State of the Vintage Stratocaster, 2005, by David Belzer

[Editor's note: For this year's state of the vintage Stratocaster coverage, we have asked vintage experts George Gruhn, Richard Friedman, and David Belzer, to discuss, in addition to the state of the collectible Strat market in general, their take on what affect, if any, two events in 2004 have had on the market: The 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster and the 2004 Eric Clapton Crossroads auction. Also, instead of a single presentation like last year, we will present three separate "state of the Strat" articles, the contribution below from David Belzer being the second. You can read George Gruhn's 2005 article here.]

State of the Vintage Stratocaster, 2005

by David Belzer

The demand for good, clean, all-original Strats continues to be strong, particularly for 4-bolt, pre-CBS and Custom Color models. Unfortunately, the supply of these strats is low and it’s getting harder and harder to find the good stuff. Equally tough is that as the supply dwindles, prices go up, with 2004 prices up about 30% from 2003. I would say that the year 2004 saw more first time collectors entering the market than ever before. Many people feel that it’s now or never to get into a vintage Strat, knowing that the same guitar may be financially out of reach in another year or two.

As the demand for these guitars rises, the quality of the pieces that I see has definitely diminished. Ten years ago, about 80% of the Fender Strats that I looked at were guitars with little to no issues, with maybe 20% being suspect. Nowadays, it has completely reversed itself, with about 20% being true, original guitars and 80% being suspect.

What do I attribute the rising demand of vintage Strats to? Obviously, the Strat is a great guitar for many players, and has proven itself in both sound and durability. Fender celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Strat in 2004, releasing a replica of the 1954 Strat in addition to other reissue models to commemorate the event. This may have increased public awareness of the Strat, but I do not believe that the veteran collector is influenced by an anniversary date as much as the desire to collect true, classic vintage instruments from the '50s and '60s. Fender’s promotional efforts may have helped, but I believe that the escalating values of vintage instruments in general and the decreasing availability of quality pieces has been a stronger influence on the decision to acquire a vintage Strat, along with simply a true desire to own one.

The sale of “Blackie”, Eric Clapton’s renowned Fender Strat, at the Christie's auction, though an incredibly memorable, historic event, didn’t really affect the Strat market in my eyes. It’s well known that “Blackie” is a “parts” guitar, built from several Strats, and would not be considered a desirable collectable piece based on the guitar itself. The fact that it was Eric Clapton’s was the “part” that made this guitar one-of-a-kind. This was more of a memorabilia market, completely different and separate from the vintage market. The value of these instruments was not evaluated by condition and originality, as it would be in the vintage market, but by ownership and legacy. These guitars were icons, known for their players.

I consider the Crossroads Guitar Festival a much stronger influence on the Strat market, with most every player coming on-stage with a Fender Strat, be it a new, reissue, Custom Shop or vintage guitar. With attendance of about 100,000 people, and more Strats visible at one time than in the Fender showroom, I’m sure it occurred to more than a few in attendance that it’s time to get a Strat.

I would encourage anyone that is in the market for a vintage Strat to approach buying one with caution more than ever. With values skyrocketing, the number of counterfeit guitars and parts has risen to match. When a 1954 Fender Strat is worth $25,000 plus, with one knob being worth $500, it’s easy to imagine the not-so-scrupulous selling a fake as the real deal. So make sure that you do your homework and study the instrument. If you are buying, make sure that you do business with a reputable dealer, and know the integrity of the seller.

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About David Belzer

2004 was an incredible year for Dave Belzer. He and fellow "Burst Brother", Drew Berlin, represented Guitar Center Inc., at Christie's 2004 Eric Clapton Crossroads Auction and successfully bid on Clapton's "Blackie", his Cream-era ES-335, a famous Martin acoustic owned by Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Lenny". Dave has a degree in Music Peformance, owned his own music store in New York, and has played with bands from coast-to-coast. These days he spends an incredible amount of time in airplanes travelling to guitar shows throughout the U.S. as a vintage guitar buyer for Guitar Center.

The "Burst Brothers", Drew Berlin (left) and Dave Belzer (right) at a press conference immediately after the Eric Clapton Crossroads auction. Drew holds "Blackie" and Dave holds Clapton's Cream-era Gibson ES-335. Photo by Hugh Ochoa.

Website: Guitar Center's Hollywood Vintage Room
Email: guitar@guitarcenter.com
Telephone: (323) 874-2302

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