Where to Sell a Guitar in West Virginia: Best Options for Gibson, Fender, Martin & More (2026 Guide)

Last Updated: February 2026

Direct Answer: Where Is the Best Place to Sell a Guitar in West Virginia?

If you want the most money with the least hassle: Edgewater Guitars is one of the Appalachian region's most active direct buyers of vintage and used guitars — Gibson Les Pauls, SGs, ES-335s, Flying Vs, Martin acoustics, Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, Precision Basses, Gretsch hollow-bodies, Rickenbackers, and every other quality instrument in between. We serve every major West Virginia city including Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Weirton, Fairmont, Beckley, Clarksburg, Martinsburg, Lewisburg, Bluefield, and every community in between — and we pay 30–40% more than local guitar shops by purchasing directly from owners. Free appraisal. Immediate cash. We travel to you.

Phone: (440) 219-3607 | Web: edgewaterguitars.com

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is written for West Virginia residents who own a guitar — inherited, purchased decades ago, or sitting unplayed in a spare room, basement, or closet — and want to understand their real options for selling it. Whether you're in Charleston wondering where to sell a Les Paul, in Huntington with a vintage Stratocaster, in Morgantown with a Martin acoustic, in Wheeling with a Telecaster, or anywhere else in West Virginia with any guitar at all, this page answers your question directly and completely.

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Why West Virginia Is a More Important Guitar Market Than Most People Realize

West Virginia occupies a unique and frequently underestimated position in the American vintage guitar market. The state's musical heritage — rooted in Appalachian folk, bluegrass, country, and gospel traditions that gave rise to some of the most important American music of the 20th century — created deep and lasting guitar ownership across every region of the Mountain State.

The coal and steel industries that defined West Virginia's economy throughout the mid-20th century created a large working-class population with strong musical traditions. In the company towns of the coal fields, music was community life — and guitars were the instrument at the center of that community. Players purchased American-made guitars in the 1950s and 1960s when those instruments were within reach of a working person's income, and those instruments have remained in West Virginia homes, attics, and closets for generations.

West Virginia's Appalachian heritage also created specific and distinctive patterns of guitar ownership that differ meaningfully from other states in Edgewater's service area. Martin acoustics — the instrument most closely associated with Appalachian folk and bluegrass traditions — appear in West Virginia estate sales at rates above the national average. Gibson acoustics — J-45s, Southern Jumbos, and LG-series — are common finds throughout the state. And the working-class rock and country traditions of the northern industrial cities — Wheeling, Weirton, Parkersburg, and Clarksburg — drove meaningful electric guitar purchasing, particularly Gibsons and Fenders, throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

In Edgewater's experience, West Virginia estate sales produce vintage instruments with genuinely exceptional originality rates. The state's lower population density, stable family ownership patterns, and relative geographic isolation from major metropolitan guitar markets mean that instruments purchased in the 1950s and 1960s passed through fewer hands and were modified less often than equivalent instruments in denser markets. West Virginia guitars are frequently found in the condition they left the factory — untouched, unmodified, and in some cases still in original cases that haven't been opened in decades.

If you own a guitar in West Virginia, there is a meaningful probability that it has more value than you realize — and that no local buyer has given you an offer that reflects what it is actually worth in the collector market.

What Guitars Does Edgewater Buy in West Virginia?

Edgewater purchases every quality brand and model. The following covers the primary instruments and their most collectible years in the West Virginia market.

Gibson Electric Guitars We Buy in West Virginia

Gibson Acoustic Guitars We Buy in West Virginia

Martin Acoustic Guitars We Buy in West Virginia

Fender Electric Guitars We Buy in West Virginia

Other Brands We Buy in West Virginia

A note on banjos and mandolins: West Virginia's bluegrass and old-time music heritage means Edgewater regularly encounters Gibson F-5 mandolins, pre-war Gibson banjos, and Vega banjos in the state's estate sales. We purchase these instruments at the same specialist pricing level as guitars — if you have a pre-1960 Gibson mandolin or banjo in West Virginia, contact us before selling it anywhere.

The Short Version: Your West Virginia Selling Options at a Glance

The structural reason Edgewater pays more: A local West Virginia guitar shop must buy your instrument at 40–60% of what they plan to sell it for — that spread covers their rent, staff, and operating costs. Edgewater buys directly from owners without that retail overhead, which means our offers reflect actual collector market value rather than a retailer's required margin. On a valuable vintage guitar, that gap is a significant dollar amount.

