Favorite Musician's Instrument

[MikeZito]

I was just reading a thread on the 'Equipment' forum about Jerry Garcia's guitar selling for nearly $2,000,000 - and I got to wondering . . . how many of us own, (or at one time owned) an instrument that once belonged to one of our favorite musicians?

Back in the late 1990's I went to 70's pop-star Andrew Gold's private recording studio and bought a Taylor 410 acoustic guitar from him. I played that guitar on stage many times over the years, but when he died a few years ago, his wife called and asked me if I would sell it back to her . . . she was stunned when I said 'yes', because apparently everybody else had turned her down for similar requests. I simply thought it was the right thing to do . . . .


I'm sure I'm not the only one who had an experience like this . . . let's hear from you!

[foldedpath]

I once bought a 1930's wood body roundneck Dobro on Ebay. The seller's description said it had once been owned by Bob Brozman, but there was no paperwork or provenance to prove it.

I liked Brozman's music, but not enough to be seeking out what he played. I was only interested in the guitar. It sold for a typical price at the time, around $1300 as I recall, with no added value from the associated name. I think Mark Knopfler's National was the only time a well-known musician ever influenced the value of vintage resonators, and that was a fluke. The resonator world isn't that large.

I sold it after a few years, keeping a few other 30's Dobros (metal bodies) that sounded better. That wooden Dobro just wasn't a great instrument. If it was owned by Brozman, I know why he sold it.

[themandocello]

I own a violin that was performed on by the second violinist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for more than 30 years in the 1960s and 70s.

[Loubrava]

I got an early 80's Washburn elec. guitar that was played/owned by Sammy Hagar he was & maybe still is sponsored by Washburn. Street value on in it is between $300-$1200. I could care less about Sammy H. So anybody want to trade me a mando. for it let me know ! If you google the most expensive guitar in the world it should come up as a Bob Marley Washburn that is same model I've got.

[Ed Goist]

My 1974 Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar was owned (and "hot rodded") by Danny Roberts (mandolin player for the band "The Grascals" & Plant Manager for Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments from 2001-2005).

I had no idea who he was when I purchased the guitar (on the classifieds here) from a third party, but I sure LOVE that guitar and what Danny Roberts did to it!

[indexless]

This one has been loved

My 1974 Gibson J-50 acoustic guitar was owned (and "hot rodded") by Danny Roberts (mandolin player for the band "The Grascals" & Plant Manager for Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments from 2001-2005).

I had no idea who he was when I purchased the guitar (on the classifieds here) from a third party, but I sure LOVE that guitar and what Danny Roberts did to it!

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Mike Zito - "..she was stunned when I said 'yes', because apparently everybody else had turned her down for similar request"

Mike - IMO,that was an exceptionally nice thing to do, & i'd bet that the lady was more than pleased to have one of her late husband's instruments back home. Items like that are way beyond monetary value - awesome !!,
Ivan

[Paul Busman]

I have a soprano recorder that was given to me by Julius Baker, the long time first flute player with the NY Philharmonic. Does that count?

[Beanzy]

I have a cheap chinese harmonica that was given to me by my "Mrs Robinson" when we had a thing going a long time ago.
She had been given it by the lead singer in one of the most famous bands ever after a post gig night of passion back around 1970.
So bizarrely I've ended up with a cheap love token from a mega-star I've never met.

[fatt-dad]

John Cephas sold me this guitar. He had toured with it for quite a spell and when I got it the top was cracked (airline damage). Just yesterday, I got it back from Taylor where they replaced the frets, did a neck set and fixed/stabilized the frets. I love this blinged up guitar (Brazilian Taylor 914). I loved taking lessons from John.



f-d

[MikeZito]

From Mike Zito - "..she was stunned when I said 'yes', because apparently everybody else had turned her down for similar request"

Mike - IMO,that was an exceptionally nice thing to do, & i'd bet that the lady was more than pleased to have one of her late husband's instruments back home. Items like that are way beyond monetary value - awesome !!,
- Ivan

I think the guitar that I owned may have been of extra special significance. Back in the mid-1990's People Magazine did a full page story on Andrew Gold, which featured a large photo of Andrew playing an acoustic guitar. The guitar that I bought from him was he same guitar that was used in the magazine article. For many years afterwards, Andrew simply referred to it as his 'People Magazine Guitar'. At one point, I even had a video of singer/songwriter Karla Bonoff playing the same guitar. When I bought the guitar from him, Andrew joking said "Maybe someday you can sell it The Hard Rock Cafe." I simply looked at him and said; "The only way anybody is going to get this guitar from me is to pry it out of my cold, dead hands!" The most rewarding part of the whole deal was that as he was writing me a little Letter of Authenticity, he glanced at me, smiled and said "I'm really glad this guitar is going to someone who is a big fan."

