€600 pickguard - vintage plastic!!!

RedDragonJack

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1957-Fender-Stratocaster-single-ply-Pickguard-56-57-58-59-Strat-Vintage-Rare-/151052989871?pt=Guitar&hash=item232b75b5af&autorefresh=true

I was browsing on ebay and came across this. I personally think it's crazy, what do you guys think?

topcatcbr

RedDragonJack wrote: »

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1957-Fender-Stratocaster-single-ply-Pickguard-56-57-58-59-Strat-Vintage-Rare-/151052989871?pt=Guitar&hash=item232b75b5af&autorefresh=true

I was browsing on ebay and came across this. I personally think it's crazy, what do you guys think?

Not if it was solid gold. A fool and their money comes to mind. The P&P is more that I'd pay.

Ravelleman

If someone needs a pickguard to restore a vintage Strat to original spec then I can definitely see the attraction. Someone would almost certainly pay that price as the difference in price between an untampered vintage guitar and one that has been modified could be much more than the price of the pickguard. No one need ever know that the pickguard is not totally original if it of the same vintage, nor could they, really.

We must remember that people with vintage guitars live in a world apart from that of the average musician. What makes sense to them from the point of view of the instrument as an investment may not make sense to us.

_ciaran_

Re-listed now for $3,200
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=151057366777#ht_9451wt_1260

Check out his other listings
http://www.ebay.ie/sch/spcguitars/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Heh. The mind boggles.

68 lost souls

If it makes the differnece between a $40,000 guitar and a $20,000 guitar then surely it is worth it. To be worth top dollar it needs to be all original down to the wires and everything.

http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-stratocaster-1957-sunburst-two-tone

_ciaran_

How can you/he prove that it is original? It's a piece of plastic.

Ravelleman

_ciaran_ wrote: »

How can you/he prove that it is original? It's a piece of plastic.

All these things are documented in specialist buyers handbooks. People look for flash lines, screw holes - things like that.

Gregor Samsa

To the type of people buying and selling this kind of stuff, this isn't a pickguard. It's a piece of history. Its value isn't based on its use or material. As Ravelleman said, most of us are looking at this as a spare part for a musical instrument - these guys are looking at it from a completely different viewpoint. It's 56 years old now, and is worth (seemingly) $3,200.00 to someone. What will it be worth when it's 57 years old? 80 years old? It's only going to get older and rarer as time passes. For all we know, this might be a good investment!

Ravelleman

My point is that it's only a good investment if you have the corresponding vintage guitar though. Buying it outside of that context would be crazy!

Gregor Samsa

Ravelleman wrote: »

My point is that it's only a good investment if you have the corresponding vintage guitar though. Buying it outside of that context would be crazy!

Too late! I bought it! :eek: I'll just have to cut it to fit my Harley Benton tele.

Well, the guy selling it obviously doesn't have the guitar, and no doubt paid less than $3,200 for it, but yes ultimately, it only realises its worth once it's on the exactly correct guitar.