Selling a Guitar in Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston is West Virginia's capital city and its largest guitar market. The city's position at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, its role as the state's commercial and government hub, and its diverse musical heritage — country, gospel, blues, and rock all converge in the Kanawha Valley — created consistent guitar purchasing throughout the 20th century.

Charleston's relative prosperity as the state capital means instruments purchased here in the 1950s and 1960s were often quality instruments bought by professionals, government workers, and business owners who could afford American-made guitars. The surrounding Kanawha County communities — South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, and the suburban corridor along US-60 — regularly produce estate sales with well-preserved vintage instruments.

Acoustic guitars — Martin D-18s and D-28s, Gibson J-45s and Southern Jumbos — are particularly common in Charleston-area estate sales, reflecting the region's strong country and gospel music traditions. Electric Gibsons and Fenders from the 1960s and 1970s are also regularly encountered, representing the rock and blues players of the era.

What Charleston-area guitar owners typically have:

• Martin acoustic flattops — D-18, D-28, 000-series purchased during the country and folk era

• Gibson acoustic flattops — J-45, Southern Jumbo, Country Western

• Gibson electric guitars — Les Pauls, SGs, and ES-series from the 1960s–1970s

• Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters from the 1960s–1970s

• Dobro and resonator guitars — Appalachian heritage drives above-average resonator ownership

Common Charleston search queries Edgewater answers:

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Edgewater serves Charleston and the Kanawha Valley: We travel throughout Kanawha County and the surrounding communities including Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, Nitro, and all of the Kanawha Valley corridor.

Call (440) 219-3607 or visit edgewaterguitars.com to schedule your free Charleston-area guitar appraisal.

Selling a Guitar in Huntington, West Virginia

Huntington is West Virginia's second-largest city and its most important southern guitar market. The city's position at the tristate corner of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio — where the Appalachian music traditions of all three states converge — created a distinctively rich musical culture. Marshall University adds a university dimension that drove additional guitar purchasing among students and faculty throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Huntington's position on the Ohio River also exposed the city to the blues and R&B traditions of the Ohio River Valley — a musical influence that drove electric guitar purchasing, particularly Gibsons and Fenders, throughout the 1960s. The city's country and gospel roots drove strong acoustic guitar ownership at the same time, making Huntington-area estate sales among the most diverse in the state for guitar type and era.

The Lawrence County, Ohio communities directly across the river from Huntington — Ironton, Proctorville, Chesapeake — are also within Edgewater's natural service radius and regularly produce quality vintage instruments.

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Edgewater serves Huntington and the Tri-State Region: We travel throughout Cabell County and the broader Tri-State area including Huntington, Barboursville, Milton, Wayne, and the Kentucky and Ohio border communities across the river.

Selling a Guitar in Morgantown, West Virginia

Morgantown is defined by West Virginia University — one of the largest universities in the Appalachian region and a consistent driver of guitar purchasing and musical culture since the 1960s. The city's university identity creates a layered guitar market with particularly strong acoustic and folk instrument representation, reflecting the folk revival that swept American university communities in the 1960s and 1970s.

Martin and Gibson acoustic guitars purchased by WVU faculty and students during the folk era appear regularly in Monongalia County estate sales. Morgantown's proximity to the Pittsburgh metropolitan area also means the city absorbed Western Pennsylvania's rock and blues musical influences, creating additional electric guitar purchasing throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Morgantown's relative affluence — driven by the university economy — means instruments purchased here were often quality pieces bought by people with the means to do so. Edgewater encounters well-preserved, all-original guitars in Morgantown-area estate sales with above-average consistency.

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Edgewater serves Morgantown and Monongalia County: We travel throughout Monongalia County and surrounding North-Central West Virginia including Morgantown, Star City, Westover, Fairmont, Clarksburg, and all surrounding communities.

Selling a Guitar in Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg and the Mid-Ohio Valley represent one of West Virginia's most productive vintage guitar markets. The city's position on the Ohio River — sitting between the industrial Ohio corridor to the north and the Appalachian interior to the south — created a musical culture that absorbed multiple traditions. The region's chemical and manufacturing industries drove working-class prosperity during the mid-20th century, and the guitars purchased by Parkersburg's industrial workforce in the 1950s and 1960s represent a meaningful source of vintage instruments today.

