BrazenPicker
Well-known member
I've noticed that the very early strats (Esparto series) and les pauls from Navigator don't seem to sell for that much, usually for well below 1000 USD. Like earlier this week I was watching this Navigator les paul being offered on Yahoo auctions for 50,000 yen. No one bought it so the auction expired, then it got relisted at 40,000 and a day later it was gone. The headstock had been broken (and beautifully repaired, it was hard to see the breakline) so that explained a lot, but still. (As an aside, from what I read on forums online, a broken headstock isn't that big of a deal. If it's professionally repaired the bond will be stronger than ever and the tone of the guitar not perceptibly affected.) It was a beautiful tobaccoburst guitar with that patina that only 30+ years can give.
Then recently I came across a Navigator Esparto strat copy in a second hand shop here in Singapore for around 600 USD.
Today, Navigator competes with the upper range of Tokai, so it seems a bit inconsistent that the early models sell for far less than vintage Tokais and Grecos. Can I conclude then that the early Navigators weren't that special?
Before owners of old Navigator guitars come out in full force telling me their guitar totally smokes their buddy's historic, let me phrase this more carefully: How was Navigator positioned as a guitar manufacturer in the late seventies/early eighties? Was it just a midrange brand then, and has it since moved upscale? In terms of pricing, would a Navigator Les Paul have been more like a Tokai LS-50 or an LS-120 at the time? Certainly today's second hand prices seem to reflect the latter. Or am I wrong and is the market just overlooking these?
Then recently I came across a Navigator Esparto strat copy in a second hand shop here in Singapore for around 600 USD.
Today, Navigator competes with the upper range of Tokai, so it seems a bit inconsistent that the early models sell for far less than vintage Tokais and Grecos. Can I conclude then that the early Navigators weren't that special?
Before owners of old Navigator guitars come out in full force telling me their guitar totally smokes their buddy's historic, let me phrase this more carefully: How was Navigator positioned as a guitar manufacturer in the late seventies/early eighties? Was it just a midrange brand then, and has it since moved upscale? In terms of pricing, would a Navigator Les Paul have been more like a Tokai LS-50 or an LS-120 at the time? Certainly today's second hand prices seem to reflect the latter. Or am I wrong and is the market just overlooking these?
and it's a plain top, norlin headstock, 2 piece back & certainly not pancake etc. I know it's a strat that the OP referred too but I certainly would part with it for $1,000.
