First at least 30 people told me they sold a lot  for guitars at the show and that they all brought a good price for this market. lest start with what i heard for the Gibson market .1959 Es-335 were selling for $30,000-$38,000 , 1957 paf gold tops were selling for $75,000 – $85,000 1954 Les Paul  gold tops were slow but a few sold in for  30,000 that were clean . The burst market although down was still ok i heared 4 burst were sold ranging from $225,000 -$350,000. As expected the $1000- $3000 guitars were wiped out if they were straight and clean the all sold and people were scrambling to find more. So the Gibson market was rocking and most dealers I talked to were happy. Well that’s a relative statement because as you know th are  all miserable, hahahhah or lets just say moody.

The Fender market was a bit more hit and miss.  1954 Stratocatsers  were selling for $55,000, 1952 telecaster  were bringing $45,000 -$55,000 this is all  great news. The super rare custom color stratocasters were still bringing great money like fiesta red coral pink Sherwood metallic green etc. and some for what i thought were record prices. A dealer friend of mine sold his 1960 fiesta red stratocaster  in 9+ condition for $68,000 !! I heard a 1959 blonde stratocasters  with gold hardware sold for $65,000  again I feel strong for this market .Most clean bakelite stratocaster  were selling between $38,000-$42,000 the later being super clean. Fender Telecaster in general were a bit slow again unless in some wild color. I heard from most dealers that candy apple red, white and lake placid blue colored fender were a bit slow.

The other models such a Rickenbacker , Gretsch and Martins did well if they were super clean with no issues I do not have exact prices but i did hear for instance that  a few Gretsch duo jets sold and of course any clean martin were gone if the price was right . Again i dd not get any exact example so i do not want to speculate but again no ones was complaining.

So the general mood was positive and traffic at the show was great. Again it was not 1997 but guess what it never will be again !!!. It is a rare thing to get a good vibe from almost 90% of the people i talked to so i feel better as far as the market moving even further in a positive direction. Those of you know if it was a bad show I never hold anything back and have said many times if a show was horrible but this one seems to be a good one for everyone. If you need any otehr info on teh show e mail me at THE PARTSDRAWER thanks

Jim Pasch

300guitars.com  has a monthly following of  100,000 people per month and is growing monthly. We have been watching this site grow over the years and feel that it is not only a good site but one that we can hands down recommend. We have been asked by many sites due to our reputation and popularity to write for them but we Will not write for a site we do not believe in. This is a site i am confident is both useful to the public and an honest site.

We obviously have a large drawing power and the fact that we are teaming up with another heavy hitter on the Internet will i believe benefit the public and each other. We focus on solely used guitars and parts and bill does both new and vintage so it is a good marriage of old and new.  bill has years of hands on experience and most important;y he is a player and loves guitars !!! that is the real caveat for me. He is a working musician and is not in this for the money. I have known him for about 18 years and i believe in what he is doing so that is why i will be taking allocating time for this article on his website.

We will will be submitting article staring in a week and you can look for the article around the 15th and the 30th of each month or there abouts. These article will also have a link directly to me and i can personally answer any questions you may have directly an i am confident due to the volume that within 48 hours i Will be able to answer every one’s questions personally and efficiently. The good thing is if I cannot answer a specific question i have the resources to direct you to the person who can. Over the years i have made many friends and connections many who specialize in one thing or another .

I look forward to hearing from all of you and thanks once again for all your support over the years

Jim Pasch

I would like to say first that the Fender guitar market is not dead and that the guitars still have their value but that it is a stagnant market for high end fender guitar and the more  expensive the slower the sale. Gibson guitar on the other hand have seemed to be selling and actually regaining their momentum’s from a few year ago. I am not saying that Les Paul Jr will ever be 12k again but i am saying they are selling for realistic prices and are moving. a year ago you could not give one away . Real do neck es-335′s and es-355′s have rebounded and are selling and again are bringing real money again. The key is still originality and condition but if the guitar is priced right it sells . for example 3 years ago a clean dot neck was 40-50k now the are 30-35k  and are selling i know at least five dealers who have sold them for 35k they were killer but still in this economy people will still pay for a great guitar. This is great news!

The Les Paul market has been on the road to recovery not the top end burst market but the normal 2k-15k guitar are flying out of stores all i hear dealers say is i need more Les Paul’s under 15k . The 50′s gold tops for the moments are slow and the burst are slow but the rest are flying off the shelf. So yes the  economy is bad but last years nobody was buying anything and for these guitar to be selling this good it has to be a sign. The SG market is the same it has adjusted but when priced right has also seen great sales on models under 10k . This is a great tome to get a killer sg standard from the 1960′s at a great price .

The Gibson parts business is on fire compared to Fender. We are selling Gibson parts 5 to 1 and this has been for over a year again emphasizing the comeback of the Gibson guitar market. Since the market is on the rebound people are investing in original parts again to get the most for their guitar when selling or trading in . So that is the latest good news if you need specific prices or have questions on any gibson or fender models please fee free to e mail me at THE PARTSDRAWER

Jim Pasch

I am restoring a 1960 Gibson Es-335 and have been looking for a long time for correct bridge I was told I need a non wire ABR-1.What year did they go from non wire to wire on the Gibson ABR-1 bridge.  Also why are they so expensive compared to wire ones especially since the wire ones are better.

REPLY

Thank you for email. First the years the correct one for your guitar is a Gibson  non wire ABR-1  bridge.  these were used until 1962 . An important note f you had a bigsby tremolo on your guitar your bridge would have a curved base. All tremolo guitar by Gibson in this era used curved base bridges to help the guitar stay in tune when the whammy bar was used. So this is important when looking for the correct bridge. Did Gibson ship them with regular base bridges sure a few did as you know there were no real quality checks back then but  most should have curved base. It is also not uncommon to find them on 1963 guitars also Gibson used the  remaining ones up that year they never threw anything out.

Second question is that yes the non wire bridges are more expensive for several reasons. First and foremost most were thrown away because of the design. people quickly noticed if a string broke the bridge saddle would fly off hence the no retaining wire.This was a big problem at a gig lest say  imagine it is bad enough you broke a string imagine having to look around on the floor for your bridge saddle !!!. so most replaced them with bridges with retaining wires so the guitar was more functional. Finally Gibson got the message and by 1963 the bridges all had retaining wires which held the saddles in making changing a string a breeze from the old style bridge.

The curved base ones are cheaper then the normal  base ones only because the expensive guitar from the 1950,s had the flat bases and are the guitar that are worth  alot of money like the bursts and gold top les pauls, the flying v’s and the explorers to name a few so the vintage market which demands originality raised the prices on these and in fact they are not that easy to find because again many were simply thrown away  over the years.

Today Gibson has reproduced these but they do not have the trademark symbol after the abr-1 name on base of bridge so beware when buying always look for that mark. Many of  these new ones have been aged to look old if you are not sure send me a picture and i wil tell you if it is correct. You can e mail me at the partsdrawer and i will be glad to answer any question you may have

Jim Pasch

QUESTION

I have a what I believe to be 1958 Les Paul Jr. but it only has a 4 digit serial number. Is this possible.

REPLY

Great question. This is one of those guitars that breaks many of the rules for identification. People may argue this and that but the fact is that a 1958 gibson les Paul jr has its own set of rules. This is an important lesson for the business in that many times there are exceptions to the rules. True there are not many but they do exist. I have seen many people loose money by advertising a 1958 as a 1960 and getting much less for it so bookmark this post for future reference

Not too many people know this but in 1958 the first run of 1958 Les Paul Jr’s have a 4 digit serial number that is correct. These are usually found of the slab body or thicker body Jr’s and the heel joint is much deeper on the early 1958 double cut Jr’s. I have only seen this serial number example on double cut Jr’s.

Also a cool little known fact is 98% of the ones i have seen also has a soap bar p90 under the dog ear cover. This is to accommodate the deeper neck angle on the slab early body 58 Jr’s . This is so the pickup sits down deeper in the body due to the shallow neck angle a regular dog ear p90 will be too high!! so yes the  serial number is different and also is many little details on that guitar that other people do not know.

So If one is not sure here is list of thing to check. The neck with be almost uncomfortably large in 1958 . will  likely have 4 digit serial number, check pot dates. carefully pull of p90 cover chances are it it is s soap bar pickup it is a 1958. also the heel joint will be deeper on the body. The body will also be a bit more squared off and thicker hence the name slab body.

I hope this helps thank you for  your question

Jim Pasch

Thr Parts Drawer

I was visiting a friend this weekend and he had an American made Fender Baja Sexto Baritone guitar. He bought it he said around 1991  This is an incredible guitar looks like a tele with a along neck . Do you ever see these and do they still make them. I searched everywhere on the next today and cannot find any for sale.

REPLY

Wow nobody has asked about these in years. I forgot all about this model. Well I will tell you these are cool as hell guitars and I have not had one for sale since 1994 . I was Lucky enough to get a few of these from a famous band that fender original made them for and i believe fender only made them from the custom shop for a year or two. I will be honest I do not have any production totals or when they actually started making them.

The baja Sexto was a Fender telecaster with a long neck plain and simple / the ones i had were in a the standard butterscotch finish with black pickgurd  and maple necks. At the time I owned a recording studio and this was a cool addition to the arsenal and everyone who visited the studio was amazed with the guitar and it was a great conversion piece as well. I cannot tell you on how many recording we used it . you can really get creative with this beast.

If my ,memory  is correct the fender custom ship in japan may have reissued these or there was a knockoff model around. The fender custom shop japan has always done a nice job so if i remember they re good instruments also. since then fender has issued a baritone guitar in the shape of a jaguar but let me tell you not even close to how cool the original telecaster Baja Sexto was.

