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 VINTAGE AND USED GUITAR BUYING TIPS: For the novice, it can be a daunting and difficult task to determine whether or not an unlabeled instrument is a true treasure or just a worthless piece of junk. Those of us who have been around simply know what to look for and what to avoid. Here's a few things that might help:

1. Tuners. While the quality of the tuning machines may not tell the whole story of how good the instrument is, if it has a cheap, crummy set of tuners it suggests that the builder didn't think the instrument was worthy of decent pegs.

2. Solid woods. Acoustic instruments primarily, but a multi-laminate body electric guitar should usually be avoided, too. On acoustic guitars you can generally determine if the top is solid rather than laminated by looking in the sound hole for grain continuity. Back and sides are trickier wherein you have to match internal grain patterns with external grain patterns- sometimes near impossible. However, sometimes it's easy to see lamination patterns looking inside the sound hole of the guitar.

3. Construction values. It sometimes amazes me that otherwise intelligent people can bring in a crummy 3rd world made atrocity, with a plastic looking finish and glue slop all over the inside, died wood fingerboard and what is, to me, obviously shoddy workmanship, thinking that they have a truly fine instrument. Be smart. Look for a label. If it has a label, look for where it was made, which may or may not have anything to do with the quality; there are wonderful Chinese made guitars and there are terrible Spanish made guitars.

4. Action. Especially on acoustic guitars if the action is high and the saddle is low then repair will likely be costly. On other hand if you find a guitar that you like and the action is not quite where you want but there is still good saddle height and the truss rod functions properly, it should still be worth considering.

5. Aesthetics. If it doesn't look good, chances are it isn't. Even some very cheesy looking guitars can be quite good instruments, they generally have a certain panache.  

more to come

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Used Instruments

Tony Nobles 00 size Mahogany and Adirondak Spruce top. Tony has a great history of fine guitar making in Austin and now Wimberly, Texas. This has been his personal guitar so it has been played, but gently, and has an LR Baggs Element Active pickups installed. $3,500.00  Come in and play it!

MARTIN D-28 1965. All original & in great shape. Lovely Brazilian rosewood imparts the tone that Brazilian is famous for; loud, rich & complex. $6,300.00

Schecter Diamond series.  Priced with Strap.  $360.00  

Ibanez ArtCore Hollowbody with a Bigsby type Trem and Hard Shell Case.  Get Rocking at $395.00

Guitar Research Archtop, Eddie Durham Model made by Peerless of Republic of Korea not the PRC.  Sweet jazz box made from laminate flamed Maple,  Very Sweet at a very reasonable $650.00.

Reverend Club King.  Gently used but not abused $595.00.

Larrivee P-02 Used, some repaired cracks sound real good.  $550.00 with hsc.

Republic Resonator $350.00

 Late 1920's Vega Tubaphone [Tu-Ba-Phone as it's burned on the dowel].  Call and ask for Mark. 

More Used Stuff!

 Taylor Grand Symphony GS-8  $2000.00 w/ HSC.

 Weber Bitterrot ArchTop.  All Solid woods and made in the good old USA by a trained and motivated workforce!  Call for price and details! [210] 822-1595. 

Jackson V $395.00

LES STANSELL FLAMENCO GUITAR. "Warrior Of Peace" model made of Oregon native Port Orford Cedar top, back and sides. This is truly a remarkable and breathtaking guitar in every respect. It is visually stunning at every angle including the inside which is as artfully executed as the outside. Incredibly responsive in all registers with a richness and playability that transcends our notions of what a flamenco guitar can achieve. Anyone considering investing in a fine flamenco guitar that might double as a straight classical should give this amazing guitar a spin. This guitar is but a few years old and has been owned by someone who doesn't really play much, yet owns many fine instruments that, consequently, don't get much play time. Therefore, we are offering a nearly new condition guitar for a great price. New they sell for $5,400.00 with a considerable wait. $3,500.00 w/case pics coming soon. 

Gretsch 3140 [Historic Series] repaired neck. Plays nice! $295.00 

PICS AVAILABLE FOR ALL GUITARS.

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