# "Modern" guitars that you think will increase in value



## SammerX (Jun 13, 2013)

Hey everyone, 

I recently discovered that my uncle has a 56 les paul gold top with p90s

It isn't this exact guitar (I was in such shock at seeing the thing, that I forgot to take pictures), but it is the same model. His has a lot of really nice wear on it- the goldtop has a pretty cool patina to it.







He was surprised to see that these sell in the five figures range- he bought it brand new and has been playing it since 56. 


So, my question to you guys: *Which guitars being made today do you think will appreciate in value similar to old Gibson and Fender guitars?*

The most obvious choice to me would be Suhr, depending on how the company evolves. 

Looking forward to seeing what you guys think.


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## -42- (Jun 13, 2013)

Blackmachine


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## Seanthesheep (Jun 13, 2013)

Early PRS guitars (pre factory) are most likely going to skyrocket in value in 10-20 years IMO. some of thier more limited and higher end guitars might also gain value but I doubt the average CU24 will become that valuable.

Other than that I dont think many other builders have caputred the right markets/audiences and have become notable enough for their work to be works 10 or even 100 times the original value


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## larry (Jun 13, 2013)

if ibby stops m8m production in liew of a fujigen/indo model or just discontinues it outright, then i'd imagine the real thing would fetch a decent penny later on. my input is somewhat biased, of course.


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## Andromalia (Jun 13, 2013)

Newer Fender and Gibsons.  the CS and limited anniversary exclusives etc.
But I don't think it will reach the prices of those 50es and 60es guitars, the factories have way too much output for that


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## Tom 1.0 (Jun 13, 2013)

-42- said:


> Blackmachine




Dont count on it.

The bubble will pop.


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## hairychris (Jun 13, 2013)

Seanthesheep said:


> Early PRS guitars (pre factory) are most likely going to skyrocket in value in 10-20 years IMO. some of thier more limited and higher end guitars might also gain value but I doubt the average CU24 will become that valuable.



I agree. Early 1st factory (Annapolis) '85 Customs and pre-Standards are 5 figures in good nick. The used market took a dump about 4 years ago, but they will definitely gain in the long term. The unnumbered prototypes & earlier, the true "pre-factory" are also worth a lot now.

What's cool is that early PRS guitars kick a lot of arse as they play and sound great too. My '87 Standard won't lose value even as a looked after "player" grade.

I have, however, seen reports of people who've tried to invest by having Private Stocks built. That didn't end well. 



-42- said:


> Blackmachine



Hah. Short term, maybe, but ask again in 20 years. People may have forgotten about it.

That's the thing about vintage guitars. You cannot tell in advance what a future high value vintage will be.

Note: My BMs are worth more now then when I bought them, which only proves that I'm old. If they end up being worth a bit in 20 years then that's cool, but that isn't why I own them!


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## snowblind56 (Jun 13, 2013)

Andromalia said:


> Newer Fender and Gibsons.  the CS and limited anniversary exclusives etc.
> But I don't think it will reach the prices of those 50es and 60es guitars, the factories have way too much output for that




Not necessarily. Gibson limits the number of guitars they produce in certain runs. Look at the first run of Thunderhorse Explorers. That had a 400 piece run. They don't come up for sale often. I think the last one sold on ebay for $2700 or so.


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## narad (Jun 13, 2013)

I don't think in the guessing game that there's being a lot of thought applied to why early Gibsons and Fenders have risen in value... a combination of low output, association with mainstream guitar heros, the dudes that idolized them being old now and well off, a change in construction practices and wood choices, and a hell of a lot of time. So Suhr? - waaay too much output.

For all that a certain few prog/metal bands are talked about on here, not one of them is a blip on the radar compared to how mainstream a band like Guns n' Roses were (- highly credited with a lot of the 80s spark of Gibson Les Paul demand). You don't have these associations with small ss.org builders to guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, who even your grandmother has heard of, that are needed to sway the supply vs. demand curve into astronomical ratios. So when you look at blackmachine, yea, maybe they'll go up in value, but until Periphery is a household name I don't think you can count on millions of their kids sitting around in their bedrooms dreaming of blackmachines. So I think the first step in thinking about it is recognizing that everything we care about on this forum is extremely niche, and niche doesn't push things into massive value appreciation.

If anything, I think the future collectable guitars may be shaped by wood choices. We haven't really felt the pressure too much yet, but imagine if in the near future even things we mostly take for granted now like uniformly dark ebony stop being offered. Listings like "03 Braz board Gibson R9" are definitely something I think we'll be seeing a lot more of, etc. And hey, maybe we'll find decent replacements, but ..I'm certainly not looking forward to a richlite future.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 13, 2013)

Short answer: None.


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## leonardo7 (Jun 13, 2013)

Its like baseball cards and comic books, they will never match the equivalent increased prices of their golden era counterparts




SammerX said:


> The most obvious choice to me would be Suhr, depending on how the company evolves.



Whats your theory on Suhr? They are extremely nice playing and quality guitars by the way. Amongst the best I have ever seen or played.




Tom 1.0 said:


> Dont count on it.
> 
> The bubble will pop.




