How many were made?

GAD · Sep 19, 2019

I see this question all the time here and elsewhere.

Why are people so eager to know how many were made? My first assumption would be because they want to know if they can charge more when they sell, but the question often comes from people who are not selling.

"I have this guitar and I love it and I'll NEVER sell! Anyone know how many were made?"

Why do people care? Bragging rights?

richardp69 · Sep 19, 2019

I don't ask that question mostly because I don't think most folks really know. I'll admit though, if I do find out/know that I have one that's fairly rare or at least seldom seen, that does spark my interest. I like a lot of the main stream stuff but if not everybody has it, well, that's important to me as well. Not so much from a "I'll get more for it when I sell it" perspective but from a "I have one not many others do". Maybe lame and maybe shallow but it's just the way I fell I guess.

GAD · Sep 19, 2019

richardp69 said:
I don't ask that question mostly because I don't think most folks really know. I'll admit though, if I do find out/know that I have one that's fairly rare or at least seldom seen, that does spark my interest. I like a lot of the main stream stuff but if not everybody has it, well, that's important to me as well. Not so much from a "I'll get more for it when I sell it" perspective but from a "I have one not many others do". Maybe lame and maybe shallow but it's just the way I fell I guess.

Hmm. That's an angle I hadn't considered. I can see owning something that was somehow limited making me feel kind of proud to own it. Maybe I'm just ruined from having so many nice guitars, some of which are quite rare.

I think I'm also kind of biased because having read so much of Hans' stuff, it seems clear to me that he might know but aside from that, it's probably unknown. Also, when considering other manufacturers, I think most Guilds (at least the electrics) are pretty uncommon. People go nuts for '59 Les Paul 'bursts because there were so few made* and from what I can gather there were something like 1500 made between 1958 and 1960. That makes them rare, but I think there are probably many Guild electrics with fewer than that made so they're all rare, right?

I know rarity != desirability, but I think in my mind the whole thing is overblown for a lot of people.

My favorite quote on this subject is that of the 650 bursts made in 1959, over 1000 have been accounted for. :applouse:

awagner · Sep 19, 2019

Primarily, I like to know how common or uncommon a guitar is from a purchaser's perspective. If it is a model I particularly like, it is helpful to know the likelihood of another one coming up so I can decide whether or not to bite the bullet or pass. It is simply a data point for me.

Also, I like to know the story or history of a particular guitar, and the number built is relevant information. For example, some models (like some DV models) came with certificates stating how many were made in the series, when, in fact the actual amount produced was significantly less. I am interested in knowing why the full anticipated run was not completed.

dreadnut · Sep 19, 2019

My cousin's '58 Les Paul Jr. was one of only about 2400 produced in 1958, apparently only 400 of them were Jr. Jr's. (Short scale neck.) Does this make the rarer Jr. Jr. worth more, or maybe worth less because it was short scale?

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fronobulax · Sep 19, 2019

Rarity implies an exclusivity. So asking "how many?" and getting a low number makes me feel like I have something Special, even I cannot turn that into a dollar value. Imagine two lithographs, both aesthetically appealing and one gets to hang on your wall. At the same price, do you get the unnumbered one or the one that says 254/499? There is also an aspect of replace-ability - if I have to get another one, who difficult will that be?

JF-30 · Sep 19, 2019

GAD said:
I see this question all the time here and elsewhere.

Why are people so eager to know how many were made? My first assumption would be because they want to know if they can charge more when they sell, but the question often comes from people who are not selling.

"I have this guitar and I love it and I'll NEVER sell! Anyone know how many were made?"

Why do people care? Bragging rights?

To be the devils advocate - Why do you care why people want to know how many were made? I said to myself several times, I will never sell my 2009 Gibson BB King, its just too good a guitar. Well I saw a sweet 2013 Martin 000-28 one day and traded for it.

davismanLV · Sep 19, 2019

Yeah, bragging rights and exclusivity. People want something special that many people can't or won't be able to have. The DV-72 is fairly easy because it's been discussed to death here over the years. We've even tracked build dates by serial number!! It's easier with the D65S because it was special ordered by Guitar Center. And they have them numbered and signed. 11/20. Done deal! My Breedlove Oregon Rogue (the blue one) is a run of 50 guitars and I believe they're done, at least for now. Hard to find one for sale. Not impossible, but not common so much.

