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Repairs and non-original parts aren’t necessarily a warning to steer clear of an old guitar. In fact, they can represent good value for the right player
Maintenance and repairs are an inevitable part of any workhorse guitar’s life, the hard-won battle scars more often than not proving its worth as a great-playing guitar that’s been well loved, rather than showing any signs of potential shortcomings.
“As a player, I wouldn’t necessarily discount anything, whether it be a refinish, changed pickups or a headstock repair,” says Paul Tucker of Vintage ‘n’ Rare Guitars. “I think it’s really down to how the player thinks the guitar feels and sounds, and if they think it looks cool. Those are the important things – every time. It’s easy to get too hung up on the intricacies. As long as the guitar you’re buying is fairly represented and you like how it looks, how it sounds and how it plays then it’s probably the right guitar for you.
“A lot of well-known artists’ guitars aren’t original and that’s partly because they tend to be hard-working instruments. Parts would wear out and things would happen. Old electrical parts can start to have issues over time, especially if they’re being used on hot, sweaty stages, and people just needed a consistent, working instrument. It wasn’t always easy to get yourself a replacement Strat pickup in 1972 – these days we’ve got far more choice with that sort of thing – so people did what they had to do. Changing parts is sometimes a necessity.”
Indeed, many of those guitars that formed the soundtrack of rock ’n’ roll history have received countless repairs and modifications.
“Have a look at David Gilmour’s Black Strat,” highlights Richard Henry, guitar dealer to such luminaries as Johnny Marr and Kirk Hammett. “It’s like Trigger’s broom, you know, ‘This old broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time.’ It’s not even the same guitar any more.”
And look at Keith Richards’ favourite Telecaster, Micawber. “It’s a 50s Telecaster that’s been chiselled out and had a patent number humbucker put in (facing the wrong way); it’s got a changed bridge and Sperzel tuners; and the bridge pickup is an old lap-steel pickup attached with two screws.
“And as for headstock breaks, to be totally honest, I haven’t heard a bad guitar that’s had a headstock break. I’ve come round to the opinion that if a guitar has been repaired properly it’s actually stronger than it was before. I don’t know why but all the ones I’ve heard sounded great. I mean, Greeny sounds amazing! And that got smashed to bits. Keith Richards’ ’Burst was the same – that got damaged and repaired. I’ve got a ’78 Les Paul Custom that’s had a headstock repair and you can’t tell by looking at it with the naked eye. It plays great, sounds great and stays in tune nicely.”
“I think if it’s been repaired well and done in the right way, you don’t have to worry about it at all, as long as it’s reflected in the price,” agrees Matt Gleeson of Monty’s Guitars.
“10 to 20 years ago, a headstock break was almost a dealbreaker and would halve the value of the guitar”
“Gibsons, or any guitar with a backangled headstock, they can break so easily. It’s kind of par for the course and it shows that the guitar has been used – or a child has run into it! I know some people who still use animal glue for repairs and that’s cool; it stinks to high heaven but it’s strong. Here we use a really runny two-pack epoxy, so it gets into all the tubes of the wood fibres. If it’s done within a couple of months, it should be as strong, if not stronger, than before.”
Over time, players have increasingly grown to accept such repairs as an essential part of a guitar’s working life.
“10 to 20 years ago, a headstock break was almost a dealbreaker and it would halve the value of the guitar like a refinish,” remarks Luke Hobbs of
Gardiner Houlgate auction house. “In a collectable market, people often lose sight that these are musical instruments and they need to play well. When I’m offering a high-end acoustic, the one question that’s always asked is, ‘Has it had a neck reset, and what’s the action like?’ Usually, the only reason people ask is because they prefer the guitar to have had one and for the action to be sorted. If it’s been played and gigged, the chances are it will have needed a neck reset at some point. I think a neck reset is almost as acceptable as a refret these days. And a good refret is a must if the guitar’s not playing well. It’s par for the course if those guitars are being played. These things have become much more accepted now.” [RB]
“A lot of well-known artists’ guitars aren’t original and that’s partly because they tend to be hard-working instruments”