About Bill Ruxton Expertise What kind of old guitar do I have? Is it valuable? How old is it? Where was it made? Is it worth repairing? Advice on buying new or used guitars, accessories, etc. [Note: While I can give some general info on approximate values of types of instruments, neither I nor anyone else can do an "appraisal" without actually seeing and handling the instrument] I have almost 40 years` experience as a player and afficianado. If I don`t have an answer myself, I can often refer people to other authoritative sources.
Question Hi,
I bought a guitar for five dollars from a friend the other day. It is a red electric guitar with "Orpheus" on the headstock. It has two single coil pickups, a tremolo bar resembling the one on a Fender Jaguar, 1 volume, 1 tone, two pickup selector switches, and a chrome pickguard that covers a lot of the body. The neck has only 19 frets (They seem quite large) and dot inlays. The fretboard appears to be made out of rosewood. I took it to the music store here and they had never heard of it nor was the brand in their large encyclopedia of guitars. Anything you could tell me about this guitar would be a great help.
Thanks,
Corey Murphy
Answer Dear Corey,
Your guitar is likely one of many inexpensive Asian imports made for distribution under various brand names selected by an importer, distributor, music store chain, etc.
If you email me some detailed pictures, I might have some further guesses. Meanwhile, please don't have any hopes of having a "rare, collectible" instrument.
Even if it's in dead perfect condition and sounds and plays well, guitars of this kind have no interest to collectors and little interest to serious players.
