The Blog

November 2, 2023

It’s hard to picture the guitar market before Fender’s iconic Broadcaster/Telecaster formally entered the scene. So, imagine our sheer awe when we opened an original thermometer case to view one of Fender’s earliest prototypes – an authentic piece of music history. Pinning down an exact timeline can be difficult, especially when a guitar has passed… Read More…

October 6, 2023

Co-Author: Kaitlyn Crisp If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs, you may have read our previous post, “The Anatomy of Gibson’s Reverse Firebirds.” This post is a companion and continuation of this topic, so check it out for all your Reverse authentication needs!  Though Gibson originally had high hopes for the new solid body… Read More…

August 31, 2023

Sometimes, you come across a vintage guitar whose history has been lost with time. With every hand it passes through, the original owner’s story is gradually whittled down until what was once a redwood is now a twig. And yet, sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a guitar with a history that is so… Read More…

August 4, 2023

Throughout the 20th-century guitar-building golden age, manufacturers continually pushed the envelope with their instruments’ craftsmanship, playability, and use of emerging materials, namely their plastics. At present, it’s outlandish to think plastic goods were once considered rare. However, it wasn’t until World War II that plastic was brought to the forefront of manufacturing materials. Before plastic,… Read More…

July 5, 2023

As you may well know, buying for our shop has given me some of my life’s most extraordinary tales and adventures. This story takes us back to the early 2010s in New Jersey with my former business partner, Richie, at We Buy Guitars.  On November 30th, 2013, we received a call from our friend at… Read More…

May 19, 2023

Following the 1950 release of their wildly popular “Blackguards,” Leo Fender wanted to design a new guitar that he hoped would soon eclipse anything else on the market. As local musicians often dropped by the Fullerton factory to show off their homemade modifications to their Fender guitars, a new iconic guitar emerged out of these… Read More…

April 28, 2023

In the mid-60s, Fender faced a predicament. Remedying it would result in the launch of a new model and color experimentation to the extent Fender had rarely reached before. This is the Thinline Telecaster and its slew of custom colors that are seldom seen.  While it is well-known that CBS implemented many changes to the… Read More…

April 13, 2023

At the end of 1969, one of the most eventful years in modern music history, no one could prepare for the sound that would emerge to define the new decade: Led Zeppelin’s performance at the Royal Albert Hall on January 9th, 1970. The concert meant a great deal to the band, as Jimmy Page describes: … Read More…

March 30, 2023

Buying and selling guitars has given me some of the most incredible experiences and stories I could imagine over the years. The story I am about to tell has always been one of my favorites to recount. In 2007, I received a call from a gentleman who told me he had a 1954 Fender Stratocaster,… Read More…

March 17, 2023

If the ‘50s were about establishing themselves as a tycoon of instrument sales, for Fender, the ‘60s were all about change. Looking back on it, some of these changes were welcome. The earlier years of the decade brought about many beloved Fender features: custom colors, new models, and a fun, fresh approach to their advertisements… Read More…