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.
Expert: Bill Ruxton Date: 7/29/2006 Subject: Vintage Guitar value
Question I recently found a 1960's Mayfiar guitar (small violin shaped
solid body) with tremelo bar and two humbucker pickups.
Owner is asking $200 and I'm wondering if it is worth it or
just a piece of junk. It just caught my eye and looked
interesting.
Thank you very much.
Richard Shinn
Answer Dear Richard,
Mayfair was a brand name used on inexpensive Japanese guitars from the 60s and maybe into the early 70s. It's not clear whether the name was that of an importer, distributor, or the maker itself. Without seeing it and handling it, I can't tell you whether it's worth $200 or not.
What I can tell you is that there is absolutely no demand for such instruments among players or collectors. These kinds of guitars are typically found in poor shape with problems of non-functional electronics and botched user adjustments or modifications. Some specimens, if in truly excellent shape, can be halfway decent sounding and playing instruments, but those are the exceptions. It was a cheap guitar when it was brand-new, and it's stil a cheap guitar.
If you want to spend $200 on a guitar, my advice is to buy a new one. It will still be a cheap guitar, but it will have at least some kind of warranty, and it won't be subject to whatever abuse an old cheapo has suffered.