I dont think the Blackmachine bubble will ever pop. There appear to be less than 100 Blackmachine Customs in existence. Then there appears to probably be ten fold that number of guys willing to throw down the cash for one. Bubbles pop when there is too much supply and not enough demand. Those logistics will never apply to the Doug only hand built Blackmachine.


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## Basti (Jun 13, 2013)

Mine.


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## Lorcan Ward (Jun 13, 2013)

Vik


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## Sephael (Jun 13, 2013)

I don't think you can mention customs, hand made or extremely limited run models when comparing to the inflation of a production run. No other production guitar will have an inflation in value like the early electrics. 

If production stops in a few years I could see the ESP/LTD 7 and 12 string EC models gaining value, but obviously not like a '56 gibson. Also, no specifics, but nice color schemes on a good ibby or esp could go up significantly in value if they stop using those schemes.


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## Tom 1.0 (Jun 13, 2013)

leonardo7 said:


> Whats your theory on Suhr? They are extremely nice playing and quality guitars by the way. Amongst the best I have ever seen or played.
> 
> *As with certain PRS model, the older ones with heritage and a pedigree of having certain builders work on them or soon to be extint woods will probably hold value better than others. My Pro Series however, wont.*
> 
> ...



IMHO


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## Altar (Jun 13, 2013)

Paul Rhoney's Oceanas are classic, really awesome designs. If his company takes off I can see his guitars shooting way up.


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## The_Mop (Jun 13, 2013)

It's a particularly hard thing to guess, really. My dad has a gibson 335 he bought new in 1986, cost 2k when he bought it. According to some people we know in the trade, it basically hasn't gained any value whatsoever, infact most likely lost some.

So even if it's from an era that's starting to be considered as 'vintage' it's still not a guarantee it's ever going to get any more valuable. With the rise in mass production since then and outsourcing and whatnot, I seriously doubt anyone will look back at guitars made in this era and think 'Yeah, they're really worth something'.


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## jl-austin (Jun 13, 2013)

A little insight here. We all might not be here in 50 years. Buy a guitar you want to play and enjoy life!


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## Konfyouzd (Jun 13, 2013)

STRANDBERG...

Like anything Von Dutch painted...


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## kamello (Jun 13, 2013)

RGA 321, I hope so,  so when I become old and grumpy I could sell it for a good 'ol Tele


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## unclejemima218 (Jun 13, 2013)

any of the original Universes, and green/silver dots perhaps. at least that's what I would pay good money for 30 years down the road haha.

edit: i guess they aren't really modern anymore


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## noUser01 (Jun 13, 2013)

Definitely BRJ's latest creations. They are perfect, not a single flaw at all.










... or B.C. Rich. Those are also perfect.


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## Jzbass25 (Jun 13, 2013)

snowblind56 said:


> Not necessarily. Gibson limits the number of guitars they produce in certain runs. Look at the first run of Thunderhorse Explorers. That had a 400 piece run. They don't come up for sale often. I think the last one sold on ebay for $2700 or so.



This is the epiphone version but your post reminded me of his hilarious demo.


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## Matt_D_ (Jun 13, 2013)

the chromeboy JS's. (JS2 and PRM)'s 

I'd love to get my hands on one. but i'd also want to actually PLAY it. which isnt really possible without damaging the finish. 

proper strandbergs will also more than likely hold value. but i doubt they'll increase to five figures. maybe.


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## JP Universe (Jun 13, 2013)

The only one I'm counting on is my JPM 90th (1998). I'm hoping to hang onto it in mint condition for another 50 years 

Any brand new guitar? forget it.....


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## leonardo7 (Jun 13, 2013)

I have the first ever Jackson 8 string. I will be waiting for Jackson to hit me up in about 20-30 years begging to buy it off me


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## Leuchty (Jun 13, 2013)

Hopefully my RG1527M...


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## Shredderboy1658 (Jun 13, 2013)

The first batch of usa schecters will


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## narad (Jun 13, 2013)

ConnorGilks said:


> Definitely BRJ's latest creations. They are perfect, not a single flaw at all.





FrancescoFiligoi said:


> - Drunk side dots



FS: Vintage 2013 BRJ -- Period Correct "Lazy Eye" Side Dots


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## leonardo7 (Jun 13, 2013)

Imagine if Strandberg guitars went even bigger and became as common as say Ibanez. They had them in all Guitar Centers etc and you couldnt open a guitar magazine without seeing an add for them. Then imagine he decided to stop making customs and just live the life. The customs would no doubt go through the roof in value. It could happen to any builder who went big. Strandberg seems to be one of the few builders who could be set to go big. As big as Ibanez is obviously a hard thing to achieve and he prob wont stop making customs any time soon. But just imagine. 

Also, Daemoness could add an apprentice or two every six months and eventually have such a large staff that he could take on lots of orders and go big as well. He doesn't seem like the type to stop building customs though. He already has an apprentice, better hang on to those "Dylan only" built Daemoness


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## Hollowway (Jun 13, 2013)

leonardo7 said:


> I dont think the Blackmachine bubble will ever pop. There appear to be less than 100 Blackmachine Customs in existence. Then there appears to probably be ten fold that number of guys willing to throw down the cash for one. Bubbles pop when there is too much supply and not enough demand. Those logistics will never apply to the Doug only hand built Blackmachine.



