Got issues ?

Well  you have been pouring over guitars for sale ads and trying to determine what it is you're really looking at when you're reading them .  This edition of The Vintage Guitar News and Views we will try to clarify what some "issues" are and what can  be determined as not and "issue". We will be looking at this from the standpoint of a guitar being sold as " an original" because you can have  an original 1960  era guitar ,but it could have non original or replaced parts as well as a few repairs and still retain all it's vintage vibe.Sure it should be priced lower than a 100 per cent  all original model of the same make that has not ever had nor needs any repairs and these items should be disclosed or made available to you before your purchase.

First let's look at electric guitars, now I am not talking about new guitars or even custom shop or reissue guitars. What I am talking about throughout this article is guitars that are 20 or more years old. O.K. now that that has been addressed let's move right along.
In my opinion an "issue" is a major alteration  or a problem that has NOT been addressed ,NOT a normal playing repair that has been addressed with the appropriate and correct solution to the problem.

You read a listing that states ...1960  so and so electric guitar for sale ,All original  but...The "but " part is what you have to look at. Starting at the headstock,if the neck has been broken ,that is an issue and not a "normal" playing repair although it is not unusual for a headstock or neck to get broken it is in the eyes of the guitar world an issue. New nut ? Not an issue,this is a solid repair or needed item ,especially if the guitar is not offered as 100 per cent all original has been played and the old or original nut was slotting to deep or causing tuning problems. Sometimes the original nut  slots can be filled in with bone dust and reslotted  which would be more desirable than a replacement nut for sure.But not an issue or deal breaker.

Frets ? I would rather have a guitar with appropriately replaced good frets than a guitar with worn out frets,so if the frets are worn out and make the guitar play poorly that would be an issue,but as for a refretted guitar I consider that a needed repair.Any routes on the guitar in my opinion is an issue.If a pot has been replaced,well electrical components wear out or go bad ,so I would consider this a needed repair and not an issue ,unless of course all the pots were changed out especially if they have several different pots or several differently dated pots,that may be an issue. What about pickup changes ? Well replaced pickups are an issue,rewound original pickups that utilize the original plates,magnets, and bobbins are less of an issue as long as they were rewound using the correct method and gauge wire as well as hopefully reusung the lead wires as well and can probably be considered a repair.
 Refinished , stripped or just plain old repainted guitar bodies (or necks) are an issue that should be disclosed as well.

How about acoustic guitars ? These are easier as far as I am concerned, again a neck or headstock break no matter how expertly repaired are issues in my opinion. Any repair that is needed and NOT addressed are issues,any repairs such as refret jobs,loose braces,lifting or reset bridge(s) or body cracks that have been correctly repaired are not issues in my book . How about replaced tuners ? Gray area here as many tuners that were replaced probably needed to be due to age or the inability to hold a guitar in tune well. It would not be an issue on acoustics or electric guitars as long as the parts were the same as the originals were,but then again most replaced tuners were different than the originals and since the 2 or 3 most widly used tuners were used on all makes of guitars at one point or another this should be addressed but not necessarily an issue,unless of course the headstock was damaged or the  tuning post holes improperly enlarged  in the course of the change. If a bridge has been replaced with the correct material,possibly a vintage bridge from another guitar of the same make and model ,shares the exact same footprint then I don't see an issue as long as it is disclosed,the same goes with replacing a cheaper plastic adjustable bridge with a more suitable rosewood bridge. Cracks as long as they have been addressed and properly repaired are not issues in my book. A reset neck you say ? Well I would rather have a guitar that has had an appropriate neck set myself as this is one repair that most all acoustic guitars will at some point in their life need and should be seen as more of keeping the entire guitar playable rather than a distraction from purchasing. Remember make sure any normal repair has been addressed in the appropriate manner and in the general scheme of things and  have been disclosed to you and  you should come out with a good purchase and a healthy guitar.Of course any items that are suspect or need to be repaired should be at the very least looked at by a professional repair person  for clarification and cost(s) before you make a purchase just to be on the safe side. Most guitar dealers list an item pretty honestly and disclose what they think have been repaired as well as what may or may not be original from the factory on said guitar, but it is up to you the consumer to ask for any clarification .Most guitar dealers do ask that you give them a call,this is not a sales ploy (on my behalf anyway ) to get you on the phone but rather an attempt to be able to give you an accurate hands on description of the guitar in question and to ease any concerns and answer all of your questions honestly and not have to rely on an email that may or may not contain all the information that an actual visual real time inspection may give.
So until next time ,may all your days be memorable,all your friends stay true and may all your riffs be killer. Greg's Guitars.