I bought a Fender Tele new in 1971 and it was not that great a guitar. My cousin has a 57 Tele and it is amazing. It is amazing because of its flaws and its age. The pickups sound beautiful but a little noisy. I am sure that is part of what gives them the sound they have. The body is light and nimble. Would I pay $3,200 for a 71 Tele; no way.
I personally don't much like new guitars, as I feel a good guitar gets better with age and a poor one does not. I also am a firm believer n the Mojo Factor. I think an instrument takes on a personality over the years, just as we do.
The money we pay for them is just a medium of exchange. Its value fluctuates too. Is gas really worth $3.75 a gallon? Well, if we are buying it for that much, then it is. Is a 60's fender P bass worth more than a 70's series one? Not to me, but others think it is.
A little while ago a 60's Mustang convertible was worth way more than a 60's Porsche 911 targa. Which do you think is a better performer? However, a Mustang is an American icon. So is a P bass. It all comes down to public perceived value, utilitarian value, performance and upkeep value, and collector value.
The really good news is that Alembics are very low priced for what they are. Is a new P bass going for $14,800 bucks? No, but a series one is.
If we had to start paying $7,000 for a used series one we would not like it so much, even though they are probably worth it in terms of quality, playability, and sound. I suspect someday we might be paying that much. I remember when old Strats and Les Pauls started going for serious money. You either bought one or you thought it was crazy to pay that much. My best friend had a 69 Strat he bought new and then sold in the early 80?s in Seattle. He had people bidding against each other in his living room for it and sold it for $2,500. I never liked the guitar and thought it sounded like crap. It was just a bad sounding Strat for some reason. However, I now wish I had bought it!
Anyway, enough of my rambling!
