Hello again twang kings and queens!
What was once ephemeral often becomes iconic! Hmmmmm! Very deep and philosophical fretheads! But remember dear readers this path of enlightenment leads to meaningless “markets” for obscure items, often created by those who are seeking to sell the items in the first place!
Take the market for obscure 1970’s effects pedals where the price of such “gems” as Mutron, MXR and god love us Electro Harmonix went through the roof in the mid to late 1990’s. I personally blame those indie grunge players whose love of so called ‘lo fi’ sounds pushed the price of more obscure pedals up to some very un”lo-fi” prices. I once sold a Pearl Phaser to the lead guitarist of a major 1990’s band for around twice its going rate market “value” just because he “didn’t have one” and wanted to hear “what it sounded like”….errrm like a phaser mate you know swishy shwooshy sort of sound.
Now that particular market largely "collapsed" due to the rise of boutique hand built pedals such as ZVEX and the like. No I don't get the junior school art class paint jobs either but there you go! Also the manufacturers got hip to this market and began building "new old" versions of the classics, often in China. Take for example the Electro Harmonix range or Roland's superb Space Echo now a COSM modelled Boss Pedal. The boutique and high end effects market is booming at the moment and the price for scratched and knackered old MXR pedals and the like has hit an all time low. Why because the market moves on.
Now the same might be said for the market for 1970’s guitars. As the good 60’s stuff dries up attention is refocused on 70’s Strats Teles and Gibsons. Now I own a couple of 1970’s guitars and a '77 Strat I once had was the worst dog of a guitar I have ever played. But my most recent acquisition a 1974 Telecaster Custom, whilst it has the usual dodgy paint job (red over sunburst) is a truly great guitar! It has a Bigsby and the Seth Lover designed humbucker and is one of the nicest guitars I have ever played. It does everything it says on the tin and more besides.
SO what are we saying here? Yes there is a lot of tat out there masquerading as collectable instruments from the 1970's, but there are some gems also. But just because it looks like a dog and smells like a dog doesn't make it a pedigree dog! I have stood at stalls at vintage guitar shows and watched guys literal drool over the cracking, chips, wear and "patina" on a 1977 Stratocaster. That's all well and good and whatever floats your boat, but what happens when the market changes. Perhaps then the idea of old guitars, relic instruments and lets face it damaged guitars becomes a turn off, the vintage guitar market goes into reverse and the public want nice clean examples of something more upmarket and boutique say....after all it happened with the effects pedals. Plus the major manufacturers are producing nice worn in, played in examples of their old stock product. So eventually the cachet of vintage instruments loses its attraction. Who knows and that's what makes this guitar selling game such fun! Its all going on out there if you just use your eyes and ears! Until next time fretheads!
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