What's In Zach's Attic Today?
As of December 13th, 2018 we have the following used and vintage instruments in Zach's Attic:
- Vintage Banjolele more >>>
- Vintage 1966 Fender Vibro Champ Amp more >>>
- Martin D-1GT more >>>
- Heritage Eagle Classic Natural more >>>
- Fender Standard Jazz Bass more >>>
- Peavey Foundation Fretless Bass more >>>
- Vintage Hagstrom 'Viking I' Hollowbody more >>>
- Vintage Sunn 1X15 Bass Cabinet more >>>
- Guild X-50 Hollowbody more >>>
- Gibson 1959 ES-125 more >>>
- Fender Special Edition Std Strat more >>>
- Fender Blues Jr. amp more >>>
- Vintage Danelectro Model 122 'Cadet' amp more >>>
- Fender Vibrolux Reverb 'Drip Edge' more >>>
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!
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".
Vintage 1966 Fender Vibro Champ AmpThis little Fender classic tube amp has just arrived into the Attic. These vintage Vibro Champ amps have been a staple of the small tube-amp world for a long time now and they are proven winners. Excellent for practice and portability with its lower wattage and lightweight frame. The advantage of an amp this size is that you can crank it full tilt to harness its natural overdrive sound without blowing out the walls. Different electrics will cause it to break up at different overdrive levels as well. Dating to 1966 and with the original speaker, it's ready for its next journey. Offered at $749.00 including a later-era Fender amp cover. |
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Martin D-1GTWe get our fair share of Martin dreadnaught guitars coming through the Attic. The D-18's, D-28's, etc. command higher prices. Here is a nice affordable all solid wood model: The D-1GT. Built in 2012, there is not much play wear on the guitar. Full dreadnaught sound, slimmer 1-11/16" nut width, the HPL neck is rugged and should be very stable over time. This is an instrument that can be strummed hard and driven. Fresh setup, restrung with Martin Lights. $699.00 including the original Martin hardshell case. |
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Heritage Eagle Classic NaturalWe are very excited to offer this Heritage Eagle Classic hollowbody in natural finish. This is an all solid carved jazz box and it sounds fantastic. These are very expensive new, and if you want a Gibson, you'll pay thousands more. Made in the original Kalamazoo, MI Gibson factory by only a handful of builders, this model dates to 1999. The simple floating humbucker makes things very easy, just plug in, dial in the amp, and away you go. One volume knob, that's it. Overall in excellent, well cared for condition. There are some chemical reaction finish marks on the bottom of the guitar and one area of the back of the neck where the guitar sat on a stand for a while. Because of this, we've priced it down a bit. It does not affect the guitar's playability at all. These don't come around very often. Fresh setup for D'addario EXL115W .011-.049 with the wound 3rd. $2,299.00 in original hardshell case. |
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Fender Standard Jazz BassThe Fender Precision Bass and Jazz Bass are the workhorses of the Fender bass line. Every time we get a used one in, it's gone quickly. They are solid, reliable, rugged basses and used ones can be had at a great price. Players tend to favor the Jazz Bass if they prefer a slimmer neck profile and dual pickups. The burgundy finish on this instrument is a nice departure from the typical sunburst or black. Overall it's in good shape, but with some wear through the finish around the two strap buttons. Because of this it's priced a bit lower than usual - only $349.00. |
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Peavey Foundation Fretless BassAttention bass players: Have you thought about going fretless? Here is your chance with this Peavey Foundation fretless bass dating to 1991. Made in the U.S.A. it is a solidly built instrument with plenty of life left. More like a jazz bass, the neck is slim and easy to wrap around. Ultra smooth playability with the fretless fingerboard. The line fret markers are a nice visual aid. This is a great deal on a U.S.-made instrument at $350.00. Gig bag included. |
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Vintage Hagstrom 'Viking I' HollowbodyWe are excited to offer this rare 1960's Hagstrom Viking I hollowbody. Brought in by one of our local customers, it has that worn-in vintage vibe that so many players are looking for. The top of the guitar near the neck pocket was damaged long ago, but it was fixed expertly by the late luthier Jim Mouradian. This guitar is fun to just sit around and plunk on unplugged. Plugged in, although it's light and thin, it has a good depth of warmth to the tone as well. Any decent electric from the 1960's typically commands a decent price. Because of the repaired top, we have priced this guitar to move fast at $499.00. Gig bag included. |
