Guitar collectors are very particular when it comes to the smallest details of a guitar that they are interested in buying. As guitar collecting has become a luxury for most people and an investment to all, there are many factors to consider when buying a guitar.
One of the most commonly observed feature for guitars is the cosmetics. The cosmetic value of a guitar covers its overall look, paint job, condition of the wood, and the state of its metal hardware. There should be no markings, dings, or scratches, or at least should remain minimal and nearly unnoticeable. For vintage guitars though, finding one in an impeccable condition is considered laborious if not a fool’s errand even. There are vintage guitar collectors however, that manage to source out guitar parts from the exact same year as their prized pieces, therefore being able to restore them in full working condition.
Another thing to consider when buying a guitar is its circuitry and wire work. Are the contact points all still good? Are the issues fixable with the help of a can of WD40 or are new parts required? This is another important issue to address when buying a guitar, especially a potential vintage collector’s piece. Check if the pick-ups are still alive. It is OK to be bear through a yellowish pick-up cover as long as you can still hear the magnets working when you tap the pick ups. Find dead spots and static points when turning the volume and tone knobs and assess how much it will cost to have everything back in working condition before assessing the entire guitar’s buying price.
Also determine the year from which the guitar was made. There are usually markings somewhere in the guitar as to when it was made and its model number. It can be found behind the headstock for some brands, or it can be stamped on the neck plate, like in the case of Fender guitars. Fender guitars, as well as some other guitars also have the year of the guitar’s manufacturing printed behind the bolted part of its neck, so some disassembly might be required to determine the original year of the guitar. There are other factors within determining the year of a guitar other than some dates and markings. Understanding the history of its makers can have you be an expert in no time at all and naming the model and year just by looking at the guitar from a stand. This is because guitar manufacturers try to use different styles of head stocks and other guitar parts every so often. For example, a Fender with an over-sized headstock is most likely from the late 60s to the early 70s.