what's the oldest guitar you've played that you really liked?

GreatDane

GreatDane

"up yours, baby."
up until about four years ago, i couldn't really get into "vintage" guitars. despite the sometimes cult-like attention, i just couldn't connect with the appeal. at the time, i thought "why pay through the nose on something old, when you can get a contemporary guitar with newer specs and better consistency of build, etc." ...

then the collector "vintage" market started to tank and, as a player with some disposable income, i suddenly started to come across previously-unattainable older guitars that were now priced at a point i could get into... and you know what? there were a few that were actually REALLY great.

i'm lucky to have come across five old guitars that i really dig.

1955 Gretsch Duo-Jet
w55GretschDuoJet-003.jpg


1958 Gibson ES-175D
w58GibsonES175D-002.jpg


1962 Gibson LP/SG
w62GibsonSG-034.jpg


1964 Fender Stratocaster
w64FenderStrat_Fiesta-001.jpg


1964 Gibson ES-335
w64Gibson335-002.jpg


how about you? cheap or holy-grail... what gave you goosebumps?
 
friend of mine has a late 60s/early 70s Ric 360 with hi-gain pickups. that's an amazing instrument. otherwise, i'm really not into vintage instruments.
 
I nearly bought a 1958 strat at GC in Hollywood about 10 years ago. it was $9500 though and I was married for just about a year..didn't want to be married for ONLY a year :embarrassed:
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
friend of mine has a late 60s/early 70s Ric 360 with hi-gain pickups. that's an amazing instrument. otherwise, i'm really not into vintage instruments.
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cool. i was the same way. then something changed and i guess i'm still trying to figure it out a bit. there are really amazing guitars out there that also happen to be quite old. i guess that's it; there are great guitars out there, both old and new. a guitar that's old isn't inherently a great instrument, but being a great instrument supersedes aspects like age (and probably cost as well, but that's another thread topic, i'm sure).

i forgot about these two oldies. both amazing for what they are, IMO.

1959 Fender Jazzmaster
w59FenderJazzmaster-002.jpg


1962 Fender Jaguar
w62FenderJaguar-002.jpg
 
I've got a couple of acoustics from the 60's... a Kay Nylon from '64 and my '69 Fender 1080. Used to have a 50's Buckeye Parlor. Oldest one I've played was a 30's Gibson Parlor.
 
Not sure what the oldest guitar I've played would be. I've tried out some pretty old acoustics. Some were nice. Others were just old.

I own some guitars from the 60's, some Japanese Teisco oddities, and a Gibson ES-335 that I bought for around $700 when it was just considered "used" and not "vintage."
 
Tralfaz said:
Not sure what the oldest guitar I've played would be. I've tried out some pretty old acoustics. Some were nice. Others were just old.

I own some guitars from the 60's, some Japanese Teisco oddities, and a Gibson ES-335 that I bought for around $700 when it was just considered "used" and not "vintage."
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pics of the 335? nice price!
 
A friend of mine owed a 50s (not sure exact year) Fender Broadcaster. I played it a couple times - it was seriously one of the best electric guitars I have ever played. I have also played a couple 1930's Gibsons. One was nice - the others were meh...
 
Tralfaz said:
Thanks man. I dig that 335 of yours as well. Love the classic burst.
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thank you. it's a very nice player, even with the maestro trem. i was hunting for a cherry 335 when i found this one. it played so nice, i couldn't say no.
 
I was given the late 40's mid 50's Old Kraftman by my wife's grandmother. It's what I taught myself to play on. It's got a neck Stevie Ray Vaughan would love. It was ruff looking and not what I'd call an expensive guitar and I refinished it.

OldKraftsman.jpg
 
1958 Les Paul Special, TV yellow, double cut. I sold it like an idiot, but that guitar rocked. When I bought my 2000 PRS McCarty, it was like the ghost of the '58 and I think it still might be my favorite guitar I own now. Also had a 1963 Duo Sonic that was a very special guitar. I sold that too but the new owner had me replace the pickups and I have the originals in the neck and bridge on one of my strats now. I missed it and bought a 1967 Duo Sonic and hated it; only kept it about a month. Go figure... I have a 1974 SG Standard now that is a screamer. Really acoustically loud and rings like a bell. I've had older guitars, but none that excited me like these three.
 
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