Reasonable Vintage Stratocaster Prices: What are they?

[red_house356]

Just like the title says, I’m curious of how the Vintage Fender market is. I have mostly owned vintage Gibson guitars, but never ventured to this side. IRC, I saw refin’d ‘60s Strats go for about approx. $8,000 last Fall. Right now, I don’t see anything below $11,500.

I’m wondering what you guys think is fair for a player grade vintage strat.

 

[ARandall]

Not a vintage strat expert by any means, but even the last years of the 4 bolt strats (1970) are commanding 5 figures now for examples that are fairly clean.

 

[Burny FLG]

Late 70s Strats 78 79 80

 

[CB91710]

Late 70s Strats 78 79 80

And even those I wouldn't consider to be "reasonable"
You can sometimes find late-70s at prices that are roughly in line with inflation... $2k to $2500, but the last 6 months the used market has been going ape-shit with people getting cabin fever and people are now generally asking $3k+.
As Randall said, anything 4-bolt is going to be well over $10k, and $20k is not uncommon even for late 60s.

A year ago, late-70s 3-bolts were $1500-$2000 all over the place.

 

[Duane_the_tub]

Yup, they are out of control. Anything pre-CBS is off-the-charts overpriced and the 70s (and even early 80s) Strats have ballooned as well. Hopefully prices regress at some point.

 

[red_house356]

Yeah, prices are pretty insane. Even parted out bodies or necks are expensive. It looks similar to the early ‘50s Les Paul market. Nothing below $18K when prices were in the 10-12K not too long ago. Glad I jumped in when I did.

Oh well, will keep looking.Worst case, scratch build will have to do

 

[Uncle Vinnie]

Every guitar has two prices:

1. The price the seller is asking.
2. The price the seller will accept.

Trick is to come up with a price somewhere between "a kick in the balls" and "insulting". No law says you have to pay asking price.

 

[Zungle]

I'd love to have a 3 bolt Antigua Hardtail.......

I understand they're not a true "Vintage" strats.......but have still slowly crept up out of my personal price limit on guitars.....

 

[Deftone]

Long gone but this '79 was for sale in the classifieds two years ago. Seller had agreed to $1200 and I passed.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/fs-1979-fender-strat.423916/#lg=post-9041887&slide=0

I had just purchased another '79 with a Floyd mod, that turned out to be an '81. So much regret.

 

[Burny FLG]

JV

 

[Texsunburst59]

Sometimes you have to be at the right place at the right time, and be able to act quickly.

A few years ago, I picked up my '75 Fender Mocha Stat on CL of $500.

I saw it posted, contacted the seller, and drove over to snag it.

It needed a little TLC, but for the price, I just couldn't pass up a deal like that.


My '75 Mocha

 

[CB91710]

Sometimes you have to be at the right place at the right time, and be able to act quickly.

A few years ago, I picked up my '75 Fender Mocha Stat on CL of $500.

I saw it posted, contacted the seller, and drove over to snag it.

It needed a little TLC, but for the price, I just couldn't pass up a deal like that.


My '75 Mocha

Umm.....
Ummm......

DiMarzio SDS-1 bridge on the Antigua?
On the upper bout, top edge... is there a "wrinkled" area of the finish and a small scratch in the middle right on the peak of the radius?
If that is mine, that I let get away from me in '81, that has what I was told was the best neck every to come out of CBS.

 

[Texsunburst59]

Umm.....
Ummm......

DiMarzio SDS-1 bridge on the Antigua?
On the upper bout, top edge... is there a "wrinkled" area of the finish and a small scratch in the middle right on the peak of the radius?
If that is mine, that I let get away from me in '81, that has what I was told was the best neck every to come out of CBS.

Sorry CB.

My dad bought me this guitar new in '79.

Took me to the guitar shop and told me to pick out any guitar I wanted.

Out of ALL the guitars in the shop, I chose this one.

I wouldn't say this Antiqua has a bad neck,but it's a baseball bat neck and isn't one of my favorite necks on a strat.

I was only 17 and had no experience with guitars, and didn't think to run the racks or try out a bunch of guitars.

I keep this guitar because my dad bought it for me, so theirs a sentimental value for me.

