I see that this is the right time to buy a Fender black guard Telecaster. I see alot if ones for sale now at a a good price

( well compared to 3 years ago). I am a player so originality does not matter to me as much but what parts of the Telecaster are the most important parts that I should care about when buying one and also secondly how about a wood only guitar is that a good idea?

REPLY

That is alot to cover in a short blog post but here we go. First as always i am an advocate of all original guitar both for the collectors value and for aesthetically. If you can afford it go for it you will be happy in the long run. for me the two most important parts are the wood and the electronics. Having said that i would emphasis that if you are buying a guitar in whatever state it is in make sure the body is not modified if you can help it. That means no sanding , over spray or refinishing. and the decal is the most important parts for the value and to authenticate the guitar.

Old wood sounds great but not if it is covered in a thick poly finish or 10 coats of paint. On the other hand if they are stripped they may sound good but most of the value is gone. if you have to go this route make sure the body and neck dates are in tack and make sure there original. they are easy to fake. The electronics being pickups , pots and caps are the next most important things make sure they are original and that the pickups are original windings and not rewound . This plays out as follows the old electronics with the old wood if your lucky will have that magic sound and tone . These are the key players in the guitar in my opinion.

The pick guard plates , bridge, saddles, knobs , tuners  frets and so on are secondary and have nothing to due wit the tone factor. So if you are looking for a player there you go and you have to pay accordingly the more changed parts obviously the less you pay. For me i would try to get an original finished guitar with lets say changed pickuard and tuners and bridge . this way you have a real finish and a real guitar worth real electronics and the other parts you can buy over time . this way you can save  10k or more and little by little bring it back to stock and you can still get an original finish guitar that has a real value or potential value depending on how much you restore it.

The wood only scenario is your last resort and has a few dangerous speed bumps  you have to pay attention to. first the decal has to be original if it is not the neck value is worth 70% yes 70% less!!!!  original decal with over spray are hard to tell if not and expert but they are 50% less. so wait and get one with an untouched decal and the neck date should also be there

THE DECAL IS STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK FOR.  The stripped body should have and original date in the neck pocket  or under lead pickup cavity.If it does not  that body is worth 70% less too. becosue there are so many fakes who can tell??? again make sure body is not routed this too is important. if you follow these two steps atleast the wood of the guitar will have some value and you always have something to fall back on. a refinished  neck and body  without a decal and body dates are usuless and i woldl not even consider buying at all. I hope this helps if you have any other questions please feel free e mail me at THE PARTSDRAWER

Thank you

Jim pasch

QUESTION

What do they mean when they say does it black lite ?? I just bought a vintage guitar and want to check my parts out to see if they are real.

REPLY

Thank you for the e mail. Great question not a simple answer. Vintage guitar plastic should glow a certain color when exposed to a black lite in the dark. This is very obviously if you have new and old parts side by side to see the difference it is like night and day. But if you have only the vintage parts to test basically here is what it will  look like.

Again color is subjective to each person so i think it looks like a fluorescent yellowish color with a bit of green to it. But i have seen parts black lite more whitish and more unique tones than i can describe . basically they should jump out!! at you under a black light and really stand out. The newer parts change color but do not jump out at you. If you are still not sure borrow a knob from your friends new guitar and put the new and vintage parts side by side you will see right away.

Now another note ! all parts do not black lite the same color or at the same intensity. knobs and such black lite strong as do guitar tuner tips. pickguards are not as strong but they will react under black light. Do not panic if you see your knobs black light different from you knobs this is normal!! the same goes for finish but that is a real complicated story we will touch on at a later time.

There are fakes out there and people as we speak are trying to develop new parts that are aged that black lite so this is for now a fairly safe test but it will not be long until some idiot will figure it out and ruin it for everyone.

If you are still unsure you can send us parts and we Will evaluate them for free no charge you just pay shipping both ways.

Thank you again for your question

Jim pasch

The Parts Drawer

I am considering buying a vintage Fender Jazz Bass for my collection and I have been told the holy grail is the 1960-1961 Fender Stack knob Jazz Bass. Is this true and would you recommend this one. Also Is there anything I should look for when buying a Fender Stack knob Jazz Bass. Thank you in advance for your help.

REPLY

I wwould say without reservation this is the one to get. There is such a low production of these basses and they are so desirable even when the vintage guitar market goes down these are always a stable item and retains its value better than most. I have been selling Vintage guitars for over twenty years and if i get one of these a year for sale it is a good year. These are super hard to find and harder to find unmolested.