I can understand why perhaps Fender did not continue this model . The fact that it is a baritone guitar limits its market share and in reality how many people really need one. So from a shear business standpoint it is understandable on the decision made. But the guitar junky in all u=of us always wants these gems for our collections and creative glimpses. True we are not the marketing force they need to survive but never the less we are real and we buy guitars!!! So I feel fender should offer this gem in there custom shop and let the few in the know enjoy the instrument.

The bad news is i have not has one for sale in over 20 years and have not seen any for sale in any private collection either. The fact is those that have them keep them and use them and cherish them. My advice is to write or call fender custom shop and for all I know they may eve have an old one lying around they are dying to sell.one of the employees may even have one I  would say that is your best bet .If you have any further questions please feel free to e mail me at  THE PARTS DRAWER just fill out the questionnaire and i will answer within 48 hours.

Jim Pasch

2008-2009   was bad for everyone , I was no exception lost my job ,lost 401 k and you know the rest . Recently i got back on my feet . I am looking to start buying vintage guitar and maybe even restoring some of my old ones. How is the vintage guitar market REALLY ! and were do you see it going. I see by your past posts you have honestly assest the market even when most dealers would not and said the market fell Even when you know it would hurt your own business and i respect that. This is why I am asking you know for your opinion.

REPLY

Thank you for those kind words that is what we have always done . Even though  was siting on a huge inventory when market fell I told the truth even though I know it may hurt our business abit but in the long run the truth will always help . So here in 2010 I Will give you my opinion and it is a good one for you not me.

Right now is a buyers market. Many dealers including myself are selling guitar sand parts at the lowest prices and even below cost to raise cash. This is not a horrible thing because most business due this but this industry has never been faced with this situation before. So this is a painful time for the vintage guitar business but for those who adjust there prices business is good.

The dealers that are still preaching gloom and doom are stilling asking 2007 prices for their guitar and vintage guitar parts. They refuse to bend and in the end they Will suffer. W have opted to reduce prices get in line with the market an thinks are selling.

The good news is you as a buyer this year will be able to buy vintage guitars and vintage guitar parts way cheaper than we have seen in over 15 years . this is a big opportunity for the vintage guitar lover to score big. I am seeing an all time low for both guitar and parts and I do not see an increase coming until perhaps the end of the year. 2010 is going to be a great year for the public and a hard yers for the dealers that is it in a nut shell.

I know many dealers will hate me for this but it is the truth nd this industry has to get with the program and change or die. For those who will not change I guarantee Will end up closing. Every business has adjusted its prices across the board and now is the time for our industry like it or not it is do or die. We have chosen to live and lower prices and Even offer package deals.  We have lowered our inventory by 20% and feel this is a needed adjustment for the year .

So my answer is this great years for consumer and a hard year for the dealers. We will survive as long as we stay realistic in the business . The market has shifted the people have spoken . Good luck and if you need any help with any specific items please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

JIM PASCH

I am looking to buy a vintage Gretsch guitar and would like your opinion on which pickups are better the vintage Dearmonds used in Gretsch guitars or the Filtertron pickups used in vintage Gretsch guitars. This Will help make a decision on which model and year to buy . My style of music I ma playing at the moment is country – pop and I am in a working band at the moment.

REPLY

Well that is a big request for this limited blog space but I will give you a condensed version and any further questions can be addressed in the future. buying a guitar is usually done in reverse buy a person feeling comfortable with a model guitar and them choose pickups but I will tackle this anyway.

The General rule is the Dearmond pickups are preferred by rockabilly, blues and jazz style music. The pickups have a more warm mid tone and have a full sound when play clean and a sound that has been referred to as a twang. These are also very responsive pickups for finger pickers and killer for slide guitar. I am not sure why I am not a pickup winder but these pickups has a distinct character that i prefer myself.

The Dearmond pickups sound amazing in both solid body and hollow bodies . I prefer the sound in a hollow body my self or semi hollow guitar with these pickups but that is a personal preference. I would  describe these pickups is in a hollow body they seem to really pickup up the wood tones of the guitar and give a real texture of an acoustic electric flavor to the sound even when heavily amplified its is a strange phenomenon.

The filtertron pickups are a bit different. For my taste they are more aggressive and have a higher end ring like you may hear on beatles records . they are also quieter than the dearmonds and are a bit more functional in some loud environments. The string attack is also more noticeable and have a more full range sound to me. Many people love these also for rockabilly although i do not , great for rock and pop and you have heard these on more records than you know. they are a great across the board pickup and are super versatile for country , rock, pop, funk and jazz .

Both are good but again it is u to you this is a brief description but again first would find a comfortable Gretsch model you enjoy playing then worry about the pickups. They are easier and cheaper to replace than the guitar. Please feel free to contract me directly at THE PARTS DRAWER for any further questions

Jim Pasch

I read all the hype about vintage guitar pickups and the infamous PAF and pre t-top pickups but are the pickups from 1975-1980 with the pat#s stamped into the base plate good or are they junk. The reason why i am asking is I have a 1975 Gibson Flying V with Duncan pickups and I don’t know if I should replace them or leave the Duncan’s in

REPLY

Good question . Well it is true that the early  Gibson humbuckers are the best and do get all the press but again tone and sound is a personal thing. I Will give you a few examples and hope this helps you in your decision.

The pickups you are referring to do have t tops and will have stamped in pat# on the base of the pickups. One can argue all day on the validity of these pickups and their character but the fact is at that time these were good sounding pickups and I will Gladly say these pickups have graced many of the records today we listen to or have listened to.

From what i have gathered a 1974 pat decal pickup and a 1975 stamped in pat# are the same pickup. I have tested them and I cannot hear the difference. Ok I am not a technician or a pickup builder but that is my opinion. Are  they as good as PAFS , NO are they as good as PRE T-TOPS NO! are they good pickups YES.

By the 1980 They were producing a few different models like dirty finger pickups , the shaw series humbuckers, reissue pafs etc so they are many different ones and this was the time Gibson figured out that the pickup made a hell of a difference. Also the music was changing and a hot and more aggressive pickup was need so these changes were incorporated. Also Gibson was reissuing les pauls hence the reissue paf pickup but these are all for other posts in the future.

Back to the 1975-1980 humbuckers. I would replace them for two reasons if you are a collector definitely and if you are not happy with your current sound go with the stock pickups which usually adapt good to most amplifiers made. If you are happy and a player I would not change them why. If you have duncan pickups in there they are good pickups to begin with or most models are not all.

I will say now that as I have seen over the years 20 years ago no one wanted pre tops only pafs 1o years ago no t tops only pre t tops and paf ‘s . Today all the above and I feel these pickups have already doubled in price and will soon be sought after also . This is the nature of the beast.

I hope this has helped I have tried to answer your questions from the view of a collector a player and as a parts specialist. If you have any questions please feel free to e mail me at  THE PARTS DRAWER and I will answer your questions within 48 hours

JIm  Pasch

I have a 1965 Gibson SG Standard guitars. The guitar has been modified and stripped and is a great player but i want to add a tremolo to the guitar what options did Gibson offer and what do you feel is best . Any information you can supply would be great .

REPLY

Great question thank you . Gibson offered four types basically. A bigsby vibrato, a Gibson lyre vibrato , a Gibson Maestro vibrato and a Gibson sideways vibrato for all its solid body and hollow body guitars. All have there advantages and disadvantages. This is a question that is argued quite often because a person who likes bigsby usually do not like Gibson lyre vibratos and visa versa. It is the same as a Chevrolet verses Ford guy both feel they have the best and will argue it to the death . So i Will give you my opinion and I hope that helps.

When dealing with vintage guitar parts and vintage guitars in general many factors have to be taken in to consideration. First of all the type of guitar and the condition of that guitar . Then the condition of the vintage tremolo you want to use. Remember just because its old does not make it usable or great condition is everything and function ability.

For a hollow body guitar i would usually only recommend a bigsby . I know you have an Gibson SG  but i have to mention in passing for the others reading this who have hollow or semi -hollow guitars. They usually set up quite well and function efficiently when installed correctly and set up correctly.

The solid body issue is widely debated. the least functional in my opinion is the sideways vibrato and the lyre vibrato. both have come installed on a variety of guitars from the factory over many years but for me they do not work well. there are very hard to keep in tune unless you have a real pro guy who constantly tweaks your guitar. So i would pass on these they look cool as hell but if you are a player pass.

The Gibson maestro vibrola is functional and works well and is easy to set up . This again is not my favoritete but for me is the only one Gibson made that kind of works. It has several variations and al are equally as good  and should do the job. These can be fitted on any solid body guitar as well as your sg with no issues .

The bigsby, my favorite if I had to use one of the four. The design is near perfect and can be set up ti stay in tune and can be installed very easily. Again they come in many models just make sure you get the correct one. I feel this Will work the best for you. Unlike vintage guitar parts you can buy a new one cheaper and it will work. I still prefer the older worn look of a vintage bigsby.

I hope this helps a bit if you have any further questions please feel free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and i will answer all e mails within 48 hours

Jim Pasch

Today I want to comment on a recent change we have seen in the vintage guitar parts market. Why should  a Gibson Paf be worth $3000 and a Gibson P90 $350? Well I have asked myself this question for 20 years. Yes they are two different animals and yes the PAFS belong to more expensive guitars but does that mean the Gibson p90 should always be in the shadow of its big brother (actually little brother because the p90 pickup came first )

The Gibson p90 pickup has always been a favoritete for me . No PAF pickup can replicate that tone and that natural distortion that it creates when pushed to the limit. True it can be said about the Paf but again we are comparing apples to oranges but my point is why the p90 has never gotten the respect it should. All I hear is PAF PAF PAF I need PAF’S and I love PAF’S but hey give the other guy a chance !

