Now at 80 King Street · Littleton MA 01460 · (978) 486-0112 · Interstate 495 Exit 30
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What's In Zach's Attic Today?

As of April 10th, 2020 we have the following used and vintage instruments in Zach's Attic:

Click on one of these instruments or just scroll down for photos and more information.

Zach's Archives

Want to peek at the extraordinary range of cool and interesting instruments that have passed through Zach's Attic? Just click HERE!

Contributing to Zach's Attic

We're always looking for interesting used and vintage guitars, basses and other fretted instruments that need new homes. (Sorry, we don't accept used band instruments.)

If you have a used or vintage instrument that you think Zach might be interested in, bring it in and show it to him. (Call ahead to make sure he'll be in the store when you come.) If he likes your instrument we can work out a trade or buy it outright.

You can contact Zach by phone at the number above or via our Ask Us! page.

Our Guarantee

Buying a used or vintage instrument can be a scary process. If you don't know what you're looking for, you can easily overpay or end up with an inferior (or even unplayable) instrument.

When you buy a used or vintage instrument from The Minor Chord we guarantee it to be as described. If there are flaws in the instrument that we know about, we'll tell you. If there are significant flaws we didn't notice and disclose, tell us within 30 days and we'll cheerfully give you your money back.

The Minor Chord is a music store you can trust!

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Our Used and Vintage Instruments

Zach is our store manager and head instrument buyer. He hunts down the top quality used and vintage instruments that we feature here in "Zach's Attic".


Taylor 210e-DLX

This full gloss 2 series Taylor immediately stands out and is ready for a new home. Nice articulate full and bright sound with the laminate rosewood back and sides and the solid Sitka spruce top. Taylor's signature easy playability with the slim neck profile and ebony fretboard. The ES2 system delivers a big sound plugged in. Excellent condition, $799.00 in Taylor hardshell case.

The specs:

  • Dreadnaught body shape
  • Solid Sitka spruce top
  • Laminate rosewood back and sides
  • Full gloss body
  • White binding
  • Sapele neck
  • Ebony bridge and fretboard
  • Small diamond inlays
  • 25-1/2 inch scale
  • 1-11/16 inch nut width
  • Chrome tuning machines
  • ES2 pickup system
  • Hardshell case included
  • Excellent condition

Martin DCPA4 Rosewood

The great instruments keep arriving here at The Minor Chord. Martin's DCPA4 Rosewood model is meant to be a great all-around performer's guitar. Sounds big and full unplugged with the dreadnaught body and solid rosewood and spruce. The Fishman F1 Analog system works great plugged in and the cutaway is nice to have for lead players. This particular guitar was sold here originally to one local owner. Very good condition, asking $899.00 in the Martin hardshell case.

The specs:

  • Made in Nazareth, PA
  • Dreadnaught body with cutaway
  • Solid Sitka spruce gloss top
  • Solid Rosewood back and sides
  • White body binding
  • Richlite bridge and fingerboard
  • Dot inlays
  • Performing artist neck shape with high performance taper
  • Tortoise pickguard
  • 25.4 inch scale
  • 1-3/4 inch nut width
  • Fishman F1 Analog system
  • Hardshell case included

Martin 000-13E

Occasionally a customer buys a new guitar, then has a change of heart a short while after. This Martin 000-13E was bought new from us just a little while back and has returned used in near mint condition. Part of Martin's Road Series, you get a lot of bang for the buck. Comfortable 000 body size, all solid woods, Fishman electronics with a true auto mute tuner so you can tune quietly on stage. Ready for travel with Martin's new deluxe soft shell case. $1,049.00.

