Re: Rarest guitar you've played? Most expensive?
Oldest would be This Old Old Gibson L-00 Acoustic My cleaning lady had. She kept telling me she had an old Gibson guitar that Her mother had Purchased Sumtime Right after world war II, And I figured she was just messing with me. But One day she brought it over while she was cleaning the house and let me check it out. And I was amazed ,Oldest guitar I've ever seen in my life. it Had the weird Old style sunburst (almost entirely black with a Small brownish area in the middle about 5 inches at its widest) and the Head stock said "the Gibson" in cursive lettering. Then She forgot it at my house that day. I called her and told her she'de forgot it and to come get it, she says "Oh no, Its just been setting around my house for years No one plays guitar here, I want you to keep it. I'de rather sumone used it than for it to just set around and collect dust." But I told her it was probably worth a bunch of money and That She should really take it back, cause I probably wouldn't use it since it was so old and I was scared I'de break it on accident or sumthing. So I made her Take it back.
And The Most Expensive Guitar I've ever played was a 1958 Lp Custom that was totally stock. I was Driveing Back to Illinois From Kansas, and I was in Kansas City and tired. And I remembered My cousin becky lived in Kansas city, so I called my mother ,got her number, called Becky to see if I could sleep at her house for the night. She said it was fine with her, and it would give me a chance to meet her New husband. She'de just gotten married and no one else in the family had met her new husband. So I got directions and went to her house. When I got inside her husband was setting on the couch, He's an Old dude, Much older than becky. So he's setting there playing a black Lp custom and I said "Ahh nice guitar man, I've always wanted an Lp Custom" and he was just like "oh yeah, me too" and I didn't really think anything of it. So he sets the guitar in a crappy little folding stand and starts talkin to me. And I ask if I can play his guitar a little and he says its fine. So I'm setting there Playing this guitar just assumeing its an 80's Lp custom or sumthing cause its a little old looking and the finish is all checked and Theres tons of little hairline cracks Covering it. And it played really nice. So Eventully He decides to Mention "Oh yeah I Bought that thing used in the early 60's For about $500 dollars." and I'm thinking Uhm, They didn't make Lps in the early 60's. And I ask what year it is, and he says "Its a 58," and I immediately stopped playing and put it back on the stand. This dudes Letting Someone he's Never met before in His Life play His 58 Lp Custom, without even mentioning that its A massively expensive Vintage guitar. I was Totally terrified that I might accidentally scratch it or sumthing and then he would have to kill me. But apperently he still Gigs with the guitar. Seriously.
After that He made a point of takeing me to His Basement and showing me all his other gear, and The Dudes Basement was like being in a museum. Tons of Vintage guitars, amps, and pedals, Plus newer guitars and amps and pedals too. And Amazingly the dude Kept offering For me To try everything out "Oh yeah thats my 54 Telecaster, Wanna Play it?" and all this other sh!t. And I just kept being like "um dude, seriously I'm a little to scared to play a guitar that old if its not mine. I'de have to kill myself if I scratched it" and he'de just laugh and be like "ehh don't worry about it, if they've lasted this long I'm sure they're not gonna crumble to dust". Seriously the Most mellow dude I have ever met. But anyways I pretty much refused to play anything that he had that was older than me. Just cause he might not have cared if it got scratched, I cared. I'm Pretty much a total stranger to this dude, and he's willing to let me sleep in his house & play his guitars. Theres No way I would even risk messing sumthing up, So i refused to touch any of it.