First I must warn you many have been converted from regular jazz basses of that year and this makes it that much tougher to find and identify. The only difference is the pots and knobs  so you can imagine it is not a tough modification and it is one that Can easily be done to look original.

I really cannot explain how to spot a converted bass if it was done by a professional forger because it Will look good. Many were just done by players who never intended to fool anyone and these are easy to spot. Look under the control plate and see how the solder looks a player could have just redone the solder and you can identify it easily . fender soldering was usually clean and by this time it should have an naturally aged patina on it making it look dull. use common sense if you are not sure look online you an see many pictures of fender bass controls and the soldering as a reference.

The expert forger has figured out how to age solder and use old wire from other original fender basses to make it look perfect. only a pro can tell and many cannot even tell who are not familiar with the original basses. If you are buying form a individual again use common sense judge character etc and ask questions about bass. look for any paperwork or receipts. If it is a vintage dealer go by his reputation and ask if he will guarantee it and put it in writing . An honest dealer will do this . Again these put together basses are so well done it is very very hard to tell.

That said if you find one just make sure al parts are original . in this changing vintage market and the volatile climate only all original guitars and basses hold some value. do not buy a modified stack pot bass unless it is real cheap they are hard to sell for any real money and hold no real value. As always with old basses check the neck many pre cbs basses were used with flat sound strings and the added tension bowed the neck.

I hope this helps and if you have any further questions please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

JIm Pasch

I am confused about a few questions concerning the Fender Stratocaster tremolo block from the 1960′s. First of all did the sting hole depth in the back of the  block change over the years , and is it normal for the top bridge plate to have rough cast edges . I know there is a bunch of posts on this subject but i figured you would know with all your hands on experience.

REPLY

Thank you for your kind words. I Will give you info from what i have found over the years. The back of the block were the ball end of the string goes in had two depths. In the 1950″s to mid 1960″s the holes dilled in the block were more shallow. for instance when you look at the back of the block you can see the depth of the  hole about 1/2 of an inch  or a tad more i do not have one to measure the exact depth but it is visible lets say . By the later part of the od the 1960 ‘s say around 1967 the hole in the block to accommodate the strings ball end was much deeper lets say and inch or a bit more . This was to accommodate for new string designs i was told by an old timer.  Both are correct and both are real but that is the approximate time line i believe for the change . Again for the 1967 era remember Leo Fender never threw anything away so it is possible lets say in 1968 or earl y 1969 to still see a shallow hole block sometimes old stock was found and used .this is just a reference year but I have seen deep blocks from around 1967.

The bridge plate that screws onto the top of the block does has rough cast edges. Why I have no idea and fender certainly had the technology to clean them up but all era fenders have this rough cast edge on the blocks and that is a fact. I wouldassume it was just another cost cutting and time saving method since it does not look bad and most do not even notice,  I hope this helps you can always send us  the block to evaluated for you for free or if you a re not sure or send us pictures we will be glad to help.

A quick note to a company retrospec makes a vintage Fender Tremolo block that is virtually impossible to tell they even age them so be careful. These are the best I have ever seen and I am sure many crooks will try and pass these as real so buy from someone who will guarantee authenticity . If you have any further questions fee free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I Will answer all e mails within 48 hours

Jim Pasch

In the vintage guitar and vintage guitar parts world much was the same as the rest of the world gloom and doom with brief glimpses of hope. The vintage guitar market took the real hit and the good news was vintage guitar parts although down significantly still sold on a regular basis and pulled us through. It showed me that even in bad times one needs relief and if you cant buy a vintage guitar restore the one you had seems to be the message i got.Basically with limited funds people put their guitar back to stock rather than buying other more original ones. This solved their vintage guitar jones at a fraction of the price. The result is that parts sold people were happy and now their guitars are worth more a win win situation.

From a business stand point I would be lying to say we rocked and had a great year. The truth is we got by and thank God parts are selling but business was off. around November we got signs of a stronger recovery and it appears to be continuing and as of today sales are still good and we are also still able to buy great parts. I hope this year will be better for everyone.

The other good news for both is prices have come down on parts . This is great news  for the consumer and us as a buyer. We can sell for less because we are buying parts for less. Unlike the frenzy two years ago now seems to be a good time for everyone to buy vintage parts because the prices have settledand there is a good supply around. The fact that great parts are flowing out onto the market again is because people need money and they realized all those parts sitting in drawers are found money. I know from experience that people have been sending us literally photos of piles of parts they have and this has not happened in ages . People were holding on to them like stocks in the frenzy seeing crazy prices but realize now that now is as goodas anytime to sell. So I expect a great year for parts because of this fact.

