1962 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster
Watch
GUEST:
Me and my daughter got tickets for the ROADSHOW, and it's the only thing I could think of to bring. Because it's the only antique thing that I got at home. Besides my wife. (both laugh)
APPRAISER:
So how long have you had it?
GUEST:
About 52 years.
APPRAISER:
Really?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And are you still playing it?
GUEST:
Oh, yeah, I play it every day. No, not this one-- I play on my other one. But I used to play this one, I haven't played this in about eight years—I’ve had it stored, see?
APPRAISER:
Uh-huh, right.
GUEST:
Yeah, it was, like... About eight years ago, I found out it was a little, it was, like, an antique.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
So I decided not to play it.
APPRAISER:
It's from late 1962.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And it's a Stratocaster, which is pretty obvious.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
With the decal on the headstock.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
But what makes it unusual is the custom color.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
It's sonic blue. Sonic blue is one of the more-rare Fender custom colors.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
They got their colors from automotive paint, DuPont.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
And this color was first used on 1956 Cadillacs. And so Fender began to use it, but it wasn't very popular. So there aren't very many of them done in this color.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
The more popular custom colors were Olympic white, candy apple red, and a darker blue that was called Lake Placid blue.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And what has really sent these kind of into the stratosphere is the fact that John Lennon and George Harrison had a pair of them, and they used that on "Nowhere Man."
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
And there's session photos of those two guys playing matching, sonic blue Stratocasters for that recording session. Now, George Harrison later repainted his with all kinds of fancy swirls and things like that. But he continued playing that guitar until he died. The John Lennon one has been in storage for who knows how long.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
So it's kind of made them the mythical color for an early '60s Strat.
GUEST:
Oh, good.
APPRAISER:
When did you get this Fender?
GUEST:
I got it in, I think, in 1965 at a, at a (inaudible) pawnshop. I paid about $100, $135 for it.
APPRAISER:
Have you ever had a real appraisal of the guitar before?
GUEST:
No, not really, no. Just what I've been offered, but, uh...
APPRAISER:
So what were you offered for it?
GUEST:
I was offered $35,000 for it one time. And then I refused that, and they offered me $40,000, but I refused that, too.
APPRAISER:
In today's market, in a specialty vintage guitar store or something like that, a guitar like this might bring $45,000 and maybe even higher. So it's definitely desirable.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And the custom-color Strats have come back. They took quite a hit in the recession, but their, their values are coming back again, so...
GUEST:
Well, that's good, good to know.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
