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I prefer the term 'classic'.
Eighties is new, to me.
Late seventies is old, on the cusp of vintage..
If you apply this to guitars, a late 70s Strat is simply ‘old’ - but arguably a Custom Shop Strat might fit the ‘vintage’ tag. Anything pre-‘65 from Fender and Gibson is certainly ‘collectable’.
I agree that ‘classic’ is a much more useful term overall....
Denoting something from the past of high quality, especially something representing the best of its kind.
That then excludes the Chinese Squier etc.
It doesn't have a particular all-encompassing number, eg. it is used with cars and cheese.
As far as guitars go, I'd say 30+ years old is about right, though I'd probably not use it for something post-70s.
However, that said, you do see the 80s synths referred to as "vintage" and similarly computers.
Another inexact but evocative term which can be used with cars, but not (yet) with guitars is referring to something as a "future classic" (if you've got one you can get preferred parking at Brooklands!).
My knowledge of wine is seriously limited - But from what I hear, the term 'vintage wine' is relative to a particular year and not all wine produced before a certain date or that is 20 years old or more
Another take on the use of "vintage" is something that's old but not old enough to be an antique (100 years old); therefore, everything (provided it survives the ravages of time) is a future antique, so yep, they're all future vintage!
I have a 70s Zenta bass and I refer to it as vintage. There are also the Top Twenty, Teisco and so-on 70s vintage guitars, but anybody who takes it to be a sign of quality is a fool.
I think that is the point there - don't confuse vintage with quality.
Some of these imprecise but evocative terms do appear to pop in and out of use; as well as "vintage", we have "lawsuit" and "road worn" (or "road yawn" as I call it!).
Firstly brand power is incredibly strong - take two identical guitars, one badged as a Fender, one not and 100% of people would likely prefer the Fender.
Secondly, desirability is linked to a perceived 'golden age' of guitars to a degree not consistent with reality. Yes, bad 70s guitars initially created that demand, but modern guitars can't be said to be 'worse' than their 50s and 60s equivalent.
I'm personally fascinated by the thought of what a guitar could be if we weren't always looking backwards - stuff like that Parker Fly etc. I still play a Tele as my main though ha ha ha.
desirability or quality are irrelevant
My own suggestion would be "a guitar which the market places a higher value on than its intrinsic value as an instrument would ordinarily justify, because of its age".
if it's more recent unplayable crap then the correct term is 'ideal project'.
and if it's old, unplayable crap and you overpaid for it, then the correct term is 'sound investment'.