So if you REALLY want so spend some money.

Bob-Dubery

Old Martins are supposed to be the sh dogs bollocks of acoustic guitaring. Certainly they are very collectible and can be good investments as well as good guitars.

So with that in mind I had a look at George Gruhn's website. Forget about inlays and fancy woods and bizarre paint jobs. Here's where the serious money gets spent. This is a 1939 D-28 in pretty good condition

Yours for just USD 120 000.

For a mere 80 000 green backs you can pick up this '54 Strat

This one is "poodle style" (whatever that means).

But now, folks, for the grand finale.

Considering that times are tough right now ol' George has reduced this '59 Les Paul standard to just $199 000

and they say there's no bargains to be had these days.

nick

? I'll take one of each, that'll complete my collection nicely ?

Riaan

No more space on my wall, so I'll pass on these ones.

Squonk

These must be for investors rather than guitar collectors. ?

inflames

Hectic! ???

Bob-Dubery

Squonk wrote: These must be for investors rather than guitar collectors. ?

Guitar collectors often are investors.

Some people do play such guitars. I have a Jackson Browne DVD at home and I was amazed to see what he takes on the road with him. All kinds of unusual and old Martins, a couple of Roy Smeck Gibsons. I don't know if they're in the price league of that D28 though.

A certain Richard Thompson took his '59 Strat on the road for years - finally retiring it in the early 90s (by which time it was on it's third neck and second bridge). He still has it, but apparently it needs some TLC. He had the wiring modified as well, and it's generally quite tatty, so I doubt it has much residual value as a collector's piece.

John Hiatt has a very old (I don't know exactly, but old) Telecaster that he uses in concert.

aubs1

Riaan wrote: No more space on my wall, so I'll pass on these ones.

Hahaha.......me too.......no more space in my guitar room!!!! Can't afford a bigger house!!! ?

singemonkey

A lot of those well-worn '59 LP 'bursts seem to be bursts no longer. There's so little colour left on them they're pretty much "natural" finish Les Pauls. Must have been something in the mix. Because Peter Green's LP was pretty much colourless by the early '70s. While both of Jimmy Page's still have a fair bit of colour.

There's something so modern about the Martin though that it looks like it could be 15 years old. A very sweet design. You don't really notice so much because it's now what most steel-string acoustics look like. But it really was an incredible piece of industrial design.

I don't really get the deal with vintage Fenders. I think the modern reissues are pretty much indistinguishable, so I have no real GAS for them - unless I could have Buddy Holly's own '57 Strat. They were great guitars then, and they're great guitars now.