Guitar
1930 The Guitar of the King of Cowboys
2009 SOLD 550 K$ including premium
A few days ago, I took you to consider a piano from Memphis, Tennessee. Do not change of State or time, but only of auction house.
On April 4 in New York, Christie's offers the guitar of Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys in Nashville. This small town has been in the last century the undisputed capital of Country Music, relying upon these social facts of the era that were the broadcast and the development of the record industry.
Among these artists, the career of Roy Rogers is one of the longest and most successful.
The instrument for sale is the one he used regularly. This guitar of professional quality was the model OM-45 Deluxe that C. F. Martin and Co had built in 15 copies in 1930. It was acquired by Roy before 1933, when our hero was still Leonard Franklin Slye (a name difficult to bear for a cowboy singer, you will agree).
To give you a chance to extend the glory of Roy Rogers, prepare 150 K $.
POST SALE COMMENT
This instrument has unique characteristics, including its origin. The result is very high: K $ 550 premium included.
On April 4 in New York, Christie's offers the guitar of Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys in Nashville. This small town has been in the last century the undisputed capital of Country Music, relying upon these social facts of the era that were the broadcast and the development of the record industry.
Among these artists, the career of Roy Rogers is one of the longest and most successful.
The instrument for sale is the one he used regularly. This guitar of professional quality was the model OM-45 Deluxe that C. F. Martin and Co had built in 15 copies in 1930. It was acquired by Roy before 1933, when our hero was still Leonard Franklin Slye (a name difficult to bear for a cowboy singer, you will agree).
To give you a chance to extend the glory of Roy Rogers, prepare 150 K $.
POST SALE COMMENT
This instrument has unique characteristics, including its origin. The result is very high: K $ 550 premium included.
1941 Martin Guitars
2011 SOLD 220 K$ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The CF Martin & Co company specializes in guitars since its inception in 1833. Their instruments have reached a high level of perfection, as shown by the sale at $ 550K including premium at Christie's on April 4, 2009 of a Martin OR-45DeLuxe which had been acquired in 1933 by Roy Rogers.
The other cowboy singing star, Gene Autry, was among the first users of the D-45, a professional model that was builtin less than 100 copies between 1933 and 1942. This guitar was large, which promotes its usage in show, and yetlight and powerful in sound, which is an undeniable technical achievement.
A Martin D-45 is for sale by Skinner in Boston on November 6. Made in 1941 and kept in the family of its first owner, it has never been performed on stage and is in very good condition with its original patina.
This instrument is estimated $ 180K, and illustrated in the blog of the auction house.
POST SALE COMMENT
This interesting guitar was sold $ 185K before fees, 220K including premium.
The CF Martin & Co company specializes in guitars since its inception in 1833. Their instruments have reached a high level of perfection, as shown by the sale at $ 550K including premium at Christie's on April 4, 2009 of a Martin OR-45DeLuxe which had been acquired in 1933 by Roy Rogers.
The other cowboy singing star, Gene Autry, was among the first users of the D-45, a professional model that was builtin less than 100 copies between 1933 and 1942. This guitar was large, which promotes its usage in show, and yetlight and powerful in sound, which is an undeniable technical achievement.
A Martin D-45 is for sale by Skinner in Boston on November 6. Made in 1941 and kept in the family of its first owner, it has never been performed on stage and is in very good condition with its original patina.
This instrument is estimated $ 180K, and illustrated in the blog of the auction house.
POST SALE COMMENT
This interesting guitar was sold $ 185K before fees, 220K including premium.
1954 Les Paul's Guitar at TV Show
2015 SOLD for $ 335K including premium
The radio allows a wide dissemination of music and creates new needs and skills. Les Paul, altogether a musician and an electrician, is one of these pioneers. In 1950, he starts on NBC the Les Paul Show, which is a great success.
The instrument manufacturers feel the need to offer new products. Fender is the pioneer of electric music, soon followed by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Gibson is looking for a headliner for this development and signs a commercial contract with Les Paul in 1952.
Paul is demanding. He wants new sounds and does not accept the disadvantages of electricity including feedback. Furthermore, the television becomes popular. To avoid confusing the public, the new instrument should look like an acoustic guitar. The manufacturer also requires that the guitar is designed to enable mass production.
