A Personal Holy Grail is up for sale...

GoldenEraGuitars

miserneil said:

Moe_Zambeek said:

Why not go and try it? I imagine that might help slay the GAS dragon? 

Also - if you did buy it, for 18k say, what would you do with it? Gig it? Hide it in a locked cupboard?

Some things are best enjoyed from afar, I feel.

I’m going to do just that.

I certainly would gig it....in fact, id HAVE to as i’d need to sell everything else I own!!

While funny, I know you’re being totally serious! That guitar is worth 25% of my house. Ouch.

axisus

Buy it! Just don't tell the wife, say it's your first guitar and you found under the bed.

richardhomer

miserneil said:

richardhomer said:

If you can get somewhere near putting the money together, I’d go for it Neil. Clearly the guitar and it’s provenance means a lot to you - and as others have said - this is likely to be your one and only chance.

The one thing the vintage market seems to have done consistently is confound predictions of a crash - so if you ever did get another chance it would no doubt be at an even higher price.

It certainly does Richard and you are, of course, totally right but spending that much money on ANYTHING is a pipe dream for me, I’m just a gigging musician....I don’t even have a real job!!  

In a way, the fact it would be a real struggle - and involve parting with other guitars - is part of the charm for me. When I bought my ‘63 Strat (for £595!) it was the most expensive thing I’d ever bought and required parting with a lot of stuff AND a loan. But I really treasured the thing - I was my gigging guitar because it was my only guitar for a while. I loved that about it - it was way beyond any other material possession I’ve owned before - or since....

IvisonGuitars

richardhomer said:

miserneil said:

richardhomer said:

If you can get somewhere near putting the money together, I’d go for it Neil. Clearly the guitar and it’s provenance means a lot to you - and as others have said - this is likely to be your one and only chance.

The one thing the vintage market seems to have done consistently is confound predictions of a crash - so if you ever did get another chance it would no doubt be at an even higher price.

It certainly does Richard and you are, of course, totally right but spending that much money on ANYTHING is a pipe dream for me, I’m just a gigging musician....I don’t even have a real job!!  

In a way, the fact it would be a real struggle - and involve parting with other guitars - is part of the charm for me. When I bought my ‘63 Strat (for £595!) it was the most expensive thing I’d ever bought and required parting with a lot of stuff AND a loan. But I really treasured the thing - I was my gigging guitar because it was my only guitar for a while. I loved that about it - it was way beyond any other material possession I’ve owned before - or since....

Richard. Piss off.





(sorry mate, wife just snatched the phone there...)



In all seriousness, you are absolutely right Rich.....aaargghhhhh!!!

IvisonGuitars

I knew it would be a terrible idea posting this here....

...where are all the “you could get 10 Custom shop’s for that money”, “Vintage is crap” crowd??

GoldenEraGuitars

miserneil said:

I knew it would be a terrible idea posting this here....

...where are all the “you could get 10 Custom shop’s for that money”, “Vintage is crap” crowd??

Imo this guitar is ridiculously overpriced and not worth half the money. Anyone who spends that on a swimming pool routed tele...



No, sorry. I can’t keep it up. 

You clearly love this guitar, you should send them an email to start some dialogue about it. And keep us posted.

Iamnobody

miserneil said:

I knew it would be a terrible idea posting this here....

...where are all the “you could get 10 Custom shop’s for that money”, “Vintage is crap” crowd??

You could probably get 17 used custom shop guitars for that amount...

But none of them would be ‘that’ guitar...

Sell an organ/child/your body/soul etc and just buy it!

Is that better?

Moe_Zambeek

Don't do it. The value was in Mick's interaction with the instrument. The guitar itself is simply an empty shell without that ephemeral workman-tool interaction. You would build something of that yourself with it, but wouldn't it be better to find the tool that fits your hand (no sniggering at the back!) and create a new holy grail, rather than make do with someone else's offcasts, at considerable cost too?

How's that?

Sassafras

Doesn't even come with a gig-bag. Dealbreaker.

IvisonGuitars

All valid points but the overriding factor is, how could I buy a guitar off someone who can’t spell Mott The Hoople properly??