To my surprise I have noticed since last June that we have seen a rise in requests for Gibson p90 pickups. In fact we have sold 4 times the normal amount for the same time period. Does this mean that the world has caught on? or simply that a new band on MTV is using p90 pickups in their guitars? So to test out my theory I checked the age and interested of the buyers and 70% of the people have purchased them because of their interested in the blues and classic rock THANK GOD IT WAS NOT JUST FOR MTV!!! THATS MY WORST NIGHTMARE.  Yes it seems that another resurgence in the blues and blues rock has brought the Gibson p90 pickup back into the spot light .

The other cool fact is that we have also found the the consumer or buyer of the p90 pickups actually have become educated buyers. many said they bought them because of information they found on vintage guitar websites and articles they found on vintage pickups from the Internet. The rest from the musicians they are now interested in and articles they have read with the musician commenting on the p90s glorious sound.

So hail the new generation of vintage guitar buyers and for their rediscovery of the Gibson p90 pickup. True they will never cost as much or be as popular as the PAF but for those in the know they are the best bang for the buck and they best tone money can buy in their price range. If you have any questions on Gibson p90 pickups please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I Will gladly answer all e mails within 48 hours

Jim Pasch

I recently purchased a vintage black bottom fender Stratocaster guitar pickup . As you know I am sure they are black bottom cloth leads but all the pickups from 1956 -1963 look the same how can it tell. The wire is the same as is the lead wire and Fender never marked those pickups with dates.

REPLY

Great question. Everything you said is true and it appears you know quite a bit about Fender pickups. Well there is one more trick you can use. There is no way to date lets say a 1957 pickup versus a 1958 impossible but you can tell a 1950′s Fender Stratocaster pickup from a 1960′s and that is by the polarity.

All 1950 ‘s Fender Stratocaster pickups are north up polarity and from 1960 on they are south up polarity. This continues on all the way through the 1970′s also. Now there is an overlap and i have seen on 1960 Stratocaster for example being the cross over year to have either sets in the guitars but by late 1960 they should be south up polarity.

 If you do not have a meter( you can get one from Stewart Mac ) here is a trick take a 1970 ‘s Stratocaster pickup which is south up and if you go pole piece to pole piece on a vintage pickups if it sticks it it is a 1950′s pickups and if it repels it is a 1960′s or 1970′s . That is what I have my guys do at the store if they get a stratocaster  in and i am not there.

Another good things is many times a rewind pickup looks great but the guy who would it did not wind it correctly i have seen many rewound pickups look perfect and i mean perfect but the polarity is wrong . So this is also a great way to see if a pickup have been rewound., Great pickup winders like Lindy Fralin and Rolf know this and always wind correctly but many have not over the years and until 15 years ago nobody really new this so if  you have an old rewind chances are 50/50 that it is wound wrong and you can spot a rewind this way

Thank for the question I hope this helps if you have any further questions please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I wil answer them within 48 hours

JIM PASCH

I just bought a set of Gibson T-top Humbuckers on eBay and they have plastic lead wires instead of metal wire is this correct

REPLY

That is a great question. I get asked this all the time. Yes It is correct for guitar made form late 1969 to approximately 1972 .  Gibson used the same pickups but changed the wire to plastic mostly i find this in SG guitars for whatever reason. The pickups sound exactly the same and are worth the same it is just a cosmetic thing.

The strange thing is at the same time Gibson also used metal wire so I have no idea why they changed or why they used both but I am willing to guess it was a cost cutting decision. For some reason people seem to be prejudice about this plastic lead question but i pay the same and sell them for the same and that is it,. but I will admit everyone wants metal leads . Again this is another warped insight into the vintage guitar market . I will say it again THEY ARE THE SAME PICKUPS AND SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME .

While I am on this note i will give you a little know fact . that original Gibson lead wire is braided with 3 strands of wire . all repro wire sold is a braided two strand. There is a fact I bet you did not know but is very important when you are paying big bucks for pickups check it out you will need a loop or magnifying glass to see .

If you have any further question please let me know and I Will be glad to answer any within 48 hours e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

I personally remember that guitar and it has been a topic of conversation because it was one of the better playing ones and when we had our original store in New Brunswick it hung along side of the coral pink Fender stratocaster  and the Sherwood metallic green 1957 Fender stratocaster and no one seemed to care about the stratocaster they all were fascinated by the roundup.

Any way that was 20 years ago and I told the customer I had no idea and that in fact about 20 people are trying to track that one down. For those who are not familiar ot is one of the coolest guitar i have seen and owned. It has a leather  belt style binding around the body a cool cowboy belt buckle tailpiece a notty pine top dearmond pickups and western inlay all over the neck i mean this is one wild ax.

The sad thing is the ones i have seen in the past 6 years are al modified or missing parts. that was always a big problem but if you can find one that is straight get it you will not go wrong to this day a cooler guitar is hard to find. Gretsch has a cool vision back then including their white falcon guitars and white penguins but to me this one really went over the edge.

I rarely get excited anymore but if i found a good roundup again i am sure i would. once you actually have one of these in your hands you become obsessed with it and the fact that it sounds good sure does not hurt. Other cool thing sit came with was a hand tooled deco leather  cowboy guitar strap a cool as hell tweed case . This was a moment of genius by Gretsch that Will never be recreated. So hats off to the boys at Gretsch for one wonderful guitar and hopefully someday this baby will come back home to me again .

by the way that was a true story about the coral pink Fender Stratocaster and the 1957 Sherwood metallic Green Fender Stratocasters. Wow those were the days never to be seen again . ( but I do know were the 57 stratocaster  is )

If you have any questions or comments please e mai me at THE PARTS DRAWER

 Jim Pasch

I first found a few in the late 1980′s in City Light Music in N.J. run by the legendary Skip Henderson. If my memory is correct Marshall Crenshaw had just come off the road and was liquidating alot of gear and two of the items he was selling were these newer mosrite ventures guitars. I was a slight vintage snob even then but Skip said check these out these are some of the best guitar made and so I did.

 I may offend a few people here but I will go out on a limb and say these are better than any vintage Mosrite guitar ever made. Ok I can feel the evil stares already but listen check one out before you kill me . There is no comparison these ear hands down made twice as well and plays twice a good period!!!. these pickups are killer and wound hot and forget just surf music these models rock you can play zeppelin to deep purple as well as surf music,. these guitar are solid and I wish I had one now.

You hardly ever see any I know were  a few are but the truth is they Will not sell them and in fact have sold there vintage stuff and kept these. THESE ARE THAT GOOD . Even if you hate Mosrite guitars you will love these . in 1989 these were selling for $1700 -$2000 used today if you cab find one I would say $4500 would be a steal.

Semi Mosley like many geniuses had a rough life with lots of ups and downs. But in the end he still was a great guy with a great sense of humor and hell made what I believe were his best guitar ever before he stopped. If you are Lucky enough to try one out you must and if one comes up for sale get it It is a true future collectible by a true American guitar maker and is a piece of history . I rate these Mosrites as some of my favorite guitar I have ever played and I HAVE PLAYE DTHEM ALL .

If you have any firther questions please felel free to contact me at THE PARTS DRAWER and i wil answer all e mails within 48 hours

Thank you

Jim Pasch

This is a brief outline of the various pots and caps and wiring used by Gibson. This is not a complete summary but is a good start for the beginner. The basic companies Gibson used were IRC ,CTS , Central Lab. IRC used (615) code to begin the sequence of numbers on the pot case . Central Lab used ( 134 )and CTS used (137) codes.  The way to ready a pot code is as follows . There are several scenarios.

IRC always began with 615 xxxxx  354 . The x’s stood for stock numbers the last three numbers were the year and the week. here is example : 615 34657 334  this is a  IRC pots 1953 and the week is 34th week .

CTS  always started with 137 xxx or 137 xxxx  . The first x or first two were the year the last two x’s were the weeks.  Here is an example 137828     8 represents the year 1958 and week 28th week.  In second example :  1376828  68 represents 1968 and 28 the 28th week .

Central Lab always begins with 134 xxx or 134 xxxx. first example 134521 this dates the pot to 1955 and the 21st week . the second example 1346232 show a 1962 pot from the 32 week.

Remember this that pots can  pre-date a instrument year but never post date it . It was common to have pots 6 month earlier than an instrument but an exact cut off time is impossible to nail down. Usually the earlier the instrument the closer the pot dates are to the instrument manufacturing date. As the companies grew they bought more inventory and pots sometimes were mixed or lying around for a period of time before they were used. In the extreme instance of Fender Guitars in 1966 to cut costs Fender purchased enough pots to last the company for 5 years and so they are found in guitars from 1966-1971

Switches were made by the Switchcraft company and still are to this date . The early switches do not bear the company’s name. but by 1961 all switchcraft switches bear the company name stamped into the switch. Most were three way switches but they also had 5 way switches.

The caps are a very important part of the harness but i would need several full pages to dive into them and their variations . I Will list a few common ones but it is by no means a complete list. The earliest Gibson caps were made by Cornell Dublier or (cd). they were know as grey tigers ( the name found on many ) and were used in hollow bodies and solid body guitars. They were .022 @ 400v . by 1956 they has switched to the Sprague Company. The values were the same but the waxed paper grey tiger caps were now replaced by the Sprauge bumble bee it was black plastic shell with multi colored stripes and is probably the most recognized cap in the world for guitars. There were again a few exception but not many. In 1961 the Sprague caps changed again to the black case with two red stripes one  on each end and they were used up until around 1970.

