vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

guitar is an older

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

usually sought after and maintained by avid collectors or musicians. The term may indicate either that an instrument is merely old, or that is sought after for its tonal quality, cosmetic appearance, or historical significance.

History

As early as the 1970s, musicians and collectors began to recognize the value of older instruments. The rising mass production of both acoustic and electric guitars in that era served to highlight the quality workmanship and materials of the older instruments. Historians, such as

George Gruhn George Gruhn (born 1945) is an American writer, businessman and ophiophilist. He is one of the foremost experts on vintage American guitars and fretted instruments, and the author of several books on the subject. He is the founder of Gruhn Gui ...

, helped to codify both the monetary value and sound quality of these guitars for both collectors and musicians. Examples of well-known vintage electric guitars are 1950s and 1960s era

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...

and

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes Paul had built a prototype solid body ...

and Gibson Les Paul. Older electric guitars in general have become desirable, including "budget brands" such as Harmony,

Danelectro Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...

, and Kay. Examples of well-known vintage acoustic guitars are

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

and

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

models previous to the 1970s, and 1930s-era

Recording King Recording King is a musical instruments brand currently owned by The Music Link Corporation, based in Hayward, California, which also produces other musical instrument lines. Range of products commercialised under the Recording King brand are ...

s, among others. Values of vintage guitars have risen considerably in the past thirty years, and are considered by some as a stable long-term investment.

Collectors

Joe Bonamassa is a well known collector with a massive collection. In 2018, Bonamassa has said that he has more than 1000 guitars and amplifiers.

Gallery

File:Guitare harpe.jpg, 1912 Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Style U File:1932 Martin 0-18 T Sunburst Tenor Guitar.jpg, 1932 C. F. Martin 0-18T Tenor guitar File:RECORDING KING 1940.JPG, 1940 Recording King by Gibson File:Fender Nocaster (1951), Museum of Making Music.jpg, 1951 Fender Nocaster File:Gibson Les Paul 1953.jpg, 1953 Gibson Les Paul (Goldtop) File:1954 Fender Esquire ($27,000), Vintage Guitar show, SXSW2009.jpg, 1954 Fender Esquire File:399px-Miss Daisy Light small 2.jpg, 1954 Fender Stratocaster (''Miss Daisy'') File:Vintages @ FUZZ Guitar Show 2008.jpg, 1957 Fender Stratocaster File:1958 Fender Stratocaster ($32,000), Vintage Guitar show, SXSW2009.jpg, 1958 Fender Stratocaster File:Gibson Les Paul (Deutsches Museum).jpg, 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard File:Harmony guitars 01 (brighten).jpg, Harmony guitars File:Silvertone 1454 (Harmony H78).jpg, Silvertone model 1454 by Harmony File:Truetone by Kay.jpg, 1960s Truetone by Kay File:Danelectro 3022 1962.jpg, 1962

Shorthorn model 3022 (Bronze)

References

External links

{{Commons category, Vintage guitars
Some Guitars You Just Don’t Need
Extensive collection of 1960s electrics. Guitars Collecting

History

Collectors

Gallery

See also

References

External links