Under the bed?

[Olli Haavisto]

I`ve been reading for sale ads for vintage instruments for years now.
One of the big selling points that comes up regularly is how much time an instrument has spent under a bed. For instance a strat that has been under the same bed for 50 years can cost up to a 100 grand.
What`s your opinion on this issue? Is it possible to actually verify the amount of time a given instrument has spent under a bed? Can you hear it?
I wouldn`t want to pay premium for a guitar that has actually been, for instance, in a closet....

[Dave Mudgett]

The issue is strictly the condition and originality of the guitar. Big-dollar vintage guitar collectors (as opposed to many players) are hyper-obsessed about cosmetic condition and originality, and will often pay large premiums for original, never-played, and ultra-fine condition guitars.

Sitting in a case for decades is often associated with perfect originality and extra-fine condition, but not always. For example, sometimes there is a chemical reaction between various materials inside the case such as cloth or glue and the guitar's finish. Of course, the environment in which a guitar is stored can have a large effect.

I write off a lot of these kinds of descriptions as marketing hype. The issues are condition and originality, period. Of course, closet-classics like these don't always make the best-playing or best-sounding guitars. But the vintage guitar market is what is is, and perfect original condition pretty much rules the roost in that world.

[Olli Haavisto]

Oops. Here's the smiley I forgot to insert in my initial post.

[Joe Naylor]

Olli under the bed can tell better stories than way over in the closet

Just think what may have happened above that guitar - maybe sleep

Joe

[John Rosett]

On the other hand, maybe it sat under the bed all those years because it's a dog to play.
Of course, most collectors wouldn't care about that so much.

[Dennis Smith]

Hi Olli, in the mid 70's I bought a 1964 Strat from a student at Emory University who told me his grandfather had given it to him for his 13th birthday and he had never played it. It was new with all the hang tags and case candy that came with it. I gave him $200. for it. I traded it for three other guitars which I sold for around $800. If I only knew then what I know now.
Dennis

[Ron Whitfield]

On turkey day I got to see a closet clean '60 era Supro 6 str. steel along with it's little accompanying amp, both in two-tone MOTS, and minty tweed case. Bought and put away for all this time. They still exist.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I got your subtle humor Olli. I've heard that story many a time myself. Worth a lot more that way than just sitting around in the case!

In a couple instances, it was really true. I know of a couple old Emmons push pulls that guys have actually shoved under the bed and they're not for sale. I expect they're holding onto them for hard times.

[Mike Neer]

When an instrument is stashed under the bed for so long, I'm sure it's just as happy when a new owner comes along to buy. The only thing sadder is if it ends up as some museum piece.

I love the Toy Story movies. I think Toy Story 2 portrays this perfectly.

[Olli Haavisto]

Yes Jerry, I was just kidding.
I recently subscribed to Vintage Guitar and after reading the classifieds for a while the catch phrases started to intertwine.....
"Unplayed guitar from under a one owner bed...." Etc.

[Joe Naylor]

It is great to poke fun - and keep things light - my moto is, "if you can't have fun ...... don't it."

only a thing or two wrong with it like a warped neck and the pick ups do not work ----

Like the news "a woman was shot and the bullet is in her yet" ------ my question is where is her yet


or "a body was found with 40 to 50 bullets in it" ----- was it Suicide ??????


Joe

[David Mason]

A few years back, when human honesty was at an all-time high somebody went through Vintage Guitar mag, all the mailings, private dealer listings, all the classified and auction house sales they could stand, and found out that there were just about TEN TIMES the number of 1958, '59 and '60 Les Paul Standards for sale as were ever even made (1,714, to be prissy). And Fenders are a whole lot easier to fake. And when somebody comes out with a new book, identifying all the little things you need to know to identify a "real" one, you can be sure the conscientious counterfeiter has it before you, and adds it to his collection of "cookbooks."

The forgeries seem to come in waves. The Strats, Teles and Standards are kinda dangerous by now, so the careful businessmen turned their attentions to Les Paul Jrs and TVs. When that market saturated, what you see now is a whole lot of Jazzmasters and Jaguars. And people like George Gruhn and the other writers for Vintage Guitar are up to their necks in selling this stuff, they've made millions... and even though Ibanezes and Travis Beans have serial number registries, the owners of Fenders and Gibsons resist it mightily. Just a bunch of rich people, selling and reselling junk to each other.

The Les Paul that Slash used for Guns 'n' Roses big album was copied by Gibson for his signature model but there is some question over which one of FOUR Los Angeles forgers made it. Los Angeles ALONE. And that was way before this really got going.

AND

On the other hand, maybe it sat under the bed all those years because it's a dog to play.
Of course, most collectors wouldn't care about that so much.

[Donny Hinson]

I still have my '64 Jaguar (an original that I purchased in '65). Aside from a night when it was played by a lead player who came to our band owning no guitar (a fact he didn't divulge until we were at the gig), it has remained untouched and unplayed since 1969, when I gave up on lead guitar. The first offer I got for it was 2 grand, and then 3 grand, and the last one was almost 5 grand.

I'm in no hurry to sell, though.

So, I'd say "closet classics" (real ones) are still out there.