 This is a brief outline if you have any further questions please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

I have a 1955 Gibson ES-175 Guitar and it appears that several parts have been changed. My main question is I am getting mixed answers on what tailpiece would be correct for this guitar. Even several vintage guitar dearls have given me different answers please let me know I am trying to restore this guitar to it’s original form. Thank you for any information you can give me

REPLY

Thank you for your email. Gibson guitar changed their  tailpieces several times over the life of the Gibson ES-175 guitar. I Will give you the years and the material that will be correct  for your guitar. I am sure you know putting the correct one on will maintain the value of your vintage guitar s double check the year and feature before you purchase

From 1949-1957 Gibson used a nickel trapeze tailpiece with 3 diamonds on the cross bar.  This was for both single and double pickup models guitars . This era would have p90 pickups. ONE IMPORTANT NOTICE IS THAT IN  1957 GIBSON INTRODUCED THE HUMBUCKER AND THE TAILPIECE CHANGED BUT !!!!! P90 MODELS WERE STILL MADE UNTIL MID YEAR AND SHIPPED WITH THIS ORIGINAL  STYLE TAILPIECE .  The other option offered these years was a Bigsby tailpiece and it was standard when ordered on both single and double pickup model guitars also

In 1957 Gibson introduced a new pickup call the Humbucker. At this time the tailpiece for the ES-175 changed . I was still a nickel style trapeze but it incorporated a more elaborate  design and featured what is known as the squiggly tailpiece. the tailpiece was more of a T bar style with thin tubing in a squiggle pattern on each side of the T patern . This was used form 1957 Until early 1965. 1965 being a transitional year for Gibson from nickel to chrome. Many guitars featured both nickel and chrome hardware that year. The bigsby tailpiece was also offered on these models for these years as well

In mid 1965 the same tailpiece was now made out of chrome. It was the se exact same design just made out of chrome. This was used up until 1967 .

In 1968 Gibson went back to the original trapeze design with the three diamonds on the cross bar. This time it was made out of chrome not nickel. This version is still used up until today . This is the most common and recognized version by musicians. As a note the Bigsby was offered and still is on all the Gibson ES-175 models.

If you have any further questions please feel free to e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER  also feel free to click on teh bottom to our rss feed for our weekly updates

JIm Pasch

Bill Penn himself a long time vintage guitar user and collector has a wealth of knowledge not only in the business site of the business site of the vintage market but himself is a amazing guitar player and guitar technician. Bill who is know for his telecaster chops and ripping leads has been a staple of the music community for 20 years . He has recorded professionally and back many famous musicians as well as recording several solo records. He is well verse also in recording techniques and studio equipment. He even has videos on how to record, how to repair guitars, demonstrating new products i mean this really is a cool site!!

As if that was not enough to qualify him as a name to contend with in this business. He is a well know amplifier builder and designer and is also an amazing guitar repair person. What you have in bill is a one stop music reference library and that is why his website is so well liked and informed. He gets 50,000+ visitors per month and shuffles though and answers over 200 e mails a day . So I am suggesting you book mark this site.

the other good thing about Bill is that he will actually give you advice  from experience not just from books and he Will actual answer your e mails personally . so take a moment  and run by this site and i guarantee you Will visit it regularly . Thank god for people like who actual really cares about guitar and the guitar community trust me this is  not a money maker for him this is a true passion for guitars and people who love them.  

You can contact Bill Penn at 300guitars.com or me at the parts drawer

Thank you

Jim pasch

A new era has begun and it is one of the most talked about deals in the vintage guitar business sin some time. No one saw this one coming  but Hoboken Vintage Guitars formally owned by Jim Pasch has handed over the helm and tansfered  his guitar business to his long time best friend Richard  . Jim and Rich have been friend for over 25 years .Rich has been a staple in the vintage guitar industry for more than 20 years. He has a wealth of knowledge and understand the dynamics of the business and is a well qualified individual to take over one of the most respected vintage guitar businesses in the industry. Rich is know for his expertise as well of a great sense of humor which is needed in the crazy business. Rich also is a person who stands by his word and guarantees all he sells and goes out  of his way for the customers.

Jim pasch who recently decided at this point in his life he was going to focus Soley on the vintage guitar parts business and do business under the name  THE PARTS DRAWER  as he has for years . Jim Will continue to sell vintage parts and has still been buying and selling at a fevers pitch in this bad economy. This Will allow him  to travel more and spend more time with his family which is what he wants at this point. The parts drawer is the largest vintage guitar parts business in the world and is what Jim enjoys most at this point in time

Hoboken Vintage Guitars under its new management will continue to supply the community with quality original vintage guitar and amplifiers. The hours will be Monday /Friday 12-5 and will be extended once the remodeling of the store is complete. Of course Rich has always work his schedule around his customers and I have been told appointments before and after hours are never a problem. Just call ahead at 201-222-8977 est.

The new store will get a new face lift and as always carry top of the vintage and used guitars. Rich is now offering a low consignment fee for a limited timefor the restructuring so give him a call. Hoboken Vintage Guitars  The store will once again focus on Vintage amplifiers which for years were not wanted at the old store when JIm Pasch owned the store . Rich himself is a vintage amplification buff and loves the old fender and marshall amps. So keep your eyes out for some cool amps rich says. The website is under construction and will be up within the next 30 days . Rich has promised to keep the inventory more current and the site updated ever several days were in the old days the site was updated every couple of weeks

I have a chance to buy a set of real dearmond pickups for my new Gretsch Guiatr. At the moment it has TV Jones pickups in the guitar which I was told are an aftermarket pickup. Is there really a sound change or would I just be better and leave these pickups in the actually sound great . Any advice woudl be greatly appreciates

REPLY

 First things first are you a player or a professional musician. The reason I ask is because this is the important to me in making the decision in helping you choose which pickups are best . I will give you my opinion and again sound is a relative thing and what I think sounds great you may disagree. I feel though I can give you a pretty good idea for both options and then you decide

If you are a novice , a beginner or a weekend warrior as we call it I would leave the TV Jones pickups in there. The TV Jones pickups sound great to me and I am actually quite impressed with the quality control of the company. This being most I have heard all sound consistently good. I believe for what you are using them for they are fine and do not change them.

Now if you are a professional musician or are recording a lot I would suggest you buy the set and test them out. The difference to me is that the original ones and again this is all relative to once liking is that i think they have a more open sound and are not at tight sounding. and again that could be due to several factors the wore the magnets loosing charge whatever but I am a big fan of vintage dearmond pickups and to me I have just grown accustom to the sound . This does not tale anything away from TV Jones pickups basically I assume the vintage Dearmonds sounded like the new TV Jones and that In 40 years the TV Jones will sound like vintage Dearmonds.

It is very important when deciding to change pickups if the slight difference is really necessary. I hope this helps and agin what I like you may hate but I am very familiar with these pickups and feel comfortable in commenting on them. If you want you can e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER if you have any more questions on pickups . good luck and most importantly keep playing !!

Jim Pasch

I have a 1964 Gibson Thunderbird Bass guitar. I have owned it for 30 years ans have had no problems with this bass . Several years ago I stopped playing and stored the bass in the closed in a safe and dry area as to protect it no basement or attic. The other day I opened up the case and the headstock was broke and I nearly had a heart attack . I know for a fact that nobody touched this I live alone how is this possible and what is the bass worth now in this condition

REPLY

What a drag those basses are awesome. Well first of all you are not the first person this happened to . The problem lies in the design of the bass. I can tell you 50% of the basses we have owned in store have had broken or repaired necks . it is almost a given with them. Most are done by dropping , banging and case issues.

First of all if you note you have a large paddle headstock with 2 pounds of metal tuners all coming done to a thin but and thin neck area this is the problem. In you case I am willing to bet the bass was not tuned down before it was stored, wood expands and contracts and basically a one of these tuned to pitch stored away is an accident ready to happen,. just imagine all that strong tensioned weight all pulling on that small nut area on the neck.

Anyone who owns these should do two things d-tune it before you store it . also get a real case most breaks were cases by the cases design which was flawed from day one. get a good case that supports the neck and then loosen stings and you Will be fine

As far as price goes unfortunately the bass is worth half of what it was . You Will still make money but not as much I think a real bass isn this market is 8500 and yours is wort about 4000 now. if it is all original and in good shape. it is an easy fox just do not cheap out spend the extra few bucks and have it done correct with a nitro finish not poly!!!!

The other good news is the bass will still sounds as good and plays as good so if you are a player you still have a winner and one of the coolest basses ever made. If you need any otehr help please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I wil be glad to help

Jim Pasch

I have an old Danelectro Jimmy Page model guitar and an looking for some original vintage guitar parts to restore it back to its original beauty. Up until about 5 years ago there were literally hundreds of real DanelectroParts for sale on both Ebay and from stores. Today I rarely see them were is a good source to find them

REPLY

I know what you mean Danelectros were made in N.J. and as along as I can remember I was always tripping over them everywhere and they were plentiful and cheap. There was a guy named Don Stultz from linden N.J. who has the ultimate inside track for all theseparts. I must have bought  20k of vintage Danelectro parts from him on  the old days but today even thegreat one is dry. Don would come in with a hand full of Danelectros and a box of parts . I rememeber the day we bought about 6 Danelectros from him and a box of just pickups and he said that there were from yard sales alone . Were have the days gone !!!!

We are constantly asked for Danelectro parts and we early have them anymore. I personally feel that when the reissues came out I mean the good first run line of  Danelectros all the people put vintage parts on them  and especially the electronics. Nothing sounds like those cheap lipstick pickups . The tone and soul they is unrivaled for the money.

We sell about $500,000 of vintage guitar parts a year sand I will say without a doubt it has been 2 years since some one has offered me a set of rel Danelectro pickups. THEY HAVE TO BE OUT TEHRE SOMEWHERE!!!! . That also goes for other Danelectros parts we do not have any at the moment that is amazing .

The bad news is there is no real source anymore. It is hit or miss and most of the time they are one Ebay and you never know what you are buying. I would say we have pretty good connections after 20 years and not one of my buddies has parts. So for the first time in sometime I cannot even point you in a direction. I hope people reading this may open up there drawers and look for parts and sell them for you and for me and for the rest of the Danelectro community. Danelectros should be played !!!! not horded.

