Vanity purchase?

I want a birthyear strat pretty bad, but its cost prohibitive. My. 02 - go with modern quality. The American Professional II Telecaster® is a great guitar for the $

 

The 70's were not particularly great years for Fender or Gibson. Only in the last 10 years has the price of CBS era guitars started to command more money. It's your money to do as you please, but I'd probably lean towards a newer model and use the savings to buy something else. I've had vintage guitars because I thought it would be cool to own, but the reality was they were just old used guitars. I owned a birthyear LP junior, a birthyear lp dc for my wife, and a birthyear LP studio for my daughter. I flipped them for a little profit and never looked back.

 

I had a '73 Strat that I sold for $250 in 1992. It was a pretty good guitar and I regret selling it simply because I believed the "collective knowledge" that all CBS Fenders were bad. You really have to judge individual guitars and not go by years or the specific location they were made.

That said, if I was spending a few thousand bucks on a Tele, I'd go for a new custom shop, not a vintage one unless it was truly exceptional and at a fantastic price.

 

Naw. I've always thought it would be nice to have a Fender Champ from the year I was born. Sadly, I've waited too long and the cost would probably be prohibitive. How prohibitive you ask. Let's just say that it would probably have an octal tube rather than a 12ax7.

 

Those years can be hit and miss in my experience. My ‘70 tele was one of the better guitars I’ve ever owned. Likewise, a ‘75 Strat I once owned was the best. Period. I’ve played fender strats from ‘54 to present, I’ve never come across a better one than that ‘75. I sold it because at the time, I couldn’t deal with the fact that it had been a hardtail, that somebody routed for a trem. It was really nice work. Totally pro job. But I had it in my head that it was going to be “vintage” someday, and the value would be ruined by that. I should have kept it. It was the best player I’ve ever come across. And light as a feather.

If you can play the ‘73, and it’s what you really want, I say go for it. I’m a ‘73 model myself, and I’d love to have one. But I wouldn’t buy it just for that reason. It would have to be a great player. Otherwise I’d get something else.

 

I bought some fancy leather straps with conchos, tooling (machine), and a new pair of boots. That's my vanity thing.

 

You will probably find an answer quick once you start looking for one that matches your specs.

Edit: sorry, didn't see that you found one, thought that was what you were looking for!

 

Probably depends on the guitar. I have a "vintage" birth year guitar that took a lot of work and money to restore. It is now a great player, as good as anything I've had, with a sound to match. Still, I could have shopped around and found a similar modern guitar that wouldn't have needed the TLC. The bottom line for me is that the year of make by itself is way down the list of priorities.

But if you can get it in-hand, you love it, and the price is right, go for it.

 

Contrary to what others have said, I wouldn't throw all 70s Fenders under the bus. Certainly the ratio of lemons to gems is higher, but great 70s Fender guitars can still be found. Case and point, I personally would love to have a 1972 Telecaster Thinline. I also think there are some positive features that are overlooked, such as the bullet truss rod, which is easier to adjust than the heel adjusting rods, as well as two string trees instead of one.

 

That seems like a great reason to buy a telecaster. I've got an Epiphone Casino that has been a vanity project (or maybe stubborn pride, not sure which). It was a nothing special, mid-90s MIK guitar that didn't sound great and didn't feel great, but looked amazing. Every time I looked at it, I wanted to play it. Every time I played it, I wanted to put it down and get away from it. Dumped all kinds of money into new parts and work and it's a great guitar now. But if I was rational, I would have ditched it long ago and gotten a better one. I'm sure by now that I've spent as much on it as an Epiphone Elitist Casino if not more. Pride and vanity made me stick it out, and now I'm forever bonded with it. So yeah, go for it.

 

If you can afford it, why not?

Would you allow some naysayer to stop you from buying a vehicle painted silver just because they don't like silver? They can go pound sand.

Do what you like, so long as (1) it makes you happy, and (2) you don't cause suffering of others.

 

Rather than buying a birth year guitar, get a guitar that you love to play whatever the vintage.

I do happen to have a birth year guitar, but not because i sought it out. A friend just gave me an
old guitar he had never learned to play. When i checked serial numbers to my surprise it was from
the year i was born It rarely gets played or leaves the house.

 

'63 would be a vanity purchase. '73 - not so much

 

I can sure understand the sentimental attraction.....but I would never buy a guitar simply based on the year it was made. Especially if you're buying to PLAY and not just hang on a wall.....it would have to be compatible with my playing and comfort requirements.
Go buy one of those "newsletters" that tells what was happening and was popular on your birthday in 1973, and then buy a guitar you REALLY like.

 

I don't have a birth year guitar, but I do have a birth year ('62) electric mandolin and bassman amp. I wasn't looking for either piece when I found them. There's nothing wrong with wanting or owning a birth year guitar. Take your time, they're out there. Not as many as there once were, but they can still be found. The internet is a great resource for vintage gear buyers, but be careful. Do your homework and be ready when the right thing comes along.

 

Its not dumb at all ... I just don't want a guitar THAT old

 

Birth year guitars don’t appeal to me. Maybe if I were twenty years older and had a lot more money.

 

BTW, I prefer blonde with rosewood.