Neck-Thru Tele Value

[neonhusk]

Hello, I have a swamp ash telecaster that I bought in Korea around 2001. There was a small shop in the town where I was working that gave lessons and sold guitars. The owner was a classical guitarist and really cool guy. He would take orders for custom guitars that were made locally. Very high quality craftsmanship and detail but an ungodly headstock logo with the brand name on it, "Mr. Potato". This shop has long since closed but I run across these every so often. So I have had this tele since then and it has been played very little. I am not a professional musician so this has never been gigged or even used in a studio. It has mostly sat in a case for all these years but I take it out every so often and play it. It has Kent Armstrong Pickups, gotoh tuners, bound neck and everything is fully functional. I believe the fretboard radius is 12" and the neck profile is modern thin. I have a few photos attached here. I want to sell it as I am too old to have as many guitars as I do so I am selling what I play the least and working my way through the inventory. I have no idea what this is worth and thought some of you who buy and sell often would have an idea of how I might price this to start. I will probably try Craigslist because Reverb's costs are out of control but we'll see how it goes.

So what does the TDPRI think is a reasonable price?

 

[RPadTV3000]

looks really cool, but i can't imagine getting much for it since it's not a known brand. very much guessing, but i'd be surprised if you could get 500 for it.

 

[Lonn]

Agreed.

 

[Freeman Keller]

It looks like a very nice unique guitar with decent worksmanship, the kind of guitar that any of the home builders here would be proud to say they made it. Unfortunately that kind of thing doesn't sell very well (I know because I make them). Assuming the geometry is perfect (it can't be changed on a thru neck), good frets and perfect setup, decent pups I would say the guitar is worth 500. Whether you can actually get that or not is another question.

 

[Boreas]

Agree with everybody above. A fabulous case may take it up to $600. You never know when you might run into a neck-through lover!

 

[Killing Floor]

Really cool. Love it. And Mr Potato with kind of a Wu seal is awesome.

But people don’t pay for workmanship, they pay for brand. You should keep it because it’s fantastic.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

I'll give ya $20. Take a post-dated check?
Seriously - keep it and play the snot outta it.
If it don't say "Fender" or "Gibson" on the headstock, folks won't give you squat for it.

 

[McGoldTopp]

"Mr Potato"?

****ing love it!

unfortunately maybe not worth more that $350-400, but the quality looks above that price point...

I'd be proud to own that...

 

[Jakedog]

I’m gonna say even less than the other guys. Personally, I think it’s fantastic looking, and I even like the headstock and Mr. Potato logo. The whole thing is outta sight.

That said, if you were around these parts I’d be surprised if it pulled $300. Just because it’s non-traditional and totally unknown.

 

[RPadTV3000]

you ever end up selling this?

 

[old wrench]

From what I can see in the pics, I like that guitar

Someone spent quite a bit of time building it, and it has some really nice details from different types of guitars pulled together as a Tele

Reminds me of a Merle Haggard-type "Tuff Dawg" Tele

It would be nice to see it end up in the hands of someone that would appreciate it for what it really is, instead of just looking at it as a "no name" guitar with a Potato on the headstock

Of course I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet that name was a play on the old Mr. Potato Head game concept where a part from here and a part from there were assembled to create something different and unusual, but still appealing



A lot of folks put more value on a "brand name" than on the item itself - so unless you connect with the right buyer you probably won't get much for it

What I'll do with my guitar builds from time to time, is donate them to a charity or organization, who in turn auctions them off and then uses the proceeds to support something that I feel is a good, worthy cause

.

 

[musky55]

How about a neck through Tele signed by Joe B ?