Finish Overspray - what effect on value?

aamapes

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
Delmar, NY USA
Hi - new to this site, but a long-time Guild owner. Just traded my old beat up D25C for a 1980 D50NT. It looks absolutely pristine - should have been a tip-off. After getting it home, it looks like it may have had a coat of lacquer sprayed over the original finish. If this is so, it was a beautiful job, since it's hard to tell for sure. There is one cracked area on the side and one dent in the top, though, and they look like they are coated over.

The guitar sounds great and plays like butter. My question - how much does a new coat of lacquer effect the value or the sound of a guitar? Should I take it back to the shop and address it? They said they checked it with blacklight, and the finish was original, but I have my doubts.

Any guidance will be appreciated - thanks.

Alan

Guild D50NT
Gibson J55
Rosewood Dreadnaught of my own build
000 in process (all Northeast US woods)
 

guildman63

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
2,996
Reaction score
20
Location
Massachusetts
Backlight is not always accurate. To me it wouldn't matter if the playability and sound are great. Theoretically, it can reduce the value of a guitar by up to 50% per the vintage guitar guide, but for a 1980 D50 I wouldn't worry much as it is way undervalued to begin with. I have had guitars 35 years old and older look virtually new without any overspraying, so it is possible that the finish is original. I say enjoy the guitar!
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Welcome. Delmar, huh? I was there a couple times 40+ years ago.

Generally there are players and collectors. I don't think a player is going to pay more or less if what you described was not done at the factory. But players always want to pay less than collectors anyway so that is a moot point. If a collector believed that the work was not done at the factory and you could not convince her/him otherwise I would expect in the collector's eyes it was either not worth buying or only of interest at a steep discount. The 50% quoted above makes sense to me.

That said, my experience collecting other things has been that to always buy the best specimen possible is a very good strategy so a collector is likely to wait for a D50 where there is no doubt about originality.
 

wileypickett

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
4,964
Reaction score
4,489
Location
Cambridge, MA
Polishing a guitar will put shine an anything, cracks and dings included, so the areas you're suspicious about may indicate nothing more than that guitar was well-polished.

IMO if you're buying Guilds for their resale value, you're either buying the wrong brand or buying for the wrong reason.

I'm with Guildman -- if you love the guitar in all other respects, and it sounds like you do, enjoy it and "don't fret"!
 
Last edited:

geoguy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,519
Reaction score
1,640
Location
metrowest MA
Here's another vote for playing & enjoying that guitar.

I view the finish as being needed to protect the wood. If a light re-spray served that purpose (maybe covering up some bare wood at the two cracked/dinged areas that you described), & the guitar sounds great, I wouldn't worry about it any further.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Welcome aboard AA!
I'm with Guildman that it probably won't affect value at all since it probably will never be in that category of collectibles where such things matter.
Top that off with the fact that with a crack and dent it's a "player".
If it has been oversprayed it might actually increase the value by extending the useful lifetime of the finish and guitar itself. Helps protectthe top wood.
Granted there's a lot of us here who'd prefer to buy a guitar in "unrepaired" state primarily so that we can decide who does the work.
The only drawback to an overcoat for that guitar might be that some of us do believe NCL finishes improve with age, they dry out and become more resonant, so a new coat might "reset the clock".
But if you're already happy with the sound and plan to keep it, it'll probably only get better for you even if it has been resprayed.
Whoopsie I see Geoguy slipped in and offered similar opinion while I was still composing this, but hey, you're starting to get some concensus here, right?
:smile:
 

aamapes

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
Delmar, NY USA
Thanks all - your words put my mind at ease. I did buy this to play, but just want to make sure I got an OK deal. I got this at my local (shudder) GC. That puts my on the defensive right away, but the guitar spoke to me. I'm learning to trust that feeling. Getting a well-made rosewood dreadnaught with some age on it, in pretty much pristine condition for under a grand - don't think I can go wrong. I think I'll take it to my local luthier for his evaluation, just so I know more about it.

I look forward to hanging out with all of you!
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Thanks all - your words put my mind at ease. I did buy this to play, but just want to make sure I got an OK deal. I got this at my local (shudder) GC.
OK I now doubt the blacklight story because I don't think they know enough or would even keep one around, but that's my extreme skeptical self echoing the generally negative perception of their product knowledge.
The flip side of that coin is that it also means we hear more stories about under-priced rather than over-priced final sales from those guys.
And I gotta admit I can't argue with the return policy.
:wink;
 

guildman63

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
2,996
Reaction score
20
Location
Massachusetts
While some may not like Guitar Center, I do not share that sentiment. If one is looking for used gear great deals, and a very nice shipping and return policy can be had at GC. What better way to try out gear for up to 30 days with no risk? I won't be trusting them to service my guitars any time soon, and I would never sell to them, but they do have a place when buying used gear.
 
Last edited:

TVeye

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
335
Reaction score
5
Guitar Center must be very different on the East Coast. So Cal GC employees would only know a black light used to light up their parent's Jimmi Hendrix poster and
makes their teeth look funny at a rave.

P.S. ....just for the record, Overspray is the stuff you sand and polish out, when you re-coat, it's just spray.
 

davismanLV

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
19,196
Reaction score
11,812
Location
U.S.A. : Nevada : Las Vegas
Guild Total
2
While some may not like Guitar Center, I do not share that sentiment. If one is looking for used gear great deals, and a very nice shipping and return policy can be had at GC. What better way to try out gear for up to 30 days with no risk? I won't be trusting them to service my guitars any time soon, and I would never sell to them, but they do have a place when buying used gear.
I gotta agree with you on this one. Guitar Center is what it is. My local one (there are two in Vegas) has really nice people who are friendly and accommodating. I don't go to them for answers or information. I go to them to play and experience guitars. Not all the used gear is great, but that's for US to evaluate. I've gotten KILLER deals from GC. They negotiate and they deal. Nothing not to like about that.

And Mike, I agree.... I think of "overspray" as something different from "resprayed". But I think we know what he means. Spraying a coat of lacquer over existing lacquer just melts into the previous finish and adds very little in the way of thickness. Then you just level it down and buff it out and ... you're good to go. Of course, you're not going to do this on a seriously valuable, vintage instrument.
 

guildman63

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
2,996
Reaction score
20
Location
Massachusetts
I look at refinished guitars differently than most, or at least many. As an example I will use a Stradivarius violin. Originally built well over 200 years ago. Not one remaining example is all original. If one needs new tuners, a new fingerboard or neck, New finish, or even parts of the body replaced the work gets done. Of course, not just anyone will do this work. Yet, even after significant finish and structural repairs these instruments are still considered to be among the best playing and sounding violins in the world, and command well over $1,000,000 to own. My opinion is if it plays great and sounds great, but is showing signs of wear that need attention to maintain The integrity of the guitar do whatever it takes if affordable and worth the cost. My AP's will still be in spectacular condition when my playing days are over, and I hope the person or people who have them after me play them and maintain them in the same manner, and then pass them on to another generation.
 
Top