The word "used" is very rarely seen in the guitar world these days eh, but that would knock a few zero's of the price tag

In the world of wine, "Vintage" just means that the bottle has been dated. There's plenty of 2005 vintage Champagne available.
Similarly the word vintage only makes sense with guitars when accompanied by the year. My 1988 vintage MIJ Strat for example.
....Mark.

Too many people erroneously think all guitars are like wine in the sense that they get better with age. This is so far from the truth. If a given 'instrument' was a monumental POS the day it was made, a few decades down the road cannot and will not change it. It could be argued that said 'instrument' is a "Vintage POS" but that's about it.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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You dig?

MMV'd! (my mileage varried!)

I purchased a Hwy 1 that was hot of the press, it's still curing and will continue curing for years -- and it's tone is dramatically improving with age!

I purchased an Ibanez a while back that was hot of the press...as it started to cure it degraded in quality. The frets sprouted badly and sounded duller and duller; finally, I stopped wasting time and got rid of it. And yes, for you Ibanez fans, of which I am one, I know there are incredible Ibanez guitars out there!

Keepin' the Hwy 1!

To me, vintage is 25-years old or older.

Antique, 100-years old or older!

Historical, 1,000-years old or older.

An artifact is at least 2,500-years old (buried civilzations, undersea discoveries etc.)!

Ancient...10,000 to 100,000 years depending upon the technology of the item!

...timeless if it appears to have been around for a lot longer than we understand the time and space continuum.

And the prize for best antithesis of VinnyPop goes to...

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No no and no

Not all the CBS era Fender guitars. My 72 Strat isn't bad at all. Some were really horrible especially later in the 70's. CBS Fender amps too. The lead dress on my 76 Twin wasn't that great, but it had a trouble free 30 year giging run with me.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Just saying the ones I've played are not worth the price they command. I'm no one to validate or naysay some one else' preference.

Same as I bet you don't like mid 80's Charvels much? Or maybe the BC Rich Warlock. I probably couldn't get you to part with £10 for one if you were never allowed to sell it.
And OK I don't much like Warlocks either.

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No no and no

25 years for USA stuff. anything else is hard to judge.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Nah, don't like Warlocks either. I'd rather have a Teisco Del Rey than a Warlock. LOL I agree, that 70 Strats shouldn't command the prices they get, but then again, I think the whole vintage market is a load. Years ago these guitars were considered 'used" or "second hand", and were priced accordingly. My Supro is hitting 50 next year. I'll never sell it. Same with my Strat. Not 50 but I won't sell it. If I keep a guitar, I consider it good for what I do. I don't buy them as "investments".

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I don't think there's a specific number on the age of an instrument that makes it "vintage". To me Vintage implies that its a guitar that came from a time when the company was making it's best product. A golden age for that particular company where the quality stands out more than other periods.

In the case of Fender, Pre-CBS guitars are vintage - possibly even some of the late 60's CBS strats... early 70's if you were to push it.

In the case of Gibson, late 60's guitars and older... Some of the Norlin era guitars of the 70's are nice too but to call them vintage would be stretch.

In the case of PRS, 80's models and early 90's.

Ibanez and Jackson/Charvel and B.C. Rich models of the 80's... also the 70's considering BC Rich and Ibanez were around then.

...one thing I would be curious to see though, is if you were to keep to this definition of vintage, if there would be another period come along for these companies that would be considered vintage, like the early examples of the FMIC era strats when quality became a huge focus again. It technically marks the start of another golden age for Fender. Gibson in the 90's also.

I'd never pay more than $500 over what a new Strat would cost for a vintage one. Especially one from like the 70s. The most I could do and still sleep at night would be like $1500. (Considering an AM Standard is about $1000, correct?) And that's if it's in decent condition. I plan on my first vintage guitar being a Music Master. Eventually. I'm in no rush for one right now.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

One guitar manufactured 1960 cut from 30 year old tree versus one manufactured yesterday cut from 200 year old tree, both identical, pristine and never been played, which is the vintage?

"representative of the best and most typical/characteristic"
"vintage Fender"

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

@ RRR I am aware of the years that CBS and Norlin took over Fender and Gibson respectively that's why I used the term "We were well into" the CBS and Norlin years after 1975.Cheers.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

"Vintage" is anything made before the year you were born.

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Bill