Know What You Are Holding
WHAT'S IT ACTUALLY WORTH?
Not a guess from a forum thread. A hands-on bench inspection, an originality audit, real comparable sales, and a written report you can act on.
Straight Talk
HOW A REAL VALUATION WORKS
The internet will tell you your guitar is worth whatever the most optimistic seller is asking. Sold prices tell a different story, and originality tells the biggest one of all. A changed pickup or a refinish can move a vintage instrument by thousands.
We put the instrument on the bench, audit every component for originality, grade the condition honestly, and pull actual sold comparables, sales we can point to, at the prices they closed.
You leave with a written valuation report carrying four numbers: fair market value, insurance replacement, our recommended consignment list price, and what the shop would pay outright today. Whichever way you want to go from there, you have the map.
The Report
WHAT AN APPRAISAL INCLUDES
Hands-On Bench Inspection
Structure, neck, frets, finish, and hardware examined by the people who repair them.
Originality Audit
Component by component: what is factory, what has been changed, and how it moves the value.
Condition Grading
Honest grading on the scale buyers and insurers actually use.
Comparable Sales Research
Real sold prices, current market.
Four Written Values
Fair market, insurance replacement, consignment list, and outright purchase.
Photo Record
Documented condition at the date of inspection.
Bring It In When
WHY PLAYERS GET APPRAISALS
Insurance riders for vintage and high-end instruments
Selling and wanting a defensible asking price
Inherited instruments with no paperwork
Deciding between selling outright and consigning
Settling what a collection is really worth
Read The Fine Print
WHAT THIS IS AND IS NOT
A professional bench opinion
Based on hands-on inspection and real comparable sales, valid for ninety days.
Not a certified USPAP appraisal
Estate, donation, and some legal purposes require an accredited appraiser. We tell you when that is the right move.
A straight answer either way
If the guitar is worth less than you hoped, you hear it here, with the reasons.
Related work on the bench
Brookfield · Danbury · New Milford · Nationwide Ship-In
LOCAL SERVICE. NATIONAL REPUTATION.
We are the trusted repair shop for musicians across Connecticut, serving Brookfield, Danbury, New Milford, and beyond. And our quality speaks for itself: we regularly accept ship-in repairs from NYC, Boston, and across the USA. Your guitar deserves the best, no matter where you are.
YOUR GUITAR, DONE RIGHT.
From ground-up custom builds to critical, tour-ready repairs, we have the master-level expertise to bring your vision to life. Stop in the shop.
14 Del Mar Dr, Brookfield, CT · (203) 775-6989