In 1954, the Gibson Les Paul Custom in a solid body meets such needs. The prototype, which was later nicknamed Black Beauty, is delivered to Les Paul who will use it for more than twenty years while experimenting on it many improvements. It has been carefully restored by the luthier Tom Doyle, its current owner.
Black Beauty will be sold on February 19 in New York by Guernsey's, lot 17 in the catalog shared by LiveAuctioneers.
The transfer of the Les Paul and Mary Ford Show to TV from 1954 paves the way for the cultural revolution of rock and roll.
I invite you to play the video shared by Tom Doyle in 2014 on YouTube to tell the history and demonstrate the engineering and quality of the Black Beauty.
The instrument manufacturers feel the need to offer new products. Fender is the pioneer of electric music, soon followed by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Gibson is looking for a headliner for this development and signs a commercial contract with Les Paul in 1952.
Paul is demanding. He wants new sounds and does not accept the disadvantages of electricity including feedback. Furthermore, the television becomes popular. To avoid confusing the public, the new instrument should look like an acoustic guitar. The manufacturer also requires that the guitar is designed to enable mass production.
In 1954, the Gibson Les Paul Custom in a solid body meets such needs. The prototype, which was later nicknamed Black Beauty, is delivered to Les Paul who will use it for more than twenty years while experimenting on it many improvements. It has been carefully restored by the luthier Tom Doyle, its current owner.
Black Beauty will be sold on February 19 in New York by Guernsey's, lot 17 in the catalog shared by LiveAuctioneers.
The transfer of the Les Paul and Mary Ford Show to TV from 1954 paves the way for the cultural revolution of rock and roll.
I invite you to play the video shared by Tom Doyle in 2014 on YouTube to tell the history and demonstrate the engineering and quality of the Black Beauty.
1962 The Missing Jumbo of John Lennon
2015 SOLD for $ 2.4M including premium
The Beatles liked the Gibson ES-175 guitar of their friend Tony Sheridan. John and George desired to own guitars from this US brand. Their choice went on the Jumbo Electric J-160E that was not regularly available in England. This acoustic-electric hybrid model can be used unconnected, which is nice when you are traveling.
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills on November 7, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's in Beverly Hills on November 7, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
_-_Ladies_and_Gentlemen..._the_Beatles!_exhibit_at_LBJ_Presidential_Library,_Austin,_TX,_2015-06-12_11.37.55.jpg)
1962-1963 The Black and White Guitar of George Harrison
2014 SOLD 660 K$ including premium
Electric guitars play a key role from very early in the career of The Beatles up to becoming a symbol of the music of the new generation. After the first purchase by John Lennon of a Rickenbacker guitar in 1960, the Beatles frequently use the instruments made by this US brand.
George Harrison had been the first solo guitarist of the group. In 1963, during a private visit in the United States, he bought a 1962 Rickenbacker 425. He soon made it painted in black and white in imitation of the guitars of John, always keen to provide the Beatles with a look different from the musical groups of the past.
This guitar was the preferred instrument of George in the heyday of the Beatles. It had a great career, was once photographed with the four boys, took part in the recordings at Abbey Road Studios and was also occasionally played by John.
This prestigious guitar is estimated beyond $ 400K, for sale by Julien's Auctions in New York on May 17. It is illustrated in the release shared by Reuters.
POST SALE COMMENT
This guitar from the Beatles legend was sold for $ 660K including premium.
George Harrison had been the first solo guitarist of the group. In 1963, during a private visit in the United States, he bought a 1962 Rickenbacker 425. He soon made it painted in black and white in imitation of the guitars of John, always keen to provide the Beatles with a look different from the musical groups of the past.
This guitar was the preferred instrument of George in the heyday of the Beatles. It had a great career, was once photographed with the four boys, took part in the recordings at Abbey Road Studios and was also occasionally played by John.
This prestigious guitar is estimated beyond $ 400K, for sale by Julien's Auctions in New York on May 17. It is illustrated in the release shared by Reuters.
POST SALE COMMENT
This guitar from the Beatles legend was sold for $ 660K including premium.
