VINTAGE BARGAINS

Our experts share some insider tips on vintage bargains…

“My top pick sleeper guitar from the 60s is the Gibson ES-120T,” says Vintage ‘n’ Rare Guitars’ Paul Tucker. “They’re thinline but instead of a P-90 they have a Melody Makerstyle single coil mounted into an all-in-one pickguard. It was an entry-level instrument into the ES line, and they kept the design very basic, but those things sound massive. They’re really good-sounding guitars and you can pick them up for pretty reasonable money at the moment.”

“A lot of the Guild stuff is just as good as Gibson-made guitars,” reckons guitar auctioneer Luke Hobbs of Gardiner Houlgate. “Sometimes you’re looking at a fifth of the price of an equivalent-spec Gibson. It’s ludicrous because they’re not one fifth the guitar. We’ve just got an old M-30 in, which is lovely small-bodied mahogany acoustic. Great sound. And it plays really nicely. To think that’s probably going to sell for less than £800 is mad. In my opinion, that’s well under the radar and is a fantastic buy for any player.”

“Bargains are very few and far between nowadays,” points out independent guitar dealer Richard Henry. “Sometimes people just want to get rid of stuff quickly, though, so they can get something new. I remember 30 years ago, I had a Twin Reverb I paid £250 for, and a Les Paul Custom I paid £550 for, but I quickly sold the whole lot for £600 so I could afford a new Gibson acoustic. As long as everyone’s happy. That’s how business should be.”