Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Vintage Guitar Values - How Much Is Your Guitar Worth?

!±8± Vintage Guitar Values - How Much Is Your Guitar Worth?

Many of the visitors to my website ask about vintage guitar values. Do you have a guitar about which you would like to have information? Do you have a question about Fender guitar value, Gibson guitar value, or maybe the value of a Martin guitar? Even if you don't know what kind of guitar you have, a little research will help you to find the value of your guitar.

What makes a guitar valuable?

Several factors figure into the value of a guitar. In general, the guitar must be one which is sought after by collectors and musicians. The demand for a guitar is determined in general by quality, beauty, and playability. This demand must outweigh the available supply.Age is an important factor in the value of a guitar, but a guitar is not necessarily more valuable just because it is older. It must have been made with a high standard of quality in the first place. An old mediocre quality guitar is just that--an old mediocre guitar! The actual year that a guitar was made may not be as important as the PERIOD in which it was made.

For example, electric guitars which are most valuable today include Fender Telecasters made before 1954, Fender Stratocasters made between 1954 and 1959, and Gibson Les Pauls made between 1958 and 1960. Acoustic guitars of the greatest value include Pre-World War II Martins and Gibsons.This is not to say that other guitars are not valuable. Many vintage guitars will bring a good price. The trick is to know approximately how much YOUR guitar is worth.

How Do I Determine the Value of My Guitar?

In order for you or anyone else to determine the value of your guitar, you must have certain information available. Ideally, you would know the brand, model, and serial number. The brand and model, however, can often be determined through the serial number. Then you must determine the condition of your guitar--prices differ greatly according to condition. Here are some guidelines: (these guidelines are from the "Blue Book of Acoustic and Electric Guitars")

100% - New - New with all factory materials, including warranty card, owner's manual, case, and other items that were originally included by the manufacturer. On currently manufactured instruments, the 100% price refers to an instrument not previously sold at retail. Even if a new instrument has been played only twice and traded in a week later, it no longer qualifies at 100%.

Excellent - this Excellent condition range is represented by both High Excellent and Low Excellent condition. High Excellent refers to an instrument that is very clean, looks almost new (perhaps a few light scratches/dings only), and has hardly been used. Low Excellent refers to a guitar that has been played/used, and has accumulated some minor wear in the form of light scratches, dings, small chips, etc. The older an instrument, the less likely it will be in High Excellent condition Even Low Excellent is seldom encountered on instruments over 50 years old, since most acoustic instruments were originally purchased to be played

Average - The Average guitar condition factor indicates an acoustic guitar that has been in a player's hands and has worn due to player use (hopefully, no abuse). High Average condition instruments have normal dents, small chips, and light dings on the body, and/or scratches on the top and back. However, there should be no problems unless indicated separately. Low Average condition instruments may reflect major finish problems, replacement parts, previous repairs (especially on older instruments), alterations, and neck/fret wear is typically visible.

Once you have this information at hand, you can attempt to find the value of the guitar by consulting various sources on the internet or you can have it appraised by an expert. Researching the value of your guitar on the internet may be free. The downside is that this research requires a big expenditure of time and a wide knowledge of guitar pricing resources. If you have your guitar appraised, remember that the appraiser may also be a dealer who is, after all, wanting to make a profit by reselling the guitar. For this reason, the appraisal MAY be biased.

Because so many of my website visitors have inquired about the value of their guitars, I have begun to offer a GENERAL guitar evaluation service. This service is FREE. If you are interested, please visit:

Vintage Guitar Values at the May Music Studio Website.


Vintage Guitar Values - How Much Is Your Guitar Worth?

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Buying Goya Guitars on eBay

!±8± Buying Goya Guitars on eBay

The Swedish Made Levin Guitars on eBay

Goya folk guitars were the preferred choice of many of the 1970 s folk artists such as Melanie Safka and Stevie Nicks. The folk model Goya guitars during this era (to 1950 - 1973) were acoustic guitars handmade in Sweden by the Levin company but were distributed into the US under the brand name of Goya. In the late 1950's a line of steel stringed flattops were launched, with adjustable truss rods and bolted necks. The later acoustic Goya guitars had a high quality finish and their use of nylon strings gave the guitar a different tone from older guitars that used steel strings, making it popular among folk musicians. After 1973, the Goya brand distribution changed hands several times and the Levin company also started to manufacture electric guitars.

Acoustic Goya folk guitars from the late 1950s or electric guitars through the late 1970s are generally the more common of the Goya guitars available on eBay, but auction market listings change rapidly from day to day and you never know what will turn up. If you are looking for a specific model of Goya guitars on ebay, the best option is to subscribe to an eBay feed in a reader, so you can check new listings regularly. You can subscribe to such a feed at the link below.

When buying Goya guitars on eBay look for detailed colour pictures in the listings, especially if the seller is claiming vintage status. There should be pictures of labels, serial numbers, the guitar case (if there is one) and also details of any major damages to the guitar. That's if the seller is being open and honest and understands the need for collectors to have such information. Most buyers will not quibble over a few scratches or the odd ding, but take care if you see signs of warping or splits in the seams joining the face of the guitar to the curves of the body. These faults can usually be fixed but modify your bid accordingly. Experienced sellers will scrupulously detail the condition of vintage guitars, and fully describe the body, neck and bridge (eBay auction descriptive text in addition to pictures). They may also indicate how the guitar plays and sounds.

How Can You Verify the Authenticity of Goya Guitars on eBay

For early Levin guitars, look for a paper label with the Goya logo in a cursive script and text that says, "Made by A.B. Herman Carlson Levin - Gothenburg, Sweden". Also check both the label and the neck block for a serial number and model with a date and cross check it against the Locksley serial numbers.

