'[He] wants my 1963 Fender': Musician refuses to give her $3,000 vintage guitar to her teenaged stepson; stands her ground even when accosted by family

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2023 7:00 PM EDT

Kids don't understand the value of things. It may sound old school, but the only way to really know what something is worth, is to work really hard to acquire it, which a child or teenager obviously haven't lived long enough to do. And just like we learned when watching Antiques Roadshow at 2AM, when it comes to vintage, classic, or collector's valuables, there's more than just the monetary value to something– that lazy-eyed clown doll may seem worthless, but to the clown collecting bag lady, it's priceless. So to a musician and a vintage instrument collector, what's a 60 year old vintage Fender worth?

A couple thousand dollars… at least!

They say that the only thing harder than being a good mom is being a good step mom. As we know, children of divorce can get a little testy with their newfound parent-figures and it's tough to make a good impression as someone's knew 'mommy'. In this story, u/Commercial_Truth6978 was having a hard time connecting with her stepson. Apart from their interest in music, they had nothing in common but dear ol' dad and for the stepson, that wasn't enough. He wanted her to make a real gesture of "love", but not everyone's love language is 'gift giving'. When pressed to give her teenage stepson her 1963 vintage Fender guitar (which cost $3,000 by the way), OP was faced with a tough decision. 

Scroll for the most epic family stand off, where a music loving collector stands her ground against people who have no idea what her guitar collection is worth. For more stories of triumph, here's a tale of a woman at the mechanic that stands up to a snooty Karen, shutting down her tirade and driving her out of the store.

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  • 01
    Font - r/AmIthe ole. Posted by u/Commercial_Truth6978 1 day ago AITAH for refusing to let my step son borrow my 3000.00 guitar for school and ruining his freshman year? Not the b
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 02
    Font - I've been married to my husband for 3 years now. He has one son. The boys other can't stand me. She hates the fact that their father has found someone after 5 Years of being divorced. Anyway, because of that, My stepson Jack and I don't have the best relationship. I am
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 03
    Font - not involved in his life because that's the way he and his mother wants it. He won't speak to me when I try to have a conversation so I just don't even bother anymore. I have offered to do things for him but hid mother
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 04
    Font - always says that she doesn't want "that woman" involved. To keep the peace, I stay out. Now Jack and I are both musicians. I play several brass and wind instruments as well as guitar. He has joined band this year as a 9th grader. Naturally, he wants to play jazz guitar. His
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 05
    Font - mother knows I have several instruments and I offered one of the lesser value guitars to him but he and his mother want my 1963 Fender. Absolutely NOT !! For one, he doesn't take care of anything he has and number
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 06
    Font - two, why am I going to loan something that valuable out to someone who does not want to be around me? Sure, the guitar is worth way more but I got a deal on it for 3k. My husband says I am absolutely right for not doing it and he says I shouldn't even
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 07
    Font - offer the old Squire guitar either and it's only 250.00. His mother has been blowing up our phones, calling me every name in the book because I am " driving a wedge in his and his father's relationship "? How is that so?
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 08
    Font - She says that I should try and make amends and let him borrow it for the school year. Why am I having to make amends? She even had her friends harass me on Facebook? She claims I ruined his freshman year for band and I need to make it right
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 09
    Font - Wide-Heron-1015 1 day ago 1 NTA. 100% mom wants to steal that guitar, sell it, then try to say the kid lost it and make you feel bad if you try to get reimbursed. I don't know why she would push so hard for this otherwise.
    via u/Wide-Heron-1015
  • 10
    Font - user18name 1 day ago OP better lock that guitar and any other instruments away. I can see the kid going and destroying it all out of spite.
    via u/user18name
  • 11
    Font - Independent Scheme63 1 day ago OP there once was a story on here about someone's family destroying their prize collection cause they wouldn't lend them something. I'd take the above advice seriously
    via u/Independent_Scheme63
  • 12
    Font - GreekAmerican Dom 1 day ago Prime Ministurd [487] ΝΤΑ I wonder if you don't have a husband problem. He should be intervening here. Honestly, you should block the toxic ex and have all her communications go through your husband. This is his mess to deal with.
    via u/GreenAmericanDom
  • 13
    Font - frankbeardsley 1 day ago ΝΤΑ Even if you could trust him to take care of it, you can't trust the rest of the students to not damage it. Learning on a cheaper guitar is fine. Might even help him better appreciate the higher quality ones later if he sticks with it.
    via u/frankbeardsley
  • 14
    Font - Commercial_Truth6978 OP. 1 day ago So an update on this. His mom wanted to know if I would allow her to pay 1500.00 for it. I explained to her that it's NOT FOR SALE. She thinks I am just "picking on her son because I'm jealous that she has a kid with my husband and I don't
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 15
    Font - HeirOfRavenclaw 1 day ago Professor Emeritass [80] ΝΤΑ His mothers opinion on the matter is of no value, and should be treated as such.
    via u/HeirOfRavenclaw
  • 16
    Font - dryadduinath - 1 day ago Partassipant [1] um. no? they don't want you in his life, they don't get your guitars. please take a second and ask yourself, if he breaks it, would either of them give you the money to replace it? if he or his mother sells it out of spite, how will your relationship look then? NTA, don't give them any rope.
    via u/dryadduinath
  • 17
    Font - Commercial_Truth6978 OP. 1 day ago His mother would not pay for it if he did 4 105 + Reply Share dryadduinath. 1 day ago Partassipant [1] i know. so don't give them anything you don't want destroyed.
    via u/Commercial_Truth6978
  • 18
    Font - thunderpantsIII. 1 day ago Partassipant [1] The only person driving a wedge between father and son is the sons mother. She sounds like an awful entitled old boot.
    via u/thunderpantsIII
  • 19
    Font - SatansHRManager 1 day ago "I just started guitar, can I have your collector's item 1963 Fender?" is about as ludicrously tone deaf (did you see what I did there?) as saying "I just learned to drive, can I borrow your Ferrari Testerrossa?"
    via u/SatansHRManager
  • 20
    Font - SolitaryMarmot 1 day ago Partassipant [3] lol that's exactly what I thought. she offered him a Toyota Camry for free but they are demanding the '72 Porsche 911
    via u/SolitaryMarmot
  • 21
    Font - nothingbeast 22 hr. ago "But not having a Ferrari will ruin my son's Freshman year!!!" tell me the ex peaked in high school without telling me the ex peaked in high school.
    via u/nothingbeast
  • 22
    Font - ReviewOk929 - 1 day ago Certified Proctologist [28] She claims I ruined his freshman year for band and I need to make it right NTA - He doesn't need the expensive Fender for this and the only one ruining anything is her.
    via u/ReviewOk929
  • 23
    Musical instrument - "I just started guitar, can I have your collector's item 1963 Fender?" No.
    via u/canva

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collectable guitar Music priceless daddy mother stepmom moms parenting dad stepdad stories antique mom vintage Parenting Fail college parents stepson fender
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