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Weekly I'm seeing dozens of "project" Gibson (and other) guitars on EBAY where the machines, pups, bridges, tailpieces, jack plates, EVERYTHING is stripped off nearly new guitars and sold as a body and neck. Most times they're listed as project guitars but many are just stripped hulks for $500-600.
In all my years playing guitar I've seen precious few projects and the few that I have seen were either decapitated or needed the neck re-set. These project instruments are seemingly in perfect condition minus the hardware.
Does anyone know what gives on these?
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05-04-2013 11:52 AM
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I've seen that for quite some time now. I actually got my Gretsch that way. In my case this was a project someone got in over their head on. Other times, you can make more money parting it out. In my case, I'd make about the same. My old Gretsch I'd value at $1100 or so. I'd get about the same parting it out. The caddy tailpiece alone is worth $250 currently and the TV Jones pickups have a used value of about $200. The tuning keys would probably pull up around $40-$50. The harness would maybe pull another $50. The case might pull another $50. The body/neck would fetch probably around $400 or so. Just gotta feel out the market.
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I know it's been popular with strats and teles for years. You want a XXX neck but a YYY body, so you buy the parts and put together your "dream" strat. I'm pretty sure Stratosphere makes a decent ebay living buying new fenders and parting them out.
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Originally Posted by mark105
sounds like stolen cars they part them out and get more than selling the complete car.
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That eBay merchant sells stripped guitars for close to the same price as a used fully loaded model sells for in my area. So he's making out like a bandit by parting out the instruments. I would imagine that his prime market consists of people who want to upgrade MIK Epiphones. Those stripped LP Studio bodies he sells are definitely no bargain.
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when it comes to guitars and cars, the sum of the parts are worth more than the whole. For a while, I found myself buying new bodies, necks, etc that had come from unused complete instruments that had been parted. It is a lucrative business.
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Can anyone point to examples? I'm curious.
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Another member posted for sale in the forums here an early 60s ES175. He was willing to sell with or without the original pickups. IIRC (and I usually dont so go take a look) it was like 8000 with the pickups and 2000 without. 6000 for the pickups.
That is just the state of the market right now. They are the same PAFs that go in 250000 LPs.
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Here's a good example. The piece of hardware pictured below has a market value between $800 and $1,000. It can be replaced with a new one of the same quality for $25:
Last edited by Hammertone; 05-06-2013 at 12:13 PM.
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This has been a frequent topic on the Let's Talk Guild list. Sellers will take a vintage Guild and part it out because, as has been pointed out, the sum of the parts is more than the whole.
Brad
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This is a trick guitarists may have learned from corporate raiders.
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Well, it seems as if the people who pay stupid prices for vintage parts are to blame.
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This has been going on for decades. Nothing new to see here. The prices aren't stupid. The prices are what the market will bear. Have a '58 Les Paul that needs a new TOM bridge? If you've got 100K + wrapped up in a guitar, paying $800 to make it original is a small price to pay.
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If the entire TOM somehow went bad, I'd agree that putting a period part back in would be reasonable, but I bet there are more genuine PAF's and patent applied for pups going into modern guitars than your example points out, hence stupid prices being paid. . Originally Posted by customxke
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YOU might think they're stupid, but they're priced at what the market will bear. You calling them stupid doesn't mean they're stupid, it just means that you don't understand the market. Lots of people care about these things....lots...., and there's a limited amount of period correct parts. I've never parted out a guitar, but I've bought period correct parts, and have been thankful that they're out there. Clearly, your mileage will vary. No need to use the word "stupid" though. Originally Posted by GNAPPI
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What is give for a decent Guild body. ..ha ha Originally Posted by brad4d8
I do like rebuilding though. Unfortunately the market on Guild is kinda strong. Love some Manhattan.
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Suggested reading, especially the pricing page:
Historic Makeovers Guitar Refinishing
Quick review of Gibson production figures for
- Les Pauls from 1952-1961
- ES-335s from 1958-1963
- ES-175s from 1957-1963
- Barney Kessels from 1961-1963
reveals the parameters of the PAF pickup market.
Oh, and a few L-5 and ES-350 pickups with replaced covers and the gold taken off the screws....
So:
A few folks with the wherewithal are willing to make a new Historic Reissue Les Paul look and feel like an original.
A few 1952 - 1956 Goldtop Les Pauls are "converted" to '59 specifications.
A few instruments have been and are being built for customers who want original hardware, by builders such as Max, Derrig, Monty, The Guitar Clinic, Bartlett, Yaron, and more.
Conclusion:
People are free to spend their money as they wish.Last edited by Hammertone; 05-31-2013 at 08:38 PM.
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If you read my OP I stated that "EVERYTHING is stripped off nearly new guitars" I didn't intend to get in a pissing contest over people who do restorations. My second post described people using vintage parts to upgrade recently manufactured guitars. Originally Posted by customxke
If you read my post, I didn't call anyone stupid I said "stupid prices" perhaps you prefer "silly prices" or "absurd prices" or "ridiculous prices" C'mon, step it down a notch and take a deep breath.
Oh, BTW, I "DO" understand the market, it's disassembling instruments to satisfy a "market" that I don't understand, there's a difference.
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OT: Used to work with a guy who would buy RC cars on Ebay. Part them, and sell them. Sometimes brand new.. sometimes busted and used. He made a good salary as a DBA pre bubble but I think he was just making just as much on the side since he was doing it under the table.
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I don't want to start a pissing match, but clearly you don't understand the market, or supply and demand economics. I also was speaking to your comment, in your post #12, about people paying stupid prices for vintage parts. Clearly, they're not stupid, silly, or absurd prices to the multitudes of people that are paying them. Granted, when someone asks $7k for a PAF, and it sits, unsold, for years, that's a stupid price, as evidenced by it's non-sale status. Market value is determined by what people will pay...its that simple. Its the same as any collectible commodities market. I don't get why someone would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a watch, but I don't think they're paying stupid prices.....I just figure that I don't "get" it.
And finally, yes...you CAN use any word you want. The words you choose say more about you than the people (or prices) you're speaking of.
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I broke the truss rod in my Telecaster. Getting a real Fender neck from Fender is a REAL hassle......if you can get one at all. Originally Posted by Woody Sound
I bought a new Fender neck with a rosewood fingerboard on FleaBay (original was maple) which is what I wanted anyway. Also, the newer neck plays a lot better than the old one. I still have a Fender guitar now....all Fender parts instead of dropping the value by buying a Warmoth neck.
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