Vintage Guitars
I'm happy with this
This website uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse traffic. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission. See terms and conditions

How to sell a vintage guitar online:
Identifying the guitar

A guide to selling quickly at the best possible price

this guitar is sold!

Vintage guitars come in all shapes and sizes; some are incredibly rare, highly prized by guitar players and very expensive to buy. Some are nothing short of a hindrance to play; basically firewood with strings. Perhaps ok for decorating a bar wall, but that's about it. Most are somewhere in between. There is most likely a player or collector out there who would love to pay you for your guitar. If you have anything exceptionally rare, you are best off selling on consignment through a respected vintage guitar dealer, rather than privately online. Likewise if your guitar is basically junk, you might find selling it at a local table or car boot sale is most effective. But most guitars are suitable for selling online, and you can easily get a fair price, as long as you follow a few basic steps: correct guitar identification, correct valuation, and effective description.

There are a number of things that you can do to help your vintage guitar sell quickly, whilst maximising the sale price. If you don't, you run the risk of deterring buyers and ending up either getting less than your guitar is worth, or failing to sell at all. This article is aimed at all those individuals who want to sell a vintage guitar, but don't really know where to start.

Step 1: Identifying the guitar
Step 2: Finding out what your guitar is worth
Step 3: Advertising your guitar for sale

Step 1: Identifying the guitar

If you already know what your guitar is, jump to step 2: Finding out what your guitar is worth

So how do you know what you've got? There is a lot of information about the major American and European vintage guitars online, in fact that is the main focus of this site, and there are also some excellent books on guitar identification (Gruhn's Guide is about the best), and very many helpful collectors hanging out on guitar forums and social media groups. Accurate information is harder to come by for Japanese guitars. A handful of factories produced a huge number of guitars, often quite similar, but with the retailers branding rather than the manufacturer. Some will never have been shown in a catalogue, and getting detailed information may be quite difficult.

Start with the brand name. Most guitars have this somewhere on the headstock, on a label, in a soundhole, or on a scratchplate or pickup. Entirely unmarked guitars are rare, and as a general rule, better manufacturers were proud of their work, and will have applied their logos prominently. It is true that some decal logos are removed, but again, owners of better guitars tend not to let this happen, whilst cheaper copies are often anonymised in the hope that they might be mistaken for something that they are not. If your guitar has no markings, it is most likely not going to sell for any significant sum. Examine the guitar closely for any markings: model codes, serial numbers, and countries of manufacture. Look under the scratchplate, on the neck heel and in the neck pocket, on the neckplate, on the guitars hardware and on the back of the headstock.

Guitar manufacturers often put their brand name on headstocks, pickguards, pickups, tailpieces and bodies
Manufacturer logos are often on the guitars headstock, put also the body, or on hardware such as pickups, scratchplates, tuning keys or bridge

Guitar identification through hardware

If you are still stuck, start comparing hardware to other guitars. Look online for other instruments with the same pickups especially but also neckplates, headstock shapes and bridges. Tuning keys can also give clues, but many manufacturers used commercially available parts by Schaller or Kluson etc. rather than manufacturing their own.

What about where it was made? Is there a country designation? Made in Japan? Italy, USA? for example. Get out a ruler and start measuring any parts of the guitar. Are dimensions metric or imperial? Older American guitars tend to be in inches or fractions of. European and Japanese guitars are far more likely to be designed in centimetres. What about markings on the electronics? Any language clues there? If you know where it was built you have certainly narrowed down the number of possible brands.

Numerous guitar manufacturers produced generic-looking entry-level guitars under different brand names for selling cheaply in bulk to 1960s, 70s and 80s teenagers. Audition, for example was the name applied to Japanese guitars produced for sale in Woolworth stores in the UK. And there were hundreds of other store brands like this; guitars such as these are really quite common. Most unbranded guitars will be in this category, and although often acceptable instruments are unlikely to sell for anything more than two figure sums.

Older Guitar catalogues can be invaluable in instrument identification
Vintage guitar catalogues are a good starting point in determining model names, and approximate years of production.

Vintage guitar dating

Once you have a manufacturers name, determining the model and year are next. There can be a lot of subtle model variations, and pinpointing the exact name may not be essential if the guitar is largely unknown or often misidentified. Many identical guitars may have been given different model designations by different retailers. Guitars by Harmony, Kay and Valco in the US, Eko, Hagstrom and Crucianelli in Europe and Teisco, Kawaii and Norma in Japan were all sold under various marques, despite being very similar or even the same instrument.