The specs:

  • Martin's versatile Road Series
  • 000-14 fret body shape
  • Solid Sitka spruce top
  • Solid Siris back and sides
  • Full gloss body
  • White body binding
  • Richlite bridge and fretboard
  • Dot inlays
  • Performing artist neck shape with high performance taper
  • Tortoise pickguard
  • 24.9 inch scale
  • 1-3/4 inch nut width
  • Fishman MX-T electronics with auto mute tuner
  • Near mint condition
  • Martin deluxe soft shell case included

Epiphone Dot

There's been an influx of quality used gear that's recently come in through the shop. Here is a very nice Epiphone 'Dot' from 2004, made in Korea. Although the 'Dot' represents a Gibson ES-335 style guitar, this particular Epiphone is one of the fancier 'Dot' models. Featuring Epiphone's classic vines headstock inlay patter, along with tasty fingerboard inlays, this guitar really stands out. Quality Grover tuning machines are noticeably more solid than others. The wider 1-11/16 inch nut width is more reminiscent of the early era Gibson 335's. Setup for .010-.046 strings, we anticipate this will be gone very soon. Asking $549.00 in SKB hardshell case with locking latches.

The specs:

  • Made in Korea, 2004
  • ES-335 style thinline semi-hollowbody
  • Laminate maple back/sides/top
  • Vintage sunburst finish
  • 3-piece maple neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard
  • Fully bound body and neck
  • Translucent tortoise pickguard with 'E'
  • Fancy headstock and fretboard inlays
  • Stop tailpiece
  • ABR-1 bridge
  • Two humbuckers
  • Two volume, two tone controls
  • Amber bell knobs
  • 3-way selector switch
  • 24.75 inch scale
  • 1-11/16 inch nut width
  • Grover tuning machines
  • Gold hardware
  • Excellent condition
  • SKB hardshell case included

Epiphone G-400 SG Pro

The Epiphone G-400 SG has been around for a while now, this particular version is a recent limited-edition featuring the larger 1966 style pickguard. As a set-in neck model it gets more natural sustain than the cheaper bolt-on neck versions. The humbuckers can be coil split with the two volume knobs.

The cherry finish has always been the most popular finish of SG models, it's a classic. Overall in excellent condition with a gig bag included. offered at $299.00.

The specs:

  • Dual cutaway thinline solidbody
  • Mahogany body
  • Cherry gloss finish
  • Larger 1966 style 3-ply black pickguard
  • Mahogany set neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Peal trapezoid inlays
  • 22 frets
  • 24.75 inch scale
  • 1-11/16 inch nut width
  • Slim taper neck profile
  • 12 inch radius
  • Jumbo frets
  • Alnico Classic Pro and Classic Pro Plus humbuckers
  • Chrome pickup covers
  • Two volume, two tone controls, top hat knobs
  • 3-way selector switch
  • Coil split on volume controls
  • Stopbar tailpiece
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Vintage keystone tuners
  • Gig bag included
  • Excellent condition

PRS S2 Mira

Lightweight, smooth, and it growls! Just in we have this PRS S2 Mira in the gloss black finish. The asymmetric shape sits comfortably against the body and under the right arm. The dual humbuckers are not super hi-gain rather have a nice warmth to them. Rock n' roll and bluesy tones are easy to dial in.

The controls are simple with the single volume and tone. The tone knob is a push/pull coil tap as well to thin out the pickup sounds. A couple minor scuffs but overall in excellent condition. $799.00 in PRS gig bag.

The specs:

  • Made in U.S.A. in 2014
  • Dual cutaway, asymmetric body
  • Mahogany body in gloss black finish
  • 3-ply black pickguard
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fingerboard
  • White dot inlays
  • 25 inch scale
  • PRS locking tuners
  • PRS adjustable wraparound stoptail bridge with brass studs
  • Two PRS humbuckers
  • Volume and tone control
  • Coil tap push/pull on tone control
  • 3-way selector switch
  • PRS gig bag included

Washburn HB-35-N

Washburn has been around a long time now and have always been known for budget-friendly quality instruments. The HB-35-N is a semi-hollowbody with a solid maple center block...Washburn's take on the classic Gibson ES-335.

The natural finish looks sharp over the flamed maple top. The dual humbuckers will give you a great blues/jazz/rock sound with plenty of beef. Excellent condition, fresh setup for .010-.046 strings. $449.00 in gig bag.

The specs:

  • Semi-Hollowbody with maple center block
  • Flamed maple laminate body
  • Natural finish
  • Full gloss body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • 24-3/4 inch scale
  • Split block inlays
  • Two Washburn humbuckers
  • Two volume, two tone controls
  • Amber bell knobs
  • Stop tailpiece
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Grover 18:1 tuners
  • Gold hardware
  • 3-way toggle switch
  • Excellent condition
  • Gig bag included

Taylor NS-34ceNOW ONLY $899

We have a harder to find Taylor acoustic/electric nylon-string model. The NS-34ce features a Grand Auditorium body shape with Venetian cutaway. This body shape has a nice full tone that smaller classicals can sometimes lack.