Drop me a line with your e mail at THE PARTS DRAWER   and if any come in I will e mail right away .Also if any customers have sources for parts please e mail and I will gladly pass it on to everyone.

JIm Pasch

I am looking to buy an inexpensive vintage guitar what would you recommend. I am also hoping it would be one that might appreciate as an investment as well.

REPLY

I have always been a big fan of Kay guitars for several reasons. First of all they look cool as hell secondly they sounds and play well and thirdly they are a great bang for the buck in the crazy vintage guitar market.

I have always had that sick attraction to them. Over the years I have had just about every guitar and played them but still a cool Kay guitar is a plus in any collection or guitar arsenal. There is tone from these guitars that can only be had by one of these. The joke has always been that sometimes  junk guitar sound better . The same goes for Danelectro guitars what a great sound  from a Masonite guitar. Go figure that is what makes these so fun you can actually acquire a cool collectible at a great price that sounds great.

The other thing i would like to mention is the fact the the kay basses sound great. of course it depends on the instrument and its condition but tones of records have these basses on them and what a cool tone !!!!!. many of the necks on these basses especially the upperund models are great and has a killer feel to them

Another cool thing to look at is many of the kay models had other names put on them such as music store names and other names. I would put all the Kay , Harmoney, Silvertone and danelectros in thsi elite cool category.  The best part i you get it even cheaper if it has a generic name on it. So forget the Burst and the custom color strats look for these guitars. we are in a near depression so have fun and enjoy what your money can afford these days

If you have any other questions or comments please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and i will e mail you back within 48 hours

JIM PASCH

I have a 1968 Fender Telecaster with the paisley finish in pink. The guitar is all original but the finish is cracked badly and peeling there are even a few pieces that are in the case that have chipped off. What can I do with this to restore it to its original condition

REPLY

You have the same problem  that 90% of the paisley Telecaster owners have . This was a cool idea from Fender in the craziness of the 1968 . The Problem is it is really not a finish but a wallpaper like material glued on to the body. That is were the problem lies.

As time goes on the finish shrinks on the guitar and weather changes affect how the body expands and contracts. Unfortunately normally just checking appears on normal finished guitars. But in this case the paper is glued and actual cracks and starts to peal over time .Fender never envisioned this problem when they came up with the idea,

More bad news I am afraid there is nothing really you can do but have a pro and i mean a real pro!!!!  glue piece back on and shoot glue under the parts that are lifting with a needle. This is not work for an armature. You do not want to glue the Piece or just shoot clear coat on top. Many misinformed people in the past just shot thick coats of  poly on top and yes it stopped the peeling but it also took a few thousand dollars of the price tag of the instrument.

It was a cool idea but a flawed design. If you really love these teles fix yous sell it and get one in better condition. This of course Will be a better investment and many people like player grade teles so you should not have a problem selling it. If you need any further help feel fre to e mail me at

The Parts Drawer  and I will e mail within 48 hours

Jim Pasch

How come we do not see you guys at guitar shows anymore. In years past your were a staple at all the shows. What happened

REPLY

Thank for the e mail. Well it is a good question and a sad one at that. I used to live for guitar shows. To me the best part of the  business was traveling setting up at shows and have a great time and meeting customers. To me it was an event and the shows back than always had great deals great guitar and loads of surprises. I cannot tell you how many times a week i still think about the old days . They truly were the best .

What happened was first of all Ebay. Thanks to eBay everyone thought they were a guitar dealer and thought they were experts. Ebay slowly eroded away the traffic at shows due to the fact that people could sell there guitars online and not have to bring them to the shows. Also it lowered store traffic customers no longer consigned as many guitars with dealers  because they could sell them on ebay without a commission.

It was apparent to me about 9 years ago it was over . I mean I have had many good shows but it seems that by 2000 the game was over. shows were boring 90% of the deals were among dealers only and the fun was gone. Also the supply of vintage guitar had begun to dry up by 1996 as far as i was concerned and the days of the cool finds at guitar shows were over.

we ran the new york guitar show for many years an that too seemed to have died by 2000 and 2002 was the last years for that show. The people were no longer excited about shows and were now complacent and lazy with ebay. There was and Will always be the hard core guys who we love that show up at shows but even ask them they will tell you it has been over for years .

At this stage in our live maybe we go to one show a year just to say hello to friends and customers. I go never expecting anything so i am not disappointed but i will tell you everyone gets worse. I only wish the new generation could have been there in the old days when there was a real frenzy and excitement and it was an adventure. I guess like most great things in life it does not last .

I never say never maybe ebay will collapse and the shows will revive but i do not see that anytime soon. So for now it is just a fond memory of what is was and what a great thing we had even if it were for a short time. The memories are still and will always be great

Jim Pasch

The Parts Drawer

QUESTION

I  have seen  in the last few years there has been a huge demand for vintage Les Paul parts in many cases to upgrade current historic models or conversion.  I know this is a loaded question because you sell vintage guitar parts and are probably partial but is this really a good idea or a waste of money . I hope you can give me an honest answer

REPLY

Well that is true we make money off of selling vintage parts and yes I have been apart of this frenzy for sometime but I feel i can still be objective. One reason for this is the price of a real burst or paf gold top is so much who can afford one . I know I cannot so the next best thing to many is to try and recreate their own.

First off the new historic guitar in the last few years are amazing and are a good starting point if you do not have a real p90 Les Paul to convert. They are probably the best guitar Gibson has ever made and hell for te money they are a great deal. I will list the parts i feel can help and i will be honest and tell you what i feel is a complete waste of time and is simply a cosmetic thing.

Installing real PAF pickups is a good thing they will actually add tone to the guitar that a new pickup cannot. Changing the pots and caps will also add to the overalltone circuit as i call it and can help replicate a real burst or goldtop.

Now as far as the rest such as the tuners the plastic parts they add nothing to the tonal sound of the guitar. But I will be the first to admit they look amazing on the replicas and if you want that killer look as well as sound then do it if you have the cash. I cannot be more honest than that by saying the other parts add nothing to the guitar except for a cosmetic vibe.

So this being said it is still a matter of taste and budget. Only a few parts will make a difference sonically . so if the sound is your main concern just get electronics . but if you want the guitar to look real go for it. just remember the vintage parts also do go up in values and chances are you can recoup money in the worst case scenario. I hope this helps let me know if youi have any other concerns you can e mail me at The Parts Drawer

Jim Pasch

A true man of passion like him is hard to find especially these days. I recently saw him and he was a funny and moving as ever. He still played up until last year when his health was finally failing. I look back at all the great rock records and rock stars  who used and were influenced by him and am still amazed.

May God take care of this legend, inventor, musician. jokiest and person first and foremost for all he has given the world. Music is the real healer and medicine we all need on a daily basis. I know for a fact as long as a guitar shall be played he will be remembered.

THANK YOU LES PAUL AND MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.

Jim  Pasch

The Parts Drawer

I am in shock. 3 years ago I paid $23,000.00 for a mint 10/10 Gibson  Les Paul SG STD  with tags. I needed some cash so I called around to at least 10 of the biggest vintage guitar dealers and the most  dealer will pay is $12,000.00 because they say it is worth $14,000 – $15,000 max and it is a slow sale . Is that possible what happened ?

REPLY

First  that is a great guitar you have and in that condition it will always sell.  The financial market  and several banks a year and a half ago went belly up. This is the worse crisis in the united states since the great depression and all sectors of life have been affected.

I cannot tell you how many stories i have heard like yourself and much worse. But the news is not as bad when you look at a few things in perspective. If you had a 401k it is worth 30% – 80% less after this crisis if your 401 k were based in many blue chip comes like GM , GE, etc. We have several customers who 401k{s were over a million dollars and are now worth $200k-240k.  If you had a home that was worth $800,000.00 it is worth $400,000-$500,’000 and the examples can go on forever.

Guitars have taken less of a hit that many other sectors in the world. Remember guitar are a luxury item and the market is driven by disposable income. When people are trying to pay bills , loosing job, loosing life savings they are not thinking about guitars.Our business was one of the first to be hit by the crisis due to the fact that disposable income is market mover.

So the good news in you are still better off having the guitar  than if you has $25,000 of stock or a down payment on a house thatis now worth $35% less than you paid for it . So it is all relative but do not panic. there is more good news

The good news is that out market appears to have bottomed out and business is actually increasing. I have spoken to many dealers and true business is off and down from future years but it is better than it was 6 months ago and better tan 3 months ago so to me that is a great sign.

I am not saying yes we are recovering rapidly but i feel we are moving ahead and the fact that customers are spending money againmeans that they feel more secure and that things are getting better. I would hold off selling for another year and i feel unless of another wall street disaster you guitar will go up another 15% which is stil better than 2% in the bank.

Just remember you and me did nothing wrong teh greedy scum on wall street and politicians bankrupted thsi country and has made al our lives difficult. If you have anyt other guestions please feel free to e mail me at

The Parts Drawer

Thank you

Jim pasch

I have a 1962 Fender Stratocaster guitar . I just tried to sell it and everyone keeps telling me its good but the slab board version is more desireable. What is teh difference and what is teh price difference any info you be great.

REPLY

Fender Started in mid 1959 to change from a maple fretboard to a rosewood fretboard. This was to run until Md 1962 when they changed to a curved rosewood board. First of all these two are like apples and Orange’s. maple board people,l like maples and rosewood board people like rosewood so each has his own opinion and philosophy why each is better so with that said I will try to explain.

