Today's guitar-buying public is faced with its share of disheartening economic facts, not the least of which is the continuously rising cost of new American-made instruments. Moreover, while such new instruments have risen in price in relation to the rising cost of everything else (more or less), the cost of used instruments from the "vintage" days of rock 'n' roll has gone out of sight. The owner of a 50's model Les Paul Sunburst can demand and get anywhere from $3500 to $5000 for the instrument. Of course Sunbursts have been a high-dollar item since the Woodstock days, but right here in 1979, such marginally collectable items as pre-1966 Fender Stratocasters with rosewood necks are going for as much as $750.

So where does that leave the guitarist (note that I said guitarist— not the parlor-picker with enough cash flow from a day gig to buy up every good guitar in town!) who needs a good instrument? Combine this price crunch with the fact that a full-time musician is considered a bad credit risk at the bank, and you have the economic basis for punk rock. No wonder Elvis Costello plays an old Fender Jazzmaster—it's probably all he could afford to buy!