Grandma's Guitar



How to Evaluate, Value & Sell Your
Vintage Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele or Tube Amp



- What's that old vintage Gibson or antique Martin guitar you inherited worth?

- Find out more about what you have & what to do with it!



1932 GIBSON L-00
PURCHASED FROM ROY IN FLORIDA
$1,500



1928 martin 00-45
purchased from Dennis in chicago
for $14,000



1951 Gibson J-200
Purchased from Brittany in Georgia
$650



1923 MARTIN 000-18
PURCHASED FROM TONY IN OHIO
$3,500



Here's the Deal:



• Use the site to learn how to appraise what you have for condition & value.
(Or just email me basic info & photos and I'll do the detective work for you.)

• I buy American-made acoustic & electric instruments built before 1970.
I'll make selling fast, easy & worth it. (I can even send a shipping box.)

• It's OK if it needs restoration! Just realize that repair work is expensive.

• I offer what it's worth to me. It can be very little, or THOU$ANDS.
(My offer will usually be higher than any other cash offer.)

• This stuff is my passion. I try to recommend what is in the best interest of the
instrument AND their caretakers (you!)

• I'll get that instrument making music again!



Click here and:


Let's Appraise Your Vintage Guitar


1. Make, Model & Age:

• Tons of info on how to determine what you have. Serial numbers, FON numbers, bracing patterns, woods, specs, etc., etc.

• When were the best years for particular brands/models and why?

•"RARE" can mean LESS than you think...

2. Judge the Condition:

• Tests for neck straightness & neck angle

(two different things!)

• Locating/identifying cracks or breaks

• Tests for loose bridge, loose braces.

• top deformation; bellying and sink.

3. Determine Originality:

• Recognizing if the finish is original.

• What is "checking" and why is it good?

• Bridges & Bridgeplates

• Cases


Click here for:



Questions & Answers and Do's & Dont's



• Should you sell? When is the right time?

• Should you have it restored, leave it

alone, restore it yourself?

• What are +/- of the various selling options; eBay, Auctions, CraigsList?

• Should you keep that sentimental

heirloom guitar and pass it down?

• What kind of maintenance and storage conditions are in the best?


Click here for info on your:​

Banjo, Ukulele, Archtop Guitar, Mandolin,

Lap or Pedal Steel, Resonator, Tube amp, or Electric Guitar

• Which are desirable and why?

​• "Conversions"

• Tenors, Plectrums & Greatest Generation



Click here for:



Vintage Instrument Timeline & Glossary


• Tons of landmark dates and names to help you see where your instrument fits into vintage instrument history. (Mostly Martin info.)

• Terminology and definitions that vintage nerds like me use. So we're both speaking the same language. Hopefully you'll find definitions for most terms here, and if you don't, let me know..!





brands I'm interested in:



William Hall & Son, Wolfram, Riley-baker, B&S Barrington, Ernest Kaai, Grinnell, Hayden, Liberty, Paynes, Reznick Radio, Tex Star, Sovereign, La Scala, Rex Aragon, G. Almcrantz, First Hawaiian Conservatory, Joseph Bohmann, William Hall and Son, Lyra, Carl Fischer, U.A.C., Avalon, Victoria, Hawaiian Radio-Tone, Michigan Music, Rex, Jorado, La Hizo, Stratosphere, Antonio Cerrito, Raphael Ciani, Joseph Nettuno, Angeles, A.C. Fairbanks, Airline, Ashborn, Bacon, Baldwin, George Bauer, Bigsby, Joseph Bohmann, Harlin Bros., Boucher, Brink, Bronson, Coral, Euphonon, Wurlitzer, De Luccia, Ditson, Danelectro, D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Dobro, Dyer, Epiphone, Euphonon, Fender, Fleta, Firth, Hall & Pond, Wm. A. Pond & Co., Firth, Son & Co., Gennaro, Gaulke, Harptone, Hilo, Hopf, Hoyer, Bouchet Bovchet, Barbero Fernandez, Italian Madonna, Southern California Music Company, Galiano, Gretsch, Hollywood, Holzapfel, Kamaka, Kalamazoo, Kay, Kel Kroydon, Knudsen, Nutsen, Knutsen, C. Nutsen, Kona, Leland, C. Bruno, Paragon, Clifford Essex & Son, Martelle, Marshall Special, H.F. Meyer, Miami, Lang, Lyon & Healy, Ludwig, Mellotone, Marveltone, M. Nunes, The Mele, Maurer, Mauer, Maui, Mostrite, Moana, National, Oahu, Orpheum, Paramount, Howe- Orme, Prairie State, Recording King, Manuel Ramirez, Regal, Rickenbacker, Roger, Andy Sannella, S.S. Stewart, Selmer, Simplicio, Stahl, Johann Anton Stauffer, Johann Georg Stauffer, Stetson, Stromberg, Supro, Schmidt & Maul, Schatz, Martin & Coupa, Martin & Schatz, Paul F. Summers, Supertone, Todt, Torres, Trujo, Cress Unger, Charles Unger, Unger Brothers, Vega, Wack, Washburn, Wandre, Wilkanowski Airway, Vivi-tone, Weissenborn, Weymann, Champion, Hispania, Oriole, Cromwell, Ambassador, Capital, Carson Robison, Coulter, Fascinator, Francis Day & Hunter, Grinnell, Hayden, Howard, Henry L. Mason, Mastertone Special, Mitchell Brothers, Recording King (Montgomery Ward), S.S. Stewart, Rolando, Thomas, Trujo - Truett, Werlein Leader, Waldo, Bellson, Forbes, Busato, Oscar Schmidt, MarShall, Andy Sannella, Martelle, Stella, La Scala
Martin Guitar Models: 0-17, 0-18, 0-18K, 0-21, 0-21K, 0-28, 0-28K, 0-30, 0-34, 0-44, 0-42, 0-45, 00-17, 00-18, 00-18H, 00-21H, 00-21, 00-28, 00-28K, 00-30, 00-40, 00-40H, 00-42, 00-17S, 00-45, 000-18, 000-21, 000-28, 000-42, 000-45, D-28, D-18, D-21, D-45, 2-17, 2-17H, 2-21, 2-28, 2-30, 2-40, 2-42, 2-44, 3-21,3-34, 3-24, 5-17, 5-18, 5-21, 5-28, OM-18, OM-28, OM-45, C-3,1-17, 1-21, 1-18, 1-21, 1-26, 2-27, F-2, F-7, F-9
Gibson Guitars models: J-45, J-50, L-0, L-1, L-2, L-00, SJ, AJ, Advanced Jumbo, J-200, J-185, J-35, J-160e, CF-100, CF-100E, J-100, J-55, LG-2, LG-3, Country Western, SJ-200, Super Jumbo 200, Roy Smeck, Nick Lucas
Vintage Tube Amplifier brands: White, Kremo, Fender, Silvertone, Masco, Magnatone, Supro, Standell, Gibson, Maestro, Hilger, Martin, DeArmond

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