These are the early ones…they are always the best.

Hello again Twang Kings and Fret Queens Long time no blog huh? Well sorry about that but the dog ate my homework mumble mumble! Anywhow's back now!!! Yet more counterfactual reasoning from the wonderful whacky world of guitar dating, identification and valuation. The question of time and its relationship to value has always interested me. I was on my stall at the last and quite wonderful Liverpool Guitar Show at Aintree and conversation was struck up with a guy who had a 1970's Stratocaster outside in the car and would I want to take a look at it. As someone whose first "decent" guitar was possibly the worst 1970's Strat ever to leave Fullerton and the proud owner of a 1974, a 1979 and two Anniversary perhaps I didn't need to see another Strat but hey…! Its always difficult when the person selling/seeking valuation is convinced they have the 'crown jewels' when what they have is a not particularly well made 1970's guitar. The fellow seeking to sell the guitar was convinced it was worth around 25% above market value. Please remember that your unlovely local guitar dealer is also seeking to make a profit as we don't tend to do the "buying selling thing" for fun and have rent, diesel, light, heat, phone etc to pay for. What struck me, part from just how poor the Stratocaster was, was the way that the vendor was trying to convince me and the other dealers that there was an imaginary time based cut off point around 1978 - yes that right fret heads a pre 78 Strat. When I was a young inexperienced guitar shop saturday boy there were just 'old guitars and 'second hand' guitars. Then the vintage thing started and thanks to Gruhn and Carter we now have pre-CBS Strats and CBS era Strats. Now there are Dan Smith era Strats, I know I have two and they are OK. Please remember Twang Kings and Queens there is little relationship between these time periods and playability or even in some cases build quality. I have played 63 and 66 Strats that don't feel as good to me as my 1974 Black Strat, but then even that isn't as much fun and as versatile as a lovely Blue Pearlburst Strat Plus I have at the moment. What I find odd is that just as time is, according to Einstein, subject to distortion; so to is the way that we add value to guitars. Now that 'rare' is the most oft used word in any collectable market are we now in the 'pre 23rd of February 1978' guitars are better than any made after the 24th of February? This is obviously dependent on when the guitar was made and what seemingly arbitrary time period it fits into. If I am feeling particularly cheeky and I get the "these were the first ones that came out of the factory" line, I throw the 'yeah the later ones were much better weren't they - its called "The Experience Curve" you know process improvements being made as production increases! Oh and don't get me started on 1970's Gibson Les Paul Deluxes which might be better weighed rather than dated as a more certain indication of quality and playability! Perhaps we should just re-boot, re-set and start all over again with 'old guitars' and 'second hand guitars! and on that thought... Until next time Fret Heads!