No love for J/C's at Guitar Expo?

[vector]

Was making my usual rounds at the bi-annual B-3 Guitar Expo out near Philly and was disappointed to note the absence of any decent Jacksons or Charvels. Saw a couple of lower-end imports but nothing of any interest. Used to be able to catch at least a couple of USA's and maybe a custom shop or two. Now it's just the usual mid-life crisis fodder overpriced vintage Gibbys, Fenders, Rics, Voxs etc. Zzzzzzzz.

In the early- mid 90's, when it was no longer "cool" to play shredder-esque axes, you could go to guitar shows and find awesome Jacksons and Charvels for a steal. Scored a killer USA Charvel San Dimas with yellow and black desert crackle for less than $600.00 back then. Should've held onto it but at that time, the neck was a little too big for my digits compared to the RG I was playing for years before it. Goddamn, wish I had held onto that.

[Cygnus X1]

The shredders are getting talked up though.
Many think the time will come, not too far off, that the recipe is just right.
But with that attention the money will follow.

We may be seeing this within 10 years.

[wilkinsi]

I'm inclined to think its becoming the same situation everywhere. To get a guitar I want now will be an ebay score.

[roodyrocker]

The regular dealers that make a living off of guitars are catering to the "vintage" crowd. That is the older Gibsons, Strats, Tele's. but just like those older generations, as Cyg mentioned the shredders time will come. At some point those will be the "vintage" guitars of the next generation. Then you will see those more often for sale and at higher prices. The cycle will continue with "damn! I should have hung onto that guitar back then but I was a dummy and sold it"

[xenophobe]

Right now it's a buyer's market with little interest, that's why you don't see much out there. If values increase significantly, you'll see a lot more out there, but it'll all be more expensive to buy... lol

I think all the 80's metalheads are cheap bastards because this is the era where all of them are old enough to afford this shit, but values keep dropping. The economy as it is doesn't help either. With the exception of artist guitars and very limited stuff, Jacksons haven't even kept up with inflation. I don't recommend investing in Jacksons for value, buy them because you like them. They may never get more collectible.

[Newc]

Agreed. You're going to see more high-end LPs, Strats, PRSs and Ibenhad Prestige models from all the Blues Lawyers. The shredders are either dead or dying, or they roll up and see all the Blues Lawyers and leave their EVH, Destroyer, and Baretta in the car because they don't want to hear another fat-ass basement bender point and laugh at their "hair band geetar", then go on and on about how much their PRS 10-top cost and they drank Sam Adams with PRS himself up in Bahstin last yeah.


When the shredders get old enough to drag their guitars to such an event, they'll be roadworn and smell of beer, piss, and weed or Marlboros. They'll be beat to shit but play like butter and sound like an angry horny drunk teenager with the cops in his face and parents on his ass.


You gotta crawl the pawn shops in the working-class neighborhoods to find J/Cs. That's where the dreamers lived, and where their dreams died.

[Cygnus X1]

Wow, not sure if I see all of that Newc.
I know some vintage dealers, and know some are swiping up USA shredders on the side.

[Big Al]

"You gotta crawl the pawn shops in the working-class neighborhoods to find J/Cs. That's where the dreamers lived, and where their dreams died."

Well said!

[j2379]

Has there every been love for heavy metal cheese logs, NO. For those of us old enough we can remember when stores couldn't get rid of pointy or pointy headstocked guitars. Granted older higher end metal guitars have gone up in value SD era charvels and Jackson's, Hamers, deans and BCRich aren't as cheap as they once were but given their rarity and the fact they were all basically handmade customs they are very under valued when compared to gibsons and fenders and always will be. To most dealers it's still a niche market and they buy accordingly.

[algeriet]

You gotta crawl the pawn shops in the working-class neighborhoods to find J/Cs. That's where the dreamers lived, and where their dreams died.

That was the heaviest shit I've ever read on this forum or any other forum for that matter.

[MetalHeadMat]

That was the heaviest shit I've ever read on this forum or any other forum for that matter.

+ 500

[straycat]

Working class pawn shops are where the J/C guitars are and I've found most of mine in those places.
Check old Mom and Pop music stores that look like they haven't sold guitar in years if they aren't open get the phone number and call them.They will welcome you and take your money.
I can't tell you how many small towns have one run down guitar shop that I have found old shredder guitars for more than fair prices.
Some aren't online and will take next to nothing for a graphic guitar because they think 1. they are ugly 2.they think no one in their right mind would want to buy one.
I walked out of one said store with 6 cool ass guitars 3 SD Charvels 2 USA Kramers 1 old Zion.
The guy thought I was crazy but he took my money with a smile and a thank you.

Guitar shows have been like that for years so nothing new there.
The promoter I do booth with always calls me before a show to make sure I'm getting a booth because I'm the only booth that has nice shredder guitars, 80's amps and parts for J/C guitars.

[Cygnus X1]

stray you just let out your biggest secret!

[Cygnus X1]

OK so maybe I'm a dreamer and just don't see any future for the shredders,
and we here collected in this forum are just a bunch of codgers ready to die off with our "odd guitars".

I like to think there will be a revival of music,
People will get sick and tired of the auto tuned American Idol BS (and programmed country) and will rebel with ROCK again.
This will happen within ten years.
And there will be a real recovery where both our age group and the next generation down will WANT these originals for the
same reason the vintage market exists.
Because they simply don't make them that well anymore, or not the way they used to.
How many besides myself think that factory closures in Japan makes a difference?
What about the decisions being made by FMIC?
I do happen to think the high quality shredders across the board will not be a
bad investment at the least, maybe a sharp call at the most.

[RR05xx]

I agee with the mom and pop shop and working neighborhood concept to some extent, but I will give a slightly different perspective.

Until production started in Japan to make money and dilute the brand, they had a very small shop that simply did not make that many of these guitars because they were all true customs which had to be individually speced, ordered and built. Even plain jane SD charvels and student RRs were a pain to get made for this reason. We are talking in the thousands here. To make matters worse, not an insignificant number were broken or parted out over ther years. Some went ober seas. Now add to that another factor, many of these guitars were painstaking built to god awful specs that simply do not have mass appeal. Shapes with limited appeal, horrible graphics (lets be real here guys, i love them, but if you take an objective step back, most are beyond tacky) and the dreaded (gasp) Kahler flat mount trem, which is an absolute deal breaker for many (I like them actually, even my LP has the special Gibson 4 post model).

So when all is said and done, you have a very small number of vintage USA made instruments with the mass appeal to "make it" in vintage collector circles.

Compared to fenders, Gibson and the rest who have stardardized mass produced tens of thousands of guitars of all the same general specs for tens of years, it is no womder there are more older ones around to collect, plus baby boomers made some cash and decided where they wanted to put some of it and it was into the guitars THEIR idols played.

If you go back 10-15 years ago, a small group people stated actively collecting vintage C/J guitars. For the next 5 years or so the Internet allowed others to get involved/attracted still more people who remembered guitars they could never afford in their youth. People started selling publicly and prices shot up in part due to the actions of a few (that is all i am going to say om thar). Dealers got involved and a guitar that was well less than a grand is suddenly a $5k item. During this time, a lot of guitars showed up and changed hands. Also, a lot of guys who wanted "just one" special guitar went and got it. However, with such a limited number of guitars to start with, the source of new "desireable" guiitars dried up and then when the economy tanked, it did not help matters. So guys who spent relativle large $$$ to get "the one" are not really in a selling mood. Me, I like being able to go in the closet and pull something out every now and again.

Just my thoughts.

There are some still out there, but not as many as we would like, enjoy the hunt!