Technically a bubble isn't about supply and demand. It's about an imbalance between the price of something and its actual value. There are a number of reasons the values can get out of whack. Blackmachine supply may not increase, but I'm of the opinion that when people realize the emperor isn't wearing clothes the the values of them will fall more in line with what a normal custom would be. I realize I'm in the minority of opinion on this, however.


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## tommychains (Jun 13, 2013)

I'll go out on a limb here;

Since there are so many more guitars made these days compared to the 50's and 60's, you can forget about their values going up 100 fold. Keep in mind back in those days, there weren't many manufacturers either. The big 4 were Fender, Gibson, Grestch, and Rickenbacker. Any of those guitars from that era are BIG money.

Right now, the 80's guitars are seeing a rise in the collector market. Give it a few decades, and you got a sweet, sweet backup payday.

I can see the Ibanez RG2228 having an effect simular to the first Ibanez 7 strings that were put into production. Those loch ness green ones are selling for almost 4 grand. I can see the first ibanez 8 strings selling for a good amount in 20 years.


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## vilk (Jun 13, 2013)

the future will be a post apocalyptic wasteland and all electric guitars will be sold primarily as firewood. The strings would be sold separately and for more money for use as highly durable rope.


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## Given To Fly (Jun 14, 2013)

I think Ibanez Jem and Universe models and JS graphic models will increase in value (some at faster and higher rates than others) mainly because some of them already have. I could imagine a JS Rainforest fetching $50,000 someday.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Jun 14, 2013)

OP, I hope you have some sort of plan to become your uncle's best bud/favorite relative. You need to be doing everything you can to inherit that thing.


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## DSilence (Jun 14, 2013)

I think some of the more collectable 'made in japan' guitars will jump a little bit in value. Maybe not gains worth talking about, they have some interesting & often built well guitars.


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## JP Universe (Jun 14, 2013)

leonardo7 said:


> Imagine if Strandberg guitars went even bigger and became as common as say Ibanez. They had them in all Guitar Centers etc and you couldnt open a guitar magazine without seeing an add for them. Then imagine he decided to stop making customs and just live the life. The customs would no doubt go through the roof in value. It could happen to any builder who went big. Strandberg seems to be one of the few builders who could be set to go big. As big as Ibanez is obviously a hard thing to achieve and he prob wont stop making customs any time soon. But just imagine.
> 
> Also, Daemoness could add an apprentice or two every six months and eventually have such a large staff that he could take on lots of orders and go big as well. He doesn't seem like the type to stop building customs though. He already has an apprentice, better hang on to those "Dylan only" built Daemoness


 
The current wait time is so big (approaching 500 now) I'm sure there are a huge number of folks that will pay a premium to get a 'real' Strandberg quicker than usual....

Supply vs demand


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## TRENCHLORD (Jun 14, 2013)

Wal-Mart's Hannah Montana signature deluxe.
Why may you ask?
Because everyone in their right mind who has one (except for Billy Ray) will eventually come to their senses and throw that little twat overboard.


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## vilk (Jun 14, 2013)

TRENCHLORD said:


> Wal-Mart's Hannah Montana signature deluxe.
> Why may you ask?
> Because everyone in their right mind who has one (except for Billy Ray) will eventually come to their senses and throw that little twat overboard.


wtf I did not know this was a thing...


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## TRENCHLORD (Jun 14, 2013)

baron samedi said:


> wtf I did not know this was a thing...


 
Oh it's a "thing" alright . With a capitol P.O.S.!!!



edit; sounds like I've spent some time on one doesn't it?


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## Pat_tct (Jun 14, 2013)

I think some of the MIJ stuff will increase in value.
And some Jackson CS guitars maybe.

And no one mentioned Deamoness?
with the inlay-work I would believe that those guitars will increase in value greatly.... but only if his outputs stops at acertain point or he is doing something different, so that his guitars are deterined to certain timespan that they were built


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 14, 2013)

I don't think you guys understand why guitars appreciate in value. 

Show me a small time builder's guitars that have gone up significantly in value. You won't find any. At best they retain value, but that's very different than appreciating. 

Some historic, genuinely historic (Bigsby, Mosrite (Semi made), classical examples, etc.), will also go up, but it's definitely a rarity.


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## _MonSTeR_ (Jun 14, 2013)

I wouldn't think anything that you don't already own is going to be as good an investment as an early and sought after Fender or Gibson. Whilst there is some mystique surrounding swirled JEMs graphic JSs and Those sorts of guitars, their value to the collector comes from player associations rather than their reputation as guitars in their own right. 

Conversely things like blackmachines are highly sought after today, but by a very small number of guitarists. In 20 years time, they'll be just another British cottage industry guitar to anyone but those who posted here.

Property is cheap at the moment, invest in that...