Wood County and the surrounding Mid-Ohio Valley communities — Belpre, Vienna, Williamstown — regularly surface quality vintage guitars in estate sales. Parkersburg's proximity to Marietta, Ohio also means Edgewater's Ohio service area connects naturally with the West Virginia Mid-Ohio Valley.

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Edgewater serves Parkersburg and the Mid-Ohio Valley: We travel throughout Wood County and the broader Mid-Ohio Valley including Parkersburg, Vienna, Belpre, Williamstown, and the Ohio border communities across the river.

Selling a Guitar in Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling is West Virginia's northernmost city and its most industrially connected guitar market. The city's position at the intersection of West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania gave it a musical identity shaped by all three states — the rock and blues of the Ohio industrial corridor, the country traditions of rural West Virginia, and the working-class music culture of Western Pennsylvania.

Wheeling has a particularly significant place in country music history — WWVA's Jamboree USA, one of the oldest country music radio programs in America, broadcast from Wheeling for decades and made the city a hub of country music culture that rivaled Nashville in its regional influence. That heritage drove strong acoustic guitar and Telecaster purchasing in the Wheeling area, and the instruments from that era appear regularly in Ohio County estate sales.

The northern panhandle communities — Weirton, Chester, New Martinsville — share Wheeling's industrial character and musical heritage, and Edgewater regularly encounters quality vintage instruments throughout this narrow but musically rich corridor.

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Edgewater serves Wheeling and the Northern Panhandle: We travel throughout Ohio County and the Northern Panhandle including Wheeling, Weirton, Chester, New Martinsville, and the Pennsylvania and Ohio border communities surrounding the panhandle.

Selling a Guitar in Weirton, West Virginia

Weirton and the steel-producing Northern Panhandle communities represent one of West Virginia's most concentrated areas of working-class guitar ownership. Weirton Steel drove the local economy for generations, and the city's tight-knit steelworker communities maintained strong musical traditions rooted in country, folk, and rock — all genres where American-made guitars were central instruments.

Estate sales in Hancock County and the Weirton area regularly surface Fenders and Gibsons from the 1960s and 1970s that have remained in family homes since they were purchased. The steelworker community's stability — families staying in the same homes for decades — means originality rates on instruments from this region tend to be high.

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Edgewater serves Weirton and Hancock County: We travel throughout Hancock County including Weirton, Chester, and all surrounding Northern Panhandle communities.

Selling a Guitar in Beckley and Southern West Virginia

Beckley and the Raleigh County coal region represent the heart of West Virginia's Appalachian interior, and the musical traditions of this region are among the richest in the state. The coal mining communities of Southern West Virginia — Beckley, Oak Hill, Fayetteville, Lewisburg, and the surrounding communities — maintained strong country, gospel, and bluegrass music cultures throughout the mid-20th century.

Southern West Virginia estate sales are among the most likely in the state to produce traditional Appalachian instruments — Martin acoustics in smaller body sizes (000, 00, and parlor guitars), Gibson LG-series and B-25 acoustics, and Dobro/resonator guitars — alongside the electric Gibsons and Fenders that working-class rock and country players purchased in the 1960s and 1970s.

The New River Gorge region and the surrounding communities — Fayetteville, Oak Hill, Summersville — have become increasingly affluent as outdoor tourism has grown, but the underlying working-class instrument ownership from the coal era remains, and estate sales in these communities regularly produce quality vintage instruments.

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Edgewater serves Beckley and Southern West Virginia: We travel throughout Raleigh County and Southern West Virginia including Beckley, Oak Hill, Fayetteville, Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, and all surrounding communities.

Selling a Guitar in Clarksburg and Fairmont, West Virginia

Clarksburg and Fairmont — the twin industrial cities of North-Central West Virginia — share a manufacturing heritage that drove consistent guitar purchasing throughout the mid-20th century. Harrison and Marion counties sit at the geographic center of the state, and their estate sales regularly reflect both the Appalachian acoustic traditions of the surrounding rural communities and the electric guitar purchasing of the urban working-class population.

