OT: most valuable guitar

[Peter Snow]

A couple of points I'm not sure of...

I was not aware Clapton had sold Blackie.  In fact I remember a statement from him at the time of his big clearout declaring he would never sell Blackie.  Did he change his mind...?  He didn't offer it to me  :cry:

I don't think SRV's #1 was buried with him as there is an article in one of the guitar mags this month showing how the guys at Fender are currently taking measurements of it to produce a "signature" model.  Don't know who owns it now though...

Peter

[Luke]

hi Peter,
In an Australian guitar magazine I have (from about '99) there was an article about  the SRV's number one (or 1st wife) strat. Apparently, upon SRV's death, its origional neck was re-installed (well, at least the origonal neck that came with the guitar when SRV acquired it). (This neck had been replaced with the neck from the red 'Lenny' strat, and later (after was broke) replaced with a new fender replacement neck).
The guitar was still owned by the Vaughan family.
So it still exists- we dont have to dig up ole SRV yet
Cheers,
Luke

[gtrmac]

Yeah, I actually remember reading that SRV's #1 was still in the posession of the Vaughan family. It might have been Duane Allman who was allegedly buried with his Les Paul. I may be wrong about this too though!

:roll:

Ok, so how about Roy Buchanan's Tele?

I don't have a fixation on dead guy's guitars, really.

Les Paul's Les Paul? He's still around. It's a heavily modified (of course) 50's Sunburst and I suppose it will end up in the Smithsonian Museum when he's done with it.

[Kilby]

Well I could suggest Rory Gallagher strat, or George Harrisons 360-12 from A Hard Days Night (http://www.guitargonauts.com/pick-12.html).

Rob...

[Nasse]

B.B. King nailed it in his story about his gtr named "Lucille". Story was something like he woke up in some house that was in fire and barely survived out alive. He rushed back in to save his precious guitar, but fire was so severe that he could not.

Then he thinked that "shit, I can always get a new Lucille, but there is only one BB King."

I dont mean all guitars are the same, but good guitarist can pick or tune his instrument for what he or she needs.

[Peter Snow]

Well, I heard the BB King story slightly differently.  Goes like this:

He was playng in a "juke joint" where it was customary to put a 44 gal oil drum in the middle of the dance floor with some kind of flammable material in it.  They would set it alight to provide warmth on cool nights.  On one particular night two guys were fighting over a lady and during the struggle knocked over the drum which of course set the place on fire.  BB realized his guitar was inside and raced in to rescue it, burning himself in the process.  In the cold light of the following morning he realized how foolish his actions had been and to remind him not to do it again, he named the guitar after the lady who was the subject of the fight - Lucille.

Poetic, ain't it...?

Peter

[Peter Snow]

Hi Luke,

Thanks for the info on the SRV #1.  I just got home and dug out the magazine with the article on cloning #1 - not difficult, it was on the top of the pile.  It's Guitar Player "50 Years of Fender Strats" January 2004 (why do they do that? It's only early December already!...)

It's interesting because they repeat what you said was in the other '99 mag about a new neck being fitted.  But they could not understand why such a beatup neck was used as a replacement instead of a new one.

Well, they found when they took the guitar apart that the original neck was on the guitar and had been all along.  It had been repaired - the headstock had been broken off by a falling lighting rig apparently.  But the repair had been done so well that it was hardly noticeable.

BTW, if anyone's interested they will be making 100 of the signature clones and they will go for about US$10,000.00 apiece, so start saving now!

Hope I don't sound too nit-picky, keep elaborating on other people's stories...?

Cheers,

Peter

[drew]

I can't say I fully understand the fascination with "famous" guitars that command thousands just by being played by someone famous. But... I can say that a nice, nice guitar is worth a lot of money. I have a 64 Fender Mustang with an A-sized neck and I didn't pay a TON for it but I did pay enough for it to justify selling a couple of other guitars! I picked up one a few years back and played it a few minutes, and had been on the lookout for one until earlier this year when I found one. Beat up, no strings, broken switches, picked it up and knew that I pretty much had to have it.

And if you have one and don't like it, I'm always looking for a spare... the reissues (with the regular-sized necks) play the same as any modern jazzmaster/toronado/etc! Nothing sounds or feels like playing a nice old guitar through a nice old tube amp, let me tell you what.


drew
www.toothpastefordinner.com

[Brett Clark]

David Gilmour has a Stratocaster SN#001. It's believed that it's not necessarily the first one built (the prototypes didn't have serial numbers), but it's certainly extremely valuble.

[Mark Hammer]

Pete,

That's the same Lucille story I've heard told by B.B. many times over, although I think he only *risked* being burnt, and was not actually burnt.  BB may openly express admiration for Django Rheinhardt, but I think that's where the resemblance ends.

Around 1971, I caught BB King in Montreal and was fortunate  enough to be seated very close to the stage.  His guitar at the time was a cherry red ES-355, rather than his more standard black model these days.  From where I was sitting, one could see a Dymo label (green, I think) stuck to the headstock.  It read "My name is Lucille.  I belong to BB King."

P.S.:  Saw an identical red Turser jazzbox "Monterey" model in Songbird on Friday for $250.

[Peter Snow]

Hi Mark,

Hope you are feeling better?  

"P.S.: Saw an identical red Turser jazzbox "Monterey" model in Songbird on Friday for $250."

So, was THAT the one with the dragon inlay?  It looked great but I did not get a chance to play it.

I see they have some Dillion lucite models down in To - Tele, SG, and PRS style.  'Bout $850 each.  Ever played a lucite guitar?  I would think the sustain would be crap, but I really don't know.

Cheers,

Peter