Goya guitars made later, through the early 1960s may have a zoning code from the distributor Hershmann, such as New York 10 N.Y. Guitars made after 1962 will likely have a 5-digit zip code from New York City. For later models than this, if the collector aspect is important to you, check on line for a history of the manufacture and distribution of Goya guitars. You may get clues from the distributors name as to which decade it was made. Martin used an 8-digit serial number, which you'd find on Goya guitars made late in the 1970 s. These were not manufactured in Sweden but may have been manufactured in Italy, Japan, Korea or Taiwan. Production ended around 1990, so nearly every Goya guitar on eBay is going to be at least 18 years old.

How Much Should You Pay For Goya Guitars On eBay?

A goya acoustic guitar in good condition will cost between 0-0 and although bidding varies, you are unlikely to be successful at winning an auction for under 0.00. Few sellers will want the bother of shipping outside the U.S., so shipping costs will generally increase the price by -50.00. Check your own local country eBay site listings if you are outside the US. Different Country eBay links are generally listed at the bottom of each eBay page. You can also search classifieds sites such as Craig s List or other auction sites for listings of vintage acoustic guitars. You can check forums where you can read threads of Q&A from previous collectors and ask forum members who may help you to date and value a vintage guitar.

At different times you'll find many different models, styles and years for the models of Goya guitars on eBay. You may pay more for electric Goya guitars which are less frequently available. Jimi Hendrix used to play an electric Goya Rangemaster guitar. Goya Rangemaster guitars of high quality have been listed with a buy now price of ,500.00. Bass guitars may also garner a higher price.

When you are searching for Goya guitars on eBay, try the search term Levin guitars, also Hagstrom and Martin may be worth a look as well. Your seller may not know much about guitars and list only under vintage or acoustic guitars. Inexperience may also mean they don't upload a good description or detailed pictures. Just email the seller for more detail if an auction listing does look promising and you think they may have a collectable guitar you want to buy.


Buying Goya Guitars on eBay

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Looking for a Quality Guitar? Consider Martin Guitars

!±8± Looking for a Quality Guitar? Consider Martin Guitars

The Quality Roots of the Martin
From 1833 until the present day, Martin guitars have been the stuff of legend. The stern, disciplined descendants of C.F.Martin have been faithful to his quality standards to a high degree. A lot of time and work still goes into the making of a Martin guitar, just as it did in 1833. The mystery is how the Martin Company survived for 177 years, when so many guitar makers did not. Christian Friedrich Martin arrived in New York, from Germany, in 1833. He had been an apprentice to the renowned luthier, Johann Stauffer, but had some guitar design ideas of his own. He did create Martin-Stauffer guitars but by 1838 had developed a solely Martin guitar with a paddle-shaped headstock, instead of the usual "f" shaped one. Then he teamed up with other guitar designers, the two most notable being John Coupa and Charles Bruno. In 1860 the Martin 1-28 came to be.

Early quality control established in the Guitar Industry by Martin
By the 1870's the 00 was introduced. Being a larger guitar with a big sound, it soon became very popular! This was just as Sears and Montgomery Ward were emerging as giant retailers, providing the means to get Martin guitars to the masses at a reasonable price. The only real competition came from the Chicago-based Washburn Company that had split off from the Ditson Guitar Company. The amazing thing about Martin was that, starting in 1898, every guitar they made was given both a production number and a serial number. This became very important, as record keeping and quality control was now taken very seriously by the wealthy collector. As Mike Longworth puts it so aptly in his book MARTIN GUITARS:A HISTORY, 'this means that your grandpa's old Martin guitar had a birthday'.

Martin Falls Behind
If the Martin Company had a failing, it was in their marketing. C.F. Martin Sr., who passed away in 1873, was succeeded by his son, C.F.Martin Jr., who was involved with civic and family duties. He let the business coast on its' laurels. The quality was still very high but so was the price compared ot other companies who had come on the scene. The company argued that it took good wood and lots of time to build a fine guitar, but rivals such as Lyon and Healey were making inroads. They used catchy ads and large catalogs to lure customers. Their Washburn brand was good yet inexpensive, so they became a dominant force in the decades to come.

Tropical Winds of Change Save the Martin
The third Martin, Frank Henry, visited the Nazareth, PA, factory in 1888 and realized it had to change. He introduced bowl-back mandolins in 1895 and published a catalog for guitars in 1898. Frank Henry Martin, however, did not have a flair for salesmanship, coldly reasoning with the public that a 'superior guitar should cost more but was well worth it'. This was true, of course, but the new style of flashy,cheap competitors was taking a toll on their bottom line.

In 1915 a lifeline came in the form of Hawaiian guitars that were becoming a craze. Martin began production of these in 1916, building them from Koa wood so they would be strong enough to handle steel strings. Then ukuleles followed, along with flatback mandolins. The day was saved and by 1920 the Martin Company was strong once more. The mysterious 'perfect timing' of certain members of the Martin clan was to become part of guitar folklore.

Banjo-Style Innovation Inspired New Rocking Design
By 1929, the fad for the ukulele and mandolins was over. At the suggestion of 4-string banjo players, Martin designed a guitar with a shorter body and a longer neck, adding two more frets to the existing 12 frets. Orchestra models and Dreadnoughts were soon in demand. The large rosewood-bodied guitars commanded attention. Herringbone D-28 and D-45 models would soon become collectors items. Movie star Roy Rogers played a Martin 1930 OM-45, which sold for a lofty price of 0. Most guitars in that day sold for around to . Many musicians bought the cheaper models and still played a good tune! The less expensive guitars kept Martin in business while The Great Depression wiped out most of the competition. Martin had solved the great mystery of survival, not even realizing how good their quality had become!


Looking for a Quality Guitar? Consider Martin Guitars

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