The first rosewood boards were made from a slab of rosewood and applied to the neck. the base was not curved it was flat like a slab!! . The slaboard necks are also noticeable that above the nut area the rosewood really protrudes and is very distinctive in comparison to a curbed rose wood board, These neck are characteristically wide huge neck and have great tone and playability. This is why they have such a big following . In the collectors world there is also a bit of snobbery towards the slab boards as you have already found out. I Will admit I have not played many bad slab board guitar but i am partial to that size and contour of neck.

By mid 1962 Fender changed the Stratocaster neck to a curved rosewood board. This is obvious by looking at the base if the neck were the truss rod is and you can see the rosewood board is curved and layed onto the neck. Also the area above the nut is different and there is less rosewood above the nut compared to the slab board ones and the shape of it above the nut is different also .

NOW , I will say right now that the curved rosewood board guitar are fine and sound great. The early ones have large necks also not quite as big as a 1959 or 1960 but a nice size and sound amazing. There are  hundreds of hit records and sons made with these stratocasters so again it is all a mater of taste. The factor that really screwed this all up was the collectors market. until then there was not as much concern about the boards.

In general the Slab board guitar are a few thousand dollars more again due to the collectors market but also due to the factthat there are less slab board guitar  made. So I hope this helps and just don’t let them beat you up on the fact that it is not a slab board it is what it is a great vintage Fender Stratocaster . If you have any more questions please e mail me at  The Parts Drawer .

Jim Pasch

Th

QUESTION

Can you tell me the kind of saddles Fender used on Telecaster over the years and when they changed. I have recently been going over my collection and see several saddles styles on many of my teles but cannot figure out what era saddles are correct for the guitar

REPLY

No Problem . Fender first used a brass style saddles on all the Fender  Broadcaster , Fender Esquires , Fender No casters and Fender Telecaster from 1949-1954 . I have not seen any exception to this rule unless you have a Fender Telecaster body dated 12-54 then it many has steel saddles,

In 1955 Fender changed to round smooth steel saddles identical to the brass but steel. These were used until around 1957 . They could also be found on the first run of Fender Duosonics and Fender Muicmasters from this era.     

In 1958 Fender started to use threaded saddles. These are the ones people are most familiar with . They were used up until 1966. Again these were found on all Fender Telcecaster, Fender Esquires, Fender Duosonics and Fender Musicmasters.

In 1967 Fender changed to  barrel saddle that was smooth again like the early ones but were different in appearance. These were to be used into the 1970 ´s .

The last version fender used was around  1978 when they switch from a 3 saddle set up on the bridge to a 6 saddles bridge., these were originally on Fender Telcaster Customs but soon be came standard on all Fender Telecasters. After 1980 Fender went crazy making many models and starting production in japan so That is a whole other nightmare to deal with but this should give you a good idea of what is going on .

If you have any other questions please feel free to e mail me at The Parts Drawer  and i will answer your e mails within 48 hours

Jim Pasch

I have a 1963 Gibson Patent number Bridge.  The guitar is all original but it has plastic saddles  most of the early guitar I have seen have steel saddles are these original or replaced .Secondly would you replaced them .

REPLY

Plastic Gibson bridge saddles can be seen as early as 1962 on certain model guitars and were used until 1970 . I know it seems strange but I do not have an answer for that unless it was maybe cost  issue. There are no real records from Gibson stating when or what models they were shipped on or with .  I have seen some of the greatest guitar with factory plastic saddles and they do kill the sustain factor. Motley I believe they were introduced on the ES-330 models and the lower end stuff first but within a few years they could be found on SG’S ES-335 L-5′s and more.

 This is also true on Epiphone guitars which Gibson owned so as a rule Epiphone followed Gibson when it came to hardware changes in general. They changed the saddles as well from nickel hardware to chrome at the same time. I Will note that Epiphones were not as popular so you can see a hang over period as I call it were in fact many Epiphone guitar had nickel hardware longer due to the lower number made and on the same not many Epiphone guitar had steel saddles for a longer time.

An Interesting  fact though is that during the time Gibson and Epiphone used Plastic saddles they still made and used steel saddles . Very strange but true I have no idea why.

In my opinion they kill the tone. If  it were me and I were a player I would remove the saddles and keep them in the case and get re pro steel saddles the tone and sustain will be noticeable. There are many options simple steel with do fine but you can get crazy and get nickel plated brass saddles like the original abr-1 saddles were. I personally cannot hear the difference but i Will say they look  a  lot  cooler than lets say a set from All -Parts .

Thank you any further questions please feel free to e mail me at The  Parts Drawer and I will answer within 48 hours.

Jim Pasch

When did Gibson change from the grey tiger caps to the sprague caps. And did they change them for all guitar or just certain models

REPLY

Thank you for question. They used the Grey  Tiger caps from the mid 1940′s until 1955. These were the made by Cornell Dublier and marked Grey Tigers on the caps . These were .02 @400 vdc and were used in all guitar from arch tops to solid bodies. To this day many feel these are some of the best caps made and add to that vintage sounds.

In 1955 you can find both the Grey Tigers and the new Sprague caps in all models. There is no exact cutoff date when one started and the other ended. As I have stated before Both Gibson and Fender never threw any parts out so it is possible to even find some grey tigers in 1956 guitar but that is more rare than the norm.

The new Sprague capacitors had no writing on them and were black with multi colored stripes. The cap voltage was designated by the colors and the order in which the color bands were painted on caps. These were known as bumble bee caps and would go on to become the most famous in Gibson’s line due to the fact that there were the caps used in teh 1959 Les Paul Standard or the Burst !!!. they were .022 @ 400v and are the most photographed cap on the web. Again there are those who will argue that these add to the tone of the burst but again tone is subjective.

By 1961 Gibson continued to use Sprague caps and they were now black with a red band on each end and said Sprague and had. 0222@ 400 volts   silkscreen on them . These were used until the end of the1960′s. This is a brief outline of the models and time lines for the caps used by Gibson. It is not all totally inclusive as there were some variants but 95% of the models used these caps.

I hope this helps if you have any more questions please feel free to contact me at  THE PARTS DRAWER

This is a question we received yesterday and feel it is worth posting on the news page.

QUESTION

What do they mean when they say does it black lite ?? I just bought a vintage guitar and want to check my parts out to see if they are real.

REPLY

Thank you for the e mail. Great question not a simple answer. Vintage guitar plastic should glow a certain color when exposed to a black lite in the dark. This is very obviously if you have new and old parts side by side to see the difference it is like night and day. But if you have only the vintage parts to test basically here is what it will  look like.

Again color is subjective to each person so i think it looks like a fluorescent yellowish color with a bit of green to it. But i have seen parts black lite more whitish and more unique tones than i can describe . basically they should jump out!! at you under a black light and really stand out. The newer parts change color but do not jump out at you. If you are still not sure borrow a knob from your friends new guitar and put the new and vintage parts side by side you will see right away.

 Now another note ! all parts do not black lite the same color or at the same intensity. knobs and such black lite strong as do guitar tuner tips. pickguards are not as strong but they will react under black light. Do not panic if you see your knobs black light different from you knobs this is normal!! the same goes for finish but that is a real complicated story we will touch on at a later time.

There are fakes out there and people as we speak are trying to develop new parts that are aged that black lite so this is for now a fairly safe test but it will not be long until some idiot will figure it out and ruin it for everyone.

If you are still unsure you can send us parts and we Will evaluate them for free no charge you just pay shipping both ways.

Thank you again for your question

Jim pasch

The Parts Drawer

I have a 1954 Fender Telecaster it has a serial number on the bridge and a serial number on the neck plate. Is this possible I know the guitar is original it was my fathers. How can a guitar have two serial numbers. Thanks.

REPLY

Great question. Yes in 1954 it is possible . That was a transition year when fender moved the serial numbers from bridge to neck plate on the Telecasters. If you has say a 1955 I would say that would be a stretch  but a 1954 is possible and I personally have seen at least 20 examples.

You have to remember Leo Fender never threw anything out and there was no vintage guitar market. Who knew these guitar would be worth anything. All the bridges and neck plates were taken out of bins in no specific order . There is a huge overlap of ser# between 1952 and 1954 for that reason. These were assembly line guitars made by people who were paid minimum wage , they were not Luther’s. They just picked up whatever plate was there never looking at the numbers that was not there job to install the plates in numeric order.

When registering a serial number I would always go by the neck plate number usually that was the higher of the two numbers . In the 20 examples i have seen almost all had the higher number on the neck plate. 

A quick not in and around 1958 fender had double stamped serial number plates if you take the neck plate off from that era and flip it over it may have another ser number on it . I have no idea why but it is a fact and is well documented in the vintage guitar community. If you have any other question please feel free to e mail me

I have a 1958 Fender Stratocaster guitar. My father gave it to me years ago and now i was thinking of selling it because of a bad financial situation. I noticed the frets are very worn and the strings are buzzing . Should I re-fret the guitar and if I do how much does that affect the price of the guitar

REPLY:

I am asked this question on a regular basis . As many know in time as guitar is played the frets get grooves and wear down. This has never been a problem until te vintage guitar market took off years ago. Obviously the correct thing to do was to get it re-freted so you can play it. But things have changed over the years and this has become a real sticking point for many collectors.

I feel that if you are a player and want to keep the guitar have it refreted with correct size frets by a pro. Guitars were meant to play not to hang on a wall. I do not care how rare a guitar is if a person cannot play it what good is it UNLESS you are looking to start a collection. I have argued this for years and have gotten hate mail by the pound but a pro re fret is not a bad thing when done correctly.

From a collectors stand point all original means all original including frets. So yes a 100% original guitar is untouched and if it plays good, if it does not it is ok according to the collectors. They say let the buyer make the decision I am not touching the guitar. They have a valid point and in many cases I have done the same thing but again this was for a rare collectible guitar I knew no one was going to play.

