Your unexpected inheritance (part 1)

Tannin

Last week you got a letter from a solicitor.

At first you thought it was a scam but your checked it out with your own lawyer and it is genuine. Apparently you have a distant relative you've never heard of. Or rather, had, because the old gentleman passed away last summer.  

Dear _____, I write to inform you that your uncle (many times removed) Hamish McFlatface recently passed away at the age of 102.

Mr McFlatface was a wealthy man who left the greater portion of his estate to the Royal Society for Lost Cats. However, he also left instructions with us re his bequest to you, on the understanding that you are a musician, (or at least a guitarist, which is probably not the same thing but will have to do).

His wish is to present you with an instrument for each completed decade of his life, i.e., 10 in total, and he left very specific instructions, which I will now detail ......

The letter goes on for pages, but it amounts to:

* A list of 9 notable guitar makers from around the world.
* You may choose any guitar you wish from each of those 9 manufacturers, plus one from another maker of your own choice.
* The bequest is all or nothing. You must take all 10 instruments or none. (Should you have insufficient space for all ten, the  estate will assist you with reasonable relocation or renovation expenses.) 
* You may not sell any of the instruments. The will contains provisions to make sure you don't try to wriggle around that. These guitars are yours to keep.
* You may only choose standard production models. Custom builds and custom shop models are not permitted. For example, a Taylor 914ce is permitted, but not a Taylor "Builders Choice" edition. Similarly, a Martin Modern Deluxe or Authentic is permitted, but not a Martin Custom Shop instrument.
* The bequest is in two parts. Part 1 permits you to choose any standard production guitar from each of Gibson (USA), Taylor (USA), Lakewood (Germany), Yamaha (Japan), and the Godin Group (Canada). Part 2 will follow aftr Part 1 is complete.

So: your current task is to NOMINATE ONE GUITAR you'd love to have from each of:

* Gibson (includes Epiphone)
* Taylor
* Lakewood
* Yamaha
* Godin (includes Godin, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, Simon and Patrick, La Patrie, Richmond, and Norman.)

* Suppose you don't like one of those makes? Choose one of their models anyway. Try to pick one you will enjoy playing.
* Suppose you don't know anything about one of those makes? Guess as best you can. 

CountryDave

Gibson - ES339.  Love the 335 but I'm a proper shortarse
Taylor - 712
Lakewood - OM style
Yamaha - Revstar - Japan model
Godin - Freeway

Tannin

I'm holding off for now. I know what Taylor I'd have, and there are only two Gibson's I'd consider, Lakewood I have a fair idea what I'd want but need to nail the exact model down, Yamaha ... well, an easy choice. But I have no idea about a Godin or Seagull. Working on it.

goldtop

Dear Uncle

I won't play your game - with its overly complicated rules - until you tell me what will happen to the $$$s if I don't play the game.

Rgds, your ever faithful nephew, G Oldtop.

Tannin

Dear Nephew,

In that case, the money goes to the residuary legatee, the Royal Society for Lost Cats. (I wanted to leave my millions to an even more pointless cause, but I couldn't think of one.)

Ha ha ha ha ha!
(evil cackle)

guyinlyon

Hamish McFlatface is an arse.

goldtop

Dear Uncle

I thought you were dead. Your reply to my rhetorical question has freaked me out a bit. The damned cats can have all the $$$s, I don't want a haunted guitar collection.

Rgds, your now rather spooked nephew, G Oldtop

bugileman

That's quite specific.....and maybe a bit odd! But I wouldn't complain!

Kilgore

Nope. Too complicated, sorry.

nero1701

Did you get dropped of you head as an infant?

merlin

Dear Uncle Hamish,

Seeing as you haven't put Gretsch in the top 5, you can bugger off. 

Your charmed and loving nephew,

Merlski

GoFish

Dear Uncle - please send all haunted guitars my way.

I'll take  a Yamaha LL56 or whatever their Japan mastercraft models is .

