Guitar my age

lincolnblue

I don't know why but recently I've been thinking that I'd love a guitar that was made the year I was born (1983). Not sure why really, just think it'd be a nice idea.

Anyone else like me? I can't afford one but a nice strat perhaps would suit.

usedtobe

I think we all yearn for a guitar made in the year we were born, at some point. I think it's been mentioned on here, before. Trouble is - some of us are getting on a bit, and guitars our age don't come cheap. 1962, seeing as you asked..! Coincidentally, I've actually got an '83...

lincolnblue

That you want to give away to a good home? ! :-)

usedtobe

Haha.. It was my first 'proper' guitar, has a great deal of sentimental value, and rather less cash value. They come up on ebay all the time for 150 notes, or thereabouts..

lincolnblue

I'll have to save up and convince the wife. I take it 83 strats are good? Must be a good year! Would love a nice sunburst with rosewood fretboard

usedtobe

No idea - I'm not really a strat guy, though I'm sure one will be along shortly..

JookyChap

I did it once, bought a '68 Jazzmaster, took me forever to get the money together and ordered it from the States.

When I finally got it, it was a complete dog, made weird (unmusical) sounds and couldn't stay in tune from one minute to the next.

Which as it happens, meant we had a lot in common, but I  sold it on anyway

crunchman

I am rather tempted by this 69 in the classifieds:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/10595/1969-gibson-les-paul-goldtop-for-sale#latest

I already have a good Les Paul though.  Maybe a 69 Tele?  Need some money first though.

guitargeek62

I plan on picking up a PRS Standard from '87 at some point, ideally on a metallic finish.

I don't normally like 24-fret guitars, but I'd make an exception for one of those. B-)

kelvinburn

I'd try to find a good Ibanez blazer. Massively underrated MIJ strat type guitars. I have one of the early 1980 ones. Ash body, maple neck hard tail. Best of all it cost £200. Whatever you do though I would do it quickly. I looked at a 1975 strat about 8 years ago in music ground Leeds for £450. Now I think theyre about 3 times that.

stickyfiddle

There's a 1984 Gibson on ebay at the moment- a historic/prehistoric R7 with the serial 4 001. I'd love that so hard,,,

Adam_MD

I've been tempted by a 1980 tokai reborn for a long time now. They're starting to hit big money now though.

dogload

I've got a 1966 Fender Electric XII which is one year younger than I am. It wasn't intentional, it was just cheaper and easier to play than the second-hand Ric 12s I was looking at.

fretfinder

A Dan Smith Strat (google) from 83 would be quite desirable and collectable, although would probably cost near enough a grand. Don't buy its replacement model, with one vol one tone, introduced later in 83 I believe - they are distinctly undesirable.

Misty

usedtobe said:

I think we all yearn for a guitar made in the year we were born, at some point. I think it's been mentioned on here, before. Trouble is - some of us are getting on a bit, and guitars our age don't come cheap......

......or in some cases don't exist! I do have two guitars from '64 though, the year I started playing. It's the best I'm ever going to do:-(

mart

crunchman said:

I am rather tempted by this 69 in the classifieds:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/10595/1969-gibson-les-paul-goldtop-for-sale#latest

I already have a good Les Paul though.  Maybe a 69 Tele?  Need some money first though.

I'd have been fighting you for Shugz's LP if I hadn't found a very nice '69 Strat last year.

As for the OP, I have a feeling that 1983 wasn't a good year for Strats, or any Fenders. It was when the Japanese Squiers were better than the American Fenders, and just before CBS sold Fender.

I say this, because my quest for a birth-year guitar was greatly helped when I discovered that late sixties Martins aren't very good.

meltedbuzzbox

I managed to get a year of birth guitar (1983) an Ibanez Destroyer 2

Never been a real metal fan but for some reason I love that guitar

It was pure accident though I just really wanted the guitar

meltedbuzzbox

lincolnblue said:

I'll have to save up and convince the wife. I take it 83 strats are good? Must be a good year! Would love a nice sunburst with rosewood fretboard

I personally recommend if you are after an 80s fender go MIJ. Its generally deemed the golden era for MIJ instruments. The MIJ Squiers are going for over £500+, not sure about the reissue models and what not.

richardhomer

mart;161522" said:

As for the OP, I have a feeling that 1983 wasn't a good year for Strats, or any Fenders. It was when the Japanese Squiers were better than the American Fenders, and just before CBS sold Fender.

Not entirely true. As pointed in an earlier post by @Fretfinder, a 'Dan Smith' Strat is desirable. These were the last 'tradional' Fullerton Strats; normal Strat trem, volume/tone/tone and recessed jack on front of body. They were Smith's attempt to get Fender's quality back. They also featured (a wrongly shaped) pre-CBS style headstock, better contouring than had become the norm in the late '70s/early '80s and (IIRC) a return to a four-bolt neck plate. A good one of these would be an excellent instrument of significant historical interest.

The later two control/jack on scratch plate/Freeflyte trem model is not a classic Fender by any means (though interesting from an historic point of view). They are not worth much, despite what some dealers would have you think.

xSkarloey

I'm 1975 but the more I think about it, if I did end up with something that old (!) it'd be by chance rather than design. My lust for older gear is always focused on the stuff I wanted when I was a kid. So by that reckoning I ought to be happy with a black or red LP custom into JCM800 or a Jubilee of some kind.

DulcetJones

I couldn't afford many my age, even vintage Kents are too much(if they made Kents that far back...)