Strangefan

I love how everyone is saying "yeah just do it" like 25k is pocket money, for a guitar whos value is not even rock solid, 10/20 years down the line no one will probably care who owned it and those who did most likely would Not even be around, the value will be decimated, think with your head... Is it really worth 25k that's my salary for a whole year. 

It's  literally just a guitar, wood and metal, not a chippendale Made in the cheapest way possible back in the 50s, it's amazing what rose tinted glasses do to us. 

John_P

It’s into the price range that might make it impossible to get but I suspect it’s going to haunt you if you don’t.   In your position I suspect I’d be sat working out what I can manage to sell to get the funds together.   I hope it ends up hon g to a good home if it’s not to be. 

amarok1971

I was in the same situation a couple of years ago... I bought a Ramirez classical that belonged to mike oldfield, it was used on some albums and used extensively on his 1999 tour. Theres videos of it everywhere on youtube.

it wasn't anywhere near the 25k you are talking tho.

The long and short or it, I don't play it because it sounds shit in my hands, especially because I don't get on with classical.

Therefore it spends all it's life under the bed In it's case, hopefully appreciating in value.

Terrible shame for such a lovely instrument. Some nights I'm sure I can hear it crying...

If it was one of his electrics then I'm sure it would get played a lot.

Ymmv

ICBM

Sadly, although it’s probably a wonderful guitar, and if it was something that was as big a part of my life as it seems to have been of yours, I would still have to pass even if I could afford it, because the concept of giving that much money to that sort of people is just an absolute brick wall that I could not get past. 

It’s only because people *are* willing to deal with them when they have something they really want that keeps them in business - I know someone like that, who got ripped off multiple times before he finally got done so blatantly that he’s never gone back.

IvisonGuitars

Strangefan said:

I love how everyone is saying "yeah just do it" like 25k is pocket money, for a guitar whos value is not even rock solid, 10/20 years down the line no one will probably care who owned it and those who did most likely would Not even be around, the value will be decimated, think with your head... Is it really worth 25k that's my salary for a whole year. 

It's  literally just a guitar, wood and metal, not a chippendale Made in the cheapest way possible back in the 50s, it's amazing what rose tinted glasses do to us. 

The rational side of me is thinking exactly this. And believe me, If my yearly salary was £25k, I'd already have it here.

You're absolutely right in 20/30 years time, as much as I hope it's not the case, a Mick Ralphs owned guitar will probably mean a lot less to a lot more people and then one is left with just a heavily modified Blackguard Esquire, worth £25k?? I very much doubt it...

"It's  literally just a guitar, wood and metal, not a chippendale"

It's not....it's Ralpher's Esquire. This is another person's 'Blackie' or Rory's Strat or SRV's No.1 or @Gassage's latest guitar...

BloodEagle

Exactly, as an investment it would be a pretty terrible idea - in even 10 years how many people are going to care about this guitar or more importantly have the money to give you back the 25k you paid for it? 

IvisonGuitars

ICBM said:

Sadly, although it’s probably a wonderful guitar, and if it was something that was as big a part of my life as it seems to have been of yours, I would still have to pass even if I could afford it, because the concept of giving that much money to that sort of people is just an absolute brick wall that I could not get past. 

It’s only because people *are* willing to deal with them when they have something they really want that keeps them in business - I know someone like that, who got ripped off multiple times before he finally got done so blatantly that he’s never gone back.

I totally agree. The sellers are another major off puting factor. This guitar was once available not so many years ago for sub £20k so it's a hefty markup if it's on consignment (which I imagine it is). If it wasn't THIS guitar I would have not even entertained the idea but I was sent a folder of very detailed pictures of the guitar long before it got into the Harrison's hands so I do have a very good point of reference should I be so stupid as to move forward...

bluechargeboy

What if Mick Ralphs flips out one day and kills a load of people? Then it will be worth less than a normal tele.

IvisonGuitars

bluechargeboy said:

What if Mick Ralphs flips out one day and kills a load of people? Then it will be worth less than a normal tele.

Unfortunately Mick is in a care home now after suffering a major stroke last year, so that is unlikely.

richardhomer

bluechargeboy said:

What if Mick Ralphs flips out one day and kills a load of people? Then it will be worth less than a normal tele.

Given his health, I doubt that’ll happen....