how much do older usa soloists run?

[Matt]

im looking at a 1989 soloist, h-s-s, neckthrough, ebony board... all that good stuff. How much would one expect to pay for one that is in pretty good shape? thanks

[JimmyApollo]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

Probably in the $500-700 range. What kind of finish does it have?

[Matt]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

its just a plain solid finish, nothing fancy. It has the 3 toggle switches and mop sharkfins and a schaller floyd

[Newc]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

I assume it would bring less if it was a common solid color like black, but you hardly ever see a solid red or white, so those would bring a bit more IMO.

Newc

[Jim Shine]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

I paid stupid money for this one:


Totally stripped paint, cracked headstock, and added neck humbucker.

I wanted it because it was a factory Floyd and early serial number Custom model. Once it is done I would probably have a hard time selling it for what I have into it, but I don't really care about that. It is a cool guitar worth the money to me.

[Newc]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

Hmmm. Sounds like J0419 [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Newc

[Jim Shine]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

Yeah, thats the one. I forget its been passed around a bit at this forum. I bet this guitar has some stories to tell.

[Newc]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

Probably so. I liked it, but then again, I didn't. Can't say what it was exactly, as it had everything I was looking for (like H-S-H). The neck, as I recall, felt weird. Maybe it was just me.
[img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Ah well, looks good, though. Glad you're enjoying it [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

Newc

[tmdiamond]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

Newc and Jim, you're both very right. I don't really regret paying 1200 for a Shannon BGF 1500 for one of my SD Soloists. I guess everyone likes to get a decent price every once in a while. Most of the SD Soloists are going around 700-900 it seems but I don't think I've had one for that low yet. It is very true though that it's ok to pay whatver you think it's worth. I even stuck a bid on that proto Soloist. I knew it would probably not hit the reserve but I felt comfortable paying 4000-5000 for it if it was that low. As it turns out, I wasn't even in the ballpark so it will live another day. Pretty amazing to think that a guitar that was 1100 back in 1980 is now being listed for somewhere around 6k and probably will sell at that price sometime soon.
Tom

[Jim Shine]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

"I guess everyone likes to get a decent price every once in a while. Most of the SD Soloists are going around 700-900 it seems but I don't think I've had one for that low yet."

Be patient, You will find a deal. I only paid over a grand or over for two Soloists, only one was a San Dimas and both are graphics models.


"I even stuck a bid on that proto Soloist. I knew it would probably not hit the reserve but I felt comfortable paying 4000-5000 for it if it was that low. As it turns out, I wasn't even in the ballpark so it will live another day. Pretty amazing to think that a guitar that was 1100 back in 1980 is now being listed for somewhere around 6k and probably will sell at that price sometime soon."

I am working on getting that guitar. So far it looks good for me, but you never know who can come along with more money and more desire.

[tmdiamond]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

I really hope that you get that one Jim. It's truly THE matriarch of our beloved Soloists.

[tmdiamond]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

What's the color and year of the one you're looking at? I kind of set guidelines for myself for Soloists....the SD era- depends on condition, color, graphic, and rarity. Then I'll pay between xxx-xxx for them. Same with Ontarios although the 86-88 ones, I have a separate category. The 90-91 or 92 seem to have really thin necks that are scaldingly fast. I have a certain price range that I pay for those. Then for the newer models, 98-present, I just try and get a really low price, say, under 900. When I first started buying USA JAcksons, I had no concept of what they were worth and due to my ignorance, I paid ridiculous money for the first 2 I bought. I won't even say how much I paid because you all would laugh me out of the forum. Now that I am pretty much an expert on buying SOloists (IMO), I realize how badly I got played back then. The rule is...pay what it's worth to you, but set yourself some guidelines and don't cross them.
Tom

[Jim Shine]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

I wouldn't worry about what you paid. Most of us have paid more for an item because we really wanted it. I have paid more money than I should of on a guitar or two, but it balances out on the ones I paid dirt cheap money for.

Now that you have owned a few Soloists, have you found your tastes evolving?

[Newc]

Re: how much do older usa soloists run?

"Over-paying" and value in general is entirely subjective:

I paid $1200+ for a 1990 USA Warbird Warrior that had its headstock split in half (tuners to logo) and repaired professionally, but the paint was not matched, and as well the body itself was not mint.
Did I overpay? Probably, according to some, but did I care?
Hell no; I got a 1990 USA Warbird Warrior, and of the ones I've seen from 1990/91 (only years of production), most of the pinups on them have been redheads, one was a blonde, and mine (only one) is Hawaiian (darker tan, flowered Sarong, longer hair) - If they did it intentionally as a "Pearl Harbor" graphic, then I got the only one [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
It was well worth $1200 to me, and still is [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I paid $600 for the black Warrior Pro I got from Drake - the one that UPS broke the head in half (top to bottom again). Guess what? It's the only one with black binding (not-original, I know) and I wanted THAT ONE for a reason, so it was and still is worth that much to me [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Pay what you think it's worth, not what someone told you another one kinda sorta like that sold for.
Hell, I paid $1350 for a PCS Rhoads - should all of them sell for that? Certainly not.

Newc