Joe's Vintage Guitars Blog

Value & Evaluation

How vintage guitars are valued: the factors that move prices, condition grading, and honest advice on what your instrument is really worth.

Front of a 1965 Fender Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red Metallic with a white three-ply pickguard, standing in front of a blackface Fender amplifier and other vintage Fender guitars, including a Sonic Blue Stratocaster.

Value & Evaluation

How to Authenticate a Fender Custom Color Finish (1950s and 1960s)

July 8, 2026

A real 1960s Fender custom color can be worth several times what the same guitar brings in sunburst, which is exactly why so many refinished guitars are wearing one today. This guide covers everything we check when a custom color Fender comes through the shop: the color charts, the undercoats (white, silver, gold, and Desert Sand), nail holes, paint stick shadows in the neck pocket, what belongs under the pickguard, matching headstocks, how each color ages, blacklight testing, the classic refinish tells, and the soldering iron mark that gives away a factory refinish.

A 1954 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with cream P-90 pickups and a cream pickguard, resting upright in its original brown hardshell case with worn pink lining.

Value & Evaluation

Best Online Platforms to Sell Vintage Guitars in 2026: Fees, Risks, and What You Actually Keep

May 12, 2026

A 5% selling fee can quietly become 12% by the time you get paid. Here is what every major online platform actually costs vintage guitar sellers in 2026, four platforms compared side by side.

A vintage guitar collection purchased by Joe's Vintage Guitars

Value & Evaluation

How to Sell a Large Guitar Collection (Every Option, Honestly Explained)

April 2, 2026

If you've built your collection over decades, or just inherited one you don't know how to value, selling a large guitar collection is a real job, not a weekend project. This guide covers every selling avenue honestly: Reverb, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, local dealers, consignment, auction houses, and more. We've handled collections of 700+ instruments and help with every step, including identification, documentation, and organization. Read the full breakdown, then decide what's right for you.

Close-up of a vintage guitar headstock featuring a 1970s era brass nut modification at Joe’s Vintage Guitars

Value & Evaluation

The Brass Nut Question: Tone, History, and the Cost of “Upgrading” Your Vintage Guitar

March 4, 2026

Is a brass nut a sustain upgrade or a vintage value killer? We go through the history of this 70s and 80s trend, from the physics of “metal-on-metal” tone to factory-original Gretsch models, and explain why your choice of nut material could cost you thousands in resale value.