Are there ANY 3pickup early Heritages (162/Stat) out there with unbroken headstocks?

[VivH]

Hi bit of a tale of woe here: I bought this 162 and if you see the before and after pics the shippers did their normal thing!

I will have the headstock repaired by a very very comptent restorer (he primarily works for the local museum and has wood-skills way beyond those of the standard guitar tech!) but I need to be able to assess the diminution in value of my purchase since the shipper “made a mistake” and didnt take out full-value insurance!!!! I will have to establish a “dispute” and some sort of "known" valuation Before & After would be an enormous help.

The other part of the question is - once this guitar is restored is it worth selling"

The crack will be a hairline in the varnish just to keep the guitar “honest” but otherwise entirely restored. It has a few scuffs and dings consonant with having been around since 83 and it’s a fairly dull TV yellow and not the kind of deep-nitro finish that Heritage have now made their trademark but I would assume it was one of the first guitars out of the factory -

Anyway I also have a Stat with a repaired headstock and there\s no point in 2 "Fibsons" if they are both repaired -( I had intended NOT to gig this one but to keep it all wrapped up for special occasions since it is the 1st early 3PU I have seen without a cracked=repaired head!) or is it now worthless (& therefore for keeping and playing when in the mood)

Any and all help, responses, sympathy (I am GUTTED when I opened the box I was almost sick!)

thanks in advance all

VivH

Before & After

After:

[FredZepp]

Hi VivH ..

The photos aren't showing up... the best way to post them is to put them on a storage site... Like photobucket or google photos .. and then post the address it's at. ( I use the Image button for that , but just posting the address should be enough )

Or I believe you can attach a file ( photo ) from your computer if you use the advanced posting screen.

 

As to your 162, yeah a lot of these type Heritages have taken a hit to the headstock over the years, so quite a few are repaired now. You mention the year '83.. but the first few Heritages were made in late '84 and I believe all of these were H-140.. with the first production year for Heritage being 1985. Your serial number would tell us what year it is.

 

I've got a couple of these type Heritages because they are a great value for handmade Kalamazoo instruments. My VIP-1 does have a repaired headstock, but my Parsons Street model does not.

The repair affects value, but can be a fine functioning instrument still.. if done properly. It is a sad day to see them in that damaged state... puts a black cloud into a new guitar day..

[DetroitBlues]

I would think the used value for an unmolested H-162 is around $700 to $1100 depending upon market conditions and how quickly you want to sell it. However, I also believe a repaired headstock reduces the value of any guitar between 30% and 50%. That's just my opinion, not a fact. I had a difficult time selling this 1985 H140 with a repaired headstock for $800. This was a rare, one-off H140 from back in the day, you won't find an 1985 140 with a bound ebony fretboard, MOP headstock, and mini-block inlays. There is not a single one like it anywhere.

 

[rockabilly69]

Repair the guitar for your sake, but you will never get the money out of it. Heritages don't typically have good resale value, and the headstock repair will totally kill it. But a good headstock repair will make the guitar a great player for yourself and most likely be stronger than the original joint.

[ironmike]

a headstock is the "kiss of death" on the buyers power, so the guitar is jaded. value, subjective, what 's the value of a car with a salvage title? now if it were a turn of the century martin, different story. the guitar is probably worth 40% of market value for a good one, anything more than that is bs.

[Steiner]

I would think the used value for an unmolested H-162 is around $700 to $1100 depending upon market conditions and how quickly you want to sell it. However, I also believe a repaired headstock reduces the value of any guitar between 30% and 50%. That's just my opinion, not a fact. I had a difficult time selling this 1985 H140 with a repaired headstock for $800. This was a rare, one-off H140 from back in the day, you won't find an 1985 140 with a bound ebony fretboard, MOP headstock, and mini-block inlays. There is not a single one like it anywhere.

 

I have one just like that! I thought mine was unique...

 

The neck is a tad fat though.

[FredZepp]

 

I have one just like that! I thought mine was unique...

 

The neck is a tad fat though.

And yours has been re-finished....

[VivH]

Thanks guys, I have my nice wood-restorer working on it as I write so hopefully it will get sorted and I will use it as my "Fibson" when I want that single pole sound! I must admit I have never quite understood collectors anyway - everytime I tried collecting something (stamps for instance) what I bought was always the finest most expensive thing in the world and then when I went to sell it ... it had somehow devalued and was now junk! So in this case at least i understand the cause! I note in passing that almost every 17c violin in the world today has been repaired/refitted/had the neck altered. I think there is ONE totally untouched strad in the museum in oxford! Doesnt stop them being the greatest fiddles ever made - perhaps the same will eventually happen with guitars. I mean some of the prices paid for ancient and really not very good guitars and insane and some of the prices NOT paid for lovely instruments Like that 140 seem to me to indicate that the market is not... rational lets say!

[bluwoodsman]

Another thought on the broken headstock issue. Some folks that would like to find a player but aren't blessed with abundant funds think an otherwise nice guitar with a headstock repair can be a good value. But the kicker is knowing that repair was done well. I've seen some repairs I was fine with and others I was not. I hesitate to buy a guitar sight unseen with a repair like that unless it's someone I have some trust in. So...maybe assess your sale prospects a bit. Do you live in a large metro area? Does it have enough interest value to make a sale to someone? Where I live I'd probably have to drive quite a ways to show it to someone who knows they even exist.

[DetroitBlues]

To counterpoint the resale value, this repaired headstock Les Paul sold for more then just about any other in the world, repaired or otherwise...

 

[DetroitBlues]

Thanks guys, I have my nice wood-restorer working on it as I write so hopefully it will get sorted and I will use it as my "Fibson" when I want that single pole sound! I must admit I have never quite understood collectors anyway - everytime I tried collecting something (stamps for instance) what I bought was always the finest most expensive thing in the world and then when I went to sell it ... it had somehow devalued and was now junk! So in this case at least i understand the cause! I note in passing that almost every 17c violin in the world today has been repaired/refitted/had the neck altered. I think there is ONE totally untouched strad in the museum in oxford! Doesnt stop them being the greatest fiddles ever made - perhaps the same will eventually happen with guitars. I mean some of the prices paid for ancient and really not very good guitars and insane and some of the prices NOT paid for lovely instruments Like that 140 seem to me to indicate that the market is not... rational lets say!

 

There is a nice 162 for sale now by a HOC member, he's asking $900, so I think you have an idea of your value now...