Guitar Collecting

Don’t you wish this was you?

flyssy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:39:50 +0000

Mike Sharp knew he had something valuable. He just didn’t know exactly how valuable it was. His mother always told him, the old guitar in the closet that had belonged to his father was his. Just so happens that dirty old guitar was a 1953 Fender Esquire, a piece of music history. This little piece [...]

Part of Rory Gallagher’s guitar collection for sale

flyssy — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:10:58 +0000

New Kings Road Vintage Guitar Emporium are very proud to offer a selection of guitars and amplifiers for sale from the collection of Ireland’s legendary guitarist, Rory Gallagher. These instruments have never been offered for sale until now. There are some great pieces that have been used live and in the studio by Rory, and [...]

GuitarTrader launches online gear marketplace

flyssy — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:47:47 +0000

A new marketplace website, GuitarTrader.co.uk, aimed at helping shops and guitar buyers find second-hand, used and vintage items has launched. Pitching itself as the AutoTrader of the guitar world (though not in any way affiliated with that brand), GuitarTrader is essentially an online classified ad service, which hopes to provide a forum for anyone wishing [...]

Bert Weedon dies

flyssy — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:58:26 +0000

Sad news as Legendary UK guitarist Bert Weedon, whose books helped Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney learn to play the instrument, has died at his home in Beaconsfield. The 91-year-old musician, of Penn Road, created the popular tutorial manuals Play In A Day, which have sold in their millions. Friend John Adrian told the Press [...]

Tom Petty Guitars Stolen

flyssy — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:56:16 +0000

More guitar related crime: Five guitars belonging to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were stolen from a soundstage at The Culver Studios in Culver City, according to the bandâ€™s website. A reward of $7,500 with â€œno questions askedâ€ is being offered. Petty had been rehearsing at the studios in advance of the band’s 2012 North [...]

ALERT Guitar Collection Stolen in Sweden

flyssy — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:35:30 +0000

I’m posting this on behalf of the Owner, please be aware of these instruments in case they start showing up for sale.. Hello, Unfortunately half of my collection of guitars, which I have collected and hand picked for more than 25 years, has been stolen in Ystad, very south in Sweden. Most of the 15 [...]

The Gibson Moderne Returns!

flyssy — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:25:44 +0000

Gibson’s Moderne is back in production. Here’s the story in the company’s own words… A musical chimera, shrouded in the silvered mists of myth and legend, the Gibson Moderne has long been known as the enigmatic “guitar that never was”… or, was it? Designed as the third member of a trio of guitars in the [...]

Tony Bacon Interview

flyssy — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:16:50 +0000

Any guitarist who has walked the aisles of the nearest Barnes & Noble or roamed the guitar related entries at Amazon.com has seen the name Tony Bacon. For the past couple of decades Tony has been linked to well-researched tomes on Gibsons, Fenders, Gretschâ€™s and thousands of pages about cool, historic, unique and downright weird [...]

Guitar traders admit handling stolen vintage guitars

flyssy — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:08:30 +0000

A well-known Yorkshire father and son business partnership have been given suspended prison sentences for handling stolen guitars. Richard and Justin Harrison, dealing in rare and old musical instruments, admitted to handling stolen vintage guitars worth over Â£40,000. Dad Richard, 63, of The Old Rectory, High Street, Campsall, Doncaster, admitted one charge of handling stolen [...]

Nice George Gruhn interview..

flyssy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:31:28 +0000

A nice interview has recently been posted with George Gruhn. The world of guitars has a select few gurus who have reached a place where they offer a foundation of expertise. In the world of vintage guitars, the name that always comes to mind is George Gruhn. Certainly, there are others with vintage guitar expertise [...]

Martin Unveils Recycled Wood Guitar

flyssy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:27:50 +0000

If you heard the words â€œguitarâ€ and â€œenvironmentâ€ in the same sentence in the last few months you were probably hearing about the raid on Gibson Guitar. While the August raid on Gibsonâ€™s factories continues to draw a lot of attention and still gets conservatives and Tea Party supporters angry, another guitar company is coming [...]

Long Lost George Harrison Vox UL730 Amp to Be Sold at Auction

flyssy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:56:15 +0000

A rare amp once belonging to the late George Harrison — and used for several Beatles recording sessions — will be sold at auction on December 15 at Bonhams in London, England. The amp, a Vox UL730, was used during recording sessions for Revolver and Sgt. Pepperâ€™s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. Its connection to the [...]