For a guitar produced by the likes of Fender, Gibson or one of the bigger manufacturers, finding the year may be as simple as looking up the serial number on a chart online, then referring to a catalogue from a similar period to find the model. Even a web image search with the brand and year can show very many guitars that may match.

Precise dating can be tricky - but establishing an approximate age shouldn't be too hard. Most vintage guitar collectors and dealers can suggest a decade, simply by looking at the guitar, it's styling, the materials used and how it is constructed. This is something you get a feel for with time. If you are completely in the dark, post online and somebody will surely help. Often less well known guitars are actually copies of other guitars. Or their hardware may be copied from a better known brand. If you know the first production date of the guitar copied, this again can narrow down potential production years.

One trick that guitar collectors always use is reading pot codes. The pots, or potentiometers, are the tone and volume controls on a guitar. If you can get to the reverse side of these, you may well find a code, with some date fragments embedded within them. This is of course the date that the pot was made, rather than the guitar, but they are often closely correlated. For more about this, see our page on reading guitar potentiometer codes.

Is there any paperwork in the case? Sales receipts, price lists and other paperwork can often hold a date. Furthermore if you have a retailer name, you may be able to search online for a guitar catalogue that holds the model in question.

Look out for fakes

Of course you have to be aware of copies.. from the 1950s onwards, budget guitars (and some quite nice ones to be fair) were often modelled on more expensive guitars by the big brands. These were produced in huge numbers and are not uncommon at all. Unfortunately, these can look VERY convincing, and quite often an owner might have replaced a decal to complete the deception. There are ways of spotting these guitars. A 'Gibson' with 'made in Japan' on it's neckplate... or a Les Paul with a bolt-on neck. Generally these guitars will also not have a serial number (or at least one that corresponds to the correct numbering system). If in doubt refer the guitar to a forum / discussion group for a second opinion.


Vintage guitars for sale

Vintageguitarandbass.com is funded by its visitors. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission. For more info see terms and conditions.
Vintage 1960s Global Les Paul Copy Electric Guitar W / TKL Hard Case "Lawsuit Era"

Vintage 1960s Global Les Paul Copy Electric Guitar W / TKL Hard Case "Lawsuit Era"

Elmwood Park, New Jersey, 074**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$950

Up for sale is a Vintage Electric Guitar, Very Good Condition As Shown, Please see photos for details, Plays & sounds great, Neck is straight, Low fast action, Loaded with character showing age-handling-play wear-nicks-scuffs-finish loss-light surface rust / tarnish & patina with a superficial chip near one bridge post as shown, Weighs just over 9 pounds, DiMarzio PAF pickups replaced the original pickups about 20 years ago, I misplaced the original pickups - otherwise I would include ... more
eBay logo
Gibson Standard 58 Les Paul Goldtop 1958 Reissue 1971 1 of 25 rarest Les Paul

Gibson Standard 58 Les Paul Goldtop 1958 Reissue 1971 1 of 25 rarest Les Paul

Hopewell, New Jersey, 085**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$10695

Gibson Standard 58 Les Paul Goldtop 1958 Reissue 1971 With original hang tag and blank guarantee card returnable to Kalamazoo
Being offered from the private collection of Sound Investments USA LLC

CONDITION AND PRICING PLEASE READ:
All electronics work and are original . very clean guitar. The Frets are ok but here is what my luthier said. The neck is slightly bowed on low E side and straight on high E side which he states can be fixed by replacing frets and compensating for ... more
eBay logo
1961 Gibson Les Paul / SG Custom original WHITE with Sideways Vibrola

1961 Gibson Les Paul / SG Custom original WHITE with Sideways Vibrola

Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$31900


Add Me to Your Favorite Sellers
Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1961 Gibson Les Paul (SG) Custom in its original White finish with gold hardware and a factory sideways Vibrola. It has a great playing neck with very worn frets, but still playable. It's all original with the exception of one volume knob. It's also 100% complete along with its original hardshell case. This original Les Paul Custom looks great with lots of minor nicks + dings (most have been touched-up with white... more
eBay logo
1987 Vintage Jackson Dinky Strat San Dimas Floyd Rose OHSC

1987 Vintage Jackson Dinky Strat San Dimas Floyd Rose OHSC

South Salem, New York, 105**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3999

1987 Vintage Jackson Dinky Strat San Dimas Floyd Rose OHSC
Country of Manufacture: USA
Color: Porsche Red
Condition: Used
Weight: 8 lbs 9 oz
Description: All original vintage guitar manufactured by Jackson in San Dimas in 1987
Paint: Original Porsche Red paint finish is in excellent condition with no belt buckle wear. No age checking. Small paint finish chips in neck pockets. No other paint chips on the front, back, sides, or cutout surfaces or edges. Small paint chip at tip ... more
eBay logo
Vintage Univox Les Paul Copy w /  HSC

