From the Dallas Guitar Show

[R.G.]

Well, I've been to a barn raising, a turkey shoot and two county fairs and I can still be amazed at things in the big city.

One of the vintage guitars here had an asking price on it of $115,000.

[hairyandy]

$115,000!!!  That's it?  If you want to see a real '59 LP Burst that show is probably your best bet and those are going in the $250-$300,000 range right now.  I used to work for a pretty well respected vintage shop so I keep up on all of that dumb stuff...

Andy

[zachomega]

haha...Reminds me of the Philly guitar shows...

Does the Dallas show have Japanese "vendors" who only buy and won't sell as well?  In Philly, they scout around and buy up everything "vintage" that they can and ship the stuff to Japan where I have to assume only investors can afford it. 

-Zach Omega

Well, I've been to a barn raising, a turkey shoot and two county fairs and I can still be amazed at things in the big city.

One of the vintage guitars here had an asking price on it of $115,000.

[MartyMart]

Well I did get to play a 1958 gold top recently .... a bargain @ £120,000   !!!!! ( $250,000 )
Just like the Peter Green one only slightly more beaten up and not quite the "history" ...

[Mark Hammer]

Yeah, actually I'm surprised the prices on those pieces aren't advertised ONLY in yen.

[mac]

One of the 600 survivings Stradivarius, "The Lady Tenant", was sold at Christies in April 2005 near $2M. Considering that it is the most refined instrument on earth, the Les Paul at this price in 50 years is not bad at all.

If I had the cash I'd buy one of this Les Paul... maybe in 20 years the price may double and I could retire in a tropical island...  cash or tone? ... just a pagan thought...

mac

[mars_bringer_of_war]

The sad thing for me is that so many of these instruments-cuitars especially-are held by collectors, who lock them away, probably seldom giving them more than a passing glance, let alone ever playing them. Subsequently prices are driven in a highly artificial manner.

[Pedal love]

I wish I could have made it out. Sounds like fun.pl

[$uperpuma]

the show was pretty sparse for pedal guys, with the exception of Tone Factor and Another vendor that had a great selection of older stuff.  Mr. Keen, it was great to meet you and see/hear your amp in action. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

[black mariah]

Well damn, if I knew you guys were gonna be down here I'd have gone to the show.

[Paul Marossy]

Anyone who pays that kind of money for a guitar has more money than sense! 

[$uperpuma]

there were a lot of GREAT ones in the Holy Grail exhibit... a lot of firstes and rare guitars... some that are deemed priceless... like the Completely Rosewood strat that leo fender had made to present to Jimi Hendrix, but Jimi died before he could receive it. a MINT 52 or 54 goldtop Les Paul... clapton's "blackie".... just some amazing pieces

[MartyMart]

Anyone who pays that kind of money for a guitar has more money than sense! 

Kind of, but if you bought some late 60's early 70's models 4 or 5 years ago, you'd see that your
money has at least trippled !!
A good 1972 strat @ £2000 could get you £6000/£7000 today  !!  - shocking I know
( from recent Guitarist mag report on vintage guitar buying - states increase an some specific models )

[R.G.]

I guess I should not be surprised that prices for guitars have gone through the roof, but it still surprises me.

I have a much more pragmatic attitude to guitars I guess. If I had a "holy grail" guitar, I'd sell it. It's kind of like what do you do with a 10 pound brick of gold? You can't carry it with you, someone would kill you for it. You can't leave it somewhere, it'll be stolen. You can PAY for it to be stored, so instead of being rich, you have to pay for the privilege and you can't even get the fun of looking at it.

Some things are too valuable to own in the physical sense. Then there's always the fact that you don't really own anything you can't defend.

[Ben N]

I guess I should not be surprised that prices for guitars have gone through the roof, but it still surprises me.

I have a much more pragmatic attitude to guitars I guess. If I had a "holy grail" guitar, I'd sell it. It's kind of like what do you do with a 10 pound brick of gold? You can't carry it with you, someone would kill you for it. You can't leave it somewhere, it'll be stolen. You can PAY for it to be stored, so instead of being rich, you have to pay for the privilege and you can't even get the fun of looking at it.

Some things are too valuable to own in the physical sense. Then there's always the fact that you don't really own anything you can't defend.

+1
I'm sure there are some wonderful tones in there, but probably nothing you can't get close to in a very carefully made production or custom shop guitar. I buy guitar's to play them, not for vanity, and certainly not for thieves.

... like the Completely Rosewood strat that leo fender had made to present to Jimi Hendrix, but Jimi died before he could receive it.

Is that right? Leo left the company years before Jimi died...

Ben

[Paul Marossy]

I guess I should not be surprised that prices for guitars have gone through the roof, but it still surprises me.

I have a much more pragmatic attitude to guitars I guess. If I had a "holy grail" guitar, I'd sell it. It's kind of like what do you do with a 10 pound brick of gold? You can't carry it with you, someone would kill you for it. You can't leave it somewhere, it'll be stolen. You can PAY for it to be stored, so instead of being rich, you have to pay for the privilege and you can't even get the fun of looking at it.

Some things are too valuable to own in the physical sense. Then there's always the fact that you don't really own anything you can't defend.

All good points!!! 

[hairyandy]

I guess I should not be surprised that prices for guitars have gone through the roof, but it still surprises me.

I have a much more pragmatic attitude to guitars I guess. If I had a "holy grail" guitar, I'd sell it. It's kind of like what do you do with a 10 pound brick of gold? You can't carry it with you, someone would kill you for it. You can't leave it somewhere, it'll be stolen. You can PAY for it to be stored, so instead of being rich, you have to pay for the privilege and you can't even get the fun of looking at it.

Some things are too valuable to own in the physical sense. Then there's always the fact that you don't really own anything you can't defend.

All good points!!! 

For sure!  At a certain point some vintage guitars become less an instrument to be played and more a piece of art to be looked at.  It's the same with original Stradivarius violins, there's not much difference really between that and a mint '59 Burst with an amazing top.  I've played a few and they were all amazing guitars but I'd rather save my money and buy a really good replica that I can play out.  The same thing goes for Trainwreck amps, check out the price on an original IF you can find one!  It's all supply and demand fueled by our favorite mix of legendary misinformation and ignorance:  MOJO!!!



Andy

[Mark Hammer]

There is a monthly column recently added in Vintage Guitar magazine called "401k Guitars".  Not being either American or an investor of any kind, I don't know the specific "401k" reference, but the gist of it is about guitars as long-term investments on the same order as retirement savings plans, etc.  That this could be a monthly column and not just a one-shot quirky article says plenty.

Hi Andy.  If you're passing through town this summer, give me a shout.

[$uperpuma]

... like the Completely Rosewood strat that leo fender had made to present to Jimi Hendrix, but Jimi died before he could receive it.

Is that right? Leo left the company years before Jimi died...


Ben
[/quote]

seems you are right, it was not Leo Fender personally, just the Fender company.

[joegagan]

imposter alert imposter alert
someone logged on in Mark Hammer's name

dead giveaway, the post was less than 100 words.