[quote name='4000' post='446296' date='Mar 26 2009, 06:39 PM']I certainly don't think all vintage guitars are better (I've played some absolute dogs) but what I do know is that for my purposes my 1972 Rick 4001 smokes any later Rick I've ever played in terms of tone. As ever, YMMV.[/quote]
Oh, entirely agree with that.
If one wants to have these things as investments, fair enough. Or maybe not? If I still had my first precision, it would be worth, allowing for inflation, about what I paid for it, ie about 250 squids x 33 years. In other words, it's 'worth' not a bit extra. It would be great to be still gigging it though, because it was a good'n. But no better than what I currently have. Certainly not worth seeking out especially, though.
Quite apart from all this, I simply like instruments to be 'my own', therefore, I tend to buy new.. The 51RI I got from Mickeyboro of this parish was just about unplayed, so it's now 'my own' despite being 10 years old when I got it.
It's simply a matter of taste. Vintage isn't better, or worse. Just taste. The investment side of it will, IMHO, come to nothing eventually. Or even pretty soon, if the current economic climate gets much gloomier...