Richard Gere’s Guitar Collection Raises Nearly $1 Million at Auction

flyssy — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:01:05 +0000

A collection of vintage guitars owned by the Hollywood actor Richard Gere has been sold at a Christie’s auction in New York. The sale featured 107 lots, including guitars and amplifiers, which Gere had amassed over a 20-year period. In all the sale raised $936,438, with all but 4% of the lots sold. The sale’s [...]

Vintage Guitar Effects Announces Website for Guitar Effects Aficionados

flyssy — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:10:45 +0000

Aficionados of guitars and guitar effects have a new source of information in a website made available from Vintage Guitar Effects. The site is devoted to vintage and boutique guitar pedals and effects. On the site, visitors will find tons of information including in-depth articles, reviews, and videos. It is a blog-based site which encourages [...]

Whose Axe Made Your Guitar? You’d Better Find Out

flyssy — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:13:15 +0000

With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raiding Gibson’s Tennessee factories again recently, This article is well worth a read, as it has consequences for any owner of a vintage wooden instrument. The government alleges that Gibson imported woods in violation of the Lacey Act, a century-old law that makes it a federal crime to [...]

Richard Gere To Auction His Guitar Collection at Christies New York On October 11

flyssy — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:26:26 +0000

Actor Richard Gere has decided to sell his guitar collection at Christies New York in October. The sale will offer approximately 110 lots, which will include a range of vintage American guitars, including models by Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Epiphone models, and a selection of amplifiers, as well as iconic guitars that belonged to [...]

Collectable Guitars 42 – Godin Acousticaster

Connor F — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:41:56 +0000

Electric guitarists often own an acoustic or two as well, but many who are used to electrics find the transition between slim, ergonomic electrics and big, bulky acoustics to mean that playing acoustic is much more difficult, especially when combined with the heavier strings and increased tension of an acoustic guitar. However, a solution became [...]

Nova Scotia swap meet could turn up some treasures

flyssy — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:33:58 +0000

A Halifax, NS businessman is hoping musicians from all over New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. will dig through their closets for old guitars, amplifiers and other gear and bring it all to Moncton for a unique swap meet. The swap meet is set for Saturday, May 7 at the Moncton Lions Centre on St. [...]

Jeff Buckley’s Telecaster For Sale

flyssy — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:41:38 +0000

My friend Nicolai over at Vintage and Rare has alerted me to the sale of one of Jeff Buckley’s most used guitars through Chelsea Guitars, one of the dealers who advertise through his website. The 1983 Telecaster was used extensively for live work by Jeff and was given to a close female friend by his [...]

UK Police Hunt for 61 Stolen Rare and Vintage Guitars

flyssy — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:01:12 +0000

Sixty-one rare and vintage guitars worth up to Â£50,000 each are being searched for by West Yorkshire Police after they were stolen. Police want to track down the rare Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and Rickenbacker models which are missing. A total of 157 guitars worth more than Â£1m were stolen five years ago, 96 have since [...]

Clapton’s Guitar Auction Raises Â£1.3 Million

flyssy — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:40:48 +0000

Eric Clapton’s recent guitar and amplifier auction has raised Â£1.3 million to continue funding his “Crossroads” rehab clinic in Antigua. More than 130 lots were auctioned from his archive including a number of guitars he played live and on record, plus a vast collection of amps, speakers and even suits. Highlights of the sale at [...]

1960 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst Tops $131,000 at Auction

flyssy — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:27:52 +0000

A 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard Cherry Sunburst electric guitar, one of the most sought-after modern stringed instrumented ever made, proved its worth at $131,450 to lead Heritage Auctions’ $1,682,831 Signature Music & Entertainment Auction, Feb. 20. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium. “The 1960 ‘burst is exceptional even by Les Paul’s standards,” said Jonas [...]

Slash to Auction His Guitar Collection

flyssy — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:54:39 +0000

Slash will sell 14 of his prized guitars at auction next month. The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist – who estimates he owns at least 100 of the musical instruments -will sell a Guild acoustic which he used to record the single ‘Patience’ along with various other custom guitars. Slash decided to hold the sale [...]

Gary Moore Dies

flyssy — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:30:33 +0000

Very sad to hear of the death of Gary Moore earlier today. He had such a great tone and feel, “Still got the blues” is one of my all time solos. Here is another great track of his as a little tribute. R.I.P. Gary..

