Vintage Guitar Appraisal

If you've inherited a vintage Fender, Gibson, or Martin guitar then you need a certified appraisal to find out how much it's worth. The value of a vintage guitar depends heavily on first determining the exact make and model, identifying the year by serial number, identify color and features, and a careful inspection for originality. Click the red Contact Me button below to speak to a vintage guitar expert with over a decade of experience selling vintage USA made guitars. 

You can learn more about John with True Vintage Guitar here: About.

If you have a vintage guitar and are interested in how much it may be worth, an appraisal from a trusted vintage guitar expert is important. I offer a free vintage guitar appraisal to those with vintage Fender, Gibson, Martin, and similar USA made guitars manufactured from the 1930s until about 1980. A free vintage guitar appraisal starts with checking the serial number and pictures of your guitar to determine when it was made. You can click the Contact Me button below if you want to reach out to me about your vintage guitar. 

If you're looking to insure a vintage guitar and need a professional guitar appraisal for your insurance company then I can provide that as well. I formally appraise all kinds of vintage musical instruments for insurance purposes, estates, and future resale. For $300 per instrument, you can get a fully-researched appraisal of your guitar or amplifier.

The Make may be rather obvious but you may be surprised at how very small differences in the Model name result in a significant change in the supply and demand function.

Let's consider the Gibson Les Paul TV Model versus the same year Gibson Les Paul Junior. The Les Paul TV Model and the Les Paul Junior from 1955 share the exact same body style, pickup, electronics configuration, scale length, and every other specification except one: the finish. The 1955 Gibson Les Paul TV Model is finished in what the catalog calls "Limed Mahogany" and bears a silkscreen at the top of the headstock that reads "Les Paul / TV Model". The 1955 Gibson Les Paul Junior bears a standard Sunburst finish and has a silkscreen that reads "Les Paul / Junior".

It's a small difference in specification BUT the Les Paul TV Model in exact same condition is often double the value of a comparable Les Paul Junior model. You'll benefit from knowing the exact model of your guitar in your appraisal as well as why that may be important.

Determining the exact age of a vintage guitar is of paramount importance before attempting to establish a fair market value. Many people attempt to use simply a serial number to accurately date a vintage guitar and this can lead to significant errors in vintage guitar valuation.

Let's assume we are looking at a vintage Fender Stratocaster guitar that bears a four digit serial number on the neck plate. Fender guitar design is such that the neck is attached to the body via four screws and a metal plate. The serial numbers were applied to metal plates before being assigned to a body and neck and as a result, were not applied consecutively. Not only that, but these plates can be replaced and exchange by anyone with a Phillips head screw driver. This is not a reliable way to date a vintage Fender guitar.

I use multiple data points in order to establish an exact year of manufacture. For appraisals on Fender guitars, I'll start with verifying the serial number and continue on by using the potentiometer manufacturing codes, neck and body dates, as well as established features typically found in specific years. You'll receive a properly researched estimate of the year of manufacture in your appraisal since the replacement value is highly dependent on the year.

Repairs and replacement parts can affect a vintage guitar's value significantly. The finish on the guitar and neck condition are the first things to check. A refinished guitar is often half as desirable or less than a comparable guitar with an original finish. It's not always obvious whether it's been refinished and often requires a vintage guitar expert to make that determination.

Guitar necks, especially those of vintage Gibson guitars, are a structurally important part of the guitar that is prone to fracturing. Mahogany necks on vintage Gibson guitars are especially prone to break and repairs are not always easy to spot. Neck repairs on vintage Gibson guitars affect their value typically by about 50%!

Replacement parts can also significantly affect the value. Vintage electric guitars commonly had pickups replaced, electronics replaced, bridges, frets, etc in the 1960s and 1970s before they were considered collectible. I'll inspect the photos of your vintage guitar with a fine toothed comb and make a determination on what appears to be original and what does not appear to be original.

Vintage guitar comparables can only be provided if we've established steps 1 through 3. I'll research comparables on the top three online marketplaces that vintage guitars are found as well as use real world examples I've tracked for a decade. I'll use this information to determine the replacement value of your vintage guitar in the case of damage, loss, or theft. 

Vintage Guitar Valuations are not simply opinions, they are well researched and determined by facts and figures. I'm standing by to start the process on your collectible vintage Gibson, Fender, Martin, Epiphone, and other vintage collectible guitars made in the USA.