[Capt. E]

Does it count the other way? David Grisman bought a Bacon mandolin from me a few years ago.

[Willie Poole]

I bought a Martin D-18 guitar from a fellow that said he was told that Elvis once owned it but he didn`t have any proof of that and I just passed it off as here say, when I placed an ad to sell it about 10 years later a fellow from up state New York called me and wanted to know the serial number of the guitar and I gave it to him, he called me back in about 20 minutes and said he would be down to take it off of my hands and not to sell it to anyone else, the funny thing is that I never mentioned to him about he rumor that Elvis may have owned it....I will never know for sure and I have no idea where the fellow that bought it might have gotten any info on what instruments Elvis ever owned.....Oh yes, It was one of the best D-18`s that I had ever heard...

Willie

[MikeZito]

Willie - great story . . . but, at this point I am guessing that you probably don't really want to know if it was Elvis' guitar or not - it would just be too painful, huh?

It vaguely reminded me of something that happened to me many years ago. The music store that is located directly across the street from where I work is also located only about 30 miles from the old Guild factory in Rhode Island. One day a 12-string acoustic showed up that was brought in by someone who claimed to be a former Guild employee. He said that the guitar was one of several that was made for John Denver back in the 70's. Denver played the guitar, but never owned it, as he chose one or two other guitars instead. Naturally, there was no proof of the story, but an interesting (possible) piece of history, nonetheless.

[mandroid]

A friend, here, sold Grisman an instrument, after it got there, DG , the business man, wanted to haggle money back from what he paid.

[MikeZito]

When I first joined the Cafe back in the late 1990's, I heard that Grisman used to turn around LOTS of instruments . . . anybody know anything about that?

[CES]

I bought a Fender FM62SE from Ted Eschliman of Jazzmandolin.com fame! Eventually gave it to my brother, who's still playing it in a praise band occasionally. I still have the autographed copy of "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" I got with it.

I also once saw Seth Avett's D-35 in a local luthier's repair shop, but didn't play it, and certainly never owned it. Other than seeing folks in concert, those are my only two brushes with instruments played by someone anyone around here may have heard of.

Mike, cool story!

[Bren]

I once bought a 1930's wood body roundneck Dobro on Ebay. The seller's description said it had once been owned by Bob Brozman, but there was no paperwork or provenance to prove it.

I liked Brozman's music, but not enough to be seeking out what he played. I was only interested in the guitar. It sold for a typical price at the time, around $1300 as I recall, with no added value from the associated name. I think Mark Knopfler's National was the only time a well-known musician ever influenced the value of vintage resonators, and that was a fluke. The resonator world isn't that large.

I sold it after a few years, keeping a few other 30's Dobros (metal bodies) that sounded better. That wooden Dobro just wasn't a great instrument. If it was owned by Brozman, I know why he sold it.

I've never had any desire to own a hero's instrument because they don't have fat little fingers like mine, but I did ask Bob where I could get a resophonic mandolin like the one he played, after a concert at the Aberdeen Arts Centre.

He said, "They don't make them any more" so I got Don Morrison in Adelaide to make me a Donmo version.

[Jeff Hildreth]

"I've never had any desire to own a hero's instrument"... nor do I own, nor will buy, "endorsed" instuments.

However, I did own a custom Washburn 2 point made for Jethro Burns which I purchased from Chet Atkins.

[Demetrius]

I had Thiles Dude for a bit... That was fun

[Loubrava]

When I first joined the Cafe back in the late 1990's, I heard that Grisman used to turn around LOTS of instruments . . . anybody know anything about that?

Nope, but there's a music store in Nor Cal. that used to have about 4-5 mandos that supposedly belonged to Grisman they still may be there for sale for all I know. But I do know I played a few and sounded nothing like Grisman ! Looking and playing those mandos definitely reinforces the fact that it ain't the instrument it's all about the musician.
Lou

[ajm]

Back in the early 70's, I bought a cherry sunburst Les Paul from Eddie Van Halen. This was before he became famous, and I'd just happened to jam once with him in a friend's garage. I sold the guitar a year or so later when I was in the army and needed money to get home on leave.

Andrew

[Bertram Henze]

My favourite instrument's musician - is me

[fatt-dad]

i did buy a Norman Blake Martin, but overall eschew instruments with other's names (e.g., Eric Clapton Martin).

Really happy with my guitar from John though!

f-d

[Timbofood]

As close as I got was a Curly Ray Cline flyswatter, I can't find it but, I had one!