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1952 Gold Top


Bluesape

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Saw one today in Newburgh, NY. Very well worn, but playable. All orginal parts are with it. 18K sounds like a lot, but I'm outta the loop. The neck P90 has a warped cover, both are nicotene stained from years of gigging. The pickguard looks new, so I suspect it wasn't on the guitar much, and some pick scratches seem to originate underneath it. Tons of character, though.
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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Hey Reif

 

The '52's had a trapeze bridge. And, the neck was attached at the wrong angle. So, there are issues with setup, and minimal if any ability to adjust the neck, and still have a playable guitar. I'm not expert on this, but I've heard some Pro players say that the '52's, and early '53's can be essentially unplayable.

 

So, a '52 may be more of a "collector" than a player. Of course, you played it, so you'd know best. Seeing's believing!

 

An asking price of 18K likely means there are non original aspects to it (some of which you already mentioned), and perhaps other issues. Is it at a dealer, or a guitar show?? Or, is it a sale by owner?

 

Book value would run around 22 to 26K with the axe in "low" or average condition, depending on different knob sizes, etc.. That's ballpark figures.

Don

 

"There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by."

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296

 

http://www.myspace.com/imdrs

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true on the unplayability. the neck angle required one to feed the strings underneath the bridge in order to have a playable string height.

so much for palm muting. i would be curious if someone could design and build a bridge that sat in the original position and lowered the height allowing to achieve a proper string height.call me crazy but if i had one i would want to play it so i would be thinking hard on ways to get the string height managable.

i have ideas allready but some involve wood work :eek:

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There's a tunomatic on it now, and no knobs, but the original bridge and knobs come with it. I would call it low condition, heavy checking on the finish, the odd ding, some pickware down to the wood. It's at a store here in Newburgh where we're down hangin' with some friends, along with some older amps, Martins, and a handbuilt guitar from the '30s, built by a violin maker whose name escapes me, but I have the website if anyone's interested.
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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