How to go about this?

[wanthairspray]

I decide to insure my instruments against damage/theft etc.

The policy says if the guitars are no longer made (which is basically every guitar I have...) to insure them at a value that would buy a replacement like it.

So I'm wondering what replacements would be closest to:


A Charvel 750 XL (archtop, 24.75 scale, set neck)

a Charvel Model 2 (single humbucker)

And an HM strat. (HSS super strat, though the neck is awesome!)


I don't mind specifying a price above/beyond what they might be worth, to get something close to how they play or the quality. I just don't know enuff about different brand and what are close potential replacements.

For instance: A Model 6, I could specify a Jackson SL3 or something. Even though one of those is about $1000 new, and a Model 6 is about $600 at most off ebay...

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

[Tekky]

Interesting.

I let my wife deal with insurance, she told me to get her a list of the guitars and their "values".

Hard to tell what you could do for the Model 2s. Are there any production single humbucker guitars being made? If not, you could list a custom shop quote. Or you could just get averages from eBay.

[pinto79]

If I suffer a total loss (Fire or something like that) my isurance company cuts me a cheque for the value of my policy less my $500 deductable, and I go shoppping.

So since I buy a dozen guitars a year, I up my policy by about 5 or 6 grand a year.

[DHardmanJr]

Is your policy a "replacement cost" policy or does it reimburse for what the items are worth? It sounds like a "replacement cost" policy based on your question meaning that it would be what it would cost you to buy a new one which as you say makes it difficult when they aren't made anymore!

Also ... by "replacement" .. does that mean another "vintage" 750XL & Model 2? Or a new guitar that is very close to the same thing as the old ones?

I'm not sure on the 750XL ... the closest thing to a new Charvel in the price range would be the new production model series ... but they are quite a bit different than a 750XL. Maybe a new production model series would be a reference point for the Model 2 though. But still MIJ vs made in usa.

Not an easy question!

[wanthairspray]

Hiya DHardmanJr,

Yes it was quite tricky. What I ended up doing was reading the terms and conditions really carefully.

After doing so, it seemd like it didn't insure me against anything, most crucially not even theft from vehicles, unless the thing was kept in an invisible stealth case guarded by wolves and in a batmobile fitted with immobiliser, electrocuting door handles, dna ignition recognition, eyeball controlled steering etc.

The rest of the "theft" clauses basically excluded anything that could be thought of as theft apart from someone snatching from your hands and running away. SAme with loss. So many clauses that you could not actually seem to claim if it got "lost" because the calsues excluded anything normally counted as losing something.


So when my OLD insurance company rang the other day saying "we noticed you didn't renew, are you sure?" I basically said "all is forgiven. I want you back". These guys just ask for money values and I think they dole out if things go bad. Maybe they are concealing the small print or not specifying, but it seems also a bit more lenient on what you can and can't do.

[jrnic]

Regarding the Model 2, I would say that maybe you could compare it to the new production Charvels even though they have 2 pickups and a strat head. I know if I lost my Model 2 and I had to get a NEW guitar, I would consider getting the new San Dimas model to replace it.