Thanks again for all you support and help any questions please send me an e mail at THE PARTS DRAWER and i will answer all e mails within 48 hours

JIm Pasch

We are now offering for a limited time until December 31 2009 a 10% discount on all parts orders over $1000.00 and a 15% discount on all parts orders over $1600 . Simply mention this post or cut an paste it in your email to us and we will  deduct it from your purchace.

First a 50 years old guitar is obviously going to have wear not only on the body but the tuners also. the last thing to do is change tuners but it may be the case with many. when you do just get the retro style tuners and put the real ones in the case and when you sell guitar put them back on. The good thing about repro tuners is you do not have to drill out the guitar headstock and they retro fot in the original holes.

Ok but first do the following. 80% of the problem usually lies in the nut area. after years the nut slots wear down and the string binds on the nut . have your tech file out the slots cleanly and out graphite in the slots and this alone will improve the tuning 100% . if need to replace the nut.  This has to be done by a tech do not do it yourself you need the expertise of a good tech and a jewelers file.

Next problem is nobody winds string correctly anymore. the correct way can be seen on line after you twist back string to lock it ALWAYS WIND STRING DOWNWARDS IN A DOWNWARDS  PATH TO TEH FACE OF HEADSTOCK .This puts a good break angle on the string and helps keep it in tune. So just by stringing  guitar correctly and checking the nut issues I swear 90% of the problems are gone .

As stated the last and final way is to get a new set of tuners but again new tuners without the other two prior steps is futal . so if you get new tuners check the nut issues and wind strings correctly. then you can enjoy that vintage guitar and play it out every night with no issues. Remember these are old instruments and like cars and any collectible they have to be maintained.

If you have any questions please feel free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER  or if you need video tech tips try 300GUITARS.COM

JIM PASCH

Well today there is a company called RETROSPEC GUITAR and they have finally nailed it down as far as I can tell. They have the hands down best parts I have seen and I spoke to the Own of the company and what they have in store is out right scary, They plan within the next two  years to totally replicate all Gibson and fender parts . When I saw the reaction to these parts by reputable dealers I know I was not wrong.

Thank God I know the owner and he has told me a trick or two and what to look for but 99% of the people i know would buy these as real . They even sell the aged parts even more insane to ever detail. I have to say I am impressed and I usually never am. This will make my life a bitch now being I have to what what I buy over the next because it is impossible and i mean Impossible to tell with a photo of these parts are real or fake.

On one hand I am happy but on the other I just see a nightmare for people like me who deal in vintage guitar parts. Thank god nothing can replace 20 years of experience and I am confident I can tell. I just have a sixth sense with this stuff . My rule of thumb is if i have to think about it for more than 10 seconds it is a fake or not real . Now that is for me not the public. Sometimes I can just Lock at something and Say to myself something is wrong even if I do not know what it is and at that point I run.

So I am here to announce to the world I have seen the best and the future is going to get more complicated for sure with these parts out on the market. so beware and look close at what you buy and buy from a reputable guy who will always refund you if you are not happy. Hats off the to boys at RETROSPEC-GUITAR they have truly done amazing things lets just hope the unscrupulous people stay away . If you need more info or have any comments please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

Well lets just say this was an amazing find about $70,000.00 of vintage  parts and out of the lot were $35,000.00 of just hard to find vintage  Fender and Gibson guitar pots. This guy saved everything i even have a 30 lb bag of vinatge screws that will take a year to sort out. So this is some exciting news for us and the public.

 The beauty of this is that alot of the stuff was real vintage post that are getting more and more difficult to find. it is easier to find burst parts that to find some of the   pots  and to boot they were all in usable condition only about 2% ould not be used.  I took 3 days and about 7 hours a day to sort and check out all the pots and we are finally ready to go.

So if you are looking for any pots to restore your guitar now is the time . The word got out already and we are moving alot so drop us an e mail and get them while you can

 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

Here you will find vintage guitars, vintage guitar parts, new guitars, vintage amplifiers, new amplifiers, accessories, guitar memorabilia and a stampede of dealers and a pumped up public all thrown into this one building. There will also be teh sightings of many celebrity’s and rock stars as well as musicians. It is a high energy mix that last for 3 days and on Sunday afternoon if you have survived you Will find it will tale you another 3 days to recover.

The importance of this show is that depending on how sales go it will set the mood for the market for the next 6months or so if it is a great show sales Will boost and the frenzy will be reignited. if the show is average or a abut the market will immediately feel that and could easily offset any growth we have seen in the past 8 months in this business. This show basically is a barometer for our business. This is why this show is so important and the world will be watching for the results come Sunday night.

