Guitars whose sentimental value exceeds monetary value

zulu

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,801
Location
NV west of Los Angeles
Guild Total
4
For me it's my Nightbird and my Starfire bass. The Nightbird because I bought it new and it was my first good guitar. If somebody offered me $100,000 I'd refuse. The bass because I've had it a long time and we've been through trauma (broken headstock) together. Also because it's been customized so much the resale value isn't that high.

My other guitars, while I love them all, I wouldn't feel bad about letting them go at fair market value to try something else out and see if it would make that lifelong connection.

What about you?
 

griehund

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
2,190
Reaction score
1
Location
Ware MA
zulu said:
For me it's my Nightbird and my Starfire bass. The Nightbird because I bought it new and it was my first good guitar. If somebody offered me $100,000 I'd refuse. The bass because I've had it a long time and we've been through trauma (broken headstock) together. Also because it's been customized so much the resale value isn't that high.

My other guitars, while I love them all, I wouldn't feel bad about letting them go at fair market value to try something else out and see if it would make that lifelong connection.

What about you?

Just got back from the lawyer talking about wills. Trying to figure out which of my kids would want my stuff. I wouldn't part with my D40 or my little mother of toilet seat. I have an emotional attachment to both of them. The D40 I bought new in 75 and the Gretsch took a year to pick out. If my kids don't want them I don't know what I'll do. Mortality sucks. :) But then, if I wasn't getting old I'd be dead. :roll:
 

davismanLV

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
19,201
Reaction score
11,829
Location
U.S.A. : Nevada : Las Vegas
Guild Total
2
I'm that way about my D65S. It was my first guitar and my first good guitar, both. I, too, bought it new and I've been through so much with it in the almost 20 years I've owned it. I believe it has definitely gone UP in value. It's rare, being #11 of 20 made. It's one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played.

I probably WOULD sell it if someone offered me $100,000 for it. I may be sentimental but ..... there are limits to what I can do for sentimentality. But since no one is gonna offer me that kind of money.... I'll just keep it until such time as I need to find it a good home where it will be loved.
 

silverfox103

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
1,738
Reaction score
524
Location
Littleton, NH & St Simons Is. GA
davismanLV said:
I probably WOULD sell it if someone offered me $100,000 for it.

Tom, I going to go out on a limb and say that you could eliminate "probably" in the above sentence.

Back to work yet?

Going to see Richard Smith tonight, right here in my northern New Hampshire small town. This will be the 3rd time he has been here.


Tom
 

ladytexan

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
3,342
Reaction score
18
Location
Texas Hill Country
I had some friends over a few days ago. After seeing my little herd huddled together, one asked me which two I would take if the house was on fire. I had to think for a moment and the decision came down to sentimentality.....and, then the monetary or hard-to-find ones. First, foremost, and always is my D25 (my first good guitar purchased new in 1974). Second is the F20Bld. Third (because I have a gig bag with a shoulder strap :)) is the B-11 Uke.

Update: It was a slow-moving fire, so I ran back-in and rescued the others. I love them all. :wink:
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,472
Reaction score
7,131
Location
Central Massachusetts
I have two lifelong guitars. One is a Favilla classical from the late '50s that my mom gave to me and which I learned on. The second is an '80 Ibanez 12-string which was the first new guitar I bought. They're not worth much, but they sure are to me. They will never go anywhere.

My Guilds came much more recently. They are my favorite guitars, but they are not attached to me. I even had a really rare one a couple of years ago, but the right price left me with no seller's remorse.
 

Brad Little

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
4,611
Reaction score
2,001
Location
Connecticut
That would be my F-212. I've had it since '65, and, as with others, my first good guitar. Considering the maintenance and upgraded tuners, it has definitely cost more than it's worth, but not to me. In fact, I think when I had the tuners replaced with mini-Schallers about 12 years ago, it cost just about as much as the guitar did new ($200).
Brad
 

evenkeel

Senior Member
Silver Supporting
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
1,539
Reaction score
11
My Guild D-35 fits the "worth more to me than it's real value" classification. It's a mess, banged and dinged, suffered thru way to many indignities. But, like others it was my first "good" guitar and sounds terrific. For the few $$ I could get selling it, no way :!: :!:
 

dklsplace

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2001
Messages
3,325
Reaction score
0
Don't think I have a guitar that I wouldn't sell for $100k, but 2 that have far greater sentimental value for me are my brother's. An old 50's Kay acoustic, & a Crestwood 12 string from way back.