Norm’s Rare Guitars Interview

flyssy — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:03:05 +0000

Nice video interview with Norm Harris of Norm’s Rare Guitars;

Ernie Ball Music Man Unveils “Game Changer” Guitar

flyssy — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:13:41 +0000

Coachella, CA (January 12th, 2011) — Ernie Ball Music Man today announced that it will unveil The Game Changer, a ground-breaking, all analog pickup switching system that unlocks an extensive library of natural guitar tones previously unavailable in traditional pickup technology. Available in select Reflex guitar and bass models in 2011, this progressive innovation leads [...]

Inside the Fender Custom Shop..

flyssy — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:57:55 +0000

A tour around the Fender Custom Shop..

Father And Son Accused Of Handling Â£170K Of Stolen Guitars

flyssy — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:08:34 +0000

A well known Yorkshire father and son business partnership dealing in rare and old musical instruments and equipment have been accused of handling stolen guitars worth Â£170,000 (c.$260,000). At the time of the alleged offences Richard and Justin Harrison owned a well known company called Music Ground. They had shops in Leeds, Manchester and London [...]

Vintage Guitar magazine Lists 10 Most Valuable Guitars

flyssy — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:01:50 +0000

Vintage Guitar magazine has released a list of the 10 most valuable production-model electric and acoustic guitars. Using data accumulated in the research for The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2011, the list includes only guitars that were originally offered in manufacturer product lines. It does not include custom-made and/or celebrity-owned instruments. “Guitars are an [...]

Eric Clapton to sell off guitars for Crossroads Centre

flyssy — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:15:19 +0000

Eric Clapton is to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his rehab clinic. Highlights of the sale will include a guitar the musician played at the Cream reunion shows in 2005, estimated to sell for more than Â£13,000. More than 150 lots will be auctioned in the New York [...]

Hendrix Fender Duo Sonic Sells for Â£164,000!

flyssy — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:17:59 +0000

As posted the other day, the tan coloured Fender Duo Sonic, played by Hendrix before he was famous, fetched Â£164,675 at an auction today, over 400 times the price he originally paid. The starâ€™s early guitar sparked a bidding frenzy at the Cameo Auctioneers Records’ Music and Memorabilia auction in Midgham, Berkshire. Hendrix had paid [...]

Another Hendrix Guitar Auction

flyssy — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:14:49 +0000

Another Hendrix guitar is up for auction next month, this time the it’s the Fender Duo-Sonic he owned and played before he was famous. Jimi played on this guitar on tour with the Isley Brothers and it is expected to fetch around $180,000. The blond Duo-Sonic is a 1959 or 1960 model, which the 21-year-old [...]

Peter Frampton, Brad Paisley Donate Flood Guitars to Charity

flyssy — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:53:53 +0000

Dozens of guitars, mandolins and other instruments â€“ straight from the hands of artists including Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Kenny Chesney and Peter Frampton are headed for the online auction block through nonprofit organization NASH2O (Nash-H-2-0) to support flood relief efforts in Nashville. Proceeds go to three beneficiaries: MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund [...]

Bobs Brownies 1970Â´s Fender Collection

flyssy — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:51:57 +0000

Here’s a nice video by my buddy Nicolai from Vintage and Rare. This is probably the largest collection of brown 1970′s Fender guitars in the world, including a tasty brown Starcaster in the back row..not a colour I have ever seen before on the Starcaster, which is rare in any colour! The collection is for [...]

Cigar Box Guitar Museum Unveiled in New Alexandria, PA

flyssy — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 10:51:08 +0000

On Saturday, October 30 at 4pm, Spealâ€™s Tavern in New Alexandria, PA will unveil a permanent museum display of unusual, handmade cigar box guitars. The Cigar Box Guitar Museum was compiled and documented by Shane Speal, a York PA musician billed as â€œThe King of the Cigar Box Guitarâ€ and central figure in the upcoming [...]

The Holy Grail: I Buy A 1958 Sunburst Les Paul

flyssy — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:21:16 +0000

Here’s a nice article by rock writer Binky Philips on the Huffington Post website. Lots of anecdotes about New York guitar buying and the stories of how old guitars get passed around. Just a taster; Anyway, one afternoon later that summer, Teddy Slatus, Edgar Winter’s road manager, came in with both of regular-customer Rick Derringer’s [...]

Gibson Acoustic Releases Three Limited Edition John Lennon Models

flyssy — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:17:54 +0000

Seventy years after his birth and three decades after his untimely passing, John Lennon’s message of peace continues to touch the masses, and his songs still resonate in the hearts and minds of fans around the world. At the request of Yoko Ono, Gibson Acoustic is very proud to offer three 70th Anniversary John Lennon [...]