I have been to the show many times and I always find stuff i have never seen and find the most obscure parts and vintage ite,s i never see anywhere else. If you have the time this is the one show to go to. You can buy a guitar from $100 to $600,000.00 that is how diverse this show is . One bit of advice start at one point and just go up and down isles do not jump around because YOU WILL MISS  many booths it is that packed so get a game plan and enjoy.

I Will report next week on the results of the show so keep an eye out for this blog . I will have a better idea of the market by Monday so stay tuned, Again if you have any questions feel free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER .  you can also subscribe to this blog by going to the bottom of the latest news page and click on the RSS button and you Will automatically get all articles

Jim  Pasch

Jim pasch who recently decided at this point in his life he was going to focus Soley on the vintage guitar parts business and do business under the name  THE PARTS DRAWER  as he has for years . Jim Will continue to sell vintage parts and has still been buying and selling at a fevers pitch in this bad economy. This Will allow him  to travel more and spend more time with his family which is what he wants at this point. The parts drawer is the largest vintage guitar parts business in the world and is what Jim enjoys most at this point in time

Hoboken Vintage Guitars under its new management will continue to supply the community with quality original vintage guitar and amplifiers. The hours will be Monday /Friday 12-5 and will be extended once the remodeling of the store is complete. Of course Rich has always work his schedule around his customers and I have been told appointments before and after hours are never a problem. Just call ahead at 201-222-8977 est.

The new store will get a new face lift and as always carry top of the vintage and used guitars. Rich is now offering a low consignment fee for a limited timefor the restructuring so give him a call. Hoboken Vintage Guitars  The store will once again focus on Vintage amplifiers which for years were not wanted at the old store when JIm Pasch owned the store . Rich himself is a vintage amplification buff and loves the old fender and marshall amps. So keep your eyes out for some cool amps rich says. The website is under construction and will be up within the next 30 days . Rich has promised to keep the inventory more current and the site updated ever several days were in the old days the site was updated every couple of weeks

Just think many do not even know of the Beatles as hard to believe as it is and now kids as young a 8 years old will be tuning in to the Beatles and their music, This is a brilliant move by the remaining Beatles and will definitely boost their catalog sales not to mention the mother load they have received and are receiving form this new video rack game

I got a call yesterday from a kid must have been 12 years old or so saying he wanted a bass like Paul McCartney and then innocently asked if he can plug the guitar into his video game. I thought wow this is amazing here is a kid who probably never knew the Beatles and has become fascinated in a short period of time and now wants to buy or use what Paul was using in the video game. Amazing.

This is a great boost to this vintage market that has taken a hard hit in this economy. True children do not have the money for a vintage bass but the fact that they are interested in one is the real beauty here. This actually gives me hope for the future of music and the vintage guitar market. The game has now opened up the eyes of millions of children to music and melodic music at that and the gear the Beatles used.

I am not counting the money or the sales yet but this is a glimpse of hope I see for the future nothing more and I am excited that someone has taken the initiative to put together a constructive no violent video format for the children,. We have enough violence in life and television why video games give me a break.  Maybe there is some hope out there for the children after all

This is just a personal observation and anyone who has any input please fell free to e mail me at  THE PARTS DRAWER  and I Will gladly respond with 48 hours

Jim Pasch

This got home thinking we bought guitars for $3000 and before he left he dais by the way i have a bunch of loose parts in the basement would you be interested and of course we said sure. 2 hours laster he comes back and I thought it was Christmas early. It seems like this guy tinkered with everything like most did in the 1960′s and early 1970′s when he opened up the box there were pre t top pickups , t top pickups abr-1 bridges kluson tuners and a slue of other parts.

Well i went crazy as usual and bought everything we bought $5800 of parts from him. That’s  amazing when you think about it that the parts were worth more than the guitar he brought in and he had actually last year thought about throwing them out !  needless to say he left here happier than me and that was a super day for us.

The moral of this story and to all out there what you think is junk is probably worth cash. you may not have a box full of stuff but simple things like pickups , bridges , tuners and bridge covers bring big money today. I know that there is still tons of parts out there in case pockets. drawers or boxes and that is all found money in this bad economy. Another interesting point is it is much better to sell the parts and keep the guitars. at least you can play the guitars.

These times are the baddest we have seen and every little bit helps be it $100 or $5000 . So look in those old cases and drawers and I will be willing to bet you have money sitting there you did not even know you had. If you have any questions on what a part might be worth just e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and send a few picks and i Will gladly tell you the market value for free.

Jim Pasch

I just bought a 1952 Fender Telcaster I thought was correct and I have brought it to several dealers and they tell me the pickguards is a replacement. It looks original to me is definitely bakelite how can I tell if it is real. The dealer i got it from swears it is real but nobody interested in buying it says real. I am stuck !  and frustrated help!!

