Hey guys! I’ve got the opportunity to buy a ‘95 JF 30/12 in great condition. Any insight on the guitar/what you think a fair price would be? Do many of you own the same model from a similar time period? Would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers!
Nice! As I understand it, the JF55-12 is essentially a (temporarily) renamed F512, so I think the higher price is more a matter of the ebony fretboard, the fancy abalone fret markers, the "G badge" on the headstock, and a AAA sitka soundboard.As a comparison, I paid $2400 for a 1994 JF55-12 in great condition. The higher price reflects solid rosewood back and sides.
Interesting. Angle-checker that I am, I wonder if that speaks more to the asking price of those 512's?Nice! As I understand it, the JF55-12 is essentially a (temporarily) renamed F512, so I think the higher price is more a matter of the ebony fretboard, the fancy abalone fret markers, the "G badge" on the headstock, and a AAA sitka soundboard.
I was thinking that the F412 and F512 had about the same value "even though" the F412, like the JF30-12, has the braceless arched laminate maple back, which I consider a feature, not a shortcoming. But after browsing reverb, I'm not so sure. There are 17 used F512s that start at $3,000 and go up to $5,000. There are only 3 used F412s, and a 2010 in reported excellent condition is only $2,000. Somebody ought to snap that up!
I don't know what it is, but I seem to recall that the relative scarcity of F412s is not just a current thing. Now, I didn't check sold listings, so I went back and did that. Still just 11 used F412s that went for between $1,000 and $2,800 while there were 20 used F512s between $2,000 and $5,000.....why are there so many more unsold F512's than 412's?
Does it say anything about the popularity of the maple vs the rosewood sound?
Not to mention the abalone inlays and other bling.As a comparison, I paid $2400 for a 1994 JF55-12 in great condition. The higher price reflects solid rosewood back and sides.