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Buying Vintage Acoustic Guitars - Learn to Look for Problems!
by Lee Griffith
Most of us don't "go looking for problems," but if you areconsidering buying a vintage acoustic guitar, it is best torecognize any problems or potential problems BEFORE the purchase. In my article, "Acoustic Guitars--Why Buy Vintage?" I noted some good reasons to buyvintage guitars (guitars that were made between the mid-1920's andabout 1970). Now let's consider how to buy such guitars WISELY.
In the previously mentioned article, I noted that there are two kinds of vintageinstrument buyers: the collector and the player. The collector ofvintage guitars, like the collector of anything, is looking forexamples from specific time periods--examples that are as pristineas possible with original everything: original finish, bindings,inlay, tuners, fretboard, frets, bridge, bridgepins, etc.--all withthe original case if possible. The player of vintage guitars is notso concerned with whether everything is original, but seeks vintageguitars because of the SOUND. Through the aging of the wood and thevibrations over many years of playing, the sound of a vintageacoustic guitar opens up into something quite wonderful. There aresome players who are also collectors. They are concerned withissues of both playability and collectability. This article iswritten from the viewpoint of the player, not the collector. Theproblems discussed will not be about problems with cosmeticappearance, or about whether or not parts are original, but rather,things that may affect the structure and stability, and thereforethe playability of the instrument.
This brings us to our first consideration. If you're sizing up anold guitar with the intention of possibly buying it, one of thefirst things you might notice is that there are fine cracks in thefinish, running in all different directions. Are these finishcracks problematic to the playability or sound of the guitar? Theanswer is no. This is called "checking," something quite common tovintage guitars. Checking is the result of the temperature andhumidity changes the instrument has been through. This affects theappearance only and even collectors put up with these cracks. I amactually quite fond of them myself. These little cracks say, "Look!Vintage!" And here is some good advice for anyone who owns avintage guitar: Never refinish a guitar that still has the originalfinish, even if it heavily checked and all scratched and dinged up,to boot. Stripping and refinishing a guitar not only lessens itsvalue, but also its uniqueness. The only conditions under which anold guitar should be refinished would be if the instrument has beendamaged very severely or if it has already been refinished poorly.
Cracks that are actually in the wood are another matter entirely.Any separation in the wood of the top, back, or sides of theinstrument should be taken seriously as they might cause theinstrument to be unstable. Such separations might not be visibleunder normal conditions. In a dark room, put a flashlight insidethe guitar and inspect the entire outside of the instrument.
This would be a good time to mention that buying an instrumentonline is not a good idea unless you are prepared for the worsecase scenario. The previously mentioned cracks, as well as bracesthat are broken or coming apart, are all things that may not bementioned in the description by the seller. It is not necessarilythat seller is deceitful. Sellers often have no idea that there areproblems with the instruments they are selling.
One of the most common features of a vintage acoustic guitar is a"bellying" of the top. Over the years, the tension of the stringswill pull on top and cause it to raise, forming a slight bulge onwhich the bridge is the highest point. If the action of the guitaris satisfactory, there may be nothing to worry about. However, ifthe bridge has been shaved, or if the saddle has been drasticallyshortened to get the action where it needs to be there may beproblems with playing and with intonation. When it comes out of thefactory, the bridge on a steel-string acoustic guitar is usuallyabout 1/4 to 5/16 of an inch high, with the saddle protruding aboutan eighth of an inch above the saddle. If the action can be madesatisfactory without deviating too far from these specs, everythingshould be fine. If not, a neck reset may be required--a veryexpensive procedure. Also, you'll want to make sure the bridge isnot separated from the top. See if you can slide a thin, but stiffpiece of paper under the bridge at any place. If you can, thebridge is probably in the process of lifting and may need to bere-glued.
If there is no reinforcing truss rod in the neck, bowing of theneck is common. This can sometimes be alleviated by having thefretboard leveled and re-fretted. Or, you may have to have the necksteamed and clamped to re-straighten--and the problem will probablyreappear unless you have a truss rod installed.
So, these are some of the things to look for when consideringpurchasing a vintage acoustic guitar. These problems should notnecessarily discourage you from buying the instrument--you justwant to make sure you can recognize the problems and potentialproblems and factor them into your decision. I've purchased somevintage instruments that have had to drastically overhauled, yetthe end results have been quite pleasing. All in all, vintageacoustic guitars provide a rewarding experience to the guitarplayer.
About the Author
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith is an avid acoustic guitar player and a vintage instrument enthusiast. He invites you to receive a FREE REPORT on a revolutionary acoustic guitar lesson kit, along with his weekly newsletter via email. just click on optin.flatpickpost.com
Check out Lee's blog, "The Flatpick Post" at flatpickpost.com
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