Fender custom shop used prices

matt1973

Just been looking into purchasing a nice pre-owned Strat relic. Now, I can’t help but feel perplexed at how asking prices vary. There are some nice relics out there for as little as £1500 whilst there are some sellers that ask £3k+ for something that isn’t offering a great deal more at a cursory glance.

So, I was wondering, if anyone has a specific strategy on how to approach the due diligence when navigating the Fender Custom Shop used market?

Can anyone offer a rationale for why it varies so widely?

Wazmeister

I would advise that you find out which spec you prefer... that will help you wade through...

It taken me years to realise that a worn sanded quarter sawn neck is a must, 9.5" radius etc etc

The price of new CS and Masterbuilt has shot up incredibly... not many used CS for £1500 or under.

Just play em. Learn, and buy the one you love !

Whitecat

Yeah, because new prices have rocketed, used values have followed. £1500 is a pretty great deal actually if you like the spec. I think it’s rare you’ll find a 50s model of any description for less than £1800 and 60s maybe just slightly more... 

The waters get muddied when it comes to the esoteric stuff with odd woods or unusual specs... they usually would cost a packet more new but obviously have a limited appeal secondhand. The ones that get the most %-of-new-wise seem to be ones that are most vintage-correct in appearance (even if a few specs such as radius) are tweaked. 

thebreeze

Agree with the above. The key is finding the specs that you like.  Used prices are more like £2k now (which makes sense when you consider new ones are more or less £3k these days).  I think if you can find one for £1.5k I’d buy it.  The only thing I think that might be is if it is a Deluxe model which seem to command £2-300 less as a rule.

DrCornelius

Don't overlook K Line Springfields Matt, they can be had for £1300 ish and are on par inmho.

richardhomer

£1500 is cheap these days - I bought one around 18 months ago at that sort of level - but they’ve definitely gone up a lot since then.

Used is definitely the way to go - the ‘street’ price on American Professional Series guitars seems to be about £1400 these days - so a used CS for a few hundred pounds more looks like a much better bet - and you’ll get your money back if you move it on.

Whitecat

The good news of course too is that every relic is in mint condition no matter how old or played it is...

Roysterdoyster

I searched high and low for a CS 60's Strat relic before buying one on here in the last week. Really the lowest I could find was 1750/1800. Loads on eBay etc asking well north of 2k but most said they'd take 1800. Always delusional sellers who convince themselves that their guitar is worth loads more than it is. You might get lucky and find a "distressed" seller who needs to offload,but you'd be lucky to find a seller like that who had the spec you want. I paid a little more than I originally wanted to but ended up with pretty much my perfect guitar. Wait for the right on,it will show up. Might just take a little time.Good luck with your search.

Whitecat

Every now & again a deal like this pops up too which I would bite Mark’s hand off for tomorrow if I didn’t already have an HLE Gold 57 Time Machine... 

https://www.guitars4you.co.uk/guitars/5450-fender-custom-shop-post-modern-strat-lush-closet-fire-mist-gold/

Nick

New prices have risen and so the second hand values have followed suit. Certain models, such as those with Abby pickups, tend to go for even more.

Fishboy7

Search for completed listings for a more accurate picture.  I think you can still get a nice one for 1700/1800 if you take your time.  

I just don't get these idiots who list them for like 95% of retail and won't budge on the price, there are some that have been on ebay for at least a year.  

Actually, retailers Peach, Coda GuitarGuitar seem to price used guitars quite reasonably - like 2000 for a recent FCS.  

brooom

I recently sold a 2015, teambuilt NOS custom order 63 stratocaster, not too far from masterbuilt specs, for 1700. Had it listed for as little as 1400, with no takers for months. Until I decided to just keep it. It was being played very little, even though it was a great great strat. So I just listed it back for 1700, no pressure. And it ended up selling.

I could gather that the fact the guitar wasn't a relic bothered a lot of people, which even though I get it, personally puzzles me a bit. It was as good if not better then most relics I've played and I've played a decent share.

Lot's of people overprice stuff, others underprice because they just want to move stuff, for whichever reason. With enough patience, you should be able to find something good for a more reasonable amount.

bacchanalian

I have a NOS Custom deluxe tele for sale at the moment and I think a relic would probably sell more easily. I have it up here at £1499 which is as low as I am going. 

Do you think there is a perception that if it has not been reliced then it is not that different from the main Fender US models?
When I first tried the CS tele I was struck by how good the neck was. The attention to the frets and rolled shoulders made a huge difference to the feel compared to a US model I had.

crunchman

bacchanalian said:

I have a NOS Custom deluxe tele for sale at the moment and I think a relic would probably sell more easily. I have it up here at £1499 which is as low as I am going. 

Do you think there is a perception that if it has not been reliced then it is not that different from the main Fender US models?
When I first tried the CS tele I was struck by how good the neck was. The attention to the frets and rolled shoulders made a huge difference to the feel compared to a US model I had.

I don't think it's the relic issue.  It's the whole spec of the guitar that's important.  The specs you put in your thread said urethane finish.  I suspect you would find that easier to sell with a nitro finish.  I'd definitely prefer nitro and I suspect most others would as well.

There are a couple of other things that probably won't help you.  I suspect the majority would prefer a traditional 3 saddle bridge, and the Texas Special special pickups are not everyone's cup of tea either.

Having said that, I think £1499 is a really good price for it, and you should be able to shift it at that price when you find someone who wants that spec.  Your profile says you are in NI.  If you were on the mainland, I'd suggest selling it on consignment at somewhere like Charlie Chandlers.  A shop would be able to get a lot higher price for it.  Even with their commission taken out, they could probably get you at least £1500, maybe more.

