Older (Previously Owned), Vintage, and Featured New Instruments
Updated June 8, 2010
Our
inventory of vintage and previously owned guitars, mandolins, ukuleles,
mountain dulcimers, banjos, and other instruments currently includes
models made by Martin, Gibson, and Ome, among others. If you are interested
in a particular instrument, please call us to check on availability of the instrument. For
information on recently sold older and vintage instruments, visit our archive page.
Shipping
We routinely ship instruments to customers throughout the United States and internationally. We always do our own careful packing of each instrument. Our usual shipping method is UPS Ground, but we are happy to use other methods, depending on the customer's wishes.
Web Transactions
For more information on methods of payment, etc., for web transactions, please see our conditions
of sale.
Steel String Guitars & Cases | Nylon
String Guitars | Left-Handed Guitars
Ukuleles | Mandolins | Mtn
Dulcimers | Banjos | Other
Guitars
Make/Model |
Year |
Condition |
Description |
Case |
Price |
Steel
String Guitars & Cases |
| Collings SJ |
c. 2001
|
VG+
|
A gorgeous guitar from Bill Collings' highly skilled minions. Nicely figured maple on the back and sides and very tight-grained spruce on the top. It's in great condition with some light pick scratches in the usual places and a few small nicks here and there. Serial #6740 09/01 |
OHSC
|
$3,395
|
| C. Fox "Sonoma D" |
c. 1999
|
Exc.
|
This slope-shouldered dreadnought was built by the highly-regarded luthier Charles Fox. His shop at the time was in Healdsburg, California - home to the world-famous luthiers' exhibition. This guitar has Indian Rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top, and a mahogany neck. It has beautiful abalone inlays on the fingerboard and a matching rosette, bound fingerboard and headstock and herringbone trim on the top. It even has Waverly tuners and a fabulous Ameritage hard shell case! Big dreadnought sound and plays like a dream. |
Ameri-tage Case!
|
$2,495
|
| Gibson ES-345TD |
c. 1974-1975
|
VG
|
Here is a classic from Gibson. The original trapeze tailpiece has been replaced by a stop tailpiece. The original is intact and in the accessories pocket. The finish on the guitar is a bit darker where the original tailpiece was. This is Gibson's original model that is wired for stereo. It appears, from some light marks in the finish, that someone had a stick-on pickup just in front of the bridge. Overall, the guitar is in great shape with some light to normal playing wear. |
OHSC
|
$2,785
|
| Gibson J-45 |
c. 1971
|
G
|
This guitar has some normal playing wear and some dings and scratches, but, come on, it's almost 40 years old! It has some nice finish checking which is quite typical for Gibsons of this age. The bridge is original, but the tuners have been switched to newer Schallers. It has very good action and a cool dark cherry sunburst. |
OHSC
|
$1,495
|
| Martin 00-28G |
|
|
Description coming soon - please call if you are interested in this instrument. |
|
|
| Martin 000-18 |
c. 1926
|
VG+
|
Here is a very interesting instrument. It has a 12-fret neck with a slotted headstock but has Martin's long scale length. Very rare. The width at the nut is 1-13/16ths inches. The guitar has been refinished. Somewhere along the line, we think someone put some rhinestones in the headstock (can you say 1960s?), but they were removed before it was refinished. There have been numerous cracks repaired well, and there are a few patches also very professionally repaired. The tuners have been replaced. This guitar is incredibly light, as any 80-year-old Martin should be, and the sound jumps out of it. Somebody at sometime spilled something inside the soundhole. We think it was glue and glitter ... possibly another relic of the sixties? Most of it has been cleaned up and we don't think it affects the guitar at all. |
newer HSC
|
$5,500
|
| Martin D-12-35 |
c. 1969
|
VG+
|
This is a killer 12-string guitar with beautifully figured Brazilian Rosewood. The action is excellent so it plays like a dream.
It looks like the bridge has been re-glued and the pickguard has shrunk. There are a couple of finish cracks on the top. There is one repaired crack (in the wood) in the center panel on the back but it looks and feels very stable. |
newer
HSC
|
$3,395
|
Martin D-28
(with Fishman Active pickup)
|
c. 1970
|
G
|
This is an interesting guitar. It was built in 1970, but sometime in the mid-80s the owner broke the neck. So, he sent it to Martin because he was the original owner (he still is), and they replaced the whole neck, including one of those new-fangled adjustable truss rods. It has had a few cracks over the years, but they have all been repaired. This is definitely what we would call "a player"! |
HSC
|
$1,300
|
| Martin
D-42K guitar |
1998
|
Exc.
|
Spruce
top, Koa back & sides
Standard "42" inlay - abalone binding on top and around
fingerboard |
molded
OHSC
|
$3,600
|
| Monteleone Eclipse Archtop Guitar |
c. 1990
|
Exc.
