If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

[Pete Galati]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Gary Moore did it. :joke:

Didn't he steal Peter Green's guitar too?

Most of you young dudes need to seriously rethink your thought processes. That guitar, and honestly, im not certain if you know this, but that '59 burst is one of the most preffered investments in the entire market.

It's kind of hard to put yourself into the shoes of someone who owns a real '59 Sunburst Les Paul.

I'd be more concerned about how much it costs me to keep it and protect it, than how much I could make selling it now.

Seems to me that Ricky Nielsen of Cheap Trick has had a large collection of vintage Les Pauls for years before he started buying Hamers. I think he kept them in vaults. I think Gibson themselves sold a special guitar vault for a while there. Don't know if they still do.

Pete

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Read about Joe Ganzler and the vault he built for "Gladys."

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Didn't he steal Peter Green's guitar too?

The story, according to Moore, is that Green offered to sell him the guitar, and when asked how much, he told Gary to go sell the guitar he was playing. He got something like 150 pounds for it, so that's what Peter charged him for it.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Great road crew huh? Sounds like an inside job to me.

When did that happen? I think someone said that Gary Moore owned one of Ronnie Montrose's guitars. Was it stolen off his stage?

As I recall, and I'm too lazy to do the research- this was still back when Bursts were $1000 guitars. Ronnie set the guitar down for the drum solo, lights went down, dude ran up on stage, swiped the guitar and made off with it. A few years later he saw it in the BOTB book. IIRC, Slash had it.

That's about all I remember- I'll try to remember to check the LPF tomorrow.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Most of you young dudes need to seriously rethink your thought processes. That guitar, and honestly, im not certain if you know this, but that '59 burst is one of the most preffered investments in the entire market. I think thats what that other dude here was trying to say to you and you didnt pick up on it. All i hear is "sell sell sell". For some reason you think that now, that you are in your prime, that you need that money more than anything.Hell, you are young, have almost unlimited energy, and nearly your entire lives ahead of you to forge a solid future, yet you want to run out and sell an investment that actually really isnt even available beacuse its so rare. I could understand if maybe you have absolutely no place to keep it. thaTS WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT VAULTS , BECAUSE I DONT HAVE A SECURE PLACE TO KEEP ONE EITHER IF I HAD ONE. But if you think money is suddenly going to become more available or easier to come by as the years go by, or if you think that car you want to buy is going to last 10 years or wahtever...dudes, i would suggest you try and learn a little about investment strategy. That 300-400K guitar may be worth one miullion dollars when you are 40. If you inversted the same amount, it may or may not be worth maybe 650K. ever think of that? YOU dudes need to start geting your prioritires straight maybe . I'm not presumoing to lecture you by any means. Most of you probably have a brighter more secure future than i ever will, but You arent adolescents any longer..you are men, and you need to be businessmen first before selling out your future because you dont want to put in the hard work right now , when you can.

Selling it at $300,00K would give me all the joy I need and help me set up my future so that it is brighter. I honestly would rather SMASH a '59 Burst Les Balls than play it. I'd sell it, I'd get the things I want, save any leftovers, and enjoy life. My priorities are straight, and holding onto an ugly chunk of wood for 20 years just so I can be a millionaire (something I DON'T want to be) is not at the top of my list. Thank you and good-night.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Selling it at $300,00K would give me all the joy I need and help me set up my future so that it is brighter. I honestly would rather SMASH a '59 Burst Les Balls than play it. I'd sell it, I'd get the things I want, save any leftovers, and enjoy life. My priorities are straight, and holding onto an ugly chunk of wood for 20 years just so I can be a millionaire (something I DON'T want to be) is not at the top of my list. Thank you and good-night.

At age 17 your view of the world is almost completely backwards and upside-down in comparison to what it will be in another decade or so. You have no sense of priorities because you've never had to ask yourself questions like "How am I going to make rent?" or "Where's my next meal coming from?" or "Am I going to be able to live like this for the next fifty years of my life?"

Three-hundred G's that double or triple in a decade is an investment that any sane person would jump at. An almost guaranteed ROI like that would effectively eliminate the necessity for most of the hardships in life you could possibly have at the time you decide to part with it. People work to make mortgage, eat, put new shoes and clothes on their kids. If they're lucky they get to do something they enjoy and are good at.