My Guilds on the other hand...I've bought & sold quite a few 'cause I simply didn't connect with them personally. Though I love the ones I currently have, there probably aren't any that I wouldn't part with for the right price....though my right price is likely quite a bit higher than market value. 8)
 

twocorgis

Venerated Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
13,923
Reaction score
6,520
Location
Lawn Guyland
Guild Total
18
evenkeel said:
My Guild D-35 fits the "worth more to me than it's real value" classification. It's a mess, banged and dinged, suffered thru way to many indignities. But, like others it was my first "good" guitar and sounds terrific. For the few $$ I could get selling it, no way :!: :!:


I've got one like that too J; my '73 D50

5251518979_149010873c_b.jpg


Banged and dinged just like yours, but all of that mojo is mine, or at least I know who did it!
 

Los Angeles

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
35
Location
Ventura, CA
Guild Total
20
I would gladly light any one of my guitars on fire if it meant that I could save my black 1977 S-100. It's the least valuable of all of them, and the most important instrument of my musical life.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
griehund said:
The D40 I bought new in 75 and the Gretsch took a year to pick out. If my kids don't want them I don't know what I'll do. Mortality sucks. :) But then, if I wasn't getting old I'd be dead. :roll:
Flip the world the bird and be buried with 'em. That'll show 'em.
:D
Good point though, if my nephew don't want mine I'm not sure who'd be next in line. That would still be likely to be alive at least.
 

learnintoplay62

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
1,496
Reaction score
0
Location
New Jersey
Toni that was toooo funny.I'm still bonding with my current 2. I started way late so I don't have the memories built up yet. I love my D4 ( joe's ex ) but my Nelson slope dread is a very very cool guitar. It would be that one since I scrimped and saved for it :wink:
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
Definitely my old D-25M, bought it new in '76, went shopping for a Martin and came home with this beauty. Dings, one repaired top crack, even an old seed burn mark (wonder where that came from? :roll: ) This guitar's been to a thousand gigs - campfires, weddings, funerals, bars - can't imagine getting rid of her, especially at market value.

The good news is that my son is absolutely tearing it up on guitar, after playing for only about 1 year, he's getting quite good :D so I have no question who will inherit it when I'm gone. And I know he won't sell it either.
 

killdeer43

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2008
Messages
21,848
Reaction score
111
Location
Northwest Washington on the Salish Sea
I've attached sentimental values to a huge number of guitars in 43 years of acquiring, but I've always rationalized selling one or more when the time came to do so. Scorpios are really good at rationalizing. 8)

I'm beginning to think that I'm more like my Dad every day. Whichever car he was driving at the time was always "the best".....until the next "best" one came along. Perhaps that's not a fair comparison, but it's close enough.

I never thought I'd sell my D50, but I did.
I nevever thought I'd sell that gorgeous GF25 from Sandy, but I did.
I never thought I'd sell.....I think you get the idea.

Bottom line: love the one you're with! :wink:

Joe
 

Default

Super Moderator
Platinum Supporting
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
13,596
Reaction score
3,008
Location
Philly, or thereabouts
Guild Total
11
Chazmo said:
I have two lifelong guitars. One is a Favilla classical from the late '50s that my mom gave to me and which I learned on.
Eddie Cochran had one!
 

zulu

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,801
Location
NV west of Los Angeles
Guild Total
4
Hmmm, some of the responses are making me wonder who I'd leave my guitars to in my will. Maybe a donation to Guitars for Vets or something similar.

Maybe I should take that $100k after all...
 

kitniyatran

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
3,381
Reaction score
497
Location
SW Fl.
My most treasured possession, far beyond monetary value, was my B&J "Victoria" mandolin, purchased vintage(probably 1920's) in 1984. She was stolen & not recovered October 18, 2011. :cry:
 

6L6

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2006
Messages
1,921
Reaction score
112
Location
San Francisco, CA
My '74 D-40 would have the most sentimental value to me:

IMG_1484.jpg


I've busked with it in the London Underground, and it's followed me all over the world for the past 39 years. A year or so ago I had it refretted with stainless steel frets and it plays like a dream. Sounds like one too!

One of the many stops on the 39 year journey for this guitar was Cape McMurdo, Antarctica. Here's a pic I took on short final while landing on the ice there. The scientific outpost is around the corner to the left:

IMG_1558_zpsaa3f884c.jpg


Talk about temperature extremes! And yet there's not a single crack in the finish of the top.

Bill
 
Top