Rare Giffin guitar - but deluded pricing?

fretfinder

This is on ebay for a mere £5k! Although the guy says in the listing it was made for Eric Clapton, on questioning him it appears it wasn't. If this was a no-reserve auction I'd be surprised if it reached £1k to be honest.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Unique-Roger-Giffin-Stratocaster-late-70s/122095301917?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=38661&meid=144eec2d67c94bb69c8c587ebdd08e63&pid=100033&rk=1&rkt=7&sd=122095301917

HarrySeven

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing earlier today...

Sassafras

Apart from it having Texas Specials there's absolutely no description of the actual guitar, just a long boring rant about how wonderful it is and what a big client list Giffin had.

impmann

And it's not an original one, as the pickups have been changed...

richardhomer

Roger Giffin did make at least two Strat style guitars for EC - one was a similar colour to the Pewter Grey which his signature Fenders came in (he used that on a Chas & Dave Christmas Special in about 1983) and the other was in Lake Placid blue. That was used for slide on the Behind the Sun tour.

Clearly the guy listing this probably knows there was an EC - though not with that specific guitar.

gubble

What's the deal with the odd patch of wood on the rear of the body?

Was it a battery cavity that's now been filled in?

fandango

I like the natural look on a guitar. This Giffin is no exception. Far better aesthetics than the bright inch thick child-colour coatings one could end up with.
But items like this makes me think about what makes a good strat? Does this Giffin inspire you? Maybe I should ask what draws you to a particular guitar? If this Giffin does it for you, then it might be worth £5k. But the tone might not match the looks? Maybe the visual thing hides the most wonderfully sweet tone this side of Duane Allman playing his LP. But if you don't like the looks or the price, you'll never know.

fretfinder

richardhomer said:

Roger Giffin did make at least two Strat style guitars for EC - one was a similar colour to the Pewter Grey which his signature Fenders came in (he used that on a Chas & Dave Christmas Special in about 1983) and the other was in Lake Placid blue. That was used for slide on the Behind the Sun tour.

I strummed the LPB one at the viewing before EC's big guitar auction in 1999. The lacquer checking all over it was something to behold. I recall Roger Giffin chatting about that one in the shop and saying EC needed it before it was really ready, so the lacquer wasn't fully dried off, or too many coats applied too soon, or some such reason.

Plukky

"I tried to sell it, love, but the market's so flat at the moment, no takers..."

musicman100

What a joke. 

Coverdale

I have a strat with a neck from that era. The logo is exactly the same, but the wood is much more figured. Full bird's eye. I think a few years ago I got Roger himself to confirm it was made by him. The body wasn't, although it seems to be good quality as well as the hardware. The pots were from 76 or 79 -this was checked more than five years ago, so I might be a little off... and the pickups were Duncan's if I recall. It cost me 50€ , but the neck needed work . It's warped and the truss rod turns weren't enough, so it has been sitting on a cabinet... Funny, this past week I've been checking out luthiers in Portugal so that neck gets fixed!