“Vintage guitars” is a very broad subject. There are electric and acoustic guitars. Electric guitars are divided into categories like solid body, hollow body and semi hollow body. Solid body guitars such as the Les Paul, SG, flying V and Explorer guitars have no sound chamber and sound holes to give the instrument a sound that’s heard without being plugged in and amplified. Semi hollow body guitars such as the ES 335 and B.B. King “Lucille” are guitars that have a hollow body with a plank of wood down the center that inhibits feedback at higher amplified levels. Hollow body electric guitars like the “Jazz box” ,”arch top” type are generally thicker or deeper and the tops of the guitars are (on the real collectables) are carved from a single piece of wood to make a warmer deeper more pleasing sound.

Acoustic guitars are unamplified (newer acoustics have electronics so you don’t have to use a microphone on the instrument). There are various types of acoustics as well. There are the dreadnaught, jumbo body and the arch top “jazz box”. The dreadnaught type of acoustic guitar was designed in the 1800’s by the C.C. Martin Co.  The jumbo guitar like the Gibson model j200 has a very wide belly and has a booming large sound designed when there was no sound re-enforcement “public address”   so it would cut or travel throughout  a room of significant size with large groups of people and other instruments. The Arch top “jazz box” guitars were the F-hole carved top variety would also be a larger size variety like the electric mentioned before.

The collector who specializes in the Gibson Vintage guitar will usually have invested large amounts of money for these instruments. The “Holy Grail” of electric vintage collectables is the 1959- 1960 Les Paul Flame-top named for the book matched maple top with a sunburst finish. These can command upwards of well over $100,000 dollars and can be two to three times that amount depending on the amount of flame or waves in the maple and are matched in the center with the V shape or chevron well pronounced in the maple top. The more pronounced and visual they are the more collectable and coveted they are. On the acoustic side the more collectables are the limited run or production arch top “jazz box” variety, since these instruments are handmade and carved top. Since these were “labor intensive” pieces and so limited in production. These pieces can get into the six figure range.

One of the most collectible guitars is the Gibson Vintage Sunburst Guitar. It's worth more than most guitars and is considered a high demand collectible. An early Les Paul Standard with Cherry Sunburst in original condition will usually cost around $200,000. If that's not a collectible guitar, I don't know what is.

The most important factor in considering the collectability of this guitar is the condition of the guitar and it's finish rather than the actual sound.

Another collectible Gibson guitar is the 1985 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plain Top VOS Guitar. This guitar comes with a carved maple top but a mahogany back. The neck is one piece and made of mahogany as well, but has a smooth rosewood fretboard. This is another famous and collectible vintage guitar. All VOS models of this guitar have a solid mahogany back with a long neck tenon. This guitar is probably worth it if you can buy it for less than $5,000.

If you can buy a original vintage Gibson sunburst guitar, it will cost you a pretty penny, but you'll have the satisfaction of buying one of the most collectible and most high demand guitars that have ever been on the market.

In conclusion, the Gibson Vintage Sunburst guitar. and other vintage Gibson guitars are some of the best, some of the most collectible, and, to be honest, some of the most expensive guitars anyone can buy for their money. However, if you're a guitar collector or can afford to spend extra on these vintage guitars, they can be a nice gem for your collection.