ES-125 sold and bought back again, CS Tele, Duesenberg and ES-335 sold, Peavey Rockingham sold, Guild sold, Washburn sold and Lucille withdrawn
On New Year's Eve, I said to my wife as I shimmied across the dance floor next to her, like a walrus with a pulled hamstring, 'New Year's Resolution - I'm not going to buy any guitars next year.'
She shook her head and smiled - a thin, brief smile like a Gestapo officer about to start a particularly searching interrogation. To be honest, I was a bit miffed at her calling my willpower into question.
Anyway I've bought about thirty this year. That showed her.
So, a few have got to go, because I need to have a few less and practice a bit more. 'Row, row row your boat' loses it's appeal after a few months, and we haven't even got to the frigging stream.
So here are a number for sale. I'm not going to go daft and ramble on for hours about each one (well, see how it goes) - if any might float your boat (at least I can row the bloody thing) let me know and I'll gladly fill you in. So to speak.
1) A Guild X175 from 1962. I like Guilds. I like old Guilds. I like old Guilds with Franz pickups. I took in a trade for an ES-175, as I quite fancied it. I got it back home and underneath a set of strings that Tarzan could swing from , there were a set of frets thinner than Mrs DB1's New year's Eve smile. One of the tone controls was - I'm trying to recall the technical term here - buggered, and it needed a good clean up of the electrics. I didn't want to play it without having that done, and I certainly didn't want to sell it without having it done. So, I took it up to my usual chap, who I call 'Mr Norton'. I call him that because every time I go to pay him, he seems to add a nought on.
So, it's been refretted with medium, sympathetic-to-the-age frets, it's had a new nut, new capacitor and it plays very well indeed now. Not so much an L-5, but more of an ES-350 type of guitar, given the Franz/P90 similarities. from jazz to blues to rockabilly - you name it, I can't play it. There's lots of lacquer checking, and a few little knocks - if you're interested, I've got loads more pics, so I can send them to you. The tuners are super smooth and a work of art, the tone and volume controls are smooth and quiet now, and it's got a hard case with it. A Peerless-branded case, which I suspect might not be original to the guitar. I'm quite clued up like that.
Difficult to price really, as there aren't too many about. I've seen one sold that which was advertised at £2300 and one that was sold, and one which was sold and advertised at £2000. It's had ever such a lot (of good things) done to it, and I think will hit eBay (if I have to) at £2200, so I reckon £1962 to start with, only because that's when it was made and it might be about right.
2) 1959 Gibson ES-125 - I've got two or else I wouldn't be selling this one. I wanted a birth year guitar, but I was really restricted to lutes, so this seemed near enough. Why I bought two, I don't know, but I did. This one is my favourite and probably the most saleable because the other one (which I've had refretted as well) seems to have redeveloped a slight hump around the twelfth fret. Like Quasimodo on a day trip to Boulogne, it's had it's hump sanded, but it still needs a bit more attention.
This one, though - it's a beauty. All original, I think, - it has a TOM bridge, but the original rosewood one is with it. It arrived in this country from South Africa in January with it's owner who set up a business here. Sadly, not the best time to set up a business for many people, so this had to go. I've had it set up and fret dressed, and it plays and sounds like a demon. Which is a good thing. One strange thing with it is that, obviously many years ago, someone decided to give it a lacquer overspray. It's not offensive and doesn't detract from the guitar, which I think is beautiful, but it happened. At least I think it's lacquer. I shall have to sniff it.
I'm open to selling the other one (with the chunkier neck) instead - so if anyone fancies a chunkier neck, then it's food for thought.
These seem to be going up in price - there's a couple for sale on Reverb in the UK - one is very suspicious indeed, and the other one is priced at fantasy levels. I think, following the ingenious pricing of the Guild, £1959 for the ES-125.
Call me Dave.
Comments
Model Name: ‘63 Telecaster® Relic®
Model Number: 015-1200-(Color #)
Series: Time MachineTM
Body: Select Alder
Neck: Maple, “C” Shape,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard: Round Laminate Rosewood, 7.25” Radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets: 21 Vintage Style Frets
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender®/Gotoh® Vintage Style Machine Heads
Bridge: Original Vintage Style Tele Bridge with 3 Threaded Steel Saddles and “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
Pickups: 2 Vintage ‘63 Tele® Single-Coil Pickups,
(Custom Vintage Wiring Circuit)
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Neck Pickup with Tone Control (Bright Vintage Circuit)
Position 3. Neck Pickup with No Tone Control (Dark Vintage Circuit)
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Colors: (800) 3-Color Sunburst,
(802) Lake Placid Blue, Disc. 12/2008,
(806) Black,
(807)* Vintage Blonde (Ash Body), add $150.00 for Special Wood Requirements, Disc. 12/2008,
(809) Candy Apple Red, Disc. 12/2008,
(854) Dakota Red,
(872) Sonic Blue,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Strings: D’Addario® XL110 Regular Light,
Nickel Plated Steel,
Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046)
Other Features: “C” Shape Maple Neck,
“Top Hat” Switch Tip,
Round Laminate Rosewood Fretboard,
Shows natural wear and tear of years of heavy use, nicks, scratches, worn finish rusty hardware and aged plastic parts.
Source: U.S. Fender Custom Shop
Accessories: Deluxe Black Hardshell Case (Orange Interior), Strap, Cable
U.S. MSRP: $3,500.00
INTRODUCED: 1/1999
DISCONTINUED: 1/2010
COMMENTS: Uses Case P/N 0059245000,
All Original Detailing, Built From Original Tooling. Shows natural wear and tear of years of heavy use, nicks, scratches, worn finish rusty hardware and aged plastic parts.
WRENCH SIZES: N/ANOTICE: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice
As ever, GLWTS. I'll have one off you one day...
Wis'd for the awesome dog only.
I may steal your lines for 2021 if you don't mind
Three hours door to door. Just saying again.