I have a question -- what is a very basic older Tatay student guitar, mahogany sides & back, in average condition, except a large crack the full length of the back -- what is such a guitar worth?

I have one to sell for a friend, and have a crisis of conscience. I want to buy it, so it's hard to set a proper sale price. We've negotiated a price, but I am worried that I low-balled him. Give me some ideas, please.

This guitar is not fancy, and the crack in the back, even when fixed (it isn't now), will put off your typical buyers. There are scuff marks on the top, but no cracks. The frets are OK, and, like I said, I've already changed out the tuners. These, by the way, were not the standard classical tuners with the wide posts, but thin ones, like those used for steel strings; I equate this to the "student model" nature of the instrument.

We're splitting the take if we sell it, so he set a price in the middle of the range I had guessed at, and if I buy it, I'll pay half of that. If I sell it -- as in, it's worth more than I can go right now -- I'll deduct a little for the tuners and my work in fixing the crack. If I buy it, I'll eat those costs. There was no case.


So, okay, what do I tell him it should sell for on the open market?

And no, I won't post my evaluation -- I want answers that are not based on any starting point.

Thanks

Bob Clayton


(And some here may know whose guitar this is, so don't bring that up till I've received some data, please.)