to Fender Vintage’62’s.
- MattK
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 3874
- Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
- Location: Hobart, Australia
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
I hope it brings you joy, those sound like some very tough times. Maybe you can flip the feeling about the one you sold by thinking of it as a demonstration of your love for your kids, rather than a loss.
- Chippertheripper
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 932
- Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 1:53 pm
- Location: SE mass
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Yeah. What a fool I was…seriously.Gonkulator wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2024 7:08 amWas this the one I sold you years ago? Paul Rhoney replaced the neck on it. I got it from AWSchmidt. That was a cool guitar!
Chippertheripper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:02 amReally wish I had this unicorn back:
Heavily modded sg1 from the 90’s.
- LVC
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2036
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:38 pm
- Location: France
Re: Guitars We Sold and Those That Got Away
Create art, not content