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Vintage Sunn 1X15 Bass CabinetJust arrived in the Attic - this early 70's 1X15 inch Sunn bass cabinet. Back in the 60's and 70's, Sunn was one of the top bass amp and cabinet manufacturers. Sturdy pine cabinet, very good condition with minimal wear, and it's not a huge cabinet compared to other 15-inchers. The speaker is located on the left side of the cabinet so when you tilt it onto its side feet, the speaker is right off the floor to dispense the sound. Very nice full and clear tone. We have our G/K MB200 head set up to power the cab and it sounds great! The speaker only has an 80 watt rating, but it's mounted in an efficient open-vented cabinet so it still makes lots of noise. You won't need (or want) to put tons of power through it. Bassists out there...if you're lacking a 15 inch speaker in your rig and appreciate things vintage, this is a great deal at $349.00. |
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Vintage 1960 Guild X-50You just never know what will come through the door! Amazingly, a customer just consigned another vintage hollowbody similar to the 1959 Gibson ES-125 that just arrived in the Attic. The new arrival is a Guild X-50. A full hollowbody with a slimmer body than the ES-125, the X-50 features a single P-90 style single coil pickup with the same simple single volume and tone controls. The neck is a mid-profile shape, very easy to wrap around and play. The guitar has a gorgeous lightweight vintage feel to it. Excellent for blues, jazz, folk rock. Guild was founded in 1952, and these earlier models are very collectable. The guitar appears to be all original with the exception of a second strap button. Overall in very good condition, it's certainly been played, but those years of play have resulted in a rich, well broken in tone. Offered at $1,199.00 with an Access bag included. To hear this vintage guitar in action click here. |
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Gibson 1959 ES-125Freshly traded in, we're excited to offer this vintage 1959 Gibson ES-125. A full hollowbody with f holes, this guitar can be enjoyed acoustically while just sitting around. These 50's dog ear P-90 pickups have an excellent full/meaty tone. Roll back the tone knob and get those jazzy sounds, make it brighter and the sound can yield much more treble and snap. The neck is a nice chunky profile without being baseball bat sized. Nicely worn in, plays great. We have it setup for regular electric .011-.049's. Putting on bronze or flatwound strings will immediately beef up the tone and we will accommodate a setup of the customer's choosing. The input jack was relocated from the side of the guitar to the top. There is an older (well done) neck heel repair. The trapeze tailpiece appears to be non-original and the pickguard is missing. Because of this we have priced the guitar accordingly at $1,099.00. A non-original Gibson deluxe hardshell case is included. |
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Fender Special Edition
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Fender Blues Jr.We don't really need to say too much about this amp, it's already one of Fender's all-time best-selling models. Great middle of the road size where it can be turned down sweet and low, but can certainly crank when dimed. The "fat" switch is a nice feature in that it does what the title of the amp says...gives you a bluesy grit with some gain but not over-the-top wailing distortion. This particular one is an older version, one owner, in excellent original condition. Functions perfectly. Come check it out soon before it's gone! |
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Vintage Danelectro Model 122 'Cadet' AmplifierAnother early vintage tube amp has found it's way into the Attic. Small, lightweight, and snarly! Simple design format with the rear panel controls, turn it on, crank it up, and you'll hear that old tube tone. With an amp this size, the type of guitar plugged into it really affects the sound. A Strat or Tele with single coils will keep it cleaner with a slight bit of grit at full volume. A strong P-90 or humbucker brings out much more of the natural tube gain when cranked. This old-timer is a bit noisy when you're not playing but that doesn't matter when the volume is up. A great value for the price, and a totally different sound than a Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc. Offered at $299.00 |
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Vintage Fender Silverface 'Drip Edge' Vibrolux Reverb AmplifierWe are thrilled to offer this highly collectable 'drip edge' Fender Silverface Vibrolux Reverb. Dating to around 1968, it's from a classic era for Fender tube amps. The aluminum drip-edge front panel was only offered for a short time on several Fender amp models making these a bit more prized. Just serviced by our tube amp technician, it's ready to rock. 40 watts of all-tube power really cranks but won't blow your head off like a Twin Reverb can. The two original Oxford 'Fender Special Design' 10 inch speakers sound fantastic and can handle pedals easily. The genuine spring reverb is lush and the vibrato shakes like it should. There have been several classic Fender tube amp models in the Attic recently and they've all sold quickly. This is a special opportunity and these amps are hard to find. Bring your favorite electric down and give it a try! Click here to hear this vintage amplifier in action! |
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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
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.