Hats With Musical Instruments

[Randall Renshaw]

Wow, you guys are making me drool. A great set of guitars.

Here is my "modern" '96 model Summit, number 77, with an Art Fawcett milan.
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Good lookin “F-5 style” , Randy! Would like to hear you play it!

 

[RossRYoung]

Thanks for the invite and bump, Ross!
I don’t know...ya gotta figure that if a 4 inch sound hole improves tone and volume, then it seems to me that that wire guitar being pretty much ALL sound hole it’s GOT TO SOUND AWESOME!!!
I’m guessing that’s what Clarence White was thinking, too.

And while I’m at it, that miniature bronzed Nick Fouquet hat is probably worth more than that fine, old western Stetson.
Nice photo, by the way!

Your 18 looks killer! I love old, beat up guitars, including re-fins.
Makes me wonder what caused the dark spot just behind the bridge?

The first time lacquering a guitar I built the finish ended up as thick as a Sonny’s Pit BBQ table! Had to re-finish later since it was such a dead stick. On the next go ‘round with the spray gun I shot a fine mist of nitrocellulose up into the air then waved the guitar through it!!
Just a tiny exaggeration, but rest assured, the second time the finish was super thin. Too thin, really, but the box sounds great.

haha I did dress that ashtray up on purpose, mainly for the laugh factor but now I kinda like the match... not enough to put on one of my hats though!

That bridge replacement shadow is unusual, and I think also helped in making it affordable. It supposedly has the original bridge plate (hard to tell) and the repro BRW bridge looks vintage enough. Thanks for sharing yours too, and a great look today!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Here’s a sad case. This was my Dad’s
0-17 ‘47 Martin that he never kept in a case and now just a wall ornament.
My Mother put it in a frame using it as deco for posterity’s sake. For now...
I plan to refurb it one day, soon.
It’s in terrible condition, but could be playable again with a lot of TLC.
As a young man, around 1952, Dad got this guitar while working as a gas station attendant. A motorist stopped for fuel and paid for a tank of petrol with the Martin, saying he’d return with money and retrieve his flattop.
He never came back!
Dad played it in churches for years then time slipped by and I found her languishing uncased in his hot attic!!!!
25 years ago I took it to the luthier who built my guitar and asked how much it would cost to restore. Said it would end up more than it’s worth, which at the time was around $900.
She’ll get restored and think by then wont be an upside down proposition—especially when factoring in sentimental value. Then, it’ll be a happy ending to this sad case—with a case to protect her!

 

[RossRYoung]

The lacquer crazing is eye catching, that’s a helluva story too. Couldn’t imagine putting that up for collateral, hopefully he got premium blend petrol!

 

[Rmccamey]

Sentimental value is worth a lot to me these days, Randall. If that one could be refurb'ed and playable, I'd be thinking about it a lot. Such a great history in that one.

Here’s a sad case. This was my Dad’s
0-17 ‘47 Martin that he never kept in a case and now just a wall ornament.
My Mother put it in a frame using it as deco for posterity’s sake. For now...
I plan to refurb it one day, soon.
It’s in terrible condition, but could be playable again with a lot of TLC.
As a young man, around 1952, Dad got this guitar while working as a gas station attendant. A motorist stopped for fuel and paid for a tank of petrol with the Martin, saying he’d return with money and retrieve his flattop.
He never came back!
Dad played it in churches for years then time slipped by and I found her languishing uncased in his hot attic!!!!
25 years ago I took it to the luthier who built my guitar and asked how much it would cost to restore. Said it would end up more than it’s worth, which at the time was around $900.
She’ll get restored and think by then wont be an upside down proposition—especially when factoring in sentimental value. Then, it’ll be a happy ending to this sad case—with a case to protect her! View attachment 324261 View attachment 324258 View attachment 324255

 

[Randall Renshaw]

The lacquer crazing is eye catching, that’s a helluva story too. Couldn’t imagine putting that up for collateral, hopefully he got premium blend petrol!

Haha!

Probably all he got was some of that ole leaded stuff.

For eye catching crazing all’s ya gotta do, Ross, is leave your 0-18 in a super hot and wet cold attic for about 10 years.

I know neither of us would dare think about doing that, but yeah, I like those webbed cracks, too.
Matter of fact my Griffin has them, and just as many, though not as pronounced. Probably got there from years of picking at Bluegrass festivals around camp fires late at night during cold, damp winters then finally around 4am after jambs busted up stashing it in a toasty RV where my wife always had the heat crankin’!
Like that mysterious shadow on your Martin top, it all adds character.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Sentimental value is worth a lot to me these days, Randall. If that one could be refurb'ed and playable, I'd be thinking about it a lot. Such a great history in that one.

Yeah, Randy, one day soon it’s gonna get the repairs needed, but believe I’ll be leaving the well worn aesthetics as is. Ain’t no telling how many times that guitar played, “Hold fast to the Right” or, “Near the Cross”.

