Sad news as Legendary UK guitarist Bert Weedon, whose books helped Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney learn to play the instrument, has died at his home in Beaconsfield. The 91-year-old musician, of Penn Road, created the popular tutorial manuals Play In A Day, which have sold in their millions. Friend John Adrian told the Press [...]
Posts under ‘General’
Tom Petty Guitars Stolen
More guitar related crime: Five guitars belonging to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were stolen from a soundstage at The Culver Studios in Culver City, according to the band’s website. A reward of $7,500 with “no questions asked†is being offered. Petty had been rehearsing at the studios in advance of the band’s 2012 North [...]
*ALERT* Guitar Collection Stolen in Sweden
I’m posting this on behalf of the Owner, please be aware of these instruments in case they start showing up for sale.. Hello, Unfortunately half of my collection of guitars, which I have collected and hand picked for more than 25 years, has been stolen in Ystad, very south in Sweden. Most of the 15 [...]
Guitar traders admit handling stolen vintage guitars
A well-known Yorkshire father and son business partnership have been given suspended prison sentences for handling stolen guitars. Richard and Justin Harrison, dealing in rare and old musical instruments, admitted to handling stolen vintage guitars worth over £40,000. Dad Richard, 63, of The Old Rectory, High Street, Campsall, Doncaster, admitted one charge of handling stolen [...]
Nice George Gruhn interview..
A nice interview has recently been posted with George Gruhn. The world of guitars has a select few gurus who have reached a place where they offer a foundation of expertise. In the world of vintage guitars, the name that always comes to mind is George Gruhn. Certainly, there are others with vintage guitar expertise [...]
Long Lost George Harrison Vox UL730 Amp to Be Sold at Auction
A rare amp once belonging to the late George Harrison — and used for several Beatles recording sessions — will be sold at auction on December 15 at Bonhams in London, England. The amp, a Vox UL730, was used during recording sessions for Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band. Its connection to the [...]
Vintage Guitar Effects Announces Website for Guitar Effects Aficionados
Aficionados of guitars and guitar effects have a new source of information in a website made available from Vintage Guitar Effects. The site is devoted to vintage and boutique guitar pedals and effects. On the site, visitors will find tons of information including in-depth articles, reviews, and videos. It is a blog-based site which encourages [...]
Whose Axe Made Your Guitar? You’d Better Find Out
With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raiding Gibson’s Tennessee factories again recently, This article is well worth a read, as it has consequences for any owner of a vintage wooden instrument. The government alleges that Gibson imported woods in violation of the Lacey Act, a century-old law that makes it a federal crime to [...]
Richard Gere To Auction His Guitar Collection at Christies New York On October 11
Actor Richard Gere has decided to sell his guitar collection at Christies New York in October. The sale will offer approximately 110 lots, which will include a range of vintage American guitars, including models by Martin, Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Epiphone models, and a selection of amplifiers, as well as iconic guitars that belonged to [...]
Nova Scotia swap meet could turn up some treasures
A Halifax, NS businessman is hoping musicians from all over New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. will dig through their closets for old guitars, amplifiers and other gear and bring it all to Moncton for a unique swap meet. The swap meet is set for Saturday, May 7 at the Moncton Lions Centre on St. [...]
UK Police Hunt for 61 Stolen Rare and Vintage Guitars
Sixty-one rare and vintage guitars worth up to £50,000 each are being searched for by West Yorkshire Police after they were stolen. Police want to track down the rare Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and Rickenbacker models which are missing. A total of 157 guitars worth more than £1m were stolen five years ago, 96 have since [...]
Clapton’s Guitar Auction Raises £1.3 Million
Eric Clapton’s recent guitar and amplifier auction has raised £1.3 million to continue funding his “Crossroads” rehab clinic in Antigua. More than 130 lots were auctioned from his archive including a number of guitars he played live and on record, plus a vast collection of amps, speakers and even suits. Highlights of the sale at [...]
Slash to Auction His Guitar Collection
Slash will sell 14 of his prized guitars at auction next month. The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist – who estimates he owns at least 100 of the musical instruments -will sell a Guild acoustic which he used to record the single ‘Patience’ along with various other custom guitars. Slash decided to hold the sale [...]
Gary Moore Dies
Very sad to hear of the death of Gary Moore earlier today. He had such a great tone and feel, “Still got the blues” is one of my all time solos. Here is another great track of his as a little tribute. R.I.P. Gary..
Inside the Fender Custom Shop..
A tour around the Fender Custom Shop..
Father And Son Accused Of Handling £170K Of Stolen Guitars
A well known Yorkshire father and son business partnership dealing in rare and old musical instruments and equipment have been accused of handling stolen guitars worth £170,000 (c.$260,000). At the time of the alleged offences Richard and Justin Harrison owned a well known company called Music Ground. They had shops in Leeds, Manchester and London [...]
Eric Clapton to sell off guitars for Crossroads Centre
Eric Clapton is to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his rehab clinic. Highlights of the sale will include a guitar the musician played at the Cream reunion shows in 2005, estimated to sell for more than £13,000. More than 150 lots will be auctioned in the New York [...]
Peter Frampton, Brad Paisley Donate Flood Guitars to Charity
Dozens of guitars, mandolins and other instruments – straight from the hands of artists including Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Kenny Chesney and Peter Frampton are headed for the online auction block through nonprofit organization NASH2O (Nash-H-2-0) to support flood relief efforts in Nashville. Proceeds go to three beneficiaries: MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund [...]
