Price on my guitar

[Tuomas]

Hi there.

Sadly, at this moment, I found myself in the bed again, not able to sleep. See more at my insomnia thread if you want to. Anyway, I realised I can't most probably pay my rent. In fact I'm more than 1 month late, and I have no place to move to, seeing as how none of my relatives have oom for me. The rent isn't that much, only 219 euros per month. I started thinking that selling my el. guitar might just be the only possible solution for me at this moment.

I was wondering how much can I really ask for it. I mean, it's a Squier stratocaster, a '95 celebration model with humbuckers. The original price was 425 euros when I bought it. Since then I've changed strings which were worth 20e, I've taken care of it like a baby, the fretboard is in better shape than what it was in the shop, I changed the factory springs from under the base to better ones. The top has a tiny crack on it from years back that came at a gig. But I can certainly say it's the best squier and even the best guitar I've ever played. the sustain is remarkable. A red genuine sunburst with a rosewood fretboard etc.

I was just wondering, can I really ask for the same 400e for the guitar? I mean, an instrument like this doesn't get old in that way, the original Fenders from 60-70 might cost more than the new ones. In fact, with my mods on it, I think I've added to the value. I know I'd really hate to give it up, that'd only leave me with my nylon Hohner and my flute, but quite frankly as a poor student it's pretty much what I own.

I was thinking of selling my computer some time ago, but fate decided otherwise; my HD broke up, my monitor blew up and my keyboard and mouse broke the deal too, so it's worthless crap now, although, it was only 500 when I bought it 4 years ago. Selling my cd collection would prove impossible seeing as no-one listens to progressive rock anymore. Also, I guess, selling my guitar would make it sensible to sell my amp and my effects too. With a lot of luck I might get some 400e together to keep me alive for a month. Uhoh, I never thought it would come to this, but ... shit. I guess I could sell it and change to a 25e guitar just to get the practise...

Ok, just needed to open up. Usually this helps when trying to figure out stuff, arranges ones thoughts.

[Evil]

Good luck. Unless you could sell it to the buyer themself, any music store will give you, like, 60% of their sale. And most stores go off of what they're selling for on eBay. And a Squire isn't going to bring in much more than $120. And you'll probably get no more than $50.

[Ghost]

If you can raise the money by any other means, try it, even if it takes some extra effort. From what I read in your post, you'll regret selling it. Much. And Evil's right, compared to all the care and effort you put into that guitar, you'll get too little. I'm no expert here, but it seems to be an item you value much, but business won't see it that way.

Wish you luck, mate.

[Andail]

Yeah guitars aren't great investments. Had it been a violin or something...but guitars, tough luck!

I'd also say try raising the money in any possible way, even pawn the guitar, but don't sell your most precious belongings.

[DoorKnobHandle]

Guitars can be great investments, I have guitar and guitar-related equipment with values that add up to a little less than 3000â,¬ if I were to sell it all used, but a Squier guitar (while not necessarily bad for a beginner) just isn't expensive. In fact, I didn't know Squiers could cost as much as you paid for it, Tuomas. Anyways, wish you luck - but I'll have to agree, you probably won't be able to sell it for more than 70â,¬.

[Tuomas]

Yeah, I know squiers quite well. It's just, I bought this, it was some unique model that they madeto celebrate some annuals or so, so that's why it was more expensive, as it has better quality microphones and materials altogether. Oh, but I don't care, it's still my most valuable object, though I might consider pawning it.

Also, I've been playing with this for 5 years, and I've tried my hand with real Fenders, but I'd rather keep this than change it to a genuine one. the touch and the sustain is just so plain awesome.

[Andail]

Guitars can be great investments

Investment as in, you buy something and can sell it for the same amount - or even more - years and years later? I didn't know that. I thought that the sound quality of guitars, contrary to instruments such as violins etc, deteriorated through the years (unless you keep restoring them for high costs). But then again I've got no insight in electric guitars. They probably age differently than acoustic ones.

[DoorKnobHandle]

Vintage guitars are very wanted on the market. Today, models from '56 to '74 for example go for a fortune. Of course, not with all guitars, but - if you spend 2000â,¬ or 3000â,¬ on a Gibson Les Paul in the 70s, you can now sell it for a lot, lot more.

It's similar to wine, the older, the better - at least for people who like used, vintage guitars.

Anyways, this is all off-topic. Let's leave it at that. :p

[Evil]

But vintage guitars are a quality item. The only ones that have any real resale value are the highest quality of the era. Even now, if you bought a Mexi-Strat, it wouldn't be worth much more in the future. A little, but not much. But, if you bought one of the high end $3000 guitars, it'd be worth a lot more. It's all sentimental value. A couple hundred bucks isn't worth selling if you're loosing those memories.

[Tuomas]

Hehe, now it's not off topic anymore. I think the difference is in the sound. They used to do guitars in a different fashion as they do them now, most of them are done by robots anyway.   A handicraft piece has a different sound to it, like it or not. Most peopl do, and that's why they cost more when used. Of course everything lives as time flies, especially wood, and depending on the wood, the sound varies or changes by time. Some people might also fancy the sound quality on the mics in the earlier days.

Personally I'm very fond of my own guitar, but sure enough, the building of it wasn't perhaps as expensive as some older ones, but it sure has quality. I don't know about violins though, why they should sound better after many many years, but people tend to think so. I guess it's like the difference between a clay disk and a cd

[Adamski]

Botique guitars made now will still retain their value I expect, Rickenbackers, Fenders, Gibsons not made in Asia or Mexico will probably never diminish in value. You get what you pay for with musical instruments! Of course, a new Stratocaster will never fetch as much as one from the 50s...

Squier's pretty much a budget knockoff so you're probably not going to be able to sell it anywhere near the price you bought it for.

[voh]

I don't think 'knockoff' is the correct term, really. It's just Fender's budget brand.

[shbaz]

I don't know about violins though, why they should sound better after many many years, but people tend to think so. I guess it's like the difference between a clay disk and a cd

The cellular structure of the wood morphs with time, but mostly the change in tone is attributed to the aging of the lacquer.  Over time it micro-fractures, which allows the wood to resonate more freely.  Modern nitrocellulose finishes don't have this quality, you'll find most of the high priced vintage items are lacquered.

A lot of the quality in older guitars is due to the shape of the neck and the pickups.  AlNiCo magnets used to be the cheap choice, so that's what they used.  Later ceramics took the market when metal prices went up, but guitar players like the tone of AlNiCo better.  Most modern guitars use ceramics anyway.  The tone change is attributed to the conductivity of the magnets, some people claim the induced current in the coils, which induces a magnetic field which induces a current within the magnet itself (whoo!) but only if it's a metal, has an effect.  Neodymium magnets should do this too, and I wanna try it in a low profile pickup I'm winding for my acoustic.