1965 Silvertone 1457

1965 Silvertone 1457

This clean package just breezed through the shop: a 1965 Silvertone 1457 commonly referred to as the amp in case guitar. These were manufactured and finished by Danelectro, in Neptune, NJ and are uniquely constructed and wired. Nathan Daniel's design wonderfully combined a classic electric guitar layout (two single coil pickups with a bolt on neck) with totally unique styling cues and construction techniques. Most players wouldn't consider these "better" than electric guitars by Fender or Gibson but I would bet that every player out there has room in their stable for a…Read more
True Vintage Guitar in Iron & Air’s Issue #034

True Vintage Guitar in Iron & Air’s Issue #034

I'm really honored to be included in Issue 34 of Iron & Air focusing on resilience. My good friend Peter Corn wrote beautifully about the early days of True Vintage Guitar and how my wife gave me the freedom to succeed or fail! Lucky for us, it did not fail. I'm coming up on 5 years full time pursuing this wild ride. This quarterly magazine is full of killer stories, images, and inspiration to get out there and make stuff happen. You can subscribe at Ironandair.com or pick up up the latest issue…Read more
2018 top 5 vintage guitars

2018 top 5 vintage guitars

~Truevintageguitar.com~ The vintage guitar haul from 2018 was one for the record books! I love every guitar that comes through the shop, which is why I bought them in the first place, but there are a few pieces that stick out above the rest. When I think back on them all I'm reminded of something that a guitar seller back in 2012 said to me on the phone, "You know, all the good stuff has already been picked out. The party is over for vintage guitars." I think this list will prove that…Read more
1952 Martin 000-21

1952 Martin 000-21

~Truevintageguitar.com~ This little gem recently breezed through the shop in unrepaired condition. The 000 sized Style 21 model is a 15 1/2" wide auditorium shaped body with Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides (Brazilian in '52), and Rosewood fretboard and bridge. It's a more simply adorned version of the 000-28. This example has had a few unfortunate modifications including tuner holes enlarged for Grover style tuners, an improperly replaced nut, and non-professionally executed refret. The rest of the guitar appears to be in very nice shape which will likely result in a fine…Read more
Vintage Fender Telecaster Guitars with Wide Range Humbucking Pickups

Vintage Fender Telecaster Guitars with Wide Range Humbucking Pickups

~Truevintageguitar.com~ The Fender Telecaster model is one of- if not THE- most beloved solid body electric guitar styles amongst guitarist since its introduction in 1952. Well, ok, it was initially introduced as the Broadcaster in 1950 but ran into a little trouble with Gretsch and their Broadkaster name. So, in 1952 it became the Telecaster. The Telecaster remained largely unchanged and the only variation offered was the Custom Telecaster model introduced in 1959. The folks at Fender head their eye on a talented engineer working for Gibson named Seth Lover who was largely…Read more
2019 Vintage Guitar Price Guide

2019 Vintage Guitar Price Guide

It's October in the vintage guitar world which means there's a new price guide. You can pick one up for yourself here: 2019 Vintage Guitar Price Guide. The Vintage Guitar Price Guide attempts to aggregate pricing data from guitar dealers to assign a value to different used and vintage guitars. It's fun to look up your guitar in The Guide and see how what you paid years ago compares to what's listed in the guide. It's tempting to think that your guitar would be worth that price range, and it's possible that it…Read more
1963 Gibson Hummingbird – Sound Clips

1963 Gibson Hummingbird – Sound Clips

        We are quite smitten with this clean 1963 Gibson Hummingbird! Would you like to hear how this guitar sounds? Here are two quickly made sound clips of this vintage Gibson.     Gibson's Hummingbird model debuted in 1960 as the first Gibson branded acoustic guitar with the new square shoulder design. Advertising from its introduction suggests that the shape of the body - large square shoulders and a slightly less wide lower bout - was intended to produce a tone that complimented vocals well. Gibson described it as "big, and…Read more
Vintage Fender Princeton Reverb: replacement speakers

Vintage Fender Princeton Reverb: replacement speakers

The Fender Princeton Reverb might be the most versatile Fender amp ever made- it can growl like Tweed era Fender or sing sweet cleans like Silverface Fender. Dress the rest of it up in a little spring reverb and thick tremolo and a guitarist has just about all that is necessary. We love when they still have the original speaker but see so many with torn cones, out of shape voice coils, or even improperly replaced speakers. Sometimes a player may even throw in a replacement speaker to protect the original for later.…Read more
Weird and cool: the Gibson Les Paul Signature and Fender Starcaster

Weird and cool: the Gibson Les Paul Signature and Fender Starcaster

The 1970s were a decade of cool innovation but also declining quality for both the Gibson and Fender guitar companies. Large scale factory production took a toll on what once was instruments made by hand . Both brands were owned by investor companies more interested in great profits than great products. Still, there were some very cool things going on and some innovative new models sneaked out of Kalamazoo and Fullerton. Gibson and Fender both introduced a model each that we will lump together in a category we're calling "assymetrical thinline archtop" electric…Read more
1964 Fender Stratocaster!

1964 Fender Stratocaster!

This vintage Stratocaster stands out as one of my favorite guitars to ever grace the pages of Truevintageguitar.com: An original 1964 Fender Stratocaster, one family owned since '64. The Stratocaster model debuted from Fender in 1954 with many player inspired design breakthroughs like the Comfort Contour body, Synchronized Tremolo tailpiece, three single coil pickups, etc. Leo Fender's team likely had no idea what kind of effect it would have on the entire world of music and style. The Stratocaster model started life with a neck made of Maple bolted to a body made…Read more