Should you ever buy a guitar on credit?

flyssy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:31:10 +0000

Here’s a guest post from Mark Hooson at Moneysupermarket.com with advice about the pitfalls of buying guitars on credit.. Most guitarists, at some point in their life, will fall prey of â€˜Guitar Acquisition Syndromeâ€™. Characterised by the irrepressible and urgent need to acquire a guitar, regardless of its price or availability, the only cure for [...]

Schon Guitars

flyssy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:47:50 +0000

It isn’t very well known that Journey guitarist Neal Schon had a “blink and you missed it” guitar company in the 1980′s. The most famous model is a single cutaway that was seen in the later Journey and Bad English era. Those models were made by the Jackson guitar company in 1986 and it’s estimated [...]

Collectable Guitars pt 41 – Peavey T-60

Connor F — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:12:52 +0000

The Peavey T-60 was the first electric guitar marketed by Peavey, who now sell a huge variety of guitars and amps, as well as PA equipment and more. It lasted 10 years, from 1977 to 1987. It was also the first guitar ever made with CNC machines, which now form an integral part of mass-production [...]

More on building relic guitars

flyssy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:22:10 +0000

I found a great article today about the guys (John Page and Vince Cunetto) who built the first Fender Custom Shop relics back in the ’90′s and some of the techniques they use. Here are some interesting points; Cunetto has spent countless hours doing R&D to find the right techniques. To make the finger-wear marks [...]

Star Wars Fan Builds Millennium Falcon Guitar!

flyssy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:45:15 +0000

I can’t say this appeals to me, as I am not a Star Wars fan but you have to hand it to the guy for his originality. Using an electric guitar and a vintage Millennium Falcon toy, Travis S. managed to build a unique instrument shaped like Han Soloâ€™s starship. Having built guitars with his [...]

Collecting Vintage Acoustic Guitars

flyssy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:03:46 +0000

Paul Brett on collecting vintage acoustic guitars; Acoustic Magazines Vintage Guitar expert, Paul Brett’s DVD sample on collecting vintage acoustic guitars. Paul is rated as one of the leading 12 string guitarists in the World and his ull DVD features 23 rare guitars, plus tips on collecting and sourcing these instruments.

Prince: ‘Playing guitar stops baldness’

flyssy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:27:40 +0000

Suggestions that Prince may be a bit eccentric have been bolstered today by his assertion that playing guitar prevents baldness! The 52-year-old musician, who is best known for songs such as ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Raspberry Beret’, said that the electricity flowing through the musical instrument must affect the body in some way. Prince told The [...]

More on guitar pick collecting

flyssy — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:37:06 +0000

Following on from my last article about guitar pick collecting, I came across this website dedicated to this great little facet of our hobby. Guitar-picks.com is the run by Alan Ralph, who seems to be the world expert in all things pick related. Alan amassed his collection in 20 years. Another remarkable thing about Alan’s [...]

Vintage Guitar investing on CNN!

flyssy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:55:20 +0000

Rudy Pensa’s interesting comments on investing in vintage guitars..

Collectable Guitars pt 40 â€“ Carvin V220T

Connor F — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:08:17 +0000

Carvin is an American custom guitar brand. They are not particularly well-known but to those â€œin the knowâ€ they represent high quality and reasonable value for what they are. Many of Carvinâ€™s designs in their 1980s heyday employed through-neck construction, which is now established and used often. When Carvin started using it, however, it was [...]

Insurance Advice for the Guitar Collector

flyssy — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:23:09 +0000

Following on from the last post about the tragic loss of vintage guitars in the Nashville floods, Chris Spann fromÂ moneysupermarket.com has written this guest post to alert us all to the importance of making sure we keep the insurance up to date on all our treasured and valuable possessions, not just our guitars! Have you [...]

Guitarists lose vintage gear in Nashville flood

flyssy — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:44:45 +0000

Brad Paisley is one of hundreds of Nashville’s top stars, working musicians and tour support company owners who lost what will likely be millions of dollars in gear due the historic floods in Nashville. Paisley is one of an estimated 1,000 musicians and business owners who house gear at Soundcheck Nashville, a storage rental hub [...]

Genuine Hendrix owned Strat for sale at Vintage and Rare!

flyssy — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:48:12 +0000

My good friend Nicolai has a genuine Jimi Hendrix owned 1967 Fender Stratocaster for sale through one of his dealers (Rock Star Guitars) at his website, Vintage and Rare. This sunburst guitar was given as a gift by Jimi in late 1968 to James “Tappy” Wright, who was a member of his management team along [...]