by Albert Aunchman

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2010

Your guitar is more than just a piece of wood, its and investment. Over the last 25 years, top-of the-line vintage guitars have outperformed the stock market, precious metals and other collectibles. A written appraisal of your instrument protects your investment by establishing the current value for insurance purposes and peace of mind.

The condition of your guitar, as with all other collectibles, is very important. Instruments in "excellent " condition are always worth more than those in "average" condition.

Guitars, however, must meet several other criteria to be considered valuable to a collector. One of the most important is originality. Any modifications, replaced parts or repairs will decrease the value of a vintage guitar. Even replacing the case or re-fretting will decrease its value.

Oddly enough, a "beat up" original finish will always be worth much more than a perfectly refinished one, even if done by a professional. The reason is, that once the original finish is gone, it is virtually impossible to replace it.

Demand for a particular guitar affects the value to a great extent. The Fender electric mandolin, although rare, is not worth much. The reason is demand; no one wants it.
Conversely, the Fender Telecaster, produced in the thousands from 1950 through 1965, is very popular and demand is greater, making it much more valuable than the rarer electric mandolin.

Most collectible guitars were manufactured from the mid 1920's to 1970. Guitars manufactured prior to the 1920's are too primitive in design for most collectors. Guitars after 1970, though 30 years old, have little appeal to collectors because of the drop in quality and choice of materials. Post 1970 guitars cannot match the quality or materials used in the older instruments. Brazilian Rosewood, used on even cheap department store guitars until the 1960's, cannot be imported any longer. Today, the use of CNC (computer controlled) routers can be more consistent in quality, but it just doesn't match the same personality of an "old school" hand made guitar.

The easiest way to get an appraisal is through online services by submitting:
A clear color front and back photo prints of the instrument.
Serial number and any other numbers found on the guitar. Include the area where they were found.
Describe any modifications/damage/repairs that might not be visible in the photos
List any repairs that need to be done.
The fee can range from $30 to $50 depending on the dealer.

Some have suggested that the trend in vintage guitar appraisals has been to over appraise vintage guitars in order to get the instrument on consignment. A better way, some suggest, is to take your instrument to a dealer and see what you can get for it in cash at that moment. Though the amount may be significantly less than an appraisal, you will have a more realistic assessment of what your instrument is worth.

Assessing the value of a vintage guitar can be somewhat vexing, but with a little due diligence, you can get a good idea of what your instrument is worth.

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