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Collecting Vintage Guitars is a Financially Sound Investment

Ever thought that a guitar might be a more reliable investment than the stock market?  Vintage guitars are becoming a hot item in the collectibles market, and there are few icons more recognizable to Americans than a rock star and his guitar.  While a few months' savings might have bought a guitar in the 1960s, some of those instruments are selling for big bucks today.  Recently, George Harrison's guitar sold for a little under six hundred thousand dollars, for instance.  Eric Clapton's favorite Stratocaster from the 1970s, Blackie, sold for nearly a million.

While celebrity collectibles have been a good investment for years, guitars themselves have largely been overlooked.  However, the guitar was perfected between the 1930s and the 1960s, depending on the model, and instruments from this period are highly regarded.  Some people think that in fifty to a hundred years, guitars from the mid 20th century will be thought of in the same way as violins and cellos from the 17th and 18th century.

The appeal of any guitar grows over time, and there hasn't yet been a period when the market sank.  That makes a vintage guitar a great investment choice, as well as a visually and emotionally rewarding collectible.  There's nothing like being able to say that you own the guitar once played by a legend.

Values only continue to go up, too.  While a 1959 Fender Sunburst Stratocaster, one of the most famous types of guitar, originally cost about $250, it brought between eight and nine thousand dollars in 1997.  Today, you might have to pay seventeen thousand for a model with a slab fingerboard.

Recent stock market unpredictability has meant that people are more interested in guitar collecting.  These vintage instruments are a great type of protected investment.  For collectors who want to cover all the bases, consider a varied collection - acoustic, electric, exotic, antique, vintage, contemporary and even custom guitars.

What Defines A Vintage Guitar

To be a vintage guitar, an instrument needs to be more than just old.  It should be from a period that was influential.  Many good vintage guitars are made using techniques or materials that were discontinued, or made before a big change in the company.

For instance, Leo Fender, inventor of what we think of as an electric guitar, sold his company in 1965, a move which some think of as the death knell of Fender Musical Instruments.  Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters made before this time are in enormous demand.  Asking prices have risen into the five figure range.

It's not just Fender, either.  C.F. Martin and Co. were the makers of the D-28, one of the most popular acoustic instruments ever.  Since 1969, Brazilian rosewood hasn't been available as the standard wood.  Guitars produced by Martin after this period are considered inferior by many collectors.

Top Vintage Brands

The American brands that stand out when it comes to collecting vintage guitars as an investment (and also as a great guitar) are Guild, Martin, Gibson, Gretsch, and Fender.  Each of these manufacturers also has an era that collectors agree upon as having been the best.  Of course, make isn't the only way you decide how much a guitar is worth.  The rarity and condition of the guitar are important, as is who's owned the guitar and where it's been.

If you want a great investment that's also a piece of the past, look into vintage guitars.  Collecting them can be rewarding in many ways, and it's a lot more stable than playing the stock market! A good place to begin your search would be Bob's Vintage Guitars where you will find a large selection of vintage guitars and amplifiers. There is also a great deal of information about collecting vintage guitars.

About the Author

Bob's Vintage Guitars has a lot of valuable information and a store that has hundreds of vintage electric, acoustic and bass guitars. The writer also has an online store focusing on newer new and used guitars, amplifiers, parts and accessories. The Best Guitar Picker is at http://www.best-guitar-store.com.

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