If you re fret a guitar the value will go down slightly if it is a pro job. If you throw on jumbo frets and it looks like an animal re freted it the price  is considerably less. The question is this you are looking to sell the guitar so leave it alone. Let the buyer worry about what he wants to do . If the buyer tries to get you down on the price bend a bit and say ok take $500 for a fret job and that will make him happy and you sell the guitar without laying out cash.

I am a player and always have been so i say re fret it if your keeping it leave it alone if you are collecting or going to sell it. I am a firm believer guitar should be played , turn it up . I hope this helps if you have any more questions please feel frr to e mail me here

Thank you

Jim Pasch

Why is it that everyone hates 1966 Fender Stratocaster and all I hear is it is not pre cbs get a 1965 or earlier. I have had it for year sand i think it is one of the best i have heard. Should i sell it and get a pre cbs Stratocaster?

REPLY

NO !!! Alert the media we have a winner here !!! Wow , people like you make my day. Ask any one who has known me for over 30 years i am one of the few who has raved about that year strat. In general  i hate 1964 and 1965 Stratocasters  . Over the years in my experience i  have found that i like 1955 ,1956 and 1959 and 1966 strats the best. Sound and playability of course is a personal thing but in general i would feel safe with any of the above. That being said I have found great Stratocasters  form all years and bad strats for all years including my favorite years EXCEPT 1966 !!!!! I have never played a bad one !!!

I personally feel it is because the necks are big and the headstock is thicker. Yes it is definitely thicker and that I believe  makes the difference. I  am so confident that i could order a stock 1966 Stratocaster and be happy with it as along as it is stock and in good working order. I have personally owned over 40 1966 stratocaster and all were winners 100% .

It may well be the combination of the thicker headstock the different pickup wire and by the way many 1966 stratocaster had large factory frets that is a fact !!!! and again why i feel they. I have been blessed to be able to play literally thousands of vintage  fender guitar and have found this to be true . this is not book knowledge it is hands on experience.

So do not sell it . Enjoy it the hell with a 1965 ( please all you 1965 do not hate me it is solely my opinion) .I believe in time the 1966 Stratocaster will get the respect it deserves and you can say you knew it all along

If you have any other questions feel free  to email  me

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IRC always began with 615 xxxxx  354 . The x’s stood for stock numbers the last three numbers were the year and the week. here is example : 615 34657 334  this is a  IRC pots 1953 and the week is 34th week .

CTS  always started with 137 xxx or 137 xxxx  . The first x or first two were the year the last two x’s were the weeks.  Here is an example 137828     8 represents the year 1958 and week 28th week.  In second example :  1376828  68 represents 1968 and 28 the 28th week .

Central Lab always begins with 134 xxx or 134 xxxx. first example 134521 this dates the pot to 1955 and the 21st week . the second example 1346232 show a 1962 pot from the 32 week.

Remember this that pots can  pre-date a instrument year but never post date it . It was common to have pots 6 month earlier than an instrument but an exact cut off time is impossible to nail down. Usually the earlier the instrument the closer the pot dates are to the instrument manufacturing date. As the companies grew they bought more inventory and pots sometimes were mixed or lying around for a period of time before they were used. In the extreme instance of Fender Guitars in 1966 to cut costs Fender purchased enough pots to last the company for 5 years and so they are found in guitars from 1966-1971

Switches were made by the Switchcraft company and still are to this date . The early switches do not bear the company’s name. but by 1961 all switchcraft switches bear the company name stamped into the switch. Most were three way switches but they also had 5 way switches.

The caps are a very important part of the harness but i would need several full pages to dive into them and their variations . I Will list a few common ones but it is by no means a complete list. The earliest Gibson caps were made by Cornell Dublier or (cd). they were know as grey tigers ( the name found on many ) and were used in hollow bodies and solid body guitars. They were .022 @ 400v . by 1956 they has switched to the Sprague Company. The values were the same but the waxed paper grey tiger caps were now replaced by the Sprauge bumble bee it was black plastic shell with multi colored stripes and is probably the most recognized cap in the world for guitars. There were again a few exception but not many. In 1961 the Sprague caps changed again to the black case with two red stripes one  on each end and they were used up until around 1970.

Any Further question please e mail us at  THE PARTS DRAWER

I was just offered $400 for my 1956 les paul custom guitar tag is this a good deal . Also how much does the tag add to the value of the guitar.

REPLY

Great question. I would say your giving it away but it is you choice. Here is my spin on this and the rest of the vintage paper market. To a collector many times the original paper work is worth more to him that the guitar. It adds a validity and a history to an instrument that for the most parts has none.  I have always argued if it came with the guitar leave it but i know in today market this stuff is worth so much the temptation to sell it is irresistible .Two years ago i fell victim to it at the height of the market when i guy offered me an $8000 guitar  for my burst tag and i sold it and do not regret it at all . That was insane!!!!!

The guy who bought it paid $475,000.00 for the guitar had the original receipt and even a photo of the guitar and owner playing in the 1960′s but he did not have the tag . So he needed the tag and the rest is history. Now this is the most extreme case i know of and it has happened only once in 20 years but this is how crazy it gets. This being said most tags are worth very little $50-$300 and condition is everything. but a receipt with an original see# from the original music store could easily bring an extra $1000 or more to a guitar.

In your case your guitar a 1956 les paul custom is worth about $45,000.00 2 years ago they were $65,000.00 so if you have a real tag that says les paul custom on it and it is from that era i would say it is worth $800-$1000 . so $400 is too cheap in my opinion.  The price of the paper is relative to the price of the guitar . the guy who spent almost a half of a million on a burst $8000 was nothing . So use your brain and value the paperwork by the value of the guitar.

As another note booklets or tags with serial numbers that do not match your guitar are useless. The blank cards like the one i sold to the burst guy is worth the money. Also condition is everything the cleaner the better. so keep these fact in mind also when purchasingpaper or selling it. Also straps case keys original string boxes all this adds to the frenzy so do not throw anything out before doing some research. If you have any questions of paper you have and the values please contact me at  The Parts Dawer and i will try and answer any questions you have.

I see all the hype lately on Brazilian rosewood fret boards. Do they really make a difference? 

REPLY

Ok, let me put on my bullet proof vest first before I answer this one! This is a big controversial question that has been circulating for some time and I an constantly asked about this so this is my opinion on it bases on my 20 years in the business

I personally cannot hear the difference. Now that said I will explain why and this is not in any way negating what other people may hear. I have tortured myself many times taking old Les Paul that are identical and the new ones with Brazilian boards and the new ones without and at the end of it all I am more puzzled than ever.

I feel Brazilian rosewood has a better tone and character than Indian on acoustic guitars. So it has to have an effect on solid bodies. All my favorite guitar have Brazilian boards on them. So with that said I guess it does make a difference when combined with the other structural aspects of the vintage  guitar.

Old wood is always better than new wood. But I feel the Brazilian rosewood in conjunction with other old wood other old pickups other old glue is what makes the difference not just the Brazilian board. So I am a big fan of Brazilian boards but I cannot HONESTLY say you can hear a difference by just replacing the board.

I am sure if you took a 2003 Gibson Brazilian board Les Paul and compared it to an exact 2004 none brazilian on a sound wave scope you may see a difference. In fact I am sure it is difference, but through a Marshall amp I cannot hear it. Through any amp actually I have tried this test through many amps old and new and to me it is all the same.

So in conclusion. All my favorite vintage guitars have Brazilian boards. I think the board matters but only when it is put in the perspective of the rest of the vintage guitar itself and not alone. can I honestly say buying a Brazilian rosewood board on your new Les Paul will change what you hear. I would say no . Again This is from my experience from selling thousands of vintage guitar over the years and personally comparing them all. Maybe you can but I cannot

If you have any other questions please contacet me at  The Parts Drawer

Thank You

Jim Pasch

All I every hear about is PAF’S,PAF’S, PAF’S never do I hear anyone rave about a T-Top Gibson humbucker. What is your opinion. Are they good pickups .

REPLY

Thank you for question . I am sure this will stir a bunch of controversy up but what the heck.  I Will start by saying they are not my favorites but I Will also add they are good pickups and sound fine and are better than a lot of the later Gibson pickups. Anyone who knows me and who has ready many of my articles and columns will note that the pre t -top Gibson pickups post 1962 are my favorites. I would gladly have a set of those over PAFS  ONLY because I personally feel the pre t tops are more consistent as many PAFS vary greatly. I have never really heard a non killer set of pre top from 63-65 period end of story!!!

Back to the T-top pickups. Just because I do not use them does not mean they are not great pickups. Many of the classic rock albums you have listened to and admired for years the guitars used these pickups. So that alone should silence the disbelievers. But again tone is a relative thing and one of a choice and is a personal thing. What I like you may hate an such is life and as it should be.

I love Gibson Les Pauls so lets take that as a starting point. most 1968-1974 les paul customs rock. They are some of my favorite  mod;es guitar from that era and they have these pickups. And yes an early 1970′s les paul kills if you get a good one. i still own one and think they are very underrated guitar. I still have the original pickups in them and will leave them as such they sound great and are very versatile from rock to jazz to country to blues. So Yes they are good pickups and yes I like them.

I only prefer the pre t tops probably because I played more blues rock and that have that real Billy Gibbons tone out of the box i love. Those pickups, a marshall and a great guitar is all you need .no pedals  no gimmick just turn it up and go , that is what i love. The t-top pickups to me are more middle of te road good for all kinds of music pickup which is probably why Gibson made them . A jazz guy can feel just as at home with them as a blues or rock guy. Gibson I assume was just reaching out to a wider audience at the request of their customers.