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## leonardo7 (Jun 14, 2013)

Imagine Rob gets pissed that his KxK guitars are the best kept secret so he just gives up on building all together and decides to give his last few in stocks to Nolly, Merrow, Englund, and Bulb. They all do positive reviews and track albums and do vids and cant get enough of their new KxK's (secretly waits for one of the aforementioned to get a KxK). There is no doubt KxK customs could then go up in value on the used market. 

Sorry for turning this into my "unlikely scenarios in which todays guitars could rise in used value" thread. 

Honestly though, Id like to think that the recent USA only PRS Private Stock brazilian rosewood guitars will go up in value slightly. Guitars owned by famous dudes could fetch a pretty penny as well. But really, it happened with cars, guitars, baseball cards, comic books, stamps, coins, limited edition Nintendo cartridges, etc, once you realize something is worth anything, you have missed the boat. These things creep up on you over the years. Nobody was able to call it back then, dont see how we will be able to now. Not much has changed it that respect.


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## Daf57 (Jun 14, 2013)

Given To Fly said:


> I think Ibanez Jem and Universe models and JS graphic models will increase in value (some at faster and higher rates than others) mainly because some of them already have. I could imagine a JS Rainforest fetching $50,000 someday.



I tend to agree here - from spending some time on Jemsite the Jems seem to circulate between the same collectors getting higher and higher each time. But would those be considered "modern?" What is the cutoff date for modern?


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## WestOfSeven (Jun 14, 2013)

I can see the early jacksons going up in value a bit.


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## Datura (Jun 14, 2013)

Rg8


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## BucketheadRules (Jun 14, 2013)

Modern guitars are mass-produced, in the 50s and 60s they were all hand-made. Guitars now are churned out at the speed of light, and there are simply too many of them for them to be collectable in future. Even modern custom guitars probably won't go up in value that much.


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## patata (Jun 14, 2013)

Every high end brand if the luthier stops making them or stop taking orders.

Imagine if Dylan from Daemoness stop taking orders.Or if a luthier dies.Or if he gets big and sells his first guitar that he made.


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## Walterson (Jun 14, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Show me a small time builder's guitars that have gone up significantly in value. You won't find any. At best they retain value, but that's very different than appreciating.



No Problem:

Try to buy one of those original hand made Guitars from Tony Zemaitis.... he build those things in his Garage and sold them for prices around 2-3kBP.

Zemaitis Guitars - Official Website for Tony Zemaitis Guitars

Value today?

1973 Zemaitis Metal Top Richie Sambora Bon Jovi | Maverick Music Vintage Guitars
1999 Zemaitis Disc Front The Last Disc Front Made | Maverick Music Vintage Guitars


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## hairychris (Jun 14, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I don't think you guys understand why guitars appreciate in value.
> 
> Show me a small time builder's guitars that have gone up significantly in value. You won't find any. At best they retain value, but that's very different than appreciating.
> 
> Some historic, genuinely historic (Bigsby, Mosrite (Semi made), classical examples, etc.), will also go up, but it's definitely a rarity.



It also depends what ends up being cool/desirable in the future, or (like Les Pauls/Strats) become an icon. Same with cars - what's a future vintage or a worthless POS? Ditto guitars. Whether worth it in any measure as a player or not, a mass* produced Fender from the right period can command a pretty fat price today.

High quality classical may appreciate, but again no guarantee that *any* particular luthier will be the one to jump on.

If, somewhen in 2050, there's a market for British hand-built pointy inlaid guitars then Daemoness will be worth mad bucks. Prior to that there is *no way of telling*.



*Mass produced, but not a high volume instrument like many today.


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## Be_eM (Jun 14, 2013)

I've got the hope that most of mine (hidden here between those of other owners ) will at least keep their current value&#8230; which can not be said about the same amount of money hibernating anywhere. Maybe they also go up in value, however, by no means as much as those 1950s/1960s guitars. I guess no later guitar will ever do that


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## McKay (Jun 14, 2013)

Those early guitars are valuable because they were new and there were only a few types of guitars out there, that had very different sounds and became classic because of it.

Imagine if every icon of the 50s-70s used practically nothing but Jackson Dinkys and ESP Eclipses. They'd now be classic and expensive.


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## McKay (Jun 14, 2013)

BucketheadRules said:


> Modern guitars are mass-produced, in the 50s and 60s they were all hand-made. Guitars now are churned out at the speed of light, and there are simply too many of them for them to be collectable in future. Even modern custom guitars probably won't go up in value that much.



What is Fender?


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## narad (Jun 14, 2013)

McKay said:


> What is Fender?



Fender only put out a few hundred 1954 strats - in line with Gibson's Les Paul output, and production stayed low (by modern standards) throughout the Pre-CBS era.


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## BucketheadRules (Jun 14, 2013)

McKay said:


> What is Fender?



They were relatively easy to build so more could be made, but they still had to build them by hand. No CNC machines back then!


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## tommychains (Jun 14, 2013)

narad said:


> Fender only put out a few hundred 1954 strats - in line with Gibson's Les Paul output, and production stayed low (by modern standards) throughout the Pre-CBS era.