Selling it for 300 would put you on a plane of regret that is reserved for a very small portion of people in this world.

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

As I recall, and I'm too lazy to do the research- this was still back when Bursts were $1000 guitars. Ronnie set the guitar down for the drum solo, lights went down, dude ran up on stage, swiped the guitar and made off with it. A few years later he saw it in the BOTB book. IIRC, Slash had it.

That's about all I remember- I'll try to remember to check the LPF tomorrow.

That's kind of interesting. I can't imagine being able to get out the door with the thing once he had it. Couldn't have been Slash steeling it, or you'd never see it in that book.

Good ole Slash

His action figure has a cigerette hanging from it's mouth!

 

[Rich_T]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Roll it up in a carpet and throw it off a bridge?


No, really, I'd hide it under my bed until it's worth a mil, then sell it so some other sucker.

 

[lex666]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Interesting discussion.

I don't want to debate, but my perspective is, life is short. Anything could happen to any one of us without warning. What if I held on to it and something happened to it? What if it was stolen or damaged like in a fire or a flood? Sure, insurance might cover some of it, but I'm sure they wouldn't give you the real value for it. In that situation, you might be taking a serious loss. What if I got hit by a bus? Then I'll never get to enjoy it or the $300,000.

All I'm saying is that, yes its foolish to squander away a wise investment. But at the same time, I can do so much with $300,000 and be able to share that with my family and loved ones... Its kinda hard for my family to share a guitar. A guitar in the closet won't put food on my family's table.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Interesting discussion.

I don't want to debate, but my perspective is, life is short. Anything could happen to any one of us without warning. What if I held on to it and something happened to it? What if it was stolen or damaged like in a fire or a flood? Sure, insurance might cover some of it, but I'm sure they wouldn't give you the real value for it. In that situation, you might be taking a serious loss. What if I got hit by a bus? Then I'll never get to enjoy it or the $300,000.

All I'm saying is that, yes its foolish to squander away a wise investment. But at the same time, I can do so much with $300,000 and be able to share that with my family and loved ones... Its kinda hard for my family to share a guitar. A guitar in the closet won't put food on my family's table.

The same arguments can be made for any investment- stocks, home, real estate- but you don't get to play those.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

I’d go play bass while Hartman would play with his teeth; that kind of schtick. (laughs) But there’s a sad story about that part of the performance. We were playing in Dudley, Massachusetts one night; I was using a ’58 Les Paul Sunburst that I’d gotten from J. Geils. When the time to “switch” came, I put it on a stand like I’d always do; I went over and played bass while Dan played a white Strat. When I came back over to get my Les Paul, it was gone; there was just a strap there. That was in the days of no security, and I never did get that guitar back.

And that guitar is now currently owned by Gary Moore, not Slash.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

All these things for that 1mil investment are pretty interesting, ok. But (excuse my ignorance), how easy is to find someone to buy a guitar that was never owned by a famous musician (for famous instruments there are enough of them I think) for 1 mil? Just wondering...I really don't know.

 

[carpfishy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

I'd sell it, pay off my debts and buy a house.

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Originally Posted by Ronnie Montrose
I’d go play bass while Hartman would play with his teeth; that kind of schtick. (laughs) But there’s a sad story about that part of the performance. We were playing in Dudley, Massachusetts one night; I was using a ’58 Les Paul Sunburst that I’d gotten from J. Geils. When the time to “switch” came, I put it on a stand like I’d always do; I went over and played bass while Dan played a white Strat. When I came back over to get my Les Paul, it was gone; there was just a strap there. That was in the days of no security, and I never did get that guitar back.

And that guitar is now currently owned by Gary Moore, not Slash.

Thanks.

Whoever it was, left the strap! Nothing slows you down more than a Strap when you're on the run!

All these things for that 1mil investment are pretty interesting, ok. But (excuse my ignorance), how easy is to find someone to buy a guitar that was never owned by a famous musician (for famous instruments there are enough of them I think) for 1 mil? Just wondering...I really don't know.

I'm a little unclear as to whether Maverick still has the fomous Peter Green Les Paul. I think they wanted 1 million for that one.

http://www.maverick-music.com/

I can't really find it on their website any moore. Gary Moore was putting up a stink about how it was getting sold though, so that might have something to do with why I don't see it now.

Someone on the Les Paul forum might know what the story is. I think it has to be only a matter of time before a '59 Sunburst not played by a celebrity reaches that kind of price.

