Vintage 1957 Fender Guitar Sale of The Week
Written by admin on January 30, 2010 – 5:40 pm -
This week we are highlighting a Vintage Fender guitar sold on eBay January 21, 2010 for $6,900. This guitar held our interest because of the amount of information the seller provided in the auction listing, and in response to questions. We are providing the information here since it may be educational and informative for those that love and collect these vintage Fender guitars This information is provided from the eBay auction listing.
"This auction is for a 1957 Fender Esquire Guitar ( ser # -17773 ) with the orig tweed case and its 1959 Fender Champ Tweed Amp Type 5FI ( ser # C10017 ) . This is not a re-issue, it’s the real thing. The guitar , amp and it’s tweed case has all their original parts completely, even the ash tray, in very nice shape. The body was contoured , probably in the 60’s as the finish is that old and the Jeff Beck contour was popular back then. Check out this Fender Custom Shop reissue ( at $15G ) at the Elderly site http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/FCSJBESQ.htm Other than the period Beck Mod and a single MOP dot added to the neck ( see the pics ) , it is all original and plays, feels, sounds and works great. It has some nicks & wear marks on the bod as you would expect from a fifty three year old guitar but it’s not anything rough, no cracks or gouges or such bad stuff. I describe it as similar to a 57’ Chevy that was hot rodded in the 60’s. It’s not the value of a mint original, but it is very desirable and better than a recent refinish , as it is still a “period” mod that was done when it was “just” a great guitar. Ash could certainly be added back and a pro refin done, I thought about doing it, but it is a correct period Beck mod and very cool as it is. There is the history of this type of mod done back then, and it actually does make it pretty comfy to play. It is not a very heavy contour, it was done only to the bass side and the outline of the body is exactly right. The case is in great shape as is the amp, which also works great. I see a set like this that is original finish for $29,500 on ebay, and a refin 50’s Esquire by itself is in the mid teens these days after the economy adjusted the pricing. I have put the starting price on this without a reserve above it at a reasonable $7500 that is sure to go up in value as the economy gets back into shape. It is rare, a great guitar and as cool as can be, so bid often and seriously, as another as complete as this will certainly not be coming by your way again soon.
I’m Jim Baker, a luthier in NY. I have been putting dozens of my guitars from my collection on ebay, so be sure to place me in your fav sellers list and check often. This year I am celebrating my 20th yr in business by moving from word of mouth & guitar shows into the web-based world and will shift from all custom guitars to some custom made and also having a inventory for my new site, jrbakerstudios . com It’s still under construction, but it’s up. I am a small shop/studio so to make room I will auction many cool, original condition or restored guitars of many types from my personal collection. I will give an extensive description & lots of pics, but things like “tone, playability, feel” are subjective and I will do my best to describe how in my experience I see this guitar. Thanks!
The Guitar Specs... 1957 Fender Esquire Guitar, ser # -17773, neck marked 2-57 with what looks like a 1 in a circle on the neck flat area, a really nice ash body, body date 2-57 with an F in a red circle in the neck pocket. No neck shims or evidence of past shims. The electronics are all original, only the wires from the pickup were resoldered at the control plate & taped a long time ago , probably when it was contoured in the 60’s. The neck plate is orig and all the parts that can be unscrewed have a nice oxidation under them. I have not really cleaned or polished any of the exposed surfaces of the parts, many folks like it that way so i just left it. The Klusons, nut, bridge, ashtray and all the screws are all correct & original. Everything is original. The top hat has Pat No 2189845, Dakoware Chicago on it as it should. The guitar has typical wear on the fingerboard in the first position with some fret wear on what I believe are the original frets. I see no evidence of fret removal and despite the bit of wear it is in great playing shape. It sounds, works and plays great.
The Case... original sidepocket case in great shape. The middle latch works fine and the handle is very nice with only a dime size piece of leather missing from one side . The outer latches work fine but the springs do not flip them open. It has minor scratches & stains as expected, no rips, the tweed is excellent. The leather ends are the same. The interior is excellent and the Koylon label is perfect. A great solid classic original tweed case.
The Amp..... The tweed covered Champ sounds amazing. The covering is very nice, no rips. What appears to be the original cord has a couple of pieces of old electrical tape on it that I have not replaced, they are secure over burn marks from the cord probably not being taken out of the amp entirely when it was on so over the years it had a few burn marks on it from the heat of the amp. It has ser # C 10017 on the chrome control plate, the label inside lists it as 5FI and 35 IE ( code for May , 1959 ). The amp has its assembly worker tape on the chassis, I am not familiar with those names , but it is there. The speaker looks never removed original, I am not familiar with all the manufacturers of the speakers , it is in the pic and has a red round label on the magnet that says “Approved, Dept of Building and Safety, Los Angeles”.
ADDED INFO ON THE GUITAR...I have been asked about THE M.O.P. DOT that was added to the fretboard...my bet is the dot is a clue to the individual who did it & the guitar norms of the times. He was prob a veteran older player at the time...its fifty years since that was done when the guitar was fairly new & that guitar influences us strongly still today. At the time the dot was done, just 40 to 50 years before that the parlor guitars from Chicago & the Boston makers sometimes used a dot in that position, which was at the end of the romantic era guitar details that went out of vogue with the end of romantic tunes popularity. My bet is the person who modified the guitar was a middle aged guy who had learned to play on guitars with that dot & needed it as a point of reference when playing."
If you are looking for vintage Fender guitars search the eBay auctions and find one that you can own at an "economy adjusted price" as the owner of this highlighted auction states in his listing copy. Nothing could be closer to the truth, since the down economy has affected collectible guitar prices. Don't forget in the US economy what goes down come back up and there are some excellent buys out there today.
Tags: fender, vintage, vintage guitar
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1960 Vintage Fender Stratocaster Sunburst, Highlighted Sale of The Week
Written by admin on December 22, 2008 – 9:31 pm -This beautiful 1960 Fender Stratocaster sold this past week for $11,591 after 34 bidders pursued owning this vintage guitar. This guitar had the original headstock logo ,flamed maple neck, rare Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and included the original "brownie" hard shell case. The owner included the original packaged set of Fender strings as well as a vintage leather strap from that era. This "No Reserve" auction on eBay generated a lot of interest in the week before Christmas.
Tags: auction, fender, stratocaster, vintage guitar
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