Hence the usual asking price of about 40,000 for any Pre-CBS strat in decent shape.


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## decoy205 (Jun 14, 2013)

These models:
S7 Knotty Wormhole Strandy
Rico Drunken side dot special


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 14, 2013)

BucketheadRules said:


> Modern guitars are mass-produced, in the 50s and 60s they were all hand-made. Guitars now are churned out at the speed of light, and there are simply too many of them for them to be collectable in future. Even modern custom guitars probably won't go up in value that much.





BucketheadRules said:


> They were relatively easy to build so more could be made, but they still had to build them by hand. No CNC machines back then!



While certainly not CNC'd, they weren't totally hand made, especially Fender guitars. There are automated building processes and machines that aren't computer controlled. 

Duplicators have been around for a VERY long time and were used by Gibson and Fender to streamline production. 

The main reason that there aren't a lot of 50's or 60's Gibson or Fender solid bodies is because they didn't really sell very well/catch on until over a decade later in most cases. 

Solid bodies were still considered lesser than their hollow, carved top contemporaries. 

Also, you have to remember, by the 1950's Gibson was a BIG company, and Fender exploded in popularity pretty quickly. They weren't small shops by any stretch of the imagination. They had access to the best manufacturing tools of their day because of it. 




Walterson said:


> No Problem:
> 
> Try to buy one of those original hand made Guitars from Tony Zemaitis.... he build those things in his Garage and sold them for prices around 2-3kBP.
> 
> ...



Like I said there are exceptions, but they're FAR from the rule, and those exceptions are for far different reasons than simply being awesome guitars from well known builders.


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## TemjinStrife (Jun 14, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I don't think you guys understand why guitars appreciate in value.
> 
> Show me a small time builder's guitars that have gone up significantly in value. You won't find any. At best they retain value, but that's very different than appreciating.
> 
> Some historic, genuinely historic (Bigsby, Mosrite (Semi made), classical examples, etc.), will also go up, but it's definitely a rarity.



Actually, James's orange Sii-7 with Kahler has pretty much doubled in price


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## LetsMosey (Jun 14, 2013)

I buy guitars to play, not to sit and collect dust as a collectors item.  But, to each their own I suppose.


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## snowblind56 (Jun 14, 2013)

LetsMosey said:


> I buy guitars to play, not to sit and collect dust as a collectors item.  But, to each their own I suppose.




I also buy guitars to play them, but it's nice to know that when you sell them, occasionally you won't lose your ass on them and/or you might make a pile of money selling them.


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## Dan_Vacant (Jun 14, 2013)

like other people on here. The people on here like niche stuff so not much that's poplular on here will go up in price. but I thikn the k-7, Universes, and the JPM will becasue the players of those are popular, and people say they play very well.


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## noUser01 (Jun 14, 2013)

narad said:


> FS: Vintage 2013 BRJ -- Period Correct "Lazy Eye" Side Dots




You didn't get the joke then.


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## Andromalia (Jun 14, 2013)

Guitars you got before Hetfield ordered one.


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## kenshin (Jun 14, 2013)

Daf57 said:


> What is the cutoff date for modern?



This sounds like my Lit degree all over again! Lol

It does seem to me that player association has a huge hand to play in guitars appreciating in value, but then, who's to say that some of the most popular bands in 20 years time won't be playing Daemonesses, or Blackmachines, or Viks! A guy can dream though right?


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## narad (Jun 14, 2013)

ConnorGilks said:


> You didn't get the joke then.



I recognized that it might have been, but on this forum, who knows!


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## Floppystrings (Jun 14, 2013)

Washburn HM526


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## Veritech Zero (Jun 14, 2013)

I feel like signature model guitars may go up in value if they get discontinued. Examples that I can think off hand where this is happening even just a few years after production. the LTD Gus-600FR (Gus G random star with a Floyd Rose bridge) and the LTD Alexi-600SE in pink. Both of those had very limited runs, and seem to be selling for what they did new almost, and I suppose as long as the guitar is in excellent to good condition the price would just keep going up. But that is just a complete shot in the dark guess for me, just what I see happening before me and making inferences with no actual data to back it up.


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## engage757 (Jun 14, 2013)

Hate to break this to you guys, but the Blackmachine bubble already popped.  With the exception of frustrated people that have not been able to get one forever, people just aren't paying the kind of money for them that we saw even six months ago.

And suhr floods the market, maybe the Limited Editions might go up in value, but they haven't proven to yet. It will be a tough call with modern guitars IMO.


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## Furtive Glance (Jun 14, 2013)

I was gonna suggest the JEM2KDNA, but even that would be more of a niche market than those powerhouse Les Pauls and Strats...


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## engage757 (Jun 15, 2013)

The really rare Ibanez guitars I totally agree with. DNA, J.Custom Gold, J. Custom Paint, etc. They already have gone crazy price-wise...


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## Trespass (Jun 15, 2013)

Walterson said:


> No Problem:
> 
> Try to buy one of those original hand made Guitars from Tony Zemaitis.... he build those things in his Garage and sold them for prices around 2-3kBP.
> 
> ...