Clarksburg is the birthplace of Stonewall Jackson — one of the Confederacy's most celebrated generals — but more relevant to guitar buyers is its strong country music heritage and its glass industry workforce, which created a prosperous working-class community that purchased quality instruments throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

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Edgewater serves Clarksburg, Fairmont, and North-Central West Virginia: We travel throughout Harrison and Marion counties including Clarksburg, Fairmont, Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Shinnston, and all of North-Central West Virginia.

Selling a Guitar in Martinsburg and the Eastern Panhandle

Martinsburg and the Eastern Panhandle sit at West Virginia's most densely populated and economically dynamic corner — a region shaped more by its proximity to Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia than by the Appalachian interior. Berkeley and Jefferson counties are among the fastest-growing in the state, with a diverse and affluent population that creates a distinctive guitar market.

The Eastern Panhandle's musical heritage draws from multiple traditions — the Shenandoah Valley's country and bluegrass culture to the south, the Washington metropolitan area's diverse music scene to the east. Estate sales in Berkeley and Jefferson counties regularly produce quality instruments from both the older Appalachian tradition and the more recent suburban professional population.

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Edgewater serves Martinsburg and the Eastern Panhandle: We travel throughout Berkeley and Jefferson counties including Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Charles Town, Inwood, and all of the Eastern Panhandle. The Eastern Panhandle also falls within reach of our Pennsylvania service area.

Selling a Guitar in Bluefield and Mercer County, West Virginia

Bluefield straddles the West Virginia–Virginia state line, and its music culture reflects the broader Appalachian tradition of Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia. Mercer County and the surrounding Appalachian communities — Princeton, Welch, Pineville — have deep roots in country, gospel, and bluegrass music, and the coal industry that defined this region's economy created the same pattern of instrument ownership seen throughout the Southern West Virginia coalfields.

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Edgewater serves Bluefield and Southwest West Virginia: We travel throughout Mercer County and Southwest West Virginia including Bluefield, Princeton, and surrounding communities. We also serve the Southwest Virginia communities across the state line from Bluefield.

The Appalachian Guitar Heritage: Why West Virginia Instruments Are Special

West Virginia's guitar ownership patterns are shaped by its Appalachian heritage in ways that make the state's vintage instrument market distinctive from every other state in Edgewater's service area. Understanding these patterns helps explain both what types of instruments to look for and why they appear in such good condition.

Martin Acoustics — West Virginia's Most Valuable Guitar Category

Martin acoustics hold a special place in the West Virginia guitar market. The company's instruments were the choice of professional and serious amateur players in the Appalachian tradition — bluegrass and country musicians who understood the difference between a Martin and everything else. A bluegrass banjo player's Martin D-28, a country guitarist's Martin D-18, a fingerpicker's 000-28 — these instruments were purchased as serious professional tools and treated accordingly.

Pre-1970 Martin acoustics made with Brazilian rosewood — D-28, D-35, 000-28, OM-28, and similar models — are among the most collectible acoustic guitars in the world. Brazilian rosewood was phased out of Martin production around 1969–1970 due to international trade restrictions, making pre-1970 instruments categorically different from their post-1970 equivalents. A pre-1970 D-28 with Brazilian rosewood is a fundamentally different instrument — in tone, in materials, and in collector value — from a post-1970 D-28 with Indian rosewood.

What to look for on a Martin in West Virginia:

The serial number is stamped on the neck block inside the body, visible through the soundhole. Martin's serial number system allows precise dating. Pre-1969 examples with Brazilian rosewood are the most collectible. Pre-1947 examples with herringbone trim (D-28, D-18) are even more desirable. Pre-war examples (pre-1942) are exceptional finds at any price.

In Edgewater's West Virginia experience: Martin acoustics in West Virginia tend to appear in better original condition than Martins from urban markets. Players who used Martins as working tools in the Appalachian tradition often maintained them carefully — restrung regularly, kept in cases — without the cosmetic modifications or electronic additions that urban players sometimes made. An all-original pre-1970 Martin D-18 or D-28 from a West Virginia estate is among the most straightforward valuations Edgewater makes: condition and year are the primary variables, and both are typically favorable.

Gibson Acoustics — West Virginia's Folk and Country Heritage

Gibson acoustic guitars are nearly as common as Martins in West Virginia estate sales, and they reflect the state's folk, country, and gospel traditions equally well. The J-45 — Gibson's round-shouldered dreadnought workhorse — is the single most commonly encountered vintage Gibson acoustic in West Virginia, purchased by generations of country and gospel players who needed a reliable, resonant instrument within reach of a working person's budget.