1964 Second Thoughts behind a Guitar
2015 SOLD for $ 910K including premium
When the Beatles became a worldwide phenomenon, the manufacturers of guitars were extremely sensitive to the needs of the group. In 1964, the Rickenbacker 325 that was used by John is damaged. The importer of the brand in England, Rose-Morris, rushes to offer to the star a Rickenbacker 1996.
The gift is promotional. The new Rickenbacker receives the nickname Beatle Backer and John's effigy is used in the advertisements of the brand.
In 1968, the same instrument is the subject of another gift. Epstein had died in the previous year and the boys are not trained to run their own business. Relationships are strained for personal reasons. Ringo leaves the group at a key stage of their recordings in progress.
Ringo needed two weeks of holidays for keeping quiet again, during which he composed songs. The other three are worried about a possible termination of the group and the come back of Ringo is warmly welcomed. John gives his Beatle Backer to Ringo.
Ringo Starr had kept the instrument. It is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on December 4, lot 778. I invite you to watch the video shared on YouTube by the auction house.
The gift is promotional. The new Rickenbacker receives the nickname Beatle Backer and John's effigy is used in the advertisements of the brand.
In 1968, the same instrument is the subject of another gift. Epstein had died in the previous year and the boys are not trained to run their own business. Relationships are strained for personal reasons. Ringo leaves the group at a key stage of their recordings in progress.
Ringo needed two weeks of holidays for keeping quiet again, during which he composed songs. The other three are worried about a possible termination of the group and the come back of Ringo is warmly welcomed. John gives his Beatle Backer to Ringo.
Ringo Starr had kept the instrument. It is estimated $ 600K for sale by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on December 4, lot 778. I invite you to watch the video shared on YouTube by the auction house.
1964-1965 Electricity in the Air
2013 SOLD 965 K$ including premium
In 1965, Bob Dylan is 24 years old and has a lot of musical ambitions. He had met the Beatles in the previous year and their mutual influence will be considerable. To get a sustainable favor from the young public, he must be bold.
Dylan's strategy at the Folk Festival in Newport RI on July 25 is winning. Spectators were waiting for his acoustic guitar and his harmonica. Without warning, he began singing with an electric guitar. Dylan insists despite being booed, before coming back to comfort his friends again with his classical guitar.
Both types of instruments have a similar shape conducive to puzzle such a neophyte public, but the comparison stops here. His electric guitar is a solid body instrument without sounding case, a Fender Stratocaster model made in 1964.
The Fender Stratocaster was soon abandoned or simply lost in a private plane. When it surfaced again two years ago, it was unquestionably authenticated as the instrument of this clash of cultures in Newport that had paved the way for the era of rock and roll, offering more varied musical possibilities than the folk.
This iconic instrument is estimated $ 300K, for sale by Christie 's in New York on December 6. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate was too conservative, of course. This instrument is important in the history of popular music. It was sold for $ 965K including premium.
Dylan's strategy at the Folk Festival in Newport RI on July 25 is winning. Spectators were waiting for his acoustic guitar and his harmonica. Without warning, he began singing with an electric guitar. Dylan insists despite being booed, before coming back to comfort his friends again with his classical guitar.
Both types of instruments have a similar shape conducive to puzzle such a neophyte public, but the comparison stops here. His electric guitar is a solid body instrument without sounding case, a Fender Stratocaster model made in 1964.
The Fender Stratocaster was soon abandoned or simply lost in a private plane. When it surfaced again two years ago, it was unquestionably authenticated as the instrument of this clash of cultures in Newport that had paved the way for the era of rock and roll, offering more varied musical possibilities than the folk.
This iconic instrument is estimated $ 300K, for sale by Christie 's in New York on December 6. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate was too conservative, of course. This instrument is important in the history of popular music. It was sold for $ 965K including premium.
1966 A Tailored Guitar for the Blues
2018 SOLD for $ 250K including premium
The first professional guitar of the teenager Stevie Ray Vaughan will be sold on April 15 by Heritage in Dallas, lot 89392. I narrated it as follows before it passed at Julien's in May 2016.