Vintage Univox Les Paul Copy w / HSC

Mesquite, Texas, 751**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1100


Item: Vintage Univox Les Paul Copy w / HSC!
Description: You are purchasing a Vintage Univox Les Paul Copy w / HSC! Awesome & all original without any issues. Gorgeous aesthetics and comfortable playability. Please inquire with any questions prior to purchase
Shipping: $80 00 shipping to the Lower 48 States! We ship overseas. Overseas shipping prices will vary. Overseas buyers pay their own import taxes Payment: We accept Paypal for your convenience. Payment ... more
eBay logo
1963 Fiesta Red Fender Precision Bass

1963 Fiesta Red Fender Precision Bass

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$37600

1963 Fender Precision Bass, Very Rare! Fiesta Red finish, Greenpickguard, Nice Dark Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard, Clay dots, Spaghetti logo, Both covers, Fantastic instrument, Absolutely gorgeous, EC, Original White hardcase
... more
eBay logo
Vintage MIJ Electra Les Paul Custom Copy w /  HSC - N

Vintage MIJ Electra Les Paul Custom Copy w / HSC - N

Mesquite, Texas, 751**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1000


Item: Vintage MIJ Electra Les Paul Custom Copy w / HSC!
Description: You are purchasing a Vintage MIJ Electra Les Paul Custom Copy w / HSC! This axe is super cool and sports a beautiful finish for as old as it is. Sounds & plays great without any issues. Please inquire with any questions prior to purchase
Shipping: $80 00 shipping to the Lower 48 States! We ship overseas. Overseas shipping prices will vary. Overseas buyers pay their own import taxes Payment: We accept ... more
eBay logo
1958 Fender Precision Bass

1958 Fender Precision Bass

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$30500

1958 Fender Precision Bass, Early ??58 with a Two tone burst, Anodized pickguard, Maple neck, Both Covers, Spaghetti logo, Wonderfulinstrument from the family of the original owner, VG++, Original tweed hardcase.
... more
eBay logo
Hofner 1965 Vintage 4570e Hollow Body Electric Guitar NEAR MINT - W. GERMANY

Hofner 1965 Vintage 4570e Hollow Body Electric Guitar NEAR MINT - W. GERMANY

Montclair, New Jersey, 070**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2795


Hofner 1965 Vintage 4570e Hollow Body Electric Guitar NEAR MINT - W. GERMANY
Gorgeous vintage 1965 wide-body semi-hollow Höfner was made in West Germany and is a special instrument. It has been remarkably preserved over the years and shows little to no signs of its age.
A beautiful medium sunburst, a pearloid inlay fretboard and headstock make this a work of art. Every bit of this guitar is original.
The pickups were rewired about five years ago (see pictures) and the slot ... more
eBay logo
Epiphone Epiphone Les Paul Custom [SN EE080602927]

Epiphone Epiphone Les Paul Custom [SN EE080602927]

Staples, Minnesota, 564**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$896

WE STAND BEHIND ARE PRODUCT 100 %, IF FOR SOME REASON WE HAVE MISSED SOMETHING PLEASE CONTACT OUR TEAM, AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PICTURES FOR AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION. WE ARE PUTTING NEW PRODUCT ON DAILY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS.... more
eBay logo
original 1962 Gibson ES-330 Sunburst

original 1962 Gibson ES-330 Sunburst

Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$8190


Add Me to Your Favorite Sellers
Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1962 Gibson ES-330 in its original Sunburst finish. It has a great playing neck with good frets. It's all original and 100% complete. The pictured period correct Gibson hardshell case is included, but it housed a guitar with a Bigsby at one time. This ES-330 is in great condition with only some minor nicks + dings, finish checking and other cosmetic wear. The guitar itself remains structurally sound with no ... more
eBay logo
1965 Hofner 500 / 1 Violin Bass

1965 Hofner 500 / 1 Violin Bass

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5395

1965 Hofner 500 / 1 Violin body Beatle Bass, Amazing sounding ??Staple??pole piece pickup, individual tuners, Raised logo, Nice light weight, Fun toplay, VG+, NSSC
... more
eBay logo
1967 Gibson ES-335 TD Vintage Electric Guitar

1967 Gibson ES-335 TD Vintage Electric Guitar

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$10400

1967 Gibson ES-335, Tobacco Sunburst, Rosewood fingerboardwith block inlays, Kluson tuners, Pat number sticker humbuckers, Trapezetailpiece, Low action, Lively instrument, EC, Original hard case
... more
eBay logo
1974 Fender Jazz Bass Natural w / HSC