Those have the brand value of being ordered and played by important people.

That's also the sales price - It hasn't sold yet, and may not ever sell at that price. Bring out the sales history, and we'll see what it's sold for in the past.

Besides, that's a totally different market than a crafted or manufactured guitar - It's "celebrity memorabilia/collectable" or whatever at this point, not purchased to be played (the original intent of an instrument).


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## kamello (Jun 15, 2013)

something that I actually love about Ibanez, is that you can get a SICK 550 for pocket change


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## Metal Mortician (Jun 15, 2013)

I personally believe that its going to come down to demand. Sure if there are some highly visible bands (ie Billboard top ten) playing instruments on stage 50 years from now, then the market will go up for whatever brands they are toting at that time. I'm sure many will at least hold their value, but we have to remember that even high end custom instruments can have a catch 22; they were made by hand from the finest materials to YOUR specifications, not the person you may be selling it to. This is why even most who sell their custom ESPs and Jacksons seem to take a decent hit when they sell. Lets just hope that the bands of tomorrow will be able to appreciate and endorse some fine instruments, and not some cheap toys.


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## jabo1 (Jun 15, 2013)

hard question ....

could be gibson CS and Anniversary ....but when we look pre cbs gibson and refin, there value fall with the crisis.....so who knows???
fo the other or new mark, no one can know


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## Datura (Jun 15, 2013)

Whichever guitar has the greatest surface area to use as kindling once society collapses.


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## vilk (Jun 15, 2013)

*MOD EDIT: Don't complain about rep. Last warning. *

User edit: it was more of a warning than a complaint. I ain't scared a no negs. (Don't ban me! I am a sacred of those.)


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## Tyler (Jun 15, 2013)

I can see it happening to Daemoness guitars definitely. Even if Dylan has his apprentice, if something ever happened it wouldnt be strictly "Dylan's" work


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## Senaeth (Jun 15, 2013)

I would say the H.R. Giger Ibanez guitars have a good chance of increasing value





I would kill for the Iceman


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## StevenC (Jun 15, 2013)

I imagine Strandbergs below about #45 will skyrocket.


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## ESPImperium (Jun 15, 2013)

PRS pre lawsuit Singlecuts both Korean and USA models. On Lawsuit stuff, the ESP MX series ax well. Signature models for both brands too.

Some of the Gibson Tribute 50s, 60s and 70s stuff thats been made in the recent years will become Indie collectors gold. As well as the Guitar of the Week/Month that was produced in the mid to late noughties. The Signature stuff as well. As for others, i believe the BFGs and the 7 string Explorer stuff as well.

I think a good dollop of the Korean stuff will ascend in value soon, the good stuff from PRS, ESP, Schecter and a few others as well. Mainly the artist stuff but some of the better examples of the non signature stuff will increase in value.

However, i was talking to a fellow gear head recently, they are thinking that some of the guitars of our present day will increase, but he was thinking that lots of amps and effects of present day will increase. The likes of the pre Fryette VHT stuff with the pre 6505 rename 5150s, and some of the Fender, Marshall and Mesa stuff will increase quite quickly.


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## Given To Fly (Jun 15, 2013)

I have to disagree with all the small builders being listed. Outside of archtops, the only electric guitars that seem to appreciate in value are production models. It seems there needs to be some degree of uniformity for guitars to become collectable which is really what drives the prices up.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jun 15, 2013)

Given To Fly said:


> I have to disagree with all the small builders being listed. Outside of archtops, the only electric guitars that seem to appreciate in value are production models. It seems there needs to be some degree of uniformity for guitars to become collectable which is really what drives the prices up.



Exactly.  

In theory, the rarity of custom guitars doesn't really change. If something is custom there is only ever a single one made. 

Do custom guitars tend to go up in prices after the luthier has passed away or leaves the business? Yes. Though, it's EXTREMELY rare for that to match the original value, even rarer for the market price to rise, and almost unheard of for the price to go up a significant amount.


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## narad (Jun 15, 2013)

ESPImperium said:


> However, i was talking to a fellow gear head recently, they are thinking that some of the guitars of our present day will increase, but he was thinking that lots of amps and effects of present day will increase. The likes of the pre Fryette VHT stuff with the pre 6505 rename 5150s, and some of the Fender, Marshall and Mesa stuff will increase quite quickly.



I'm expecting a lot of amps and pedals to decrease in value as more and more people switch to modelers and digital setups. If there's anything in the gear market I specifically wouldn't invest in, it's amps.


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## mhickman2 (Jun 16, 2013)

I'm not entirely sure about certain amps value going up or down. Although lots of people, including myself, have switched to digital setups, there are always going to be purists out there who will swear by analog setups. I think their values will stay fairly consistent.

A few guitars I think will increase in value are listed below.

-All Blackmachine guitars. There's always a lot of controversy over these guitars, and for good reason. Even though, they are a huge deal amongst GAS guys on forums like these, they are unknown to the general musician. The reason being that their guitars haven't been idolized yet. When and if a guitarist who uses one of these becomes idolized, these guitars will increase like crazy in value. I bought a B6 2 years ago for $2600.00. I haven't tried to sell it ever and have had offers as high as $3800 for me to sell it.

