I wrote last week that most were all pumped up like ugesual for the Texas Vintage Guitar show. For those who missed my article it is the largest vintage guitar show in the world. People from all around the world come to buy and sell here and is probably the only real international show in the U.S.A.  Well the skeptics ranted and the believes came and I was disappointed.

 People ask why would you write a non glowing post  about the show it would only hurt you and the business. Most told me pump it up lie tell them it was great . But people who know me and respect me know that is not my style if it sucks i will sure not sugar coat it and that is why people actually listen to what i have to say. It was disappointing but not unexpected.

The normal frenzy of the dealer to dealer buying on the post day show was terrible. Usually it is like a shark feed and for 8 hours the dealers buy sell and trade form each other before te public comes in. I know from a personal stand point this is were we usually do 60% of our business at this show. But this year it was like the plague very little movement and very little motivation on the parts of the dealers. Most were not willing to budge on their prices and secondly what little cash was there was saved for buying from the public.

I was a few big deals go down and yes guitar changed hands but it was more than 50% off the normal amount i usually see. Sure things were sold and things were bought but i saw more real cool vintage guitars than ever and none of the high end stuff was moving. the price range i saw that was moving was the $800-$3000 guitar . most clean and original examples either sold or traded hands so there was some action. All the bursts , black guards and other high end stuff just sat . My buddy did sell a burst for $290,000.00 so this is not to say the show did not have its moments.

I was hoping to see a bit more excitement also from the public which was down and which I knew would be down since we are in near depression like economy but it was slow and the shark feed this year was toned down. The whole mood from the economy just brought everyone down and of course with less money at hand it  does not take a genius to figure out that less guitars will be sold. in the end I walked away not surprised but disappointed . I had hoped I would have seen some kind of sign of recovery but I am afraid it will be another long hard year ahead for this business

I have not lost faith I love vintage guitars and Vintage parts but the government, wall street and the greedy bank institutions  really screwed us this time this economy has even taken the wind out of my sails and I am always an optimist !!! I have not given up nor will I just like in the past we Will survive and so will this market we are just going to have to tighten our belts more and take a deep breath . I Will return to Texas as always if for nothing more than a great weekend of camaraderie and for the meeting of great friends but next time I would like to make a few bucks while I ma there

If  you have any comments please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

JIM PASCH

We all know the Prices that vintage Gibson and Fender guitars bring and they are all that  seems to mater when one is asked about the vintage guitar  market.True they are the corner stones as is Martin guitars as far as American guitar companies go. But a real treasure that is always overlooked is the National guitar company and the Dobro guitar companies .

In these companies I personally find an originality and a vision that is on par with Gibson and Fender and Martin guitars. But what is more amazing to me is the vision for these instruments and their construction was so far ahead of the curve for the time starting in and around 1928. A metal guitar with a cone ? wow that was amazing and to see the construction of these instruments is also to be amazed.

Without going into details since this is a brief blog post for the novice  just to look at one of these instruments be it a national O Style , National Triolian or National Duolian you are struck with an immediate reaction which is usually wow!! then followed by thats really cool ! . Then when the uninitiated pickups one up he finds the beauty and the magic of this piece of metal that rings as loud as a cannon with a distinct tone and voice unlike any other instrument. Yes that is what I have seen time and time again. It is like watching a child play with a ball for the first time it is a mix of amazement and wonder that is what these guitar do to you upon impact!!!

Personally I am amazed at the thought process and design behind these guitars  and how this self amplified guitar not only changed the landscape of music from blues to country but also how it changed the minds of musicians of how instruments were perceived. It is incredible what this company produced in its short history these are works of art. Many people just want one because they look cool but look deeper and you will find that these instruments have a soul that few instruments do. If you are lucky enough to see a style 4 Tri-cone with its ornate engraving and elegance you will then see the art that these guitar can obtain, the Style-4 is the top of the line and in that you can see the beauty of art and instrument all in one. these are the Rembrandts of the guitar world none are more original and ornate these are the crown jewels.

So why then do they not hold the value of say a vintage Fender or Gibson or Martin. It is a shame , sure less people play them and even less know about them but demand is what drives this market., I ask you this how can a bolt on guitar like a Fender stratocaster assembled on virtually an assembly line be work more than a hand crafted hand made National Metal body guitar . It seems impossible but demand sets the market. No one on MTV is playing one , the old timers and classic musicians who used them are dead and only a hand full of new talent uses them so the future looks bleak.

I am telling you here and now these guitar are a piece of out Americana and our history. The company was forced to close in 1942 due to the  war and the need for metal . These are a lost treasure of the American guitar market and one that deserves respect and recognition. It took a genius to design these and a desire to make these that is why they are special. Pick up a real national and then go buy one made in china and you will get ill !!!  that is how bad they are . Craftsmanship is almost gone in the is country and so is pride when it comes to making instruments today. Take a close look at these guitar and you Will fall in love with more than just a guitar  you will be embracing a part of America that this country was once built on :craftsmanship and pride and  ingenuity.

If you have any questions please feel free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

Jim Pasch

I would like to comment on yet another phenomenon in this this crazy guitar business. As many have seen in the past 2 years prices have dropped and sales have slowed and the market has fully adjusted from its glutinous state of mind before the wall street and banking sector crash. Well one of the three areas that has not crashed in this market is Rickenbacker guitar and basses. I Will comment on the other two in other pots.

We being both a vintage and used guitar company and a vintage parts dealer have been blown away once again by this phenomenon called Rickenbacker. We have seen time and time again that the Rickenbacker market just wont quit. Today most Gibson Guitars are worth 20-25% less than 2 years ago but Rickenbacker have not only not gone down they are more expensive now than ever.

This is due to a some call genius idea at Rickenbacker’s to  limit it’s production over the past 6 years . I think it is a good thing many feel that to wait for a years for a new guitar is out of the question but I feel over production and lack of quality is worse. The second reason i believe is quality of Rickenbacker guitar has gone up and the are making the best guitars they have ever made right now. so put quality and limited production into the mix and you have the formula to success. The vintage ricks are great and sound great bit as many know there was neck issues and suck but today the guitar are as solid as ever.

Upon close examination Rickenbacker has risen above the mess we call our economy today. For example a Rickenbacker 4001 bass used not a reissues just a run of the mill one was $1300 -$1400 used 2 years ago today they are $1500-$1700 . The standard reissue series were $1700- $2000 two years ago now they are $2000-$2400 and some of the c series ones are now bringing $3000-$3300. Amazing in a market that has taken a 25% hit Rickenbacker is going strong. The same goes for the guitars and depending on the models , series and condition follow the same growth pattern over the last two years .

As far as parts go Rickenbacker once again will not sell parts easily and Pick Of The Ricks in N.J. is the only real source for Rickenbacker parts and by the way the owner Chris is a true Rickenbacker lover and a great guy. H e is one of the few I can recommend. So even teh parts are hard to get so the used parts prices are up 30% and so are the vintage parts. So Rickenbacker has got us cornered here also .

I love Rickenbacker guitar and Just had to write this brief comment to congratulate Rickenbacker on  great product and strategy and  to tell all you rick fans do not dump those ricks there are money in the bank. Any further questions you have please feel free to contact me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I Will be glad to answer all e mails within 48 hours

JIm Pasch