I wish I had the foresight to seek out something like a '59 Sunburst in the '70s, but I didn't have much money then either, and stuff like that was already pretty expensive.

Pete

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

I think it has to be only a matter of time before a '59 Sunburst not played by a celebrity reaches that kind of price.

Sure, I agree with that. I'm just wondering that, once the guitar reaches this price (1 million), who's going to buy it? Is it easy to find a buyer? I mean...That's a lot of money.

Hmmmm, maybe an already famous musician I guess? A big company?

 

[Pete Galati]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Sure, I agree with that. I'm just wondering that, once the guitar reaches this price (1 million), who's going to buy it? Is it easy to find a buyer? I mean...That's a lot of money.

Hmmmm, maybe an already famous musician I guess? A big company?

I kind of watch Gruhn's stock of '50s Les Pauls fluctuate (not all that quickly). He had several Goldtops from earlier in the '50s, not all that long ago... and most of them are gone! Who are these people? Not that it matters all that much.

http://www.gruhn.com/catalog/e.htm

This one's left:

EB5893 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (More photos...) , 1957, VG+, original PAF humbucking pickups, playing surface on back of neck refinished by Gruhn Guitars (good original finish on front and back of peghead), 1970s Gibson Protector HC......$120000

$120,000? Way too rich for my blood! But if I had the money, I'd think about it. I think I'd have to take a trip to Nashville before I'd buy it though.

Pete

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

I kind of watch Gruhn's stock of '50s Les Pauls fluctuate (not all that quickly). He had several Goldtops from earlier in the '50s, not all that long ago... and most of them are gone! Who are these people? Not that it matters all that much.

http://www.gruhn.com/catalog/e.htm

This one's left:

$120,000? Way too rich for my blood! But if I had the money, I'd think about it. I think I'd have to take a trip to Nashville before I'd buy it though.

Pete

Wow! I remember seeing a Jimmy Page Les Paul remake at 30,000 (dollars or english pounds) in a magazine and thought wtf? Now $120,000 is insane.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

Say for the time you owned a 400.000 burst '59 Gibson Les paul Standard. What would you do with it?

Install a Floyd Rose obviously.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

What's nuts is these guitars were vaguely affordable 10-15 years ago.

 

[dystrust]

Re: If You Owned A 300.000 Guitar?

The reason why your having a hard time grasping it is because as you said you have never played a 59 burst. I am not finding fault with any of your statements, for the most part I agree with a lot of them, but I have had the previledge of playing many bursts. I have also played several conversions. Cris Mirabella is one of my closest friends and his conversions are considered to be among the best. He also specializes in restoring all kinds of vintage guitars. Last week I was in his shop and he had a few 50's Fenders. Through him I have played quite a few amazing guitars. There is certainly nothing wrong with any new guitar or custom shop guitars, but when you compare them to a guitar that is 50 years old and has original PAF's in it..... there really is nothing to compare. 50 years of aging and those amazing warm articulate pickups can't be replicated. They are among the most articulate guitars I have ever played. Some play better than others, some sound better than others. I have even played a few that IMHO were dogs. Most will blow any new guitar out of the ballpark.

About 4 years ago we had a NY area SDUG meet at his shop. Everyone there had some really nice guitars, most equipped with their favorite Duncan pickups. Every guitar there sounded great. Cris brought out a 54 burst converted to 59 specs. That guitar won hands down. Again... nothing wrong with any new Les Paul or Custom shop guitar...... but they don't compare with the real deal. There is something that 50 years of age does to a guitar. Espicially when the guitar has been in the hands od a great player for many years. Great guitars deserve to be played. It makes them sound that much better.

I've played around a half dozen real bursts and I've also had a chance to play one of Cris's conversions (a '56 converted to '59 specs). Of these guitars one was a complete POS (played poorly and sounded like crap) while the rest were as good or better than the best historics I've played. Strangely enough the converted '56 was far better than all of the real bursts I've played. That guitar was $20K two years ago (no longer for sale now) and I'd have bought it in an instant if I'd had the money.

I guess my answer would depend on the guitar itself. If it's a poor to average burst I'd sell it, eliminate all of my debt, buy a Derrig or Max LP, and invest the rest. If it's one of those truly amazing guitars that you have to experience to believe, I'd never part with it.