REPLY

This is a more common problem than you think. The quality of fake vintage parts or reproduction has reach a dangerous level. They are so good it is even hard for us to tell at first glance. Only our years of experience tells us it is a reproduction.

For example. A great guy named Clive Brown in England makes the best black guard reproduction i have ever seen. I know Clive and he is a gentlemen and a true master at his craft. He sells them as reproductions and his companies parts are for restoration only and he states that. It is not his fault if unscrupulous people tale his product and sell it as real. Clive has even gone out of his way to help people who have been duped. So the problem is not Clive it is the idiot who buys it and tries to rip people off

Another great  company is Retrospec  LLC. they make the best repro parts i have seen and probably the only two company I would recommend due to my first hand experience. I Will not bad mouth any other companies many of the people i know and like but i feel as thought these two are the best and more importantly sell the stuff as repro and no to screw people.

Now as far as your problem goes any legitimate dealer should take the guitar back or make a price adjustment if the guard was not real. Dealers are human and do make mistakes and again some of this repo stuff is amazing. I personally find that it is difficult now lets say like on eBay to buy a guitar that looks correct and has repro parts. That is why we have always suggested but from a reputable dealer or a reputable seller on ebay and make sure you have a return policy and an inspection time period. if the dealer or seller says no run away!!

Sorry to hear about this i hope you can work this out with dealer. If you have any further questions please e mail me at The Parts Drawer

Thanks

Jim Pasch

QUESTION

I have a 1956 Fender Telcaster guitar. I am having it re-freted and the guy re-freting my guitar says he has to over spray the board. I told him that would ruin the value of the guitar and he says that that is the correct way to re-fret a maple neck. What should I do

REPLY

That is a well debated question in the vintage guitar community. And many still cannot agree and i Will explain why. To the credit of your repair guy the correct way to re-fret t a maple neck is to over spray it and seal ! the neck. Original fender necks including yours were done this way. The sealing or over spray of the neck seals the wood keeping out moister and helps prevent stabilizethe neck by allowing less expansion and contraction. Also the neck will not shrink as fast you have seen as tome goes on how the fret ends stick out this is from the neck shrinking as it gets older.

Now if you were to follow this course of thought i would say go with a light nitro over spray and i mean light. No poly finishes unless your neck was originally done in poly like a late1968 to present fender neck. this will lower the value a bit on the guitar so think twice.

The other school of thought is mine. Just re-fret and do not over spray only to help keep the vintage value of the guitar. Who cares i would rather keep the dirt fret board with original finish or What is left of it. Again ask yourself why your are doing it are you a player , a collector or a novice. Again I would say leave it alone !!! Also when you re-fret use original size frets the jumbos play great but kill the collector value. 

I hope that helped but again do not yell at your repair guy technically he is correct . If you have any other questions please e mail me at The Parts Drawer and I Will answer with 48 hours

Jim Pasch

Why is it that everyone hates 1966 Fender Stratocaster and all I hear is it is not pre cbs get a 1965 or earlier. I have had it for year sand i think it is one of the best i have heard. Should I sell it and get a pre cbs Stratocaster?

REPLY

NO !!! Alert the media we have a winner here !!! Wow , people like you make my day. Ask any one who has known me for over 30 years i am one of the few who has raved about that year strat. In general  i hate 1964 and 1965 Stratocasters  . Over the years in my experience i  have found that i like 1955 ,1956 and 1959 and 1966 strats the best. Sound and playability of course is a personal thing but in general i would feel safe with any of the above. That being said I have found great Stratocasters  form all years and bad strats for all years including my favorite years EXCEPT 1966 !!!!! I have never played a bad one !!!

I personally feel it is because the necks are big and the headstock is thicker. Yes it is definitely thicker and that I believe  makes the difference. I  am so confident that i could order a stock 1966 Stratocaster and be happy with it as along as it is stock and in good working order. I have personally owned over 40 1966 stratocaster and all were winners 100% .

It may well be the combination of the thicker headstock the different pickup wire and by the way many 1966 stratocaster had large factory frets that is a fact !!!! and again why i feel they. I have been blessed to be able to play literally thousands of vintage  fender guitar and have found this to be true . this is not book knowledge it is hands on experience.

So do not sell it . Enjoy it the hell with a 1965 ( please all you 1965 do not hate me it is solely my opinion) .I believe in time the 1966 Stratocaster will get the respect it deserves and you can say you knew it all along

If you have any other questions feel free  to email  me