I have a 1963 Stat (purchased in '69 or '70 before old strats were a big deal). Anyway, this things got original every thing, including the cover that nobody uses where the strings come up from the other side, and the whammy bar). It's got a rosewood fingerboard with the usual wear and tear. The body has some scratches where somebody's belt buckle hit the guitar. I still have the tweed case, though the tweed princeton amp was stolen by some despicable subhumans who probably had no idea what they got. I'm not planning to sell, but I'm curious as to what an educated guess would be. I know that not all pre-CBS models command great prices, so I won't be insulted by a low ball estimate. Thanks for your help. I appreciate anyone's taking the time to respond.

wow you are one lucky guy I'm jealous any way if she has those hot bell tone pups and she in good playing condition and shes all original id say $17000-27000 depending on condition id say if she worn its closer to $17000 us. if the pups are weak and she is real worn drop it down to $12000 range

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If the case that came with a 1963 is tweed, it's likely not original. The 1963's came with a beige colored smooth skin case.

No matter, the '63 was a sweetheart of a guitar, and I've been blessed enough to work on quite a few of them. Good for you, and just play it. Don't worry about market value..what are you possibly going to replace it with?

Yes it would not have been Tweed in 1963 it would have been White Tolex with Black leather ends, orange interior. 1964 they went to Black Tolex. In 60' 61'62' they were also Tolex coffee cream, W/brown ends. Before that they were Tweed.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

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My vintage price guide is at home but either way, you better not sell it. First because it is appreciating every year and second it wants you to play it.

Post pictures please.

we want pictures

Buy a copy of Vintage Guitar magazine. Look through the many ads in it and you will get some idea. You might even call some of the dealers you find in the magazine.

Good Luck, let us know what you find out.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Hi Taoskier: (I'm a Zen walker, myself) welcome to the Forum.

For a quick visual guide, here is a page from the website of Vintage and Rare Guitars (of London):

http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/we ... ic-Guitars

The modern reissues come first, then you're into the genuine vintage guitars. Lots of POAs (which means, "we don't want to tell you the price because it is so big we think you'll be scared off"), but I'm seeing a fairly beat looking '63 there for £13,950 / $19,900. (£1.00 = $1.42 today.)

On the other hand, here's a sale on Ebay for a 1962 Strat in excellent condition for £57,000 / $81,300. Although that sale has been running for a couple of months now without finding a buyer, so maybe that price is over-ambitious...:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3DWatching

Cheers - C

Some of you have been telling me my '63 strat can't be a '63 because it came in a tweed case. Well, I took the neck off and sure enough it says 1963 (I'd heard you could do that, but I was quite happy to see that it wasn't a myth). Anyway, considering I bought it in '69 and it says '63 on the base of the neck I'd say it's a '63. I'm concerned about its value because I'm in a quandary. I've got a BA, MA, and PhD but had several jobs blow up in my face. This was bad luck, institutional decisions, or possibly in one case personal animosity. But it's left me in bad way financially. What I really need is a Paul Allen or somebody who'd like to combine philanthropy with adding to their collection. For what it's worth, the guitar's been played by a guy who made an album with Bob Dylan among others. I've heard there are a couple of places in Nashville that can be trusted to sell rare guitars on consignment. Maybe I'll try them. Believe me, if I could keep it and play it I would. And thanks for the advice everybody.

--Taoskier (as in Taos Ski Valley, not the Tao of Zen or whatever)

George Gruhn is a good vintage dealer. I've met him when He was at a guitar show in Indy years ago.

http://www.gruhn.com/

I don't think the previous posters were doubting the vintage of the guitar, just that the case might not have been the original case that came with the guitar.

With a used guitar, you never know what might have gotten mixed up, cases and parts even. Still, I think it's quite possible that when the original buyer got it, the tweed came with it. Cases were extra. The shop might have charged him less for the older case ... even today, at Guitar Center, say, one never knows what kind of case one might end up with when they pull the guitar off the wall and go into the back room to bring out a case for it.

Nowadays, that tweed case is quite valuable all by itself, you know.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

What color is the guitar as that can add a big increase in the value.If it is a color other than the standard three tone sunburst it can almost double the value of the guitar.

What the hell is up with this thread. I just noticed the original post was from 2/16/09 and Ceri was the last one to answer on the 17th. The guy comes back 11 months later to say he took the neck off as he heard you can do that ,then says he has more degrees than the Attorney General and the guitar was used on a Dylan album, and in all that time he never tried to find out the value of the guitar. He heard there are a few places in Nashville rjake is correct=Gruhn, and in 11 months he could of called anyone and said I have a 63 Strat and believe me they would of probably sent someone to him and said no need to call anyone as he is trying to make himself sound a bit clueless and also having hard times. Nah something is not right he might have 4 degrees but I was the Dean of the college of street smarts. If something is wrong and the date given by the forum is a mistake I will be the first to apologize. But if he first came on 11 months ago he picked the wrong place to play this game.