I don't mind bragging. Does that make me a bad person?? LOL!!

bobouz · Sep 19, 2019

GAD said:
I know rarity != desirability, but I think in my mind the whole thing is overblown for a lot of people.

A number of things besides rarity go into making a guitar potentially desirable.

A rare piece of crap is still a piece of crap!

dreadnut · Sep 19, 2019

I'm guessing Guild made more D-25's than any other model through the end of Westerly production. My '76 is a real gem, with brand new strings it sound like a chorus of angels:angel:

It's not really rare, but to me it is. I couldn't begin to tell you what it's worth monetarily (to me.)

richardp69 · Sep 19, 2019

Different strokes I guess. I still prefer the scarcer stuff. You can always pick up one of the great sounding "made in abundance" Guilds pretty much whenever you want.

wileypickett · Sep 19, 2019

For me, if I love a guitar, I want to know all I can about it -- including how many were made, sure -- but lots of other things too.

The F50 I own, for instance, has a cool back story to it. (The original owner was a jazz player who accompanied some pretty heavy hitters in that world, with this guitar.)

The average person doesn't care and the story isn't going to affect the price of the guitar if and when I sell it.

But I just like knowing!

How did this guitar come into the world?, who were its brothers and sisters?, where's it been and what it has it been doing since I came into possession of it?

Glenn

gjmalcyon · Sep 19, 2019

My JF4-12 is one of about 275 or so. It is kind of neat to hand her to another player to try, letting them know they may never play another example.

D30Man · Sep 19, 2019

gjmalcyon said:
My JF4-12 is one of about 275 or so. It is kind of neat to hand her to another player to try, letting them know they may never play another example.

Yeah I can see it from that angle.. Not really flexin' just something kind of cool about knowing you have something rare.. Makes the instrumental special in a lot of ways and you are lucky enough to be one of the few who get to own one.. Something kind of special about that..

walrus · Sep 19, 2019

I always kind of liked the fact that my 1984 D64 was "rare". Made me feel special - especially since I had no idea what it was when I bought it!

But I sold it because I couldn't play it comfortably any more. "Un-playability" took precedence over it's rarity. I'm guessing my 2011 F-30RCE is not that rare, but I enjoy playing it!

So now both guitars are being played and enjoyed by their owners - as it should be!

walrus

D30Man · Sep 19, 2019

I'm not so much into rare as I am one-of-a-kind.. Which I guess is the epitome of rare..
I am blessed to own a guitar that is one-of-a-kind.. My strat.. It is that because I made it that way.. Aside from being just a ton of fun to play, having killer early 90's US pickups and a perfect neck profile it is the only one I know of in existence because of both its aesthetic and its random mix of parts.

dreadnut · Sep 19, 2019

Here's a rare Takamine I own; not even sure what it's worth, apparently one of 800 made:

JF-30 · Sep 19, 2019

D30Man said:
I'm not so much into rare as I am one-of-a-kind.. Which I guess is the epitome of rare..
I am blessed to own a guitar that is one-of-a-kind.. My strat.. It is that because I made it that way.. Aside from being just a ton of fun to play, having killer early 90's US pickups and a perfect neck profile it is the only one I know of in existence because of both its aesthetic and its random mix of parts.

Is sounds like it is a one of a kind because you modded it. I modded a ton on my electrics when I had them. Acoustics get new strings and maybe open back tuners swapped for the Grover closed backs.

walrus · Sep 19, 2019

dreadnut said:
Here's a rare Takamine I own; not even sure what it's worth, apparently one of 800 made:

You mean there's 799 more of those around?!

walrus

JF-30 · Sep 19, 2019

walrus said:
You mean there's 799 more of those around?!

walrus

I don't even think Michael Schenker would want to play that.

How many were made?

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