|
A gorgeous archtop guitar from John Monteleone. It's built from beautifully flamed maple. It has some light finish checking on the top but overall it is in great shape. Please inquire about the price if this beauty interests you. |
HSC
|
Please call for
price.
|
| Nashville Guitar |
|
|
If you are interested in this guitar, please contact us for more information. |
|
Please call.
|
| NBN R-2 Guitar |
1970s?
|
VG+
|
This NBN model R-2 - #0070 (1970s?) - comes with the original hardshell case. Good neck, big, bright, crisp voice. No top cracks, slight wave to rosette, treble side. Unique NBN fan bracing system. One glued crack bottom, bass side. |
OHSC
|
$2,750
|
| Olson "OM" Guitar |
c. 1982
|
VG
|
We talked with James Olson about this guitar. He calls this his "OM" shape, which he no longer makes. It is spruce and mahogany. The nut width is 1-11/16ths inches; scale length is 25-3/8 inches. There is a seam split, below the bridge, which has been repaired. The action is good, and the instrument is very playable. Lovely tone... just ask James Taylor. |
OHSC
|
$5,900
|
Santa Cruz Vintage Artist Guitar
|
c. 1994
|
|
This guitar was originally purchased and owned by Tom Paxton. Since this was his "working" guitar, it has the full and rich sound you would expect - and there is play wear. There is a repaired crack and some finish crazing on the top. The instrument is otherwise in fine shape, with a "v" style neck. There is also a pick-up, of unknown origin. A letter from Tom accompanies this instrument, validating its history. Please call for more information if you are interested in this guitar. |
HSC
|
$3,500
|
| Santa Cruz VS "Vintage Southerner" |
c. 2007?
|
Exc.
|
A beautiful vintage-looking box from Richard Hoover and his talented workforce out in Santa Cruz. This slope-shouldered D is mahogany and spruce. It has a 24-3/4" scale length and a 1-11/16" width at the nut. It looks brand new and it plays like a dream. |
OHSC
|
$2,750
|
Taylor 512ce |
c. 2007 |
New |
This is a great little guitar with Taylor's high end Expression pick up system on board. Even though we have this listed on our "Used and Vintage" page, it is a new guitar. We have had it for over 2 years and we would like to see it go to a nice home instead of growing old here. Thus, the nice price. It has an all-solid Mahogany body with a nicely figured Spruce top. Won't you please give it a new home? |
OHSC |
$2,350 |
Tippin OOO T-12 Guitar
Back
to top |
c. 2002
|
Exc.
|
A beautiful guitar hand built by master maker Bill Tippin. This model is no longer offered by Bill except as a special order. It has a master grade Engleman spruce top and Khaya (an African mahogany) back and sides. The nut is 1 3/4" wide. It has a custom deco headstock inlay and deco torch fingerboard inlays. Its only boo-boo is a divot in the headstock near the high E string tuner (see picture). A wonderful guitar to look at, listen to, and especially to play. |
Deluxe HSC
|
$3,595
|
|
| Marcelino
Lopez guitar |
c.
1963 |
VG |
Completely
restored to full playability by Bob Westbrook |
HSC |
$4,500 |
Vicente Sanchis
Model 40
Back
to top |
1981
|
|
This Sanchis was made by (and signed by) the father in 1981. The top appears to be Spruce, by the color, although the grain lines could indicate Cedar. The back and sides are of a lovely Indian Rosewood, looking quite close to Brazilian. There is some scarring from playing, and one top seam crack which has been secured (cleated). The pickguard is original; we had thoughts of removing it but found that there was no finish underneath. The action is quite good, and the sound is very good. |
OHSC
|
$2,250
|
Abbreviations:
HSC = hard shell case OHSC = original
hard shell case SSC = soft shell case |
Ukuleles
Make/Model |
Year |
Condition |
Description |
Case |
Price |
|
| Aloha Royal soprano uke |
c. 1960s
|
Exc.
|
An all-solid mahogany uke with a pretty voice. It has a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Plays great - sweet sound. |
Gig bag
|
$350
|
| Favilla baritone uke |
c. 1950s
|
Exc.
|
A sweet looking and sounding baritone from the last heyday of ukes. This baby is all original, has no cracks and shows very little playing wear. There are a few small dings including one ear the endblock. The action is great and the tone is deep and woody. |
newer SSC
|
$600
|
Martin T-28 Tiple
Back
to top |
c. 1974
|
Exc.
