Old Flames
We’ve all let guitars go that we wished we’d kept – and few sales are more regretted than the bits of gear that we let go when they were out of fashion, which later become regarded as classics. I remember reading an ad in Guitarist’s classified columns in the 90s, offering an original Fender Rhodes electric piano for £50. Even adjusting for inflation (that £50 would now be worth £104, according to the Bank of England) that listing would still be a steal, as good examples of the classic Marks of Fender Rhodes go for about two or three grand these days. I also remember turning my nose up at a Klon Centaur in a London vintage guitar shop where it was on sale for £120 at the time! It seemed a lot back then, when the Centaur was new and I had £80 to spend on a good overdrive, but it really doesn’t any more.
The point is that market value is often led more by collective desire than functionality. Which is why it pays to develop a bit of confidence in your own tastes. Not all late-70s electrics built by Fender and Gibson were bad and the same is true of other brands or eras that are currently out of vogue. Look among the currently unfashionable stuff and you’ll sometimes find some real characterful bargains that you’ll enjoy using today and – who knows – may just be recognised as classics in time, as this month’s cover feature examines in depth (see page 54). Enjoy the issue and happy hunting, see you next month.