Built in 2003, it has seasoned nicely over the last 16 years. One local owner, sold here originally. Fresh setup for normal tension strings. $999.00 in original Taylor hardshell case.

The specs:

  • Nylon string model, made in El Cajon, CA
  • Grand Auditorium body style with Venetian cutaway
  • Solid Sitka spruce top
  • Solid Sapele back and sides
  • Satin finish back and sides, gloss top
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard and bridge
  • 25-1/2 inch scale
  • 1-7/8 inch nut width
  • Tusq nut and saddle
  • Ping gold tuners with Ivoroid buttons
  • Cypress rosette
  • Fishman pickup system
  • Bass/mid/treble/brilliance slider controls
  • Volume/feedback notch knobs
  • Phase switch
  • Original Taylor hardcase included

Taylor GS-Mini

The popular Taylor GS-Mini. A nice compact travel guitar that doesn't lack in tone. A scaled down version of their Grand Symphony body style, it feels substantial and solid all the way around. This version is the straight acoustic with the solid Sitka spruce top.

This particular instrument was sold here originally to one local owner. $399.00 in the Taylor hardbag.

The specs:

  • GS-Mini body style
  • Solid Sitka spruce top
  • Sapele back and sides
  • Ebony bridge and fingerboard
  • Tortoise pickguard
  • Chrome tuning machines
  • 23-1/2 inch scale
  • 1-11/16 inch nut width
  • Taylor Hardbag included

Common problems with used instruments

We see a lot of used instruments at The Minor Chord and a few common issues seem to show up in many of them. If you are thinking of buying an instrument on the private market, make sure you can spot these common flaws.

Lifting bridges

Most bridges on acoustic guitars are simply glued to the guitar top. If the glue joint starts to separate you are looking at a dangerous guitar. Six steel strings exert a huge tension on the bridge, and if it suddenly comes loose it can seriously injure anyone nearby. The staff at The Minor Chord has seen this happen - so we always inspect the bridge of an acoustic guitar before restringing it.

Piece of paper under a lifting bridge

Piece of paper under a lifting bridge

If you can slip a sheet of paper under the bridge of your guitar (see picture) you should relax the string tension immediately and bring the instrument to us for inspection.

An experienced luthier can remove a bridge and reglue it, but the time and labor involved makes the process too expensive for beginner and intermediate guitars.

High action

The distance between the strings and the fingerboard is called the action height. If the action is too high the guitar becomes hard (or even impossible) to play because it takes too much effort to press a string against the fingerboard. In addition, the guitar will probably not play in tune because each string has to be stretched so much (which raises its pitch) as it is pressed down.

Proper action height depends on two factors: The alignment of the neck and the height of the saddle (the point at which the strings rest on the bridge).

Electric and steel-string acoustic guitars usually have a truss rod running down the neck that can be used to adjust neck alignment. Classical-style guitars with nylon strings typically do not have a truss rod, and the only way to realign the neck is for a luthier to remove, shim and reinstall the neck - a major operation. The same operation is required on electrics or steel-string acoustics if the truss rod doesn't have enough available play to achieve the needed adjustment.

Saddle height is easily adjusted on electric guitars using a very small allen-head wrench. The saddles on acoustics and classical nylon strings may simply lift out of the bridge and can be shaved or shimmed to achieve the correct height. If these adjustments cannot bring the action height to a playable level, an expensive neck reset is required.

A low action height is desirable for easy playing but the action cannot be lowered so much that the strings start buzzing against the frets. Inexpensive guitars tend to have uneven frets, which means that the action height cannot be brought very low at all. Resetting or dressing the frets can even them up but it is a time consuming and expensive process, worthwhile only for valuable guitars.

All of these adjustments related to action height are fussy and interrelated. It's best to leave them to an experienced luthier, which means it is usually not economical to rescue an inexpensive guitar having these problems.