eBay Content: What The Actual F*ck?

HarrySeven

This...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1980-s-Fender-Sunn-Mustang-Pro-Relic-Pro-Set-Up-Vintage-70s-Hard-Case-/143186759597

Sunn Mustangs are like, £50 guitars, all day long* I’m not convinced that a setup and some sandpaper has added £300 to the price?




*As some of you will know, I have a soft spot for MII first series (gold logo) Sunn Mustangs - in that they’re great quality (neck and solid wood body) cheap Strat copies (albeit with crappy hardware).

GoldenEraGuitars

It’s been refinished by Graham at Raygun. I presume the price tag includes the money he’ll be down on the paint job.

HarrySeven

lonestar said:

It’s been refinished by Graham at Raygun. I presume the price tag includes the money he’ll be down on the paint job.

Indeed it has. And it's a good point. I also know the guy who's done the setup and he's excellent.

However...aren't we then into that age-old "partscaster" debate (the sum being worth less than the individual parts)?

The issue here is that the starting point (the guitar itself) has little intrinsic value, no matter what mods have been thrown at it (and is a setup a mod? No.) Interesting conundrum.

ICBM

It’s a tricky one. I agree with you that normally you can’t just add up the cost of the original guitar and the upgrades, but I suppose the question is, how much would someone pay for the body alone? It has to be said that it appears to be a very nice paint job, if you like that sort of thing.

The case is probably worth £50 too. In fact it’s a bit daft to sell it all as a complete package, it adds cost and makes it harder to post.

HarrySeven

ICBM said:

It’s a tricky one. I agree with you that normally you can’t just add up the cost of the original guitar and the upgrades, but I suppose the question is, how much would someone pay for the body alone? It has to be said that it appears to be a very nice paint job, if you like that sort of thing.

The case is probably worth £50 too. In fact it’s a bit daft to sell it all as a complete package, it adds cost and makes it harder to post.

Re. Body - it also has to be said that these bodies have a non-standard size trem - so, if buying the body alone, the purchaser will soon find that *very* few bits of hardware will actually fit (unless already modified) - and it doesn’t look like this has received any hardware upgrades.

ICBM

HarrySeven said:

Re. Body - it also has to be said that these bodies have a non-standard size trem

I forgot that...

In which case - stupid.

GoldenEraGuitars

Christ what a start to the day... @ICBM did you just complement a relic job??

ICBM

lonestar said:

Christ what a start to the day... @ICBM did you just complement a relic job??

I did say “if you like that sort of thing” .

And I’m only looking at it on a phone .

But it does appear to be one of the less awful ones I’ve seen.

GoldenEraGuitars

ICBM said:

lonestar said:

Christ what a start to the day... @ICBM did you just complement a relic job??

I did say “if you like that sort of thing” .

A touché. I’ll let you off with this one. 


But.... I’m always watching

SlopeSoarer

Top and bottom of it is that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay. Start high and reduce price until it sells:-)

Or until it's not worth selling. 

GoldenEraGuitars

@HarrySeven I’m assuming once you add the core cost of the guitar plus the refin (maybe £200? I’d imagine graham charges less as he’s not full time at it) plus the eBay fees and the case you’ll hit the asking price? 

guitars4you

ICBM said:

It’s a tricky one. I agree with you that normally you can’t just add up the cost of the original guitar and the upgrades, but I suppose the question is, how much would someone pay for the body alone? It has to be said that it appears to be a very nice paint job, if you like that sort of thing.

The case is probably worth £50 too. In fact it’s a bit daft to sell it all as a complete package, it adds cost and makes it harder to post.

Agree with your thought pattern - How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar

A £200/300 refin might make it more desirable, plus easier to sell, but it doesn't add the same level of value regarding what the guitar is now worth to sell

Henrytwang

ICBM said:

HarrySeven said:

Re. Body - it also has to be said that these bodies have a non-standard size trem

I forgot that...

In which case - stupid.

I’ve got one that I bought for £20 laying around in the shed, it doesn’t look quite like the one being offered for sale as it has a more Stratocaster style headstock and three single coil pickups. Not only is the tremolo non-standard but the neck pocket is only 52mm wide, which is a great shame as the neck on mine is bent and the bullet truss rod isn’t functioning.

HarrySeven

guitars4you said:

How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar?

Also depends how much of a greedy git you are!

HarrySeven

Henrytwang said:

  The neck on mine is bent and the bullet truss rod isn’t functioning.

Get the fretboard off and sort it!

guitars4you

HarrySeven said:

guitars4you said:

How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar?

Also depends how much of a greedy git you are!

we can all have our moments I suppose - But then reality takes over

steveledzep

HarrySeven said:

guitars4you said:

How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar?

Also depends how much of a greedy git you are!

I've had dealings with the seller a few weeks ago.  I had listed on eBay a multi power supply jobby, 10 isolated feeds thingy for £20 BIN.  This guy messaged me to ask me to drop it to £15, I said I'd wait for another buyer.  He bought it later that day for £20.  I left +ve feedback for his immediate payment.  I'm still waiting for him to reciprocated fb.  Just shows the nature of the beast !

HarrySeven

guitars4you said:

HarrySeven said:

guitars4you said:

How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar?

Also depends how much of a greedy git you are!

we can all have our moments I suppose - But then reality takes over

On a serious note, Mark - it’s an interesting question (with loads of variables) - and entirely subjective, I guess.

Funkfingers

IMO, the way to gain financially from guitars of this sort is to be the person who does the paint, parts and set-up work. 

Back in the day, I bought a NOS example in a shop clearance sale. I only wanted it to rob out the Don Lace S100 pickups. I paid roughly what they would have costs by themselves, meaning that the remainder of the guitar was, effectively, free. I cannot recall what I did with it. Might have been sold locally, might have been donated to a skint friend, might have gone in a job lot exchange to South Staffordshire.

HarrySeven said:
*very* few bits of hardware will actually fit (unless already modified)

Add the scratchplate to that list. The Sunn outline and screw hole positions do not conform to Fender standards. Whilst a proper Stratocaster 'guard could be modified to fit, IIRC, it would leave one screw hole exposed and differential fading of transparent colours.

guitars4you

HarrySeven said:

guitars4you said:

HarrySeven said:

guitars4you said:

How much extra value can you add to a 'budget' based guitar?

Also depends how much of a greedy git you are!

we can all have our moments I suppose - But then reality takes over

On a serious note, Mark - it’s an interesting question (with loads of variables) - and entirely subjective, I guess.

often I find you get a better price by breaking such guitars down into parts - And at the shows many customers are looking for such parts with projects in mind

Henrytwang

HarrySeven said:

Henrytwang said:

  The neck on mine is bent and the bullet truss rod isn’t functioning.

Get the fretboard off and sort it!

Although I’ve fixed loads of clunker guitars over the years I’ve never removed a fingerboard. After reading your comment I’m tempted to give it a go, what can I lose? The necks useless anyway, I’m off to YouTube to get some guidance.....