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Richard Gere selling 110 of his guitars from vintage collection, with all proceeds going to charity

Written by vintage on August 30, 2011 – 12:59 pm -

Richard Gere’s guitar collection is going up for sale. The legendary star of “Pretty Woman”, “Chicago” and “An Officer and A Gentleman”, has 110 vintage guitars that will be sold on October 11, through Christie’s auction house. Gere has accumulated the guitars for a period of not less than 20 years. The collection allegedly includes pieces once owned by renowned talents such the Jamaican reggae star Peter Tosh, blues instrumentalist Albert King and American luthier James D’Aquisto. It also includes instruments from major brand names such as C.F. Martin, Fender, Epiphone, Gibson and Gretsch. For this reason, the collection is considered by the auction house as a prestigious opportunity for fans and collectors alike. The auction... more


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The bluesy sound of Muddy Waters

Written by vintage on April 4, 2011 – 10:08 pm -

By The cliché runs that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but trying to “flatter” the greatest of the great is no easy task. Especially when Muddy Waters, arguably the finest of the first generation of electric bluesmen, is the subject. Muddy’s early hits for Chess Records like “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’,” “Louisiana Blues,” “Walkin’ Blues,” “Long Distance Call,” and “Honey Bee,” defined the recorded sound of early electric blues: dirty, gritty, stinging, growling, sweet and supremely emotive. It’s nearly impossible to get to that sound without vintage gear and a touch developed playing an acoustic guitar loud ‘n’ strong enough to cut the din of a Saturday night fish... more


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Clapton Guitars Bring $2.5 million at Auction

Written by vintage on March 19, 2011 – 6:58 pm -

By Ward Meeker Collectors, fans and musicians gathered at Bonhams New York yesterday for a sale of 75 guitars and 55 amps from the collection of Eric Clapton. The items were auctioned to benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua. With 100 percent of the lots sold, the final auction total more than tripled pre-sale expectations, with proceeds going to the drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre founded by Clapton in 1998. Bidders from all four corners of the globe battled throughout the 4 ½ hour auction and included clients from the U.S., Asia, Australasia, UK, Europe, and the Caribbean. Notably, a private Russian Eric Clapton fan and collector showed keen interest in the room and Asian participants included those from Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. “It... more


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Vintage Guitar Show in Independence, Ohio this week

Written by vintage on October 18, 2010 – 11:15 pm -

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - It's like the Antique Roadshow, but for the home of rock and roll. The International Vintage Guitar Collectors Association is in Independence this week at the Crowne Plaza on Rockside Road. "Bring us your instruments, your guitars, banjos, your basses, your P.A. gear, anything musical, anything cool," said event organizer Eddie Stambaugh. Bob Faulkners's Gibson Super 400 still sounds great... and he quite a surprise when he took it to the show. "It was $547 and now it's estimated some of them are $40,000," Faulker said. Dolores Sidorak bought her guitar in 1967 and it's been under the bed for 40 years. "When I was told I had to sing along with playing, that ended my career!" Sidorak said. For her $280 investment, Dolores... more


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The State of the Vintage Guitar Market

Written by vintage on July 28, 2010 – 3:08 am -

On Location at the 2008 Arlington Guitar Show and Auction. While on the floor in Arlington, we decided to get the dope straight from the dealers. In this segment, we tackled vintage guitar market questions and concerns with several dealers and buyers. What I take from these interviews is that there is still a promising financial future in investing in vintage guitars. As has always been the case, some guitars will appreciate in value more than others. Now might be a good time to buy while prices are down if you are willing to hold onto the guitar for a while.  Read More →


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Posted in ES, Fender, Gibson, Guitar News, Les Paul, SG, Stratocster, Telecaster, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

CNN discusses investing in vintage guitars

Written by vintage on July 6, 2010 – 3:53 am -

Is investing in a vintage guitar a "sound investment?" Doug makes a brief appearance in this clip about investing in a different type of alternate investment. From a segment that appeared on CNN's "Your $$$$$" with Ali Velshi and Christine Romans. Rudy Pensa’s interesting comments on investing in vintage guitars.  Read More →


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Posted in Fender, Gibson, Guitar News, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll guitars offer 500% appreciation

Written by vintage on March 23, 2010 – 4:55 am -

These items cherished by rock gods of past decades are big business If I asked you to guess an investment that can give you 500% appreciation of six months, what would it be? I'll bet that guitars wouldn't be your first response. In the forty years since Jimi Hendrix played his white Fender Stratocaster before a 500,000 people at Woodstock, guitars are now firmly established as collectible items. Such legendary events have led thousands of enthusiasts to seek out vintage Fender Stratocasters from the 1970s. A late '60s Strat', then worth a couple of hundred dollars, can today sell for as much as $30,000. Other items, like a '60s Gibson Les Paul Jr., can appreciate by an incredible 500% after six months of ownership. And the best news is,... more


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Posted in ES, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Les Paul, SG, Stratocster, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Tips on Purchasing Vintage Amplifiers

Written by vintage on February 6, 2010 – 4:34 am -

There are some fun and funky amps out there that can still be had for a steal, as well as a few bargains remaining in good vintage amps that come out from under the bed now and then, but you need to know what you’re looking at to determine whether that tweed suitcase is a tone machine in the rough, or just an old sparky that’s about ready to pop. Take this checklist with you when shopping, and you’ll be a few steps ahead of the game. 1) If possible, play your own guitar through it. You want to be in familiar territory to judge an amp objectively, and it’s difficult to assess an amp’s suitability if you’re testing it with an unfamiliar instrument. Work from your comfort zone, and you’ll better know whether this one could be of use... more


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Posted in Vintage Amplifiers, Vintage Guitars | 1 Comment »

Becoming Familiar with the Collectible Fender Stratocaster Market

Written by vintage on February 1, 2010 – 1:08 am -

New to the maze that's the collectible Fender Stratocaster market? Join me as I reacquaint myself with the current state of the market after a several-year Stratocaster hiatus. In light of the world's current state, economic, political and health included, it will be interesting to see what impact things have had on the vintage and non-vintage collectible Stratocaster. But first, for those new to this world, let's first go over a few basic ideas. An old Stratocaster may or may not be collectible, despite the word vintage. Its collectability depends on a number of factors such as year of manufacture and current condition (refinished, refretted, replaced electronics, etc.). Likewise, a rare and significant Custom Shop Stratocaster might not be... more


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Factors That Influence the Value of a Collectible Instrument

Written by vintage on February 1, 2010 – 12:53 am -

by George Gruhn As both a dealer and appraiser of vintage fretted instruments I am faced with the daily necessity of placing dollar values on instruments. Any appraisal or price determination is to a certain degree the subjective judgment of the particular dealer or appraiser involved, however, the figures that I or any other dealer or appraiser place on instruments are firmly based on our knowledge and experience of the market involving supply, demand, and prior precedent for instruments of this type. While there is no one simple formula that a dealer or appraiser uses for evaluations, the following factors are critically important: 1. Maker Instruments made by famous luthiers or manufacturers are far more sought after than those by lesser... more


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Posted in Guitar News, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars | No Comments »
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