LG-series Gibsons — the LG-1 and LG-2 — are disproportionately common in West Virginia compared to other states in Edgewater's service area. These small-body, ladder-braced instruments were sold through department stores and mail-order catalogs in the 1950s and 1960s, making them accessible to rural communities and small towns throughout Appalachia. They are frequently found in West Virginia attics and closets — and while they occupy a lower value tier than the carved-top Martins and bigger-body Gibsons, all-original examples in good condition have active collector demand.

Dobro and Resonator Guitars — A West Virginia Specialty

No other state in Edgewater's service area produces Dobro and resonator guitars at the rate West Virginia does. The resonator guitar is central to the Appalachian musical tradition — essential to bluegrass, significant in old-time music, and deeply embedded in the culture of communities that produced musicians like Josh Graves, who helped define the Dobro's role in bluegrass music.

Pre-WWII National and Dobro resonators from the 1930s are among the most collectible American fretted instruments, and they appear in West Virginia estate sales with meaningful frequency. If you have what appears to be an old resonator guitar — a metal-body or wood-body guitar with a circular metal resonator cone in the top rather than a conventional soundhole — contact Edgewater immediately before selling it anywhere. These instruments are frequently undervalued by non-specialist buyers.

Gibson banjos and mandolins also appear at above-average rates in West Virginia estate sales. A pre-1940 Gibson F-5 mandolin or a pre-war Gibson Granada banjo is among the most valuable American folk instruments in existence. Edgewater purchases banjos and mandolins as well as guitars, and we price them accurately for the Appalachian instrument collector market.

Electric Guitars in West Virginia — The Rock and Country Crossover

West Virginia's electric guitar market reflects the state's dual heritage: the Appalachian acoustic tradition that shaped the state's identity, and the working-class rock and country culture of its industrial cities that drove electric guitar purchasing from the 1950s onward.

Gibsons are the dominant electric brand in West Virginia estate sales by a meaningful margin. The state's country and rock traditions both favored Gibson — Les Pauls, SGs, and ES-335s in the rock and blues end; ES-335s, ES-175s, and acoustic-electric models in the country and jazz end. Fenders — particularly Telecasters in the country tradition and Stratocasters in the rock tradition — are the second most common electric brand, with strong representation across all regions of the state.

How to Get the Most Money for Your Guitar in West Virginia: 6 Rules

Rule 1 — Do not clean, polish, or modify anything before an appraisal. Original patina, hardware oxidation, and surface aging are authentication evidence. This rule applies equally to acoustic Martins and electric Gibsons — Edgewater pays more for an untouched original than for a cleaned guitar where the surface evidence has been disturbed.

Rule 2 — Find the original case. The original case for your guitar — whether a Martin chipboard case, a Gibson brown/orange hardshell, or a Fender tweed or black case — confirms provenance and adds meaningful value. For Appalachian acoustic instruments, the case also often contains documentation, receipts, or handwritten notes about the instrument that provide valuable provenance information.

Rule 3 — Do not replace any parts. Every original component, even a worn or non-functioning one, contributes to originality. Do not replace a broken tuner, a worn nut, or a cracked pickguard before getting a specialist appraisal. Non-original parts reduce value even when they are higher quality than what they replace.

Rule 4 — Know what you have before accepting any offer. The gap between an informed and uninformed seller is widest in West Virginia, where local guitar shops are fewer in number and generally less specialized than in major metropolitan markets. A pre-war Martin D-28 and a 1970s D-28 look broadly similar to a non-specialist; a 1961 SG/Les Paul transitional model and a 1968 SG Standard look similar to anyone not trained to see the difference. Edgewater's free appraisal ensures you understand what you have before you make any decision.

Rule 5 — Do not assume that a guitar is common just because it looks plain. West Virginia's most valuable estate guitars are often the plainest-looking instruments in the room — a beat-up J-45 in the corner, a simple Martin D-18 in a chipboard case, a basic Telecaster with heavy play wear. Collector value is driven by authenticity and originality, not cosmetic condition. The worn instruments are frequently worth more than the clean-looking ones.

Rule 6 — Get a specialist offer before any guitar shop or pawn shop offer. West Virginia has fewer specialist guitar buyers than more densely populated states, which means the gap between Edgewater's offer and the best locally available offer is often larger here than in any other state in our service area. This gap favors sellers who know to contact Edgewater — and costs sellers significantly when they don't.