The Vaughan brothers are passionate about the electric guitar. They will soon perform in dance sessions and nightclubs in Dallas. The elder, Jimmie, 15 years old in 1966, owns a 1951 Fender No-caster which he does not use so much. Stevie Ray, 12, borrows the instrument without permission. A compromise is made : Jimmie gives the Fender to his younger brother.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is delighted to have his first professional guitar, which Jimmie had named Jimbo. It does not leave him to the point that his friends say that he carries the instrument glued to his hands. Stevie Ray rebuilds Jimbo to find new tones suited to the blues. He is a musical prodigy highly inspired by Jimi Hendrix.
Stevie Ray uses Jimbo in his first recording in 1969. He is 15 years old. Jimbo does not however accompany him into his fame.
In 1971 the young musician did not appreciate that he is already the best blues guitarist. He wants to imitate his idols, Freddie King and B. B. King, who had chosen the Epiphone make. Stevie Ray is still short of money : he trades the Fender for an Epiphone. He soon understands his mistake but it was too late : the music teacher with whom he made the deal has already got rid of Jimbo.
After a few difficult years Stevie Ray Vaughan comes back to the top in 1989. He would give anything to find Jimbo. He was not to see it again : he was killed in a helicopter crash in the following year when returning from a show where he had co-starred with Eric Clapton.
Please watch the video shared by Heritage.
The Vaughan brothers are passionate about the electric guitar. They will soon perform in dance sessions and nightclubs in Dallas. The elder, Jimmie, 15 years old in 1966, owns a 1951 Fender No-caster which he does not use so much. Stevie Ray, 12, borrows the instrument without permission. A compromise is made : Jimmie gives the Fender to his younger brother.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is delighted to have his first professional guitar, which Jimmie had named Jimbo. It does not leave him to the point that his friends say that he carries the instrument glued to his hands. Stevie Ray rebuilds Jimbo to find new tones suited to the blues. He is a musical prodigy highly inspired by Jimi Hendrix.
Stevie Ray uses Jimbo in his first recording in 1969. He is 15 years old. Jimbo does not however accompany him into his fame.
In 1971 the young musician did not appreciate that he is already the best blues guitarist. He wants to imitate his idols, Freddie King and B. B. King, who had chosen the Epiphone make. Stevie Ray is still short of money : he trades the Fender for an Epiphone. He soon understands his mistake but it was too late : the music teacher with whom he made the deal has already got rid of Jimbo.
After a few difficult years Stevie Ray Vaughan comes back to the top in 1989. He would give anything to find Jimbo. He was not to see it again : he was killed in a helicopter crash in the following year when returning from a show where he had co-starred with Eric Clapton.
Please watch the video shared by Heritage.
1967 Jimi Hendrix burned his Guitar
2008 SOLD 280 K£ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The foolish public life of Jimi Hendrix really began in 1967. On March 31, the first day of his tour in England, Jimi decided to conclude his concert by a spectacular happening. Thus he set fire to his guitar with fluid brought to him by his press officer. It was crazy, and Jimi was sent to hospital for burns to the hands. For a musician, it was not really clever, especially in early stage of his tour.
Jimi is a less good incendiary of instruments than Arman, and the guitar remained almost intact, with few visible burns. Now let us inform specialists that it is a Fender Stratocaster of 1965. It was recovered by the press officer, who now put it for sale in London at The Fame Bureau on September 4 . Jimi burned afterwards another guitar, that the fans are starting to look for.
The Fame Bureau is an auction house specializing in the memorabilia of rock and film.
The estimate is not available on the site of the auction house, but the web seems unanimous to announce it at 500 K£. The source of this information seems to be Reuters.
It was also announced in most articles I have seen that the so-called Woodstock Stratocaster guitar used by Hendrix at Woodstock would have been once sold $ 1.8 million at auction.
POST SALE COMMENT
Under the fire of biddings, the temperature of the guitar of Jimi Hendrix rose to £ 280 K. Although this is not clearly indicated, I think this price is out of charge.
£ 500 K was the high estimate. The low estimate had been more reasonable: 250 K £. This difference was justified by the uniqueness of this object, which made it difficult to assess tighter, and this high figure of £ 500 K was an effective way to attract the attention of the press.