Today there is a very strong market for these pickups. And in answer to your question directly yes there is not a lot of buzz about them compared to PAF’S AND Pre T-Tops but in a way that is good. This  way they are still affordable as soon as something  is hyped you know the price doubles. So I would not overlook this versatile pickup try one and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Remember you are the one who has to like it not me or the rest of a forums members. Music is personal and an inner expression of yourself so check them out

Thank you for your question I hope this helps . If you have any more questions just follow the link below and i will be glad to answer them as soon as I can

JIm Pasch

The Parts Drawer

 I was recently told my 1961 Fender Stratocaster neck was only worth $1500 because the decal  was not original how can that be possible when a regular neck is worth $5000.

REPLY:

That is actually true unfortunately and I will explain why. There are many fake vintage parts on the market these day and that goes for necks and bodies as well.  It is easy to relic a neck swap finger boards etc. and deceive the public. I have seen guitar that looked amazing and fooled many dealers but were no more than 6 months old.

Here is the good news for the vintage guitar market. Not for your case in specific but NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FAKE  AN AGED FENDER DECAL YET!!! this is the best thing and the reason why the decal weighs so heavy in the equation.  I have seen people try and have seen some real close fakes but none good enough to fool a vintage expert.

The thing they cannot fake is one a pre cbs decal the lettering has a greening and an oxidation like texture to it you can feel the decal and the lettering actually gets a raised texture over the years whether the guitar in in the case or played everyday. this natural aging cannot be faked . Unfortunately I am sure soon it will but for now the market is safe. Gibson guitar are easy to fake because the the logo is either a water decal or an inlay ed veneer that is easily changed

So this is why there is such a big difference in price. to me when i look at a vintage fender the decal is the FIRST thing I look at .  This is a rule all Fender buyers should apply. I hope thsi has helped I know this is not good news for you but it is the reality of the vintage guitar market

Any further questions just contact me at The Parts Drawer

Thank you

Jim Pasch

QUESTION

I am ready to spend some big bucks on pickups is there a difference and what do you recommend. Price is not an option I am looking for tone

REPLY

This is one of the most frequently asked questions i get and is a bit complicated because sound is relative to the person and is an individual taste What I like you ma hate so I will tackle the question in two stages from bother perspectives.

O first of all if you are a collector you need the correct pickup for your guitar no matter how it sounds. As crazy as it sounds a 100% original 1959 les paul that sounds like crap is better than the best sounding modified one in the collectors market. By the way never really hear a bad burst!!.

 Wth that said here we go. I personally think that a PAF pickup has a bite and a sound the pick makes when hitting the sting that a normal pickup does not. Again we are in personal territory here but the attack of the pick of the string for me is more aggressive and yet clean. I like that and yes they are have a great tone but to me that is a trademark. PAF pickups range from 7.7 ohms to 9.0 ohms i have had factory unsoldered double whites that read as high as 10 ohms this is not the norm. around a mid 8.2-8.5 is normal  for  nice one.

Now this is real important I ave heard bad PAF pickups when i mean bad i mean run of the mill sound not horrible. To me the the lower the reading usually the more mid tones and a warmer pickup the higher the output the more treble . But again as pickups age the age differently and i have heard the opposite both  scenarios. but the general rule is the lower the output the more tone.

So if you are a player the PAF range is great and again it is a matter of taste. Not all pickups are killers and the pickups will sound different in different guitars. the higher output ones should  go in solid bodies or semi-hollow bodys that i do know.  This again being said I feel most with like the PAF tone and sound in a solid body guitar and semi-hollow guitar.

Now a little secret that some know . The best pickups Gibson made with a consistent and with a tone were from  1962-1964 in my opinion and are pre-t top pickups. Everyone I have ever heard in an SG sounds like GOD. everyone is a es-335 sounds like GOD. these are monster pickups at 1/3 price.

The first versions of these are pafs with new stickers that have patent numbers on them.They have double black lead wires and all PAF markings on pickups. By 1963 they went to black and white lead wires. FOR ME WHO CARES THEY ALL SOUNDS GREAT . Now collectors will argue and of course you need the correct pickup for te correct guitar and year if  you collect or buy and sell guitar but for a player good new they all sounds great. I never heard a bad 63-64 sg or es-335.

These have that classic sound you loved from Cream, the Beatles, Mc5 and more. I will go out on a limb and say that 99% of the people who buy these pickups will be satisfied. These are my favorite pickups.

So I hope this helps I do not know if you are a player, collector or both but i hope this give some insight into the pickup decision making. If you have any further question e mail us at The Parts Drawer

JIm Pasch

The Parts Drawer

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The Parts Drawer

QUESTION

I have a what I believe to be 1958 Les Paul Jr. but it only has a 4 digit serial number. Is this possible.

REPLY

Great question. Not too many people know this but in 1958 the first run of 1958 Les Paul Jr’s have a 4 digit serial number that is correct. These are usually found of the slab body or thicker body Jr’s and the heel joint is much deeper on the early 1958 double cut Jr’s. I have only seen this serial number example on double cut Jr’s.

Also a cool little known fact is 98% of the ones i have seen also has a soap bar p90 under the dog ear cover. This is to accommodate the deeper neck angle on the slab early body 58 Jr’s . This is so the pickup sits down deeper in the body due to the shallow neck angle a regular dog ear p90 will be too high!! so yes the  serial number is different and also is many little details on that guitar that other people do not know.

So If one is not sure here is list of thing to check. The neck with be almost uncomfortably large in 1958 . will  likely have 4 digit serial number, check pot dates. carefully pull of p90 cover chances are it it is s soap bar pickup it is a 1958. also the heel joint will be deeper on the body. The body will also be a bit more squared off and thicker hence the name slab body.

I hope this helps thank you for  your question

Jim Pasch

Thr Parts Drawer

This is one of the questions we received today at The Parts Drawer

QUESTION

What do they mean when they say rolled plastic parts . I have seen that many times but i can never find an answer. I have a Gibson Les Paul Pickguard How can I tell if it is rolled plastic?

REPLY

Thank you for your e mail. In the 1950 ‘s they manufactured the pplastic by sheets and the process was that when making the plastic was pressed and rolled flat. This being said the process left  fine lines in the back of the plastic. Some times these can easily seen some times you need to look very closely. The front of the plastic was  always smooth and the back wee shinny but the rolled marks should be visible if it is real .

Then the parts were stamped out and cut . It was a simple and effective process. This was used for all multilayer lastic parts.You cannot see this one the simple one ply parts. 

In the around 1965 many of the plastic parts were made by injection modeling and the lines were no longer visible on the parts. I would like to note that Gibson like many companies never wasted any material . It is very common for the first lets say 4-5 years that rolled plastic is still used ON Gibson guitar parts .I have found it as late as 1968 depending on the model guitar and it’s popularity.

By 1970 there were mold marks visible on may parts not on all but many which instantly make them recognizable 1970′s parts.  Also as a note many of the early plastic parts had rougher edges and many multilayer guards had a wider bevel than today’s pickguards.

I hope this helps. Please e mail me if  You have any other guitar questions. Please fill out the questionaire at The Parts Drawer

The reason being I believe is that now more than ever if you need to sell your guitar and raise cash if it is not original you will get way less. In todays market even less than normal because the vintage stores are really waiting out the crunch and are buying cautiously. I know at our main store Hoboken Vintage Guitar this is the case.  I am in constant contact with other dealers and they are in 100% agreement they guitar have to be 100% or they pay next to nothing for them.

So this has thrown more of a demand on the parts market. As you can see by our site we are low on fender parts because of a huge run on parts in the last two months.  Big dollar Stratocaster and telecaster have to be original to even try to re-coupe what they paid for them. The good news is people are spending money again on parts and guitars. I personally feel it will be another year until we see a large growth in sales.

The Parts Drawer Too has adapted to this market and the good news in for both us and the customer many prices have dropped. So now more than ever is a perfect time to restore your guitars. As the market recovers parts like the guitar will start to climb again so I would not wait too long to get what you need.

So the good news is that we are pulling out of the darkness. Sure Some things are worth less but thank God you have guitars. I have spoken to many people and there guitars are still worth more compared to what they lost in the stock market.

Jim Pasch

The Parts Drawer

The Parts Drawer Has just launched its new website. The new site is much easier to maneuver and now has a customer information request   form. This is to keep track of all of the customer’s requests and needs. The customer will then be alerted if they wish when such an item, arrives. Also by filling out the form on the home page, we will now be able to answer, your entire vintage guitar parts questions At  http://www.vintageguitarparts.org/

The new site also offers the vintage parts community to e-mail us with any vintage guitar part questions they may have. Jim Pasch the owner will now take several hours per week to answer question for the public concerning vintage parts this new feature will be to supply the vintage community with answer to all their questions on vintage guitar parts. Obviously, there will be a few items we will not be able to answer but we will gladly point you in the right direction towards someone who knows.

This new feature is what everyone has been asking for the last few years but due to the time involved and the site, itself this was not possible. But as of June 7 th  2009 the site will now be open to all questions Just fill out the form on the  home page with your information and insert your questions. Many of the good questions we will post in our latest news bulletin board for all to read. Therefore, once this gets rolling we will have an educational bulletin board for everyone to see.

We would also be glad to get any input from people with other valuable information or any good guitar sites that may help the vintage community. You can e-mail us directly at sales@thepartsdrawer.com  or simply fill out the form on the home page and we will try to respond in the 24-48 hour range depending on site traffic. We see this as a real bonus to the vintage community. Besides the fact, we sell and buy vintage guitar parts we will now become an informational source, which very few companies care to embark on.

We would like to thank again all our customers over the last 20 years for their support and business. We have always looked for long-term relationships and friendships. I hope this will be a new era for all of us and that we can continue our relationship in the future.

Please feel free to contact me at any time with any concerns or questions.

Thank you

Jim pasch

Welcome to our new website. We have changed our format to better suit our customer needs. We will also be adding a weekly post to help educate people on vintage guitar parts.  We would like to thank all our customers for their support over the past 20 years and hope for another 20. 

Jim Pacch