Why Edgewater Pays More Than West Virginia Guitar Shops

The gap between Edgewater's offers and local West Virginia guitar shop or pawn shop offers is structural, consistent, and often larger in West Virginia than in any other state we serve.

The basic mechanism is the same as in every other market: a local shop must buy your guitar at 40–60% of their expected retail price to cover their overhead and maintain margin. Edgewater buys directly from owners and places instruments with the collector market, offering prices based on actual collector value rather than a retailer's required margin.

But in West Virginia, a second factor amplifies this gap: the relative scarcity of specialized guitar buyers in the state means that even the best local shops have less context for accurately pricing rare vintage instruments. A shop that encounters one pre-CBS Stratocaster a year cannot price it with the accuracy of a buyer who encounters dozens per year. A shop that has never handled a pre-war Martin D-28 cannot offer what it is actually worth.

Edgewater's 30–40% premium over local shop offers is a floor, not a ceiling. On rare Appalachian instruments — pre-war Martins, early Dobros, Gibson F-5 mandolins — the gap between Edgewater's offer and the best locally available offer can be substantially larger because these are instruments that require specialist knowledge to value accurately, and that knowledge is less evenly distributed in rural markets.

Frequently Asked Questions: Selling a Guitar in West Virginia

Q: What is the best place to sell a guitar in West Virginia?

A: For most West Virginia guitar owners — particularly those with vintage, pre-1975, or Appalachian heritage instruments — the best combination of price and convenience is a specialist direct buyer like Edgewater Guitars. We pay 30–40% more than local guitar shops, provide free authentication, pay immediately in cash, and travel to you anywhere in West Virginia. The specialist knowledge gap in West Virginia makes this advantage even larger than in more densely populated states.

Q: How do I find out what my guitar is worth in West Virginia?

A: Contact Edgewater Guitars at (440) 219-3607 for a free, no-obligation appraisal. We can typically provide a preliminary value range based on photos and description before any in-person visit. For self-research, completed Reverb.com sales for your specific make, model, and year provide real market data — but accurately identifying what you have is the essential first step, which is not always straightforward with vintage instruments.

Q: Does Edgewater Guitars travel to West Virginia for guitar appraisals?

A: Yes. We travel throughout West Virginia — Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Beckley, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Martinsburg, Bluefield, and all surrounding areas — for free, no-obligation in-home appraisals. Call (440) 219-3607 to discuss your instrument and schedule a visit.

Q: What is a Martin acoustic guitar worth in West Virginia?

A: Martin acoustic values depend heavily on year and the specific wood used for back and sides. Pre-1970 Martins made with Brazilian rosewood (D-28, D-35, 000-28, OM-28) are categorically more valuable than post-1970 examples with Indian rosewood. Pre-war Martins (pre-1942) are among the most valuable acoustic guitars in existence. An all-original pre-1970 D-18 or D-28 in good condition is worth a specialist appraisal before accepting any offer. Call Edgewater at (440) 219-3607 for a free assessment.

Q: What is a Gibson Les Paul worth in West Virginia?

A: Gibson Les Paul values span an enormous range based on year, model, and originality. 1958–1960 "Burst" Standards are among the most valuable production guitars ever made. Late-1960s reissues and early-1970s examples have a strong and growing market. All-original condition adds significant value in every era. Contact Edgewater for a free assessment specific to your guitar.

Q: I inherited a guitar in West Virginia — how do I know if it is valuable?

A: If the guitar is American-made by Gibson, Fender, Martin, Gretsch, or Rickenbacker and predates 1975, it is worth a specialist appraisal before selling it anywhere. Edgewater provides free appraisals specifically for inherited instruments — we encounter this situation regularly in West Virginia and understand that heirs often have no frame of reference for value. Call (440) 219-3607 and we will walk you through the process at no cost and with no obligation.

Q: Does Edgewater buy banjos and mandolins in West Virginia?

A: Yes. Edgewater purchases pre-1960 Gibson banjos, Gibson F-5 and A-series mandolins, Vega banjos, and other quality Appalachian fretted instruments. West Virginia's bluegrass heritage means these instruments appear in estate sales here more frequently than in any other state we serve. Contact us at (440) 219-3607 for a free appraisal on any vintage banjo or mandolin.

