Once owned by

[SGraham]

This doesn't exactly respond to Br1ck's original post, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway. Last summer I came across an 1891 Martin 1-21 with its original coffin case on consignment in an antique store in Carmel, CA. I've never had a guitar speak to me the way that one did when I picked a few chords on it. It turns out that it's the guitar Tony Rice played on the track "Turn of the Century" with David Grisman on their Tone Poems album. I was able to sell some instruments and buy the guitar. The provenance was nice to know, but the tone of that instrument is what sealed the deal. It still blows me away every time I play it.

[Hudmister]

When I was a kid, every banjo sold any where close to. Roanoke was once "owned". By Don Reno. Probably some claims were a lie but most likely most were true. Before the internet traveling musicians were the biggest traders .

A fellow at work brought in a Gibson banjo for me to replace the strings and do a minor repair. He was originally from Staunton Virginia and said the banjo was inherited by his family when his uncle passed. The story was that the banjo was originally owned by Don Reno before his uncle purchased it. There you go.

[jd.panko]

I bought Roland's old Sumi about 10 years ago, and have loved it ever since. It also gave me an excuse to exchange a few emails with him.

[THart]

I have a serious crush on a guitar I saw a picture of Tom Waits playing in a music store in Cincinnati. It's a model I'd be interested in owning and it's still for sale (Tom didn't buy it). Even though I don't see it in my future at the moment the fact that Tom Waits spent some time with it is kind of a cool +. I'm a big fan.

[Jim Garber]

I have a serious crush on a guitar I saw a picture of Tom Waits playing in a music store in Cincinnati. It's a model I'd be interested in owning and it's still for sale (Tom didn't buy it). Even though I don't see it in my future at the moment the fact that Tom Waits spent some time with it is kind of a cool +. I'm a big fan.

That looks like an early teens Gibson L-4 from what I can tell. Usually big baseball bats for necks.

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Hah! I am not as dumb as I look I found the listing here. 1912 L-4 for $3499? Yikes that is at least $1000 over what it should be IMHO.

As for celebrity ownership influencing our personal purchases. Let's see. I own my late 1920's L-5 because I loved the music of Maybelle Carter and Eddie Lang. I also used to own a 1930's Gibson ES-150 because I saw Nick Forster play one in Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers and I loved the sound as well as loving Charlie Christian.

However, I never actually owned the instruments that any of the above actually played, just the same models.

[Ranald]

Randy Bachman, lead guitarist with the Guess Who, and BTO, spoke on his radio show, Vinyl Tap, of the irony that now that he's rich and famous, people -- private individuals, as well as manufacturers -- give him expensive guitars. He said that he keeps the odd one that he loves, but passes the rest to talented younger guitar players, who's instruments don't do them justice.

To be fair, musicians don't always keep good instruments till the very end. As others have said, they have reasons for moving from one instrument to another. For instance, a recent musical acquaintance told me that he bought his guitar many years ago from a prominent guitar player who was down on his luck. He said that years later, the guitar player told him how much he liked that instrument. In the early 70's, a buddy of mine wore out a striped T-shirt that Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin' Spoonful had donated to a charity auction (this also happens to instruments). The shirt didn't make him musical, but he loved wearing it. Still, I have to respect the bookseller who didn't tell me that a book was signed by our first prime minister's wife until after I paid for it.

[Teak]

I once helped frame up a house with a hammer formerly owned by my brother-in-law, a skilled and in-demand contractor. Afterwards, I didn't know what to do with it. (It's probably in a pile of tools somewhere.)

[dan in va]

It would be nice if i could make instruments sound like the pro's do but some of those things don't sound the same in my hands, even with the same pick. There may be lots of reasons why some great players seem to have a different mandolin every month. A fellow once told me he played a mandolin that Doyle Lawson had played and recorded with for awhile and he was surprised that Doyle had chosen that particular mandolin, as he would not have.

When an old friend passed away his will gave me the choice of one of his instruments. He was a fantastic dobro player and to his ear this was the best one he had owned and only had one at a time, so of course i chose it and it is a really good sounding dobro. It reminds me of Bruce everytime i open the very worn case. The dobro seems to sound more the same with the same steel and picks than maybe some other instruments.

A favorite local banjo player changed to a newer Gibson and no longer played the '78 Ode D that he made sound so good back in the day. So i called him up and worked out a deal. i really like that worn banjo and it has sentimental meaning, but i doubt that anybody would say it sounds like Clifford Shifflett when i play it. A family friend says it's a very forgiving instrument to play and makes it sound better than anyone i've heard play it.

[Mark Gunter]

In the case of Norman Blake, it's his announced retirement that brought on the sale of many of his instruments. I know what they sound like, and would be proud to own one of his Martin guitars or a cylinder back mandolin from him. Just need to find a generous patron now ...

[J.Albert]

Teak wrote above:
"Once owned by ... is for collectors.
Players don't need that type of "certification"."

Clarence White's D-28...
(somebody wanted to own that one badly...)

[jaycat]

Guitar-wise, I'd like a Martin or a Taylor owned by Martin Taylor.

Failing that, how about a Gibson owned by Harry The Hipster, or Hoot...

[THart]

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Hah! I am not as dumb as I look I found the listing here. 1912 L-4 for $3499? Yikes that is at least $1000 over what it should be IMHO.

I agree. That helps quell the urge right there. But if I were in the area I'd sure go look at it.

[dhergert]

I'd agree that having an instrument that was played at live performances might not have much added significance. It's hard to prove that kind of provenance...

But having an instrument that was used for a professionally produced album or other media that is publicly available for sale does mean something.

It means at least that there is an available professional recording of this instrument which at least provides a way for people to hear it before they buy it.

More, if the musician playing this instrument on the recording is a at all well known, that adds extra notoriety to the instrument.

But... Whether this adds monetary value or not depends on the buyer and his or her familiarity with the album, recording and/or musician. That's where the buyer decides if the price is right for the instrument and its provenance.

[David Lewis]

If I’m buying it it means nothing. John Lennon’s casino? Who cares. Grisman’s crusher? Bit worn isn’t it?

If I’m selling it? ‘This was owned by the leas mandolinist of the screaming heebies. It’s worth at least 10k for a virago of this provenance!’

[Mark Gunter]

If I’m buying it it means nothing. John Lennon’s casino? Who cares. Grisman’s crusher? Bit worn isn’t it?

If I’m selling it? ‘This was owned by the leas mandolinist of the screaming heebies. It’s worth at least 10k for a virago of this provenance!’

"It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."

[JEStanek]

I think an mandolin previously owned by someone may increase it's sellability (eps if that instrument was used on specific recordings). Do I think it commands a premium price? Not sure, you can try but it may not bear fruit.

There are several mandolins out there that I used to own. I only got some money out of them one time.

Jamie

[mandroid]

My 1922 A4 was bought, Originally by a Veteran, a surviving soldier, after returning from WW1, to this Town ..

[Pittsburgh Bill]

I once sold a mandolin that I had tired of to a drummer in a Nationally known band. I do not anticipate him responding here that he owns a mandolin once owned by Pittsburgh Bill.

[barney 59]

I have a set of scaffolding that was originally part of the Grateful Deads wall of sound. It's getting a little doddy now and I'm in the process of getting new scaffolding but the old stuff might possibly make a good wall hanger if anyone is interested.

[Br1ck]

It's a sad fact I'm old enough to have seen it in use. That wall of sound was something to see. A tie dye tour de force. Winterland.