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

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 have what i believe to be a 1967 Hofner Bass. It is like the one Paul Mccartney used in The Beatles. I have not used it in years and i took it out of case and action is high and i cannot adjust it enough to play. The bass was in a normal closet no water or heat damage i do not know what to due . I took it to a local music store and they said i need a new neck .

REPLY

Hold on relax I bet first of all you do not need a new neck. The music store you went to I am sure does not deal in vintage guitars and restorations. Of Course i need to see pics of guitar but i am sure you need a neck reset that is all. So take a deep breath and relax.

First of all this is a common problem with all hofner basses . I Will go out on a limb as say 70% of the basses need or have had neck sets. This was a structural design flaw by hofner ans is very very common you did nothing wrong except maybe you should also ways loosen the strings if you do not play the bass this helps tale tension off neck.

Many can be critical of the design but few can argue as i am sure you know how great these bases sound. NOTHING sound like a hofner bass and its sound is legendary. So when people criticize as they have for years how badly these basses  were build i say the construction or lack of extra reinforcement probably adds to the fact of the great tone. many poorly constructed  guitar sound great they justneed constant care . Probably because they vibrate and resonate better

So first thing never bring a vintage guitar to a music store that does not deal specifically with vintage guitars. The repair procedure is totally different than a normal guitar. When you get a neck set be sure you tell the repair man you want it to remain as close to its original state as possible aka do not use alot of over spray preferably none!!!! this Will preserve the value greatly.

Remember the most important thing is after you get a neck reset it to loosen the string a half step or so when storing your bass or guitar . This relived the tension on the neck and you will find that the problem will be resolved. if you want to send me pictures of the bass i Will be glad to look at it and tell you what i thing or if you have any further question e mail me at The Parts Drawerand i Will e mail with 48 hours

Jim Pasch