 

[humanshoes]

Here’s a sad case. This was my Dad’s
0-17 ‘47 Martin that he never kept in a case and now just a wall ornament.
My Mother put it in a frame using it as deco for posterity’s sake. For now...
I plan to refurb it one day, soon.
It’s in terrible condition, but could be playable again with a lot of TLC.
As a young man, around 1952, Dad got this guitar while working as a gas station attendant. A motorist stopped for fuel and paid for a tank of petrol with the Martin, saying he’d return with money and retrieve his flattop.
He never came back!
Dad played it in churches for years then time slipped by and I found her languishing uncased in his hot attic!!!!
25 years ago I took it to the luthier who built my guitar and asked how much it would cost to restore. Said it would end up more than it’s worth, which at the time was around $900.
She’ll get restored and think by then wont be an upside down proposition—especially when factoring in sentimental value. Then, it’ll be a happy ending to this sad case—with a case to protect her! View attachment 324261 View attachment 324258 View attachment 324255

That's a rare beauty Randall. I've found that those old guitars will sing again with only some basic repairs. If anyone ever thinks that a guitar is "too far gone" then they should take a lesson from Willie's old Martin N-20 guitar Trigger. She ain't pretty, but she sure can sing.

 

[hatophile]

That's a rare beauty Randall. I've found that those old guitars will sing again with only some basic repairs. If anyone ever thinks that a guitar is "too far gone" then they should take a lesson from Willie's old Martin N-20 guitar Trigger. She ain't pretty, but she sure can sing.

And Willie can damn sure play that thing.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

That's a rare beauty Randall. I've found that those old guitars will sing again with only some basic repairs. If anyone ever thinks that a guitar is "too far gone" then they should take a lesson from Willie's old Martin N-20 guitar Trigger. She ain't pretty, but she sure can sing.

Thanks, Scott.
Building one guitar makes no one a luthier, but I may try my hand at glueing the loose braces back to the top and cleating the many cracks. The loose bridge needs to be removed and glued back on.
The neck seems to be passable, although, it hasn’t held string tension in many years, so we’ll wait and see.
I’ve watched that same video before, but enjoyed watching it again.
My two favorite country songs: Merle’s, “Make up and Faded Blue Jeans”
Willie’s version of “Last Thing I needed First Thing This Morning”.
and you and Perry’s right.
Willie makes that old beat up box sound downright deitific!!

 

[Bamaboots]

Yesterday I enjoyed the last warm afternoon we’ll have for a few days. Bodie made for a good audience.

 

[humanshoes]

Yesterday I enjoyed the last warm afternoon we’ll have for a few days. Bodie made for a good audience.
View attachment 328634

Beautiful Guild there Bama. I've been eyeing their new 6 and 8 string baritones. Just because.

 

[Bamaboots]

Beautiful Guild there Bama. I've been eyeing their new 6 and 8 string baritones. Just because.

Thank you, Rick. I haven’t looked at any new ones in some time. I’ll have to take a look, now. I’m a big fan of the RI made guitars.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Anyone have any experience with consigning guitars for sale with a good guitar shop? I'm considering it.

 

[Rmccamey]

Nice Guild dread...and a great hat.

Yesterday I enjoyed the last warm afternoon we’ll have for a few days. Bodie made for a good audience.
View attachment 328634

 

[RossRYoung]

Anyone have any experience with consigning guitars for sale with a good guitar shop?

Might not be worth the shipping cost to them, but I’ve used LA Guitar Sales for my last several consigns. After visiting almost a dozen different local shops, Ted gave me by far the best value, made a profit on a couple and broke even on the rest.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Might not be worth the shipping cost to them, but I’ve used LA Guitar Sales for my last several consigns. After visiting almost a dozen different local shops, Ted gave me by far the best value, made a profit on a couple and broke even on the rest.

Thanks Ross. The one good local shop will take nice ones on consignment only. I don't yet know the consignment commission; 7%? My concern is how customers are allowed to handle them & on average how long it might take.

 

[RossRYoung]

He seems to move items quickly, longest for me was 3 months but it was an almost five figure BRW Martin. He’s seen a big spike in sales since the pandemic, not positive on his commission % though.

 

[humanshoes]

Thank you, Rick. I haven’t looked at any new ones in some time. I’ll have to take a look, now. I’m a big fan of the RI made guitars.

They made some fine guitars in Westerly. Richie Havens thought so, too. He sure banged the hell of his D-40 in 1969 at Woodstock.

 

[Bamaboots]

They made some fine guitars in Westerly. Richie Havens thought so, too. He sure banged the hell of his D-40 in 1969 at Woodstock.
View attachment 329159

Yes he did, Rick and he’s probably the first musician I noticed playing a Guild. Mine is the DV-6, which some speculate is just a renamed D-40. I can’t find any real differences in them.