-PRS Pre-Factory Custom 24s. They have already increased a good bit in value the past 10 years. I have been in the market for one of these made in 85 or 86 in good shape for a while now. Obviously, they aren't going to get to the level of a 59 Les Paul, but they will continue to rise faster than most collectible guitars because of the reputation PRS has gained over the last 25+ years for building exceptional guitars.

-Discontinued Signatures. Not all of them obviously, because there are some terrible ones out there. However, a few come to my mind. Gibson Thunderhorse is discontinued and is a beautiful well thought out signature without the cheese and crackers. A serious player in my opinion. JP BFR's with rosewood necks are just stupid hard to find these days.

There a bunch more but I already feel the urge to hunt these down and buy them. I'll stop before I empty my savings on more guitars I can't spend time with.


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## Andromalia (Jun 16, 2013)

Some of th explorer special runs might rise are there are actually few of them. LPs ? Note a chance, sure there are limited studio series but there are 4 of them every year...


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## Demiurge (Jun 16, 2013)

I think that part of the appreciation in value of so-called vintage guitars isn't just the rarity but also the "they didn't make 'em like they used to" attitude. The concept of _vintage tone_ has been fetishized to the point where older, collectible guitars are thought by some to be tone monsters, that the '59 LP sound is worth every penny. 

It could just be a phenomenon where the generation that grew up on music made with those guitars is flush with cash and nostalgic, creating a ripe market. It's not a guarantee to repeat in a cycle, though.


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## xzyryabx (Jun 16, 2013)

this is all assuming that ppl will still want guitars in the future and not some quad-core-electro-fiddle!!


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## noob_pwn (Jun 16, 2013)

I think the ibanez JPM series along with the rarer earlier jems will increase for sure


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## Given To Fly (Jun 16, 2013)

Here's my theory on how it works with non signature model Ibanez guitars: Ibanez will build a really cool guitar. You and I will say, "Wow! That's really cool!" But we never actually buy one for one reason or another. Then Ibanez stops making it, we regret our decision, and guitars that were being blown out for $800 skyrocket to $1700 used in player condition. Examples: RG2027x, S540S7, AF207. None of these guitars were limited editions, they were all production models (although they were pretty high end). And those are just some of the 7 strings. 

So the moral here is next time you see an Ibanez and say "Wow! That's really cool," buy it because it will cost more used. Everything I just wrote are cold, hard facts too!


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## Milpitas Monster (Jun 16, 2013)

American made Washburn Dimes. If you desire one of these, you had better score one before the next economic boom cycle! If you can find one.

Also, a furniture store made OG Davies N4.


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## kruneh (Jun 16, 2013)

mhickman2 said:


> I bought a B6 2 years ago for $2600.00. I haven't tried to sell it ever and have had offers as high as $3800 for me to sell it.



How about $4000


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## TemjinStrife (Jun 16, 2013)

narad said:


> I'm expecting a lot of amps and pedals to decrease in value as more and more people switch to modelers and digital setups. If there's anything in the gear market I specifically wouldn't invest in, it's amps.



Amps (except for special cases like Trainwrecks, Dumbles, Silver Jubilees, and Mark IIC+s) rarely appreciate significantly anyway. Even original blackface Fenders and early SVTs or B-15s hardly fetch more than new versions of the same amp.


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## leonardo7 (Jun 16, 2013)

kruneh said:


> How about $4000



Exactly. I want to ask him "have you tried listing it for 6k obo"


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## Jzbass25 (Jun 16, 2013)

Senaeth said:


> I would say the H.R. Giger Ibanez guitars have a good chance of increasing value
> 
> 
> 
> ...



There's also the expensive S, Rich is selling that at about 4k, the finish looks pretty cool but the fretboard is meh. The cheaper gigers looked cheap to me ever since I got to play the textured one.

http://www.ibanezrules.com/images/used_index/shrg1z_2/IMG_7250.JPG
http://www.ibanezrules.com/images/used_index/shrg1z_2/IMG_7259.JPG


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## PyramidSmasher (Jun 16, 2013)

I think Ibanez Universes... other artist models like JPMs maybe too. I bet certain limited edition EBMM JPs too.


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## patata (Jun 17, 2013)

I have a feeling that guitars with wormholes will be more and more wanted once people realize that a wormhole isn't a flaw.All thanks to S7.
Much like this one


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## SammerX (Jun 17, 2013)

Great discussion guys- I had a feeling this would be an interesting topic. The idea that certain woulds might become scarce and drive up prices is pretty interesting to me- sad thought though. 

Anyways, I just remembered- I did take some pictures when I saw the guitar. Maybe some people are interested, so I'll just stick them here. 


















I'm no Gibson afficianado, so I am not sure if it is all original or not (didn't want to bother my uncle with that kind of stuff). She has been played pretty heavily, no closet guitar here. 

