The acoustic guitar market is just like the automobile market. Every single year, manufacturers make new versions of the same guitar, and every year, models from previous years keep getting slashed until one year, they become vintage and start to regain value. You can even take that analogy down to the adage that a guitar loses half its value once you take it off the lot. And it's true, because you can't collect that 45% markup at resale.
Of course, not every guitar is going to follow this path — a vintage Ford Pinto will always have little value because it's junk, but Ford Mustangs always have good resale value because it's a high-quality machine. Guitars, naturally, work the same way. Buy a cheap, low value guitar new, and it will never really gain any value in the long run.
Something else to consider is what year a used guitar was originally made. The guitar manufacturing industry is constantly evolving, and some brands evolve negatively, while others move into the market or even improve.
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For the most part, I keep all of this stuff in mind when I look for and buy used acoustic guitars. At the end of the day, a well-researched guitar that satisfies what you are looking for in one is going to be a good purchase.
Guild guitars came onto the market in the 1950s with its eyes set on becoming an alternative to Gibson guitars, which many people consider one of the premier guitar manufacturers.
Because they outgrew their original location in the Tri-State area due to high demand for their product, the makers of Guild started manufacturing in Westerly, Rhode Island in the 60s, where they were highly esteemed for the quality of their guitars for their entire stay there, which ended in 2001.
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Commonly referred to as Westerly Guilds, these guitars represent some of the best value on the used market because they still have that vintage Guild quality, but you can find many under $1, 000.
Plus, they're American-made guitars, which goes a long way in the vintage guitar world. Especially the dreadnaught guitars, Westerly Guilds have a deep sound that definitely reminds people of Gibson guitars, so if you're eyeing a Gibson, but don't want to spend $2, 000, a Westerly Guild is about as close as you can get at about half the price, and in same some cases, even lower.
One last thing to note is that you want a Guild actually built at the Westerly factory between the 1960s and early 2000s — not the new vintage throwbacks they sell. Those are completely different guitars and chances are will never be worth more than what you pay for them originally.
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While Guild guitars represent a solid alternative to Gibson guitars, man, there's really nothing like the real thing. The problem with the real thing though, is that most Gibson acoustics are usually really expensive.
But the Gibson LG series of the 60s and 70s are somewhat of an exception. The LG guitars are not the traditional dreadnaught style (meaning big) that most people think of when they picture Gibson acoustics.
In fact, they were actually a line of guitars designed for students, so at the time, they weren't considered one of Gibson's high-quality models. But the reality, is, they actually were pretty high quality because back then, Gibson didn't really make a low quality-guitar.
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It's kind of like when Lebron James has a bad game but still scores 25 points — maybe it wasn't up to the best Gibson standards, but it sure still beat the competition.
There are three types of LG guitars: LG-0, LG-1 and LG-2. The LG-0 was the most cost-effective version and the LG-2 was considered the best of the bunch. All three, though, sound beautiful and really uphold that rich sound that one associates with Gibson guitars.
Plus, all three models were made at the Kalamazoo, Michigan factory as opposed to the Bozeman, Montana factory, which will only add to their resale value. The vintage guitar world loves any models that come from the original factory of the manufacturer.
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Plenty of Gibson LG acoustic guitars can be found for under $1, 000, and realistically, might be some of the most underrated guitars on the used market. If you can get your hands on one, you will probably have that statement guitar you've always wanted without breaking the bank.
Seagull Guitars are the most well-known subsidiary under the umbrella of Godin Guitars, which makes their instruments in a town called La Patrie, Canada, sitting just a couple hours west of Montreal.
Other subsidiaries are Art & Luthrie, Simon Patrick and Norman, all quality guitar brands that you can easily pick up on the used market for under $300. In fact, I would recommend purchasing one of those brands used as opposed to any brand-new guitar in that price range.
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But the older Seagull S6 is the gem here. A perfect storm of circumstances has made this guitar perhaps the best buy on the used market, and not only can you buy this guitar for under $1, 000, you could probably even get it for under $300.
See, the fact is, Godin makes really nice guitars at really affordable prices. Overall, the Seagull S6 is probably its best seller, and it's easy to see why. It's got a big, rich sound, but its brightness also cuts through, making it balanced, and really, just a joy to play.
So, why can you get one used for as low as $200 dollars? Unfortunately, I think it has everything to do with the name. Godin products simply don't have the same brand name power as Martin, Gibson, Fender or all the rest, so that makes their resale values lag.
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But if you are interested in getting a really nice guitar for dirt cheap, then a Seagull S6 made prior to 2005 is a clear winner. Realistically, if that guitar had the name, Martin printed on the headstock, it would sell for $1, 500 easily.
It's too bad, but at some point, the Seagull brand changed how they made the Seagull S6, and while it still sounds decent, it's over $500 and not really the same guitar. With so many old Seagull S6 guitars out there, realistically, it just makes more sense to be these ones used. They're very undervalued guitars.
Sometimes, you just need a guitar that can go to the cabin with you or that the kids can strum without giving you anxiety. When it comes to guitars of this ilk, you want cheap, but you also don't want trash, and this is a perfect reason to buy used.
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The simple fact is the cheapest brand-new model at a guitar store is going to leave a lot to be desired, and you can be sure to find something in a comparable price point at a much better price on the used market, especially when you consider all the people who bought an guitar with the hopes of learning how to play, and then quit their guitar lessons after the first few.
This is where those Godin subsidiary models are gold — especially Art & Luthrie — as they're really inexpensive and just better quality than any Rogue, Mitchell or Oscar Schmidt guitars that you'll find at your local guitar store.
Another great brand in for this situation is Yamaha. For some reason, I feel like I've never played a Yamaha at any price point that got in my way of playing.
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Martin Guitars used to be my favorite acoustic guitar brand, and I still dream of owning a 60s-70s model in perfect condition. But somewhere in the late 90s or early 2000s, they really started changing the way they made a lot of their low-end and mid-range models, switching over from back and sides made out of wood to back and sides made out of a paper-related product called high-pressure laminate.
Now, some of these guitars that were still made in the Nazereth, Pennsylvania factory still have a pretty good Martin sound, but around 2005, they shifted over to outsourcing low- and mid-range models and the move to make their guitars more cheaply resonates in the lack of quality in these models.
Worse, since the name Martin is a premier brand name in the guitar industry, they pretty much replaced all their models under $1, 000 with outsourced versions, and people still buy them.
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For me, any Martin prior to 1990 I would treat it like it is, a premier vintage guitar that is going to be pricey.
After that, I'm only looking at models made in the Nazareth factory and not paying more than $600 for anything that has high-pressure laminate, if I'm even buying it at all.
Personally, I wouldn't buy any of outsourced Martins. They don't sound like Martins, yet you're paying the price for one. There are simply better guitars options out there.
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The great thing for the guitar lover is that there are tons of different brands to try. Naturally, I haven't played a lot of them, but I will say this, if some of these brands interested me, I would seek them out.
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