Today was the first day of the 2009 Philly Summer guitar show. It’s a religious pilgrimage for me. I’ll apologize in advance for the horrid picture quality. It’s my phone, plus even if I could hold a camera with my feet, they would shake too.
Groovy Guitar bought a collection from an apparently very wealthy lefty and has each guitar for sale.
Pictured in this row is a black `56 Gretsch Duo Jet. This is simply not a guitar you see lefty, no less from `56. As my nephew said, if the tag says ask, you can’t afford it. I added that even if it had a price, I couldn’t afford it. On the right is probably a `66 lefty reissue Telecaster.
In the middle is a very good condition `77 Strat. Can you hear me sighing from there? Here is some Deep Irony<tm>: I got my first Strat, a `78, in 1981. At that point, everybody knew these guitars were garbage. The Fenders and Gibsons from the later 70’s were simply expensive product. Late 70’s Strats came in two varieties: planks and Wonder Strats (mostly planks). So now you can’t find a 70’s Strat under two grand because they’re `vintage’ now (like me?). I have a few 70’s Strats and wouldn’t trade them for the world. This was another pure example, albeit too expensive.
Next on the hit parade is a bunch of hot Les Pauls, for those of us who like a guitar we can brag about to our chiropractor as we’re being treated.
Front row: `76 LP Custom, `74 LP Deluxe (I always wanted a goldtop Deluxe), `90 `59 Historic pre-production, `78 LP Deluxe,
Back row: `74 SG Standard, `97 LP Standard, `97 LP, LP Studio
To our left…
Front row: `01 Rick 370, Heritage H516
Back row: `73 P-Bass, Guild semi-hollow, backwards (right-handed) SG that snuck in somehow
Pictures don’t do this justice. This is a gorgeous 1973 Strat in incredible condition. With CASE CANDY. My friend asked me how much I thought it would be. I explained to him that this thing is an almost new 1973 left-handed Stratocaster. He guessed $3-4k. I’m bad at guessing but I said closer to $10k. The final price? Let’s just say I was $500 short.
This is a `67 Coronado II in Antigua finish. I have taken it upon myself to rechristen this Pukeburst. As it turns out, my number one guitar is a pukeburst Strat.
If you happen to have been walking around the show and in the neighborhood for a guitar that might cost more than your house, this would be the one for you. It’s a fabled 1959 burst Les Paul and if you talk nicely to the vendor, he’ll let you have it for only $200,000. We couldn’t even afford to look at it.
I can’t even begin to describe how rare a piece this is. I haven’t seen the production numbers from 1958, if there were production numbers, but there weren’t a lot of these made…this is from a show last year but I seem to remember the figure of $50k being bandied about. I think it’s made of pure Unobtainium.
Much like UFOs, these guitars do not exist. So forget you ever saw them. It will be just between us. I won’t make you sign a national security oath.
I had to blur the picture on purpose to protect the innocent. Either that or I was really dizzy when I took the picture.
This is a pair of 1960 lefty Les Paul Specials. According to several experts, Gibson never made any lefties. It took two shows for me to get up the nerve to ask the price. The shock was so bad that I can’t recall. It’s like missing time or something….
You can find at least one of them at We Buy Guitars in New York City.
There was a bunch of guys from down south that brought up some really incredible amps. This is a very early Marshall. Not even priced – and worth every penny.
This wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t include the strange, the bizarre, and the downright ugliest stuff I could find. Right?
No, this wasn’t at the guitar show. This is exclusive to Sam Ash stores. It’s the Eric Clapton Antigua Strat, to benefit Eric’s rehab facility in Antigua. But you know me… it’s just pukeburst to me. Of course mine is left-handed, not backwards like Clapton plays…
So that’s all from the Philly Guitar Show – summer edition. The winter edition will happen in early November – see you there!
Stay left-handed.