Gibson - Mine's a 335, (the Marvin Berry model )

I'll let my online friends debate over the other 3 - a parlour, a strummer / jumbo and a bass would be nice

Roland

This isn’t an absolute list of favourite guitars. It’s a supplement to what I’ve already got. For example, I’ve already got two Taylors, and the 912ce is to fill a gap. I don’t have a nylon string, and certainly not one with synth output.

Gibson 335, a blonde one
Taylor 912ce
Lakewood Auditorium nylon string
Yamaha Mike Stern 
Godin Multiac with 13pin output

hollywoodrox

There’s only Gibson on the list that I’d want  the. I’d be stuck with loads of guitars I can’t sell 
  It would be cool to use the clause to get a decent home to live with space to put them so mainly they would be a means to me getting a decent flat but would sit unplayed as they just don’t inspire me .

ahh I see this is in the acoustic forum ,my mistake 

sev112

@munckee ’s old Walnut Gibson Sj200
one of the Godin orange ones with slidey sliders on it
whatever Lakewood is blingy
a Taylor GS Mini cos it is smaller than the others

And a Yamaha Sg2000 pref from the early 80s

sev112

When do they get delivered ?

BigPaulie

Just give the money to the cats.

Tannin

Dear Mr Meriski,

There is a name-your-own-make in Part 2 of my bequest. You may select a Gretsch for yourself then, if you wish. I shall  leave instructions with the driver to deliver it sideways. 

Yours disreputably,

Your Mad Uncle Hamish

@merlin said:

Dear Uncle Hamish,

Seeing as you haven't put Gretsch in the top 5, you can bugger off. 

Your charmed and loving nephew,

Merlski

Tannin

Delivery, @sev112, will be on Wednesday. Wednesday of which year I am not quite sure. 

Tannin

GIBSON: I have never yet played a Gibson I liked much. But then I've never played a Dove or an SJ-200, and those ate the two I have my eye on. I reckon a Dove might suit me perfectly - but when we get to my Martin that's going to be something not so very different to a Dove, so I decided to go for the big boy: Gibson SJ-200. 

Alas, they all have something wrong with them: most models have one of those awful dark sunbursts Gibson insist on inflicting on the world; of those that don't, the Tom Petty would be just right only Mad Uncle Hamish said "no signature models or special editions", and the Studio Walnut has a shallower body. I can't see the point in that. If you are going to go silly with a huge great jumbo, you want the whole thing, not a mini-version. As for the J-185, it looks great and is available in maple (which I love) but it is short scale. Drat!

So that leaves the Doves. I dislike stained timber, but I guess I'll have to settle for a Dove Original with the cherry sunburst. https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Acoustic-Guitar/ACCN8H793/Vintage-Cherry-Sunburst

TAYLOR: Taylor is an easy one. I'll have a 724ce Koa. I played one of those a few months ago and really admired it for its warmth and balance. Taylors can be - all too often are - a bit showy and shrill and not show the subtlety of tone that (for example) a Martin or a Guild often has. Not so with this one! It has a gentle strength, a mild and yet never weak or subdued tone that I don't think you'd ever get tired of. By the way, I played a much more expensive all-Koa Taylor Builder's Choice model alongside it. The standard 724ce was the better instrument by streets in my book. https://www.modernmusician.com.au/taylor-724ce-koa

YAMAHA: Same as most others, an L-Series one with a "56" in the model name. The question is which one? The OM-sized LS56 would be most comfortable to play but I have a weakness for small jumbos and have gone for the LJ56 instead. https://billyhydemusic.com.au/guitars-lj56-natural-acoustic-guitar

Sporky

* Gibson 

This one is quite blue and pretty.



* Taylor

This one is at least blue on the sides and back.



* Lakewood

None of them are blue, so whatever is at the front of the pile.

* Yamaha

They do a nice fretless four-string acoustic. Sadly not in blue.



* Godin 

I had hoped for bluer.