Appraising & Buying Vintage Instruments : Vintage Instrument Appraisal: Gibson Archtop Guitar from 1936

[BeatleSongPlayer]

Don't even look at it!!!!!!!!!!!

[craiglings104]

I had no idea you could make a sweet Gibson guitar seem so boring.

[TheCurvedEarth]

if that guitar could talk it would tell you to just play it and to stop treating it like a baby!

[EpiphoneArchtopLover]

1:40 correct me if I am wrong, but that's an L-12, not an L-7 like he says earlier.

[boowannabe]

@EpiphoneArchtopLover

It's an L-7. I had one, same "picture- frame" fingerboard inlays. Really sweet guitars.

[EpiphoneArchtopLover]

@boowannabe I love vintage archtops!! I own an old Super 400 CES and an Epiphone Emperor from the original New York factory :)

[instrumentsvintage]

WOW - where is the expert in all of this? Reviewing a vintage guitar on a hardwood table? Come on...

[maidenrulz73]

PLAY IT!!!!

[deaucey]

im in love witrh it

[GQflydude]

"very little playing wear on the instrument" = NO SOUL / MOJO / LOVE... what ever you want to call it.

No love means no value to me.

[RiYeNRoOtSMuSiC]

Do you know where can I can find this exact case for my 1950 L-50?

Any help would be very helpful.

Many Thanks!!

[BuzzyFredrick]

i'm used to bashing my L-5's and L-7s against the wall. Truly a thorough appraisal.

[FenceThis]

it makes me a bit tense to watch how he takes an archtop and turns it stringside down lying on that table -not a recommendable treat.

[Nurkolas]

I love the enthusiasm the man has. Thought he was going to sleep any moment

[golfishunts]

my 1937 L50 custom sits in a stand in my living room and gets played a few times a week. I believe that playing them keeps them sounding better. Mine has a lot of wear now but still sounds great!

[okie294life]

I'll bet the guitar sounds like crap. No matter what it is I see it, if a guitar sounds good it will be played. When I look at vintage guitars I like ones with wear because it indicates that the instrument sounds good and has been played. I even agree with a lot of people that an old worn instrument picks up or is trained by the tones and being played. Tell me what you think?

[slowdeezy08]

@okie294life your all wrong i bet the person who owned that guitar just took good care of it and L7's are friggin awsom

[overandout58]

Hmm... tend to agree. strum a few chords...

[acountrygent]

I'd feel better (having worked for years in a music store) to be laying Other Peope's guitars on a piece of carpet rather than a hard surface for 'appraisal'

[DrKendallMD]

acountrygent > Much agreed

I have collecting guitars for 30 years and this would be a 'red flag' if this person was an 'expert appraiser'

Imagine a late 50's L5C dragging around on that surface. I would pack up my stuff and leave - purely frustrated

[oldpython]

@acountrygent  It was the first thought that came to my mind.

[kevykev38]

Come on!! Its a guitar not a coffee table! Play the damn thing! I hate the way some people present a "Fine instrument" . You can get close to the same quality today. I happen to own a 1940 L-7 very cool guitar -But I play it. It was meant to be played.

[idislikeyoualot]

@kevykev38 ya my guitar teacher at school has a 1967 gibson acoustic that he plays all day

[kevykev38]

@idislikeyoualot They should be played!  Not hidden in a case and shown off once in a while . That pisses me off. "Oh here we have an 1813 Gibson Stratocaster as you can see its been touched by god" Give me a break. Play the damn thing.

[shivarudra]

@kevykev38 i onced commented on a video of someone with many guitars he had on display on a wall, many of them with faded color from the lights in the building, i asked how such historically wonderful guitars havnt sold, told me it was a "guitar museum" that he put togeather. same page as you i told the bastard to start playin em and stop praising them

[webusecom]

@kevykev38 your're damn right guitars want to be played they don't want to be lying around or hanging on a wall like a picture or worst kept somewhere under a bed or something like that, if you have a guitar play it no matter how old how new how cheap or how expensive it was

[sixs]

Mmm kay Mr. Mackey.........

[taylorbar]

i wonder who had that sitting under their bed for 60 years

[bluestudio67]

The back of the guitar would not look that good, considering the wear on the neck. The good thing about those old Gibbys is that it was shellac finish. A drop of alcohol on a cloth, a little shellac and a little elbow grease - like new! Of course this was well taken care of. Can't make a purse from a sow's ear. lol I'd love to hear that gorgeous box sing. Lucky bastard....

[byramtax]

so what is the appraisal? i have a 1937 in just as good shape,,just have a repo pick guard..i was wondering the value

[ChillpointNews]

If I had a guitar like this you'd be damn sure I would actually play it. The way this dude handles it as if it was bad build quality is ridiculous, this guitar is meant to travel the world and spreading the blues or make people swing!

[Amulius]

Im sure the person who buys it will have the same Idea - he better... that guitar must sound incredible!

[maroon0006]

wow! this is my dream guitar..how much is that??haahaa!

[VintageandRare]

Truly Beautiful.

Kind regards,

Nicolai - VintageandRare

[1991djat]

that is one nice good looking guitar

[illusionfreak]

that is amazing! when I buy my new gibson, it'll look like that years from now. in perfect condition i mean.

[tcooperent]

Wow..........looks just like my 1957 L50. The paint on the face of mine is "checking" (I think that's what it's called.)

[NoelGrassy]

@tcooperent

This showed no checking from what I could see. My 1956 has tight little chex that cover the back and front with lines that run laterally and horizontally. Effin' beauty!

Perhaps the dude should've given us his estimated value if he really does do any appraisals!

[oldpython]

Should an appraisal include a sound and performance overview?

[emann82]

no really the sound and playablity of a vintage collector guitar aren't calculated into the value.

[vibratingstring]

@emann82

No, that depends. Some vintage instruments are hugely influenced by their sound output. It is certainly part of the equation, albeit sometimes trumped by the history of a particular instrument. For instance, a guitar certified to have been owned by Elvis Presley would be worth much more than the same guitar type, not owned by him.

In violins, there are lots and lots and lots of what guitar people would call "vintage" but that doesn't mean they are valuable, special or good sounding.

[dwtrbm1511]

i have this giutar!!!