Amazing 100% Original '52 Telecaster

  • Thread starter Thread starter bongolation
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I have a real problem with the idea that guitars should be icons. That's what started the whole vintage craze in the '80s and ended up with people paying $125,000.00 for pre war Martin dreadnaughts. The vintage fever is like gambling; it overcomes your better judgment and attracts frauds. I wouldn't bid seriously on a guitar like this without first having viewed both appraisals and spoken with both appraisers to ensure that they are of this guitar. One of the appraisers better be George Gruhn, or else the value of the instrument has already peaked.

Do I sound skeptical? You bet. This instrument may well be genuine and everything that is claimed of it; it still does not belong on Ebay.
 
I agree with Treeline... 1000 percent!

If this axe was totally legit, why would it be on Ebay instead of at an auction house or at a guitar show?

I also noticed that the seller didn't post the serial number of the guitar. That, in itself, is a BIG warning sign. It may be an oversight, but that's one hell of a big oversight for such a big-ticket item.

In "mint" condition, a '52 Tele is worth $12,500 (Blue Book value).
From the pictures, it appears to be over 90 percent (condition-wise), so it should fetch eleven or twelve grand... providing it really is legit.

Still in all, the '52 isn't as rare as the "No-Caster" (made in 1951) or the original '50 Broadcaster... which was the original name of the Tele.
Gretsch threatened to sue Leo Fender if he didn't change the name, because Gretsch had a Broadcaster drum set and they had the trademark on the name.

A "mint" Broadcaster is worth around $20,000, if you can find one.
There's probably less than ten that exist.
 
On a lighter note,have you seen the ebay auction where the guy wants 10 grand for an Ovation Adamas just because it was owned by Nancy Wilson of Heart? I'll take 2,please...NOT!
 
A couple of years ago I did a little web work for American Vintage Guitar. They guy kept showing me all these awesome guitars. I was afraid to touch them. :eek:

I remember he had a Strat owned by Eric Johnson. Came complete with a copy of Guitar Player (or some other guit. mag) with EJ on the cover, holding the same guitar.

Anyhow, he runs auctions on eBay pretty regularly. Most never come close to the reserve. But he does get lots of advertisement that way....

Here's one of his auctions:
1964 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster

Guess he passes Buck62's test. ;)

Queue
 
$125,000??????

buy that and admire it living in a cardboard box eating P, B & J sandwiches....lol.
 
How 'bout 150K ?????? I saw this on another site......scroll down to the blurb starting with "Flame on"...........things are getting way outta hand with gits...........gibs


http://www.gruhn.com/
 
I've never even held a telecaster. Do they play/sound like a light weight strat?

Gruhn's LP is gorgeous!
 
Hey hix, the "L" is not in caps over there..........repeat after me.....leo.....leo......leo............aka gibs:D



getuhgrip, I've got an old tele that weighs 10 plus....some of the 70's models did that....might also be ash, but dense as hell....I messed with an '88 lp standard burst today that was actually lighter than my old tele....although not by much...............and no, they don't sound like a les paul.....but with the neck pup only, you can get a cool jazz sound....and you can get that twang thang from the bridge that works so well in rockabilly or real country.....or in middle position to get that Keith Richards kinda thing, if ya sorta mess with the tuning of the B string....and treb up the knobs.....gibs
 
Hey, I know George Gruhn knows what he's doing and all, but betwen you and me, If I were to photograph my $150,000 Les Paul lying on the hot asphalt, at least I'd have resealed the parking lot first. Better contrast that way.
 
No kiddin'.........his ass would be at fault if those marks on the back of that guitar came from the lot..........gibs

EB5374bc.jpg
 
Well, it looks like I'm not losing my touch: My estimate was right-on and he got bids up to a little over $15,000 - but it didn't meet his reserve!

Wonder what kind of money _he_ was expecting.
 
They're over-bidding way beyond the Blue Book value.

Suckers.
 
Like they say - good place to sell, bad place to buy.


---------------
(Now, I've got a whole bureau full of mismatched socks - should I set a reserve?)
 
Seems to me that a guitar is worth whatever anyone is willing to pay for it.

Hendrix' 'Isle of Wight' Strat sold for $325,000 - was it worth it?
Not to me, but sure was to the guy who bought it.

As for the vintage guitar thing - the ones I own are the best guitars I could find - they just happened to be 'old'.

The Tele you're talking about may not sound or play very well. It's been my experience that guitars that have a lot of legit playing wear on them usually sound and play great - with a lot of wear it usually means that a pro was playing them six nights a week - and a pro isn't going to hold on to a poor sounding instrument for very long.

Once played a '54 Les Paul at Willie's in St. Paul - this thing played great and sounded great - but most of the gold finish was off it and the back of the neck finish was almost all gone from 3rd fret to twelfth. Sold in one day for $4,500 - becasue it had mucho mojo.
Was it worth it? Sure sounded great (and looked great, too!)

Just my 2 cents.

foo
 
Greedy owner, gorgeous instrument.

Pete Townshend recently auctioned off a bunch of SGs for charity. I would have bid on one of those guitars if I had that kind of money. Otherwise, I just can't fathom spending so much on an instrument I could NEVER bring myself to play.

I'm like Queue - I don't even want to TOUCH an instrument that's worth more than I am. ;-)

I want a guitar that I don't have to be afraid to scuff up a bit!
 
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