Countdown to NAMM...Vintage Strat Collecting

Winter NAMM

Less than a week away to this year's winter NAMM. Had hoped to attend, but my wife's pregnancy has intervened. Next year, for sure.

We will have a writer and photographer there and hope to start publishing info and images from day one of the show. Although Fender's been a little tight-lipped about what we can anticipate, a lucky few have already received their copy of the 2005 Frontline and word has it we'll see the new Eric Johnson Signature Series Strat (production artist series guitar, not Custom Shop); a Custom Shop Mary Kaye Tribute Strat (we can guess what that will look like); a '66 Strat (not sure if this will be a CS Time Machine offering, but probably); a CS '59 Esquire; and a Yurly Shishkov '63 Telecaster. No idea when I'll get my hands on the 2005 Frontline. Not until someone who attends NAMM sends one to me. Are the Trower Strats in there?

And of course, many others will be displayed at NAMM - special one-offs (I hear that Pamelina H and John Cruz have something hot in the works) and hopefully Todd Krause will be there with a couple of CRASH Stratocasters and the "mystery Strat" I mentioned in the last column. A lot to look forward to.

Collecting Vintage Stratocasters

Shame on you if you haven't read George Gruhn's recent article on the News Desk: State of the Vintage Stratocaster, 2005, by George Gruhn. If you take anything away from his article it should be how difficult it is to spot a fake, semi-fake, replica parts, etc. I know luthiers that can make a vintage replica that would fool most "pros". That's what I like about Gruhn's mention of a "certificate of authenticity".

I've seen vintage pros look at "an old guitar". It really is detective work when trying to separate the wheat from the chaff. In my guitar trading days I would take a pro with me to inspect a "vintage" piece on site before purchasing - and I mean have him tear the puppy down and inspect. We passed on more than we bought. Often, the seller was innocent. He would be selling the guitar in the condition in which he bought it, sincerely believing it to be 100% original - who knows where in the chain of ownership the refin was done, the frets changed, parts replaced, etc. Although I spent most waking hours dealing with guitars, a true vintage pro knows things you only glean from a vast amount of experience inspecting vintage instruments.

Those interested in the vintage guitar market might also find this article interesting Alternative investments: Collecting vintage guitars.