In this installment of Handmade Music, George Gruhn gives a lesson in assessing a guitar's worth through careful visual inspection. But without a skilled repair staff, many of the guitars brought in to Gruhn's shop would essentially be worthless.That same repair staff talks about how they go about assessing the condition of a used guitar and some of the "life saving" techniques they employ to return old guitars to the way they looked (well, practically, anyway) on the day they were manufactured.
What's required for this project:
years of experience
screwdriver
Upon First Inspection: Visual CluesWhen vintage instruments arrive at Gruhn Guitars, an inspection of the instrument begins right away. Even before any tools are employed, specific visual bits of evidence can provide indication, to the trained eye, of the instrument's pedigree and value.
Included on first inspection is the material used for the nut. Guitar nuts can be bone, ivory or synthetic--depending on when and by whom they were made. The materials used for parts like this point to year of construction and authenticity.
Tuners can also be a dead giveaway. During the life of a guitar, the tuners can get replaced--and sometimes with ones that don't match the time period of the instrument's manufacture. Other indicators of age, origin and prior repairs include binding, style of bridge, variety of wood, style of inlay and--most importantly--the serial number found inside the instrument.
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