Fifty9

I second the points made around finding the spec you want. Nitro, neck carve, pickups (Abby?), relic vs nos etc etc. I have found the finish & fit to be better than anything else I’ve owned also. A bit like buying an expensive car. It’s only worth buying a merc/ Porsche etc if the extra appointments/build quality & reputation are worth the premium to you. If not, surely it’s far wiser to buy a nice condition mondeo & save the extra cash for something else you like/need. Both get you from a to b in comfort & in a similar time.

Not worth just taking a punt on something with that kind of cash nor is trying to turn a profit in used guitars through flipping them seemingly worth the time/effort imho. Sure some people make some money out of it but how much time do they spend on doing that & for what return? Can’t be much. Buy what you know/are confident you’ll like at a price you are comfortable with.

Wazmeister

bacchanalian said:

I have a NOS Custom deluxe tele for sale at the moment and I think a relic would probably sell more easily. I have it up here at £1499 which is as low as I am going. 

Do you think there is a perception that if it has not been reliced then it is not that different from the main Fender US models?
When I first tried the CS tele I was struck by how good the neck was. The attention to the frets and rolled shoulders made a huge difference to the feel compared to a US model I had.

Yours is a beauty, but I suspect being in Northern Ireland might put some off, as they couldnt easily travel to buy it/see it/try it. But its no different from posting down the road from where you live in my eyes...

Someone will buy it, as it has unusal good spec and nice provenance, and is a great price.

I agree about the attention to the frets; in fact, I think it is in the neck where CS/MB win. I do believe, and have, that yu can buy a CS ‘blind’, as they are so consistent. The secret, imho, is to establish what spec YOU like.

 And this maybe is part of the problem. How do we know what spec we like ?

It can only be by playing, and often learning what we don’t like that decides it. For example, I can play any neck, but prefer a 9.5” sanded - But I cannot stand high, wide frets. Im also a heavy relic fan.

Once you know this, purchase is much easier.

Indeed, my two Masterbuilts and one CS were all purchased ‘blind’.

Moltisanti

Keep an eye on guitars4you site too as Mark periodically will have something at a great price for a new CS

crunchman

Wazmeister said:

bacchanalian said:

I have a NOS Custom deluxe tele for sale at the moment and I think a relic would probably sell more easily. I have it up here at £1499 which is as low as I am going. 

Do you think there is a perception that if it has not been reliced then it is not that different from the main Fender US models?
When I first tried the CS tele I was struck by how good the neck was. The attention to the frets and rolled shoulders made a huge difference to the feel compared to a US model I had.

Yours is a beauty, but I suspect being in Northern Ireland might put some off, as they couldnt easily travel to buy it/see it/try it. But its no different from posting down the road from where you live in my eyes...

Someone will buy it, as it has unusal good spec and nice provenance, and is a great price.

I agree about the attention to the frets; in fact, I think it is in the neck where CS/MB win. I do believe, and have, that yu can buy a CS ‘blind’, as they are so consistent. The secret, imho, is to establish what spec YOU like.

 And this maybe is part of the problem. How do we know what spec we like ?

It can only be by playing, and often learning what we don’t like that decides it. For example, I can play any neck, but prefer a 9.5” sanded - But I cannot stand high, wide frets. Im also a heavy relic fan.

Once you know this, purchase is much easier.

Indeed, my two Masterbuilts and one CS were all purchased ‘blind’.

Not sure about buying blind.  I bought a CS Heavy Relic Tele a few years back.  It definitely sounded better than the other CS Tele in the shop.

I do agree with you about spec though.  That guitar was an expensive way of discovering that I don't like high, wide frets.  The relic job was over the top as well.  The worst bit was the tuners.  They were really stiff compared with all the tuners on every other guitar I've ever owned (probably close to 30).  Even if they do relic the outside, on a brand new guitar I want nice tuners that work well.  The killer issue was the frets.  With sensible size frets I might have kept it.  It did sound stunning.

Given the number of guitars I have owned, I am getting to the point where I know what I like and don't like.  I do want another Tele at some point, but hopefully I get it right this time.

JohnnyPlectrum

I think those relic'd to a template move on for relatively keen prices.
Once you get into the bespoke stuff it falls squarely into finding the right buyer at the right price or selling cheap because you need the money.
Masterbuilt is even weirder. The heavy relics and those that have clearly sucked up hours of labour fetch a premium yet those NOS relics often have little premium over normal CS stuff.
It's as much of a minefield as genuine vintage.

bacchanalian

I fancy that Goldtop DGT at Peach but I think I will just have to relax as I think I am underselling at £1499. 
@Wazmeister I think you are right about being in Northern Ireland, the market is more limited and I might have already met most of the fretboarders in NI. 

I have not advertised locally yet but have had a bit of interest on eBay.

I have been in touch with Mark @guitars4you and will discuss options with him.

 @crunchman it is interesting you mention the bridge.  I have had teles with the original 3 saddle bridge, US standard, US deluxe and now this one Custom Deluxe. This is one by a fair margin is the most comfortable and easiest to live with. Could not say for sure about the tone as I have never had two at the same time.

Roysterdoyster

bacchanalian said:

I fancy that Goldtop DGT at Peach but I think I will just have to relax as I think I am underselling at £1499. 
@Wazmeister I think you are right about being in Northern Ireland, the market is more limited and I might have already met most of the fretboarders in NI. 

I have not advertised locally yet but have had a bit of interest on eBay.

I have been in touch with Mark @guitars4you and will discuss options with him.

 @crunchman it is interesting you mention the bridge.  I have had teles with the original 3 saddle bridge, US standard, US deluxe and now this one Custom Deluxe. This is one by a fair margin is the most comfortable and easiest to live with. Could not say for sure about the tone as I have never had two at the same time.

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