1974 Fender Jazz Bass Natural w / HSC

San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4995

1974 Fender Jazz Bass
This Bass Is Located At IVG Sherman Oaks
In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Shows Cosmetic Playwear Including Various Marks, Dings, And Scratches
Some Finish Checking Throughout
Lightweight Alder Body With Natural Polyurethane Finish
Maple Neck With Bound Maple Fingerboard And Block Inlays
Original Frets Are Low But Playable
Pickups And Electronics Mostly Original With One Pot Replaced, Original Included
34" Scale ... more
eBay logo
Vintage 1967 Epiphone e230td Casino

Vintage 1967 Epiphone e230td Casino

Beaumont, Texas, 777**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$10000

57 year old vintage electric guitar. Amazing condition considering it??s age. Everything works including the knobs, the electronics, and the hardware. Original case and whammy bar. Sure to exceed all expectations.
... more
eBay logo
1972 Gibson ES-320 TD Hollowbody vintage electric guitar

1972 Gibson ES-320 TD Hollowbody vintage electric guitar

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4395

1972 Gibson ES-320 TDN, Rare thinline hollow-body model with Gibson embossed single coil pickups, Natural Maple body with Black binding, Nice player! Light weight, Clean condition, Cool and different! EC+, Original hard case... more
eBay logo
ORIGINAL 1967 Gibson Melody Maker SG Pelham Blue OHSC - BEST ONE ON EBAY - LOOK!

ORIGINAL 1967 Gibson Melody Maker SG Pelham Blue OHSC - BEST ONE ON EBAY - LOOK!

Santa Rosa, California, 954**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5000

Hello and welcome to my auction!
Here we have an incredible time capsule
This is a 1967 Gibson dual pickup Melody Maker Deluxe with vibrola in Pelham Blue Metallic
Serial number #00695X
This color turns green over time and is one of the rarest colors that Gibson offered. Highly prized!
There is some crazing in the varnish on the back of neck near the heal and some on the lower back on the back of the body
A few minor dings and digs front and back, and a small one on the ... more
eBay logo
1967 Epiphone Casino Vintage Electric Guitar

1967 Epiphone Casino Vintage Electric Guitar

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$8695

1967 Epiphone Casino, Stunning Sunburst Finish, Two P-90Pickups with Chrome covers, Beautiful Rosewood fingerboard with Pearl inlays, Vibrola, Original Kluson tuners, Light weight, Sought after, Fine instrument! EC+, Original hard case
... more
eBay logo
1964 Gibson ES-125 TC

1964 Gibson ES-125 TC

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4795

1964 Gibson ES-125 TC, Vibrant Cherry Sunburst finish, Wideat the nut, Nice looking figured Maple top, P-90 pickup, Nickel single line Klusontuners, Gold knobs, Tortoise guard, Light weight, Resonant, Acousticallyrobust, Nicely setup, Excellent condition, Worn Original soft alligator case.
... more
eBay logo
1966 Vintage Gibson ES-335 signed by Lorette Lynn BBKing Buddy Guy Flectones +4

1966 Vintage Gibson ES-335 signed by Lorette Lynn BBKing Buddy Guy Flectones +4

Hot Springs, Montana, 598**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$11000

1966 Vintage Gibson ES-335 signed by 9 Music Legends w / JSA Auth. #XX28045. INCLUDING LORETTA LYNN!
The JSA Authentication was done on all 9 signatures.
Signed by B B. King in 1996; Buddy Guy in 1993; Loretta Lynn in 2012; Bela Fleck; Victor Wooten; Roy Wooten; Howard Levy and Jeff Coffin.
After I purchased this guitar I contacted Victor Wooten and he remembered signing it in 1993 when he and the Flectones all signed it.
In 2010 I brought the guitar to the Bing Crosby Theatre in... more
eBay logo

Find more vintage guitars for sale at vintageguitarsforsale.co

There are 2 comments on this article so far. Add your comment

Comment on this article

Name
Email address
Anti-spam question - to catch web robots
How many legs does a tripod have?
millie Comment left 28th June 2013 18:06:11 reply
I have a guitar that I would really like to have identified. It is hollow body, 3pu, and has no label or serial number that I can find. It's a gorgeous sunburst (I think, cherry?) and I can't find any pictures of any guitar that looks just like it. Please help!
vintage guitar and bass Comment left 13th January 2017 00:12:03 reply
Hi Millie, post as many images as you can in the 'other guitars' section of the forum - I'm sure someone will be able to identify it for you

Contact
info@vintageguitarandbass.com

mailing list

Follow

Facebook  Instagram  YouTube

Other Great Sites