Q: What is a Dobro or resonator guitar worth in West Virginia?

A: Pre-WWII National and Dobro resonator guitars are among the most collectible American fretted instruments. Values depend on model, materials (metal body vs. wood body), and condition. These instruments are frequently undervalued by non-specialist buyers. Contact Edgewater immediately if you have what appears to be a vintage resonator guitar — before accepting any offer from any buyer.

Q: How long does it take to sell a guitar to Edgewater in West Virginia?

A: Most West Virginia transactions complete within one to three days — same-day response, in-person visit within 24–48 hours for most West Virginia locations, and immediate cash payment upon our evaluation. No consignment period, no waiting, no obligation to accept our offer.

Q: What is the most valuable guitar I might find in a West Virginia estate?

A: A pre-war Martin D-45 or D-28 herringbone, a 1958–1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Burst," a pre-WWII National resonator guitar, a Gibson F-5 mandolin from the 1920s, or a 1958–1962 Gibson ES-335 dot-neck would represent the highest-value categories. If you believe you have any of these instruments, contact Edgewater before showing them to anyone else.

Recently Purchased: West Virginia Guitar Case Studies

Charleston — 1964 Martin D-28 A family in Kanawha County contacted Edgewater after discovering a 1964 Martin D-28 in its original chipboard case in a late family member's home. The guitar was all-original with Brazilian rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top, and the original Grover tuners — a pre-1970 Brazilian rosewood example in excellent condition. The family had received one prior offer from a local Charleston music shop. Edgewater's offer exceeded that figure by 44%. Cash paid at the time of in-home evaluation.

Morgantown — 1967 Gibson J-45 A retired WVU faculty member contacted Edgewater about a 1967 Gibson J-45 she had purchased during her years teaching. The guitar was all-original in sunburst finish with the original hardshell case, showing light play wear consistent with careful use. Edgewater traveled to Morgantown and completed the purchase during a single visit at a price meaningfully above the seller's expectation based on her own online research.

Wheeling — 1963 Fender Telecaster A Wheeling-area seller contacted Edgewater after inheriting a 1963 Fender Telecaster from his father, a country musician who had played the Jamboree circuit throughout the 1960s. The guitar was all-original in butterscotch blonde with the original case and a set of strings the original owner had put on it years ago. Edgewater traveled to Wheeling, authenticated the instrument on-site, and completed the purchase the same day.

Beckley — 1940s National Resonator A Raleigh County seller reached out after finding a 1940s National resonator guitar in a family member's closet — a square-neck model in original condition with original case. The seller had no frame of reference for its value. Edgewater traveled to Beckley, identified the specific model and approximate date, and made an offer that significantly exceeded anything available locally — reflecting the specialized collector market for pre-war resonator instruments that no West Virginia general music shop was positioned to accurately price.

Related Resources

• Guitar Serial Number Lookup Tool — edgewaterguitars.com/guitar-serial-number-lookup/

• How to Identify a Vintage Gibson Les Paul — [internal link]

• How to Identify a Vintage Fender Stratocaster — [internal link]

• Martin Acoustic Guitar Identification Guide — [internal link]

• What Is My Guitar Worth? The Complete Valuation Guide — [internal link]

• Dobro and Resonator Guitar Identification — [internal link]

• How to Spot a Refinished Vintage Guitar — [internal link]

• Sell Your Guitar to Edgewater — edgewaterguitars.com

Contact Edgewater Guitars: West Virginia's Premier Vintage Guitar Buyer

Edgewater Guitars purchases vintage and quality used guitars, banjos, and mandolins throughout West Virginia — Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Weirton, Beckley, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Martinsburg, Bluefield, and everywhere in between. We are one of the Appalachian region's most active direct buyers of pre-1975 American-made instruments, and we consistently offer 30–40% more than local guitar shops — with the specialist knowledge of Appalachian instruments that makes the gap even larger on the unique instruments this state produces.

Free appraisal. Immediate cash. We travel to you.

Phone: (440) 219-3607 Web: edgewaterguitars.com Service Area: West Virginia statewide, plus Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania

If you own a guitar, banjo, or mandolin in West Virginia — inherited, purchased decades ago, or simply no longer played — call us before selling anywhere else. The appraisal is always free and there is never any obligation.