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Vintage Instrument Appraisal
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Author:  jfmckenna [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 9:45 am ]
Post subject:  Vintage Instrument Appraisal
I've got an old S.S. Stewart that someone is interested in buying and I had wanted to try and find out how much it's worth. I know Gruhn's does online appraisals but I'm not really sure if it's worth it. I have only found another guitar like this once as a guy was trying to sell one for some ridiculous price like $5,000 bucks on eBay. I did a restoration on it that included a new bridge, based on the old one which was probably not original, reset neck, refret, and internal brace work. I also refinished the top. I think someone had coated the top with polyurethane and at one point must have put a big ugly pick guard on it. The guitar was finished in shellac so that's what I used on the top. Tuners are not original. Back/sides are BRW and neck looks like maybe cedar but could be mahogany too.

But anyway. I'm curious to know what some vintage guitar restorers here thing of online appraisal type things and if they are worth it. Or if you know other people who do this kind of thing. Or if you think this guitar has any value worth selling. After all the work I put into it maybe it's just better off as a keeper and a player. It is a fun guitar and it has a good ladder braced blues box sound to it.

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Author:  B. Howard [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Online appraisals don't mean much to me..... A hands on appraisal by a qualified shop or luthier carries some weight.

Most of them I do are for insurance purposes.....

What I can say off the top of my head on this guitar, The brand is more known for it's archtops and they have a higher collectability factor. That said this is a bit of a rarity and a higher end example..... That may or may not work in your favor depending on market trends.

The re-finish work hurts value big. As does the replaced bridge. But it is brazilian....... this would take a fair bit of research to determine value.
Author:  Smylight [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Gruhn does appraisals using detailed pics he'll request you send. It is not an automated web-based service. I have had him do one for me some years ago and it was a very detailed appraisal, based on very detailed pictures and description I sent to him. While I agree it is not hands-on, I t was totally worth the asked fee, IMHO. Not many shops have seen so many used guitars over the years.

I wouldn't hesitate to use his service again.


Pierre Castonguay
Guitares Torvisse
Author:  jfmckenna [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Yeah Gruhn's seems like they do it right. I guess I was just wondering, is it worth $75 bucks to have a $300 dollar guitar appraised. But perhaps in the case of this one it is.
Author:  Smylight [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
jfmckenna wrote:
Yeah Gruhn's seems like they do it right. I guess I was just wondering, is it worth $75 bucks to have a $300 dollar guitar appraised. But perhaps in the case of this one it is.


I'd say you never know. Some people are glad to pay hundreds of dollars for 60’s japanese guitars. This one might be worth millions, what do I know? ;-)


Pierre Castonguay
Guitares Torvisse
Author:  Smylight [ Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Maybe George will reveal you're sitting on a gold mine. Just send 50% of what you'll be getting over your initial price my way then. ;-)


Pierre Castonguay
Guitares Torvisse
Author:  sjfoss [ Wed Dec 05, 2018 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
I wonder if this is one that was built by the Larson brothers for S.S. Stewart. Maybe Hans would know.

Steve
Author:  jfmckenna [ Wed Dec 05, 2018 11:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
I have read that both Martin and Gibson had made some guitars for SS Stewart in the early 1900's. This particular guitar has fret end nibs (which I managed to save doing the re-fret) in the plastic, or Bakelite, bindings so I got to thinking.... Hmmmmmm

Here's the write up about a nice SS Stewart parlor guitar on Vintage Martin website. http://www.vintagemartin.com/Martin23_S ... 7Spec.html

It's interesting how history falls through the cracks, also part of why I love these old guitars.
Author:  Haans [ Wed Dec 05, 2018 12:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Nice old guitar!
Hard to say if Larsons made any for SS Stewart, but it does have some of the earmarks.
JF, does that inside binding on the sound hole go all the way down to the inside of the top or stop about half way down?
Author:  jfmckenna [ Wed Dec 05, 2018 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
I'll double check latter but I just brought up a few more images that make it look like the sound hole binding is all the way through. If it's not then it would only be a sliver, but I will check for sure later. The second pic was actually taken to show the brace repair. That brace was missing so I made one that matched the others out of spruce in the same dimensions. I don't have a pic of the bracing but IIRC it's a modified ladder bracing with a bridge patch that extends the full width of the body.

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Author:  Haans [ Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Kind of looks like there might be some grain lines showing there, hard to tell.
Every Larson I ever saw had the ebony FB showing below the binding like this...

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Author:  jfmckenna [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Good eye Haans, the rosette does not go all the way through. Also the FB is definitely not routed out like the Larson's are. What is that style of binding/purfs called? With those blocky dot's?

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Author:  Haans [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
We just called it ladder purfling. I don't understand the last photo. Looks like you had the neck off? Is that mahogany under the binding? Looks like a striped towel under?

Who knows, Maybe it is some sort of a Larson. They never did "nibs" though as far as I know...
Author:  jfmckenna [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
No the neck is on in that photo. I did do a neck reset on it but I just snapped that one last night. It's just the treble side of the fretboard to show the binding. Yes the binding goes right to the mahogany neck. And also yes that is a stripped towel.
Author:  Haans [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Some kind of Escher trick? The photo of the bass side of the extension does not look like the treble side above...
Author:  jfmckenna [ Fri Dec 07, 2018 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Vintage Instrument Appraisal
Ha! I don't know. It's probably a combination of cell phone camera and different monitors and Internet voodoo.
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