Enjoy


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## khobi64 (Jun 17, 2013)

ive got one of the original gibson bucketheads, which i hop to increase in value


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## Andromalia (Jun 17, 2013)

Tried selling a giger, got so many lowball offers I finally kept it. I didn't buy it for much, either. But I'm not selling it for 200, guys


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## DanieLibuy (Jun 17, 2013)

I think that ESP guitars will increase their value, mainly because they stopped making them (SS and other shits), as well as the Japanese Jacksons, but hey, we are talking in terms of long-terms, my ESP won't increase it value in 5 years... c'mon.

Regards.


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## rockstarazuri (Jun 17, 2013)

Ibanez RGA121 and 321's seem to hold their value better than other Prestiges it seems.


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## Hendog (Jun 17, 2013)

I owned a Autumn Red Rise Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci sig model that someone offered me almost 2x what I paid for it after the color was discontinued.


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## HighGain510 (Jun 18, 2013)

Demiurge said:


> It could just be a phenomenon where the generation that grew up on music made with those guitars is flush with cash and nostalgic, creating a ripe market. It's not a guarantee to repeat in a cycle, though.




Bingo, that's my take on it too. Not to mention these things ebb and flow with the economy... when things were at an all-time high several years back, I think it reached the height. The economy took a dump and now look at the dudes sitting on those "vintage" instruments... worth a fraction of what they were selling for even a few years back!  Speculators can speculate all day long, I buy my guitars to play and I'm happy when they hold their value reasonably well, but I never buy stuff specifically in the hopes that they'll appreciate near/long term.  You can't predict that stuff, and the folks who claim they can are full of it. 




Senaeth said:


> I would say the H.R. Giger Ibanez guitars have a good chance of increasing value
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You realize the ones you have pictured are the low-end $2-400 guitars with a photo finish applied to the top, right?  Those don't have a good chance of increasing in value, IMO. Unless you were trying to say THESE stand a good chance of appreciating in value:







The ones with the actual etched tops? Even then, there was a guy down here trying to sell one for MONTHS and no takers. So unless they're going to magically go up in value sometime soon, I'd say no to that as well unless there is an HR Giger aficionado with deep pockets and a feeling of nostalgia when he/she missed out on buying one when they were originally built.


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## conjurer_of_riffs (Jun 18, 2013)

Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it...


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## halomojo (Jun 18, 2013)

I would say Languedoc guitars. These are made by a Vermont Luthier and were made popular by Trey Anastasio of Phish. Right off the bat they're near $10,000 and with Phish having such a rabid following, I could see these guitars increasing in value. There is a long wait list and there aren't too many in existence.


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## trickae (Jun 18, 2013)

Not really - most guitars are like cars - the depreciate in price quickly. If you're thinking of selling a guitar close to what you paid for it, it won't happen, most people would be able to buy a brand new one for that price. 

The ones that hold their value however are the rare models, like the 20th anniversary Jems, Rare ibanez signature models ( ibanez crystal planet, chrome boy, every jcustom up till 1997), blackmachines, etc

The rare the guitar the more prized it would be for another buyer.


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## narad (Jun 18, 2013)

halomojo said:


> I would say Languedoc guitars. These are made by a Vermont Luthier and were made popular by Trey Anastasio of Phish. Right off the bat they're near $10,000 and with Phish having such a rabid following, I could see these guitars increasing in value. There is a long wait list and there aren't too many in existence.



But it's hard to have $10k to spend on a guitar when you follow a band from venue to venue, stoned out in a camper.

I don't know, there was a time when I'd probably have believed you, but I recently had to explain to a friend why Ben & Jerry's "Fish Food" was mis-spelled (and I'm right next door in upstate NY). Maybe it's just because I don't have as many day-to-day hangouts with jam band friends post-HS, post-college, but I *hope* it's just that everyone's moved on by now.


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## Given To Fly (Jun 19, 2013)

halomojo said:


> I would say Languedoc guitars. These are made by a Vermont Luthier and were made popular by Trey Anastasio of Phish. Right off the bat they're near $10,000 and with Phish having such a rabid following, I could see these guitars increasing in value. There is a long wait list and there aren't too many in existence.



I think this situation is a little different than the topic at hand. In the classical, arch top, and some electric guitar markets, the guitars are already really expensive. There are also usually waiting lists many years long People will pay more for a used guitar by a builder than wait 10 years for a new one. These types of instruments tend to increase in value because once word gets out that this luthier is building great guitars, the proverbial clock starts ticking before he stops building guitars. Robert Ruck, a classical builder, has closed his list and only builds guitars when he wants and for the people he wants. A new one is in the realm of $20,000 and if someone paid $30,000 I wouldn't be surprised. 

The Gibson Les Paul Gold Top that started this thread was never intended to be a collectors item. In fact, I'm not entirely sure why it is but regardless its a Les Paul which is pretty much the same as every other Les Paul except for a couple of traits that the guitar community decided were valuable and made the value skyrocket. 

The luthier who builds Trey Anastasio's guitars is building guitars that will likely increase in value because I'm sure he doesn't build many and has a reputation.


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## Sudzmorphus (Jun 20, 2013)

I sold some Rare caparisons for at least double what I paid for them, can only see them going up more too which there only being 5 of each


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