What's so good about a '57 strat?

Question:I have a guitar that looks just like it, shown in this video(excuse the screaming and bad behavior) http://youtube.com/watch?v=Np7K3Aa-NSU If thats not a link, copy and paste it into the adress window. I just don't get why someone would pay as much as 2,000 dollars for a guitar that looks like mine(which was 250, with amp). Am I missing something? fill me in...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have a guitar that looks just like it, shown in this video(excuse the screaming and bad behavior) http://youtube.com/watch?v=Np7K3Aa-NSU If thats not a link, copy and paste it into the adress window. I just don't get why someone would pay as much as 2,000 dollars for a guitar that looks like mine(which was 250, with amp). Am I missing something? fill me in...

Cuz ya asked, here's my know-it-all answer: Because the wood has aged and dried out more, it might have a different, more resonant tone. Electronics have changed a lot in the last 50 years, too. The metals in the switches and pickups are different, which means the guitar sounds different. Fender got bought out, which a lot of people feel changed the guitar for the worse. The neck is shaped differently, which some people might like better. And some people think it makes them special to have a vintage guitar collect dust on display.
Paint "Fender" on your guitar, drag it behind your car for a few miles, try to pawn it off as a vintage, and let me know how that works out for you. I have that same Ibanez in red, and if I can get some sucker to pay me two grand for it I'll be a happy man.

it's not about looks
it's about quality and craftsmanship
the little things, such as what kind of pickups, what kind of wood the body, neck, and fretboard are made of, the string action, etc. are what sets the Strat apart from the cheap knock-offs.
That being said, I own a Carvin Strat copy (not a Fender), and I love it. It was much cheaper... only around $700 bucks at the time.

Yeah... It's about quality, the distinct sound of vintage pickups, etc... There's collector's value as well with anything that's old and in demand. There's only a limited number out there.

Any Asian guitar made out of good wood with good hardware and name brand pickups will cost over $600.00. You really can't do much better for a pro quality instrument. An American Fender will run around $1000.00 So, $2000.00 for a sought after vintage instrument isn't so out of line. That price is probably a little low.

When you start playing more than one string at a time, you'll want something that stays in tune better. You'll probably get tired of the weak, muddy-sounding pickups too. I think you'd be extremely pleased with a pickup upgrade. You'd get much more depth, definition and sustain.... livelier harmonics... a more "effortless" sound.

It's considered Vintage, and back in the day it was a classic !! I don't think it has to do with the looks, it's the sound and action that everyone flipped over. In the guitar center one day I saw an amp that looked like it went thorough the war it was so beat up I wouldn't give $10.00 for it, but the price tag said $700.00 I couldn't believe it, but it was considered vintage so that made the value go up, I didn't quite understand it either, they also had a Gibson up on the wall that looked like a piece of crap, but the price tag was in the thousands, those vintage instruments go for ridiculous prices, why I don't know, maybe it was owned by Hendrix, Clapton, Howe, or Van Halen, that's the only reason I could even imagine why this things are so outrageously priced. If you see vintage on a tag expect to pay a fortune !!!!!! I have a big Gibson that was from the late thirty's, (it was my Fathers) the one that had the big F holes in the body, maybe I should take it to the Guitar Center...who knows maybe I have a fortune on my hands and just don't realize it !!!!! It has nothing to do with the way the guitar looks, it's all about the age !!!!!!!

If you don't know, then it don't matter, and if you do know, then nothing else will do. The 57 Strats were made well, have stood the test of time, and get better with age. They aren't the only ones, but if your axe holds up as well as those did over the next 40 - 50 years, maybe you can sell it for two thousand dollars too!

You're missing the antique factor - and if you EVER find a 57 Strat for $2000, PLEASE let me know!!!!!! Actually there are LOTS of differences, pickups, electronics, neck shape etc. That make these stand-out guitars, it's just that old Fenders & any other major brand are collectible. And I'll bet if you PLAYED the 57 vs your guitar you would understand the difference - maybe.