 

[CB91710]

Sorry CB.

My dad bought me this guitar new in '79.

Took me to the guitar shop and told me to pick out any guitar I wanted.

Out of ALL the guitars in the shop, I chose this one.

I wouldn't say this Antiqua has a bad neck,but it's a baseball bat neck and isn't one of my favorite necks on a strat.

I was only 17 and had no experience with guitars, and didn't think to run the racks or try out a bunch of guitars.

I keep this guitar because my dad bought it for me, so theirs a sentimental value for me.

Awesome.
I've been looking for my old Strat (not too actively) for a few years. Will likely never find it.
My neck was also pretty big, but it was actually a bit of a "V"
The comment about the neck came from the guy at the Fender factory repair shop in Fullerton. I was getting some fretting out at the 12th. He looked at it and said not to let anyone touch it, I just had the action a little too low.

My way of selecting was similar... I was trading in my Les Paul copy and had about $600 in cash (the LP basically covered the sales tax).
I walked into the "Fender room" and the Antigua just stuck out on the wall... I had to have it, and I loved it.

 

[Texsunburst59]

Awesome.
I've been looking for my old Strat (not too actively) for a few years. Will likely never find it.
My neck was also pretty big, but it was actually a bit of a "V"
The comment about the neck came from the guy at the Fender factory repair shop in Fullerton. I was getting some fretting out at the 12th. He looked at it and said not to let anyone touch it, I just had the action a little too low.

My way of selecting was similar... I was trading in my Les Paul copy and had about $600 in cash (the LP basically covered the sales tax).
I walked into the "Fender room" and the Antigua just stuck out on the wall... I had to have it, and I loved it.

Hopefully you'll find it one of these days.

It's weird that you mention that the Antigua stuck out in the room.

That's EXACTLY why I picked it.

The color was so different from ALL the other guitars hanging on the wall.

I told my dad I wanted this one because the color reminded me of shark skin.

So for me, it was purely cosmetic for me choosing the Antigua.

 

[pmonk]

I have a 1979 hard tail natural and a Olympic white (now yellowish) but they are just two damn heavy.

The rosewood neck is fantastic but combining that with either the hard tail or standard it just weighs too much for comfort.

I switched the maple neck to put it in a 70's reissue body and it is so much more playable.

 

[CB91710]

Hopefully you'll find it one of these days.

It's weird that you mention that the Antigua stuck out in the room.

That's EXACTLY why I picked it.

The color was so different from ALL the other guitars hanging on the wall.

I told my dad I wanted this one because the color reminded me of shark skin.

So for me, it was purely cosmetic for me choosing the Antigua.

Yep.
I'd been playing my LP copy for a couple of years, but still didn't know what to look for in the neck or "feel".... Kinda still that way, I have guitars with necks from 7.25 to 16, compound radius, 21 frets, 24 frets, baseball bats, paper thin....
I'm not any better or any worse on any of them. I like the feel of a chunky neck, but it's not a requirement.
But in a room full of guitars, that one stuck out like the Corvette on the used car lot full of Vegas.

 

[Jon W]

so what is a pre cbs refin going for now? Players grade?

 

[red_house356]

There’s a refin’d 1964 Strat going for $12900 with the option for a best offer. Another refin’d 1963 Strat going for $14750.

There’s a refin’d 1954 Strat for $16,000. A lot of repro parts on this which isn’t a bad thing. All Reverb listings. Most seem to be asking $14,000 to $18000. Under $13,000 is the low end and $20,000+ the high end.

 

[TheWelder]

If you're talking pre-CBS Fenders, the prices are ridiculous. Even refins, or completely beat with non-original parts are expensive - five figures easily.

If you consider late 70s vintage, then you an find cool examples for $2000 - $2500. Willies has a cool large headstock '79 right now for $2250. No affiliation, other than they are local for me and great folks to deal with:

1979 Fender Stratocaster - Willie's Guitars

Sunburst over a beautiful ash body (don’t get Willie started on how hard ash is to find lately). Modern tuners otherwise stock with that nice rounded neck that is so comfy to play. It weighs 9.0 pounds. Nice sounding original pickups, set up and ready to play, comes with a non original hard case...

www.williesguitars.com