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Does anyone know how much a new D'Angelico would have cost in 2010 money? I'm just curious if they were within reach of an average musician when he was alive ... or D'Aquisto, or any other stratospherically priced guitar.
I was thinking that i'm pretty spoiled by all this micro-lutherie where you can get a top-tier instrument for around $5,000, and wondered what that magic number was in the 40's - 70's. Same? Were D'Angelicos in that range?
Follow up question: have you played an original D'Angelico/D'Aquisto and if so, did the sound and feel match the price?
Last edited by spiral; 12-02-2010 at 02:25 AM.
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12-01-201011:07 PM
Originally Posted by spiralFollow up question: have you played an original D'Angelico/D'Aquisto and if so, did the sound and feel match the price?
Depends on what you mean by the price. The original price that Jimmy D sold it for (70-early 90's models) or the now super expensive vintage market price ($55-125K) I played a jazz line of his at Mandolin Brothers. I was buying a used Fender D'Aquisto Elite and this guy was there with his D'Aquisto Jazz Line. He was listening to me check out the Fender when he said. "Here, Check out the real thing" Beautiful guitar and light. I couldn't believe how light it was. I think it was around 5000 at that time (Early 90's) Of course Jimmy was still alive then
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I know that they were priced equivalently with their Gibson counterparts, so $275 for an L-5 from '23 until the war. What is that in 2010 USD? About $14K at 5% per annum.
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spiral
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$275 in 1923 is $3,428 in 2009's US dollar (or so says the west egg calculator). Cheaper than I thought. Originally Posted by kamlapatiI know that they were priced equivalently with their Gibson counterparts, so $275 for an L-5 from '23 until the war. What is that in 2010 USD? About $14K at 5% per annum.
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That's less than 2.9% / annum. Seems pretty low to me.But of course, reasonable people do argue about such things. Either number is low compared to collector values, and either number is within the range of what reasonable people pay for a modern archtop.
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- I'm just using inflation calculators. They don't take all variables in consideration of course. I'm just trying to get a ballpark sense of what it would cost. So maybe 2 months salary for a middle class worker? Originally Posted by kamlapati
That's less than 2.9% / annum. Seems pretty low to me.But of course, reasonable people do argue about such things. Either number is low compared to collector values, and either number is within the range of what reasonable people pay for a modern archtop.
US bureau of labor statistics says $3,517 in 2010 dollars.
Last edited by spiral; 12-02-2010 at 02:13 AM.
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John D'Angelico opened his New York shop in 1932. An early (1935) brochure show his three models (Style A, Style B and Excel) at $150, $200 and $275 respectively. $275 in 1935 US$ apparently converts to $4390 now.
The late '30's New Yorker was priced at $400 (about $6200 now)Reply With Quote
mr. beaumont
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must...fight...temptation...to build....time....machine....
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I've only played a D'Angelico once - maybe 20 years ago at a non-descript and now defunct little shop in Vermont. It was purported to have been built in the 1930's. They were asking a crazy price for it even though it was a little bit worn in - $18k, $30K - I don't remember. (I tried not to think about it while I was holding it.)
It was a relatively plain-looking non-cutaway without a pickup with .013 - .056 bronze strings on it. It did play and sound great, somehow combining projection and warmth. I did my feeble Freddy Green imitation - seemed appropriate.
Of course I couldn't consider buying it, but it's an honor to be able to say I've actually played one once.
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That thing sounds ridiculous!
Still... I think the top dog DA is the 50s "bourbon burst" 18" NYer at Retrofret, greatest acoustic archtop I've ever played by miles!
The only thing I don't like about the DAs are the necks... I think in that time having a thin but stable neck was a badge of prestige for the luthier, and though I'm sure you could custom order anything you liked, it seems all the DAs I've played (4-5) have had very thin and flat necks.
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- My 37 NY has a big neck and lots of wood I think D profile, I love it neck wider too 1 3/4. Originally Posted by Bromando
That thing sounds ridiculous!
Still... I think the top dog DA is the 50s "bourbon burst" 18" NYer at Retrofret, greatest acoustic archtop I've ever played by miles!
The only thing I don't like about the DAs are the necks... I think in that time having a thin but stable neck was a badge of prestige for the luthier, and though I'm sure you could custom order anything you liked, it seems all the DAs I've played (4-5) have had very thin and flat necks.
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Jack Wilkins once played my 1935 Snakehead model and said it was the best guitar in the world.
Bucky Pizzarelli played it before him, and Roger Borys said you could hear it acoustically, loudly, in every inch of the club. Bucky loved it, too.Reply With Quote
John D'Angelico priced his guitars according to Gibson's pricing schedule. By Jimmy D'Aquisto's day, vintage Gibsons and D'Angelicos had risen in value and Jimmy was able to charge more than Gibson was getting for similar offerings (perhaps John D'Angelico might have been able to get more if he tried?).
When I was in college in the mid 70's, a used D'Angelico was going for about $1000, a used L-5 about $800 and a new D'Aquisto was pushing two grand (IIRC). If I had the money then, I would have bought one.
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The idea that a D'A would be priced competitively with top Gibsons would seem right. The inflation calculator is set at 2010 so add another 3-4% annually to the price. Still come in under 10K
I've played about seven different D'A's over my lifetime. Some were fine; others, so so.
The prices for these guitars are what they are and at the time weren't sought after by the collectors as they are today.
That's where the inflation comes from. Happens to quite a few things. Not so much the deterioration of the buck.
I'd pay 20K for a D'A if I really dug it. Haven't come across one of this sort yet. It might be out there.Reply With Quote
A couple thoughts:
The guitars made by John D and Jimmy D are not factory items. They are unique instruments made by deceased master artisans. They are a finite number and not replacable. Using inflation over time doesn’t reflect their value in my opinion. Their price is based on both their inherent value and the differential in their demand vs. their supply in the current market.
My $.02
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- Ahhh, if only we could get one for that... Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7
My $.02
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Originally Posted by spiral
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