The foolish public life of Jimi Hendrix really began in 1967. On March 31, the first day of his tour in England, Jimi decided to conclude his concert by a spectacular happening. Thus he set fire to his guitar with fluid brought to him by his press officer. It was crazy, and Jimi was sent to hospital for burns to the hands. For a musician, it was not really clever, especially in early stage of his tour.
Jimi is a less good incendiary of instruments than Arman, and the guitar remained almost intact, with few visible burns. Now let us inform specialists that it is a Fender Stratocaster of 1965. It was recovered by the press officer, who now put it for sale in London at The Fame Bureau on September 4 . Jimi burned afterwards another guitar, that the fans are starting to look for.
The Fame Bureau is an auction house specializing in the memorabilia of rock and film.
The estimate is not available on the site of the auction house, but the web seems unanimous to announce it at 500 K£. The source of this information seems to be Reuters.
It was also announced in most articles I have seen that the so-called Woodstock Stratocaster guitar used by Hendrix at Woodstock would have been once sold $ 1.8 million at auction.
POST SALE COMMENT
Under the fire of biddings, the temperature of the guitar of Jimi Hendrix rose to £ 280 K. Although this is not clearly indicated, I think this price is out of charge.
£ 500 K was the high estimate. The low estimate had been more reasonable: 250 K £. This difference was justified by the uniqueness of this object, which made it difficult to assess tighter, and this high figure of £ 500 K was an effective way to attract the attention of the press.
1973 The Luthier of the Grateful Dead
2017 SOLD for $ 1.9M including premium
Founded in California during the acidic era, the psychedelic band Grateful Dead plays electric music. The group is created and directed by the guitarist Jerry Garcia who needs the best instruments in this technique whose popularity is quite recent.
At the end of the 1960s Doug Irwin is a young biochemist disillusioned by his training. Despite the atmosphere of freedom of that time, everyone must find a job : Doug decides that he will construct electric guitars. After a self-taught training he joins the Alembic company founded in 1969 in the Grateful Dead rehearsal room.
At that time Alembic worked on the electronic processing of sound more than on its creation. In 1971 Doug builds his first electric guitar in his own name in his kitchen and brings it to a specialty shop. Jerry is there : he buys the instrument. This guitar named Eagle (Alembic) was sold for $ 186K including premium by Bonhams on May 8, 2007.
Eagle plays the role of a prototype from which Jerry and Doug embark on a more ambitious project. The result is an asymmetrically necked guitar named Wolf. It is completed in 1973 and Jerry uses it intensively for six years. The next instrument made by Doug for Jerry is named Tiger. Less asymmetrical than Wolf, Tiger innovates in the position of the strings.
In the dispute about the estate of Garcia who died in 1995, Irwin became the owner of Wolf and Tiger which he auctioned through Guernsey's on May 7, 2002. The result, exceptional for electric guitars at that time, was $ 960K including premium for Tiger and $ 790K including premium for Wolf.
Wolf is back at Guernsey's in Brooklyn NY on May 31. This single lot charity sale is organized for the benefit of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
At the end of the 1960s Doug Irwin is a young biochemist disillusioned by his training. Despite the atmosphere of freedom of that time, everyone must find a job : Doug decides that he will construct electric guitars. After a self-taught training he joins the Alembic company founded in 1969 in the Grateful Dead rehearsal room.
At that time Alembic worked on the electronic processing of sound more than on its creation. In 1971 Doug builds his first electric guitar in his own name in his kitchen and brings it to a specialty shop. Jerry is there : he buys the instrument. This guitar named Eagle (Alembic) was sold for $ 186K including premium by Bonhams on May 8, 2007.
Eagle plays the role of a prototype from which Jerry and Doug embark on a more ambitious project. The result is an asymmetrically necked guitar named Wolf. It is completed in 1973 and Jerry uses it intensively for six years. The next instrument made by Doug for Jerry is named Tiger. Less asymmetrical than Wolf, Tiger innovates in the position of the strings.
In the dispute about the estate of Garcia who died in 1995, Irwin became the owner of Wolf and Tiger which he auctioned through Guernsey's on May 7, 2002. The result, exceptional for electric guitars at that time, was $ 960K including premium for Tiger and $ 790K including premium for Wolf.
Wolf is back at Guernsey's in Brooklyn NY on May 31. This single lot charity sale is organized for the benefit of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
