Are there things I should look for when buying an older used J/C?

[j2379]

stress cracks where the headstock meets the neck. & i wouldnt refin an early jackson unless it was already fucked with.

[Shibs]

I have been to several Vintage guitar shows and I can tell you this... I always see a high dollar collector pulling pieces off of old strats and such to determine if they are original parts etc... I guess in the long run, it doesn't matter what a book says something is worth! If you sell something for a specific dollar amount than that is what it was worth to you or you wouldn't have sold it!

[straycat]

I agree.

[xenophobe]

Don't listen to everyone here...

If you find something you like... buy it, burn it, refinish it, drill holes in it, change the configuration, the color, the size, the shape of it.... whatever.

In the end, it is yours, and it's your right to do whatever you want with it.

[MattyCakes]

are there dramatic differences in the woods and play quality. im a big believer of the woods giving the guitar the sound, not so much the pickups

?

[Newc]

Define "dramatic". You're going to find Basswood on older imoprt Charvels, with the few Ash or Mahogany exceptions, and the vast majority of Jacksons made between 1990 and 1997 were made of either Poplar or Alder, which are tonally similar.

The biggest tonal differences will be based on fret size and fretboard material, even though the pickups will have a definite say in the matter, as well as the bridge type.

[RodCannon]

So then I should just keep the Duncan Designed pups if it's all about the wood? Or are we even talking about guitar wood? I remember hearing the word gay in this thread.
:ROTF:

[RR05xx]

It is a shame to trash an old one if it is in original condition as you can not go back in tiime. As to refins on cars, good point, but the problem with most refins with guitars probably comes from the fact that, and this is especially true for charvels and jacksons, most changes people make are away from original specs. See how much you will get for a chevy '70 camero refin if you paint it yellow/black trim with "Boss 302" on the side of it. See my point.

[xenophobe]

Customizing the guitar to your desires is the EXACT reason for Charvel's existence.

They are guitars... love them, play them, make them yours.

...or collect them and put them in glass display cases and show off how collectible they are to others. In the true spirit of playing.

[vondran]

I understand that is the case but I ask WHY is that the case. Restored old cars are worth more than beat up original ones - why are guitars any different?

Because it's easier to authenticate that it's not a fake if everything is original. There are a lot of fake strat-head Charvels out there - even more faked vintage Fenders and Gibsons. You don't hear to much about someone faking a car.

My view is guitars are ment to be played. So mod all you like to your tastes and don't worry about it's value

[Cygnus X1]

Cars/Guitars

As a matter of fact, if someone is going to do a mod, refin, whateer, they will not be convinced otherwise until ten or twenty years later, when it's too late.

Personal story...had a near mint '71 Mustang Mach 1 twelve years ago and did the Mustang/Ford shows, including the 25'th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Was told by so many damn purists that it would never be worth much, it;s too big, nobody wants them, etc, I sold it for 500 more than what I bought it for after owning it for four years. Turns out, opinions don't mean a thing. I sold it for 2500...the same car easily gets 10k now. Why? Probably the Barrett/Jackson inflation, but bottom line is...THEY DON'T MAKE THEM ANYMORE!...

Point is, while we have these fine toys, really we more justified if we are "stewards" of the piece. It's temporarily in our possession until the day we can pass it on, and getting our joy out of it, maybe even get something back in the end for it. Where do these great vintage pieces come from? From people who really cared about what they had, knew it was special, and could pass it on.

[Robert Burns]

I understand that is the case but I ask WHY is that the case. Restored old cars are worth more than beat up original ones - why are guitars any different?

****
I almost had my grandfathers 1943' D-18 refinished!! I was close to
sending it back to Martin...and paying (at the time about $650) to have
it "Restored". Luckily for me, Bob Turner at Bizarre Guitar in Arizona, slapped me upside the head and told me.."do you want it to be worth
$1100.00?" ...Or would you like it to continue to rise in value"?? ($9500.00
now!) So i took his advice, and soon realized that i would drop it by 90% by having it refinished! And since then ive gotten comments on how
near mint it is! It wasn't even close to needing anything done to it!
So here is an example of why vintage guitars should be left alone!
Buyers want the original "Mojo"!

[RR05xx]

As a matter of fact, if someone is going to do a mod, refin, whateer, they will not be convinced otherwise until ten or twenty years later, when it's too late.

Personal story...had a near mint '71 Mustang Mach 1 twelve years ago and did the Mustang/Ford shows, including the 25'th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Was told by so many damn purists that it would never be worth much, it;s too big, nobody wants them, etc, I sold it for 500 more than what I bought it for after owning it for four years. Turns out, opinions don't mean a thing. I sold it for 2500...the same car easily gets 10k now. Why? Probably the Barrett/Jackson inflation, but bottom line is...THEY DON'T MAKE THEM ANYMORE!...

Point is, while we have these fine toys, really we more justified if we are "stewards" of the piece. It's temporarily in our possession until the day we can pass it on, and getting our joy out of it, maybe even get something back in the end for it. Where do these great vintage pieces come from? From people who really cared about what they had, knew it was special, and could pass it on.

Exactly my point. And last time I checked, you do not have to mod a guitar to be able to play it ;p