|
This baby is in great shape! Hardly any playing wear, the action is excellent and the sound is jingle, jangle, jingle. It has one fingerboard crack (near the body) that we repaired and also a bridge crack that we also repaired. Both are quite hard to see. |
OHSC
|
$1,495
|
Abbreviations:
HSC = hard shell case OHSC = original
hard shell case SSC = soft shell case |
Mandolins,
Dulcimers, Banjos, Other
Make/Model |
Year |
Condition |
Description |
Case |
Price |
|
| F-Style Mandolin |
c. 1987
|
|
Made by
Craig D. Peterson of Santa Fe, NM,
this F Style mandolin is made of spruce and maple. |
Custom HSC
|
$2,000
|
| Flatiron Mandola Performer Series model 3MC |
c. 1997?
|
Exc.
|
We believe this mandola was built in the late 1990s because it has a Flatiron label with the Gibson name also on it. It has very nice maple on the back and sides with an ebony fingerboard and bridge. There is hardly any playing wear at all. The only flaw is that there are some marks in the finish where the bridge was incorrectly positioned. It plays great and sounds great. |
OHSC
|
$895
|
| Gibson F-4 Mandolin |
c. 1936
|
Exc.
|
This is a real beauty! A wonderful example of Gibson's building prowess during the Depression Era. Everything on this mando is original equipment. As if that isn't enough, it also comes with a Fishman pickup that can be substituted for the original bridge. It has been pre-fitted for this instrument. The instrument has no cracks, has some light scratches here and there. The back has some marks (belt buckle, vest button,...?) that are not through the finish so they aren't easily noticed. It is in great playing shape and has a very mature, deep rich tone. Even the case is a classic! |
Original pinstripe case
|
$6,500
|
| Gibson F-5 Lloyd Loar Mandolin |
1924 |
Exc.-
|
Signed and dated by Lloyd Loar on Dec. 1, 1924, triple top-bound body, headstock and tortoise plastic pickguard, triple side-bound neck, pearl flowerpot and "the Gibson" inlays in headstock, pearl button arrowhead tuners, "The Gibson" tailpiece cover (may be original, but standard F-4 style tailpiece), adjustable ebony bridge (stamped "PAT'D JAN. 18 21"), sunburst finish flamed maple neck, back and rims, carved spruce top, very rare, fully original (well, okay, we replaced 2 missing tuner screws with period correct ones), in the same family since at least the 1930's, excellent structural shape (crack free), some evident scratches on the finish, but not too bad, as you can see in the photos, one tuner button has cracked and been reglued, sounds great, frets could be dressed, on consignment, with red-lined oblong OHSC.
### NOTE THAT THIS MANDOLIN IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THROUGH THE DENVER FOLKLORE CENTER OR ELDERLY INSTRUMENTS. IT CAN BE VIEWED THROUGH HARRY TUFT OF THE DENVER FOLKLORE CENTER BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, WITH AT LEAST 24 HOURS NOTICE. CALL HARRY TUFT AT 303-777-4786 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. ### (SN:79756) |
OHSC |
$225,000
Call for appoint-
ment |
| Martin Model A Mandolin |
c. 1949
|
VG
|
This little cutie is a very nice woody sounding mandolin. It plays great with excellent action. It has a repaired crack on the bass bout and a more severe boo-boo on the treble bout. All these things happened some time well in the past, and the repairs done at that time seem very competent to us, with no discernible effect to the sound or integrity of the instrument. This mando has a great Celtic-y, Old-Time-y tone. |
OHSC
|
$750
|
Martin Style C Mandolin
|
c. 1929
|
Exc.
|
A gorgeous example of Martin's take on an A style mandolin. Brazilian rosewood on the back and sides.
It has one flaw on the back: a ring in the finish that looks like someone set a cup of coffee down on the back. Would anyone really do that? |
OHSC
|
$2,750
|
Michael Kelly Mandola
Back to top |
c. 2008
|
like new
|
This is a very good sounding (and affordable) F style mandola. Michael Kelly no longer makes these so any F style mandola under $2500 is getting very hard to find. This instrument has hardly been played and, as a result, it is in great shape. |
OHSC
|
$995
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vega 5-string banjo |
c. 1963
|
G
|
Here is an interesting banjo. Built toward the end of Vega's life in Boston, it has a Tube-a-phone tone ring and original tailpiece and tuners. It also has the original Scruggs "D tuners" that were offered by Vega, with the directions (they're in the case). The banjo has an after-market resonator. |
older HSC
|
$995
|
|
Chinese Urhu
|
unk.
|
|
Traditional 2-string violin, with python skin head |
Case
|
$350
|
Spanish-made Laud Fco. Esteve
Back to top
|
unk.
|
|
Purchased in Madrid in 1979 - has a spruce top, rosewood back and sides. |
HSC
|
Please call.
|
Abbreviations: HSC = hard shell case OHSC =
original hard shell case SSC = soft shell case |
|