Cigar Box Guitar Museum Unveiled in New Alexandria, PA
On Saturday, October 30 at 4pm, Speal’s Tavern in New Alexandria, PA will unveil a permanent museum display of unusual, handmade cigar box guitars. The Cigar Box Guitar Museum was compiled and documented by Shane Speal, a York PA musician billed as “The King of the Cigar Box Guitar†and central figure in the upcoming [...]
Should you ever buy a guitar on credit?
Here’s a guest post from Mark Hooson at Moneysupermarket.com with advice about the pitfalls of buying guitars on credit.. Most guitarists, at some point in their life, will fall prey of ‘Guitar Acquisition Syndrome’. Characterised by the irrepressible and urgent need to acquire a guitar, regardless of its price or availability, the only cure for [...]
Star Wars Fan Builds Millennium Falcon Guitar!
I can’t say this appeals to me, as I am not a Star Wars fan but you have to hand it to the guy for his originality. Using an electric guitar and a vintage Millennium Falcon toy, Travis S. managed to build a unique instrument shaped like Han Solo’s starship. Having built guitars with his [...]
Collecting Vintage Acoustic Guitars
Paul Brett on collecting vintage acoustic guitars; Acoustic Magazines Vintage Guitar expert, Paul Brett’s DVD sample on collecting vintage acoustic guitars. Paul is rated as one of the leading 12 string guitarists in the World and his ull DVD features 23 rare guitars, plus tips on collecting and sourcing these instruments.
Prince: ‘Playing guitar stops baldness’
Suggestions that Prince may be a bit eccentric have been bolstered today by his assertion that playing guitar prevents baldness! The 52-year-old musician, who is best known for songs such as ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Raspberry Beret’, said that the electricity flowing through the musical instrument must affect the body in some way. Prince told The [...]
More on guitar pick collecting
Following on from my last article about guitar pick collecting, I came across this website dedicated to this great little facet of our hobby. Guitar-picks.com is the run by Alan Ralph, who seems to be the world expert in all things pick related. Alan amassed his collection in 20 years. Another remarkable thing about Alan’s [...]
Vintage Guitar investing on CNN!
Rudy Pensa’s interesting comments on investing in vintage guitars..
Insurance Advice for the Guitar Collector
Following on from the last post about the tragic loss of vintage guitars in the Nashville floods, Chris Spann from moneysupermarket.com has written this guest post to alert us all to the importance of making sure we keep the insurance up to date on all our treasured and valuable possessions, not just our guitars! Have you [...]
Guitarists lose vintage gear in Nashville flood
Brad Paisley is one of hundreds of Nashville’s top stars, working musicians and tour support company owners who lost what will likely be millions of dollars in gear due the historic floods in Nashville. Paisley is one of an estimated 1,000 musicians and business owners who house gear at Soundcheck Nashville, a storage rental hub [...]
The Strange World of Guitar Pick Collecting
I found this interesting little article yesterday; A subject close to my heart as I have a fair few “famous” guitar picks from my time working at Wembley Arena in the early 1980′s. Unfortunately, many were unbranded, and over the years I have forgotten who owned what – It’s a shame that Angus Young and [...]
Jeff Beck insures his fingers for £7 million
Guitar hero Jeff Beck has insured each of his fingers for £700,000 after accidentally chopping off the tip of one digit. The 65-year-old had his mishap as he sliced carrots at his home in Sussex, reports The Daily Mirror. Doctors sewed the tip of his left index finger back on but then he struggled to [...]
RIP T-Bone Wolk
This is a personal one for me.. I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of my all time bass heroes, T-Bone Wolk last week. Hall and Oates were one of my favourite bands for at least 20 years, and I saw them live on numerous occasions, always with T-Bone laying down [...]
Johnny Marr’s Stolen Gibson SG is Returned
Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is “ecstatic†after one of his favourite guitars was returned to him – 10 years after it was stolen. Marr’s treasured vintage 1964 Gibson SG vanished after a show with his band Johnny Marr and the Healers in London in 2000. The musician was so upset by the theft, he [...]
But is it art?
I don’t know…I have very mixed feelings about birds playing guitars! Trained as a musician and composer, French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot creates works by drawing on the rhythms of daily life to produce sound in unexpected ways. His installation for The Curve will take the form of a walk-though aviary for a flock of zebra [...]
Conan O’Brien Talks About Guitar Collecting
I came across this interesting clip today..I had no idea he was into guitars. Then again, being English, I don’t get to see  his show very often anyway and I guess I won’t be seeing it in the future either! Being a big rockabilly fan he has his focus on Gretsch guitars…enjoy!
Guitar Collecting iphone app now available!
We have developed a free iphone app for all our readers who want to read this site whilst on the move, or are sitting on the couch in front of the TV. Just go to the Apple app store (direct from your phone or from Apple’s website) and search for “guitar collecting”. Download the free [...]
Lowell Kiesel, Founder of Carvin, 1915 – 2009
Just a little snippet of sad news; It is with great sadness that Carvin announces the passing of it’s founder, Lowell C. Kiesel. Mr. Kiesel was born in Nebraska in 1915, and as a young man, spent time in Wichita, Kansas, where he developed an interest in musical instruments; specifically, Hawaiian steel guitars, resonators and [...]
Picasso’s “Little Guitar” recovered in Italy
Here is a weird but interesting little story… A small guitar which Pablo Picasso had sculptured as a gift for his daughter Paloma has been recovered by the Italian Police. The  Police state that Picasso had given the toy to his friend Vittorio Parisi. Two years ago, Parisi, at the age of 92, handed over [...]
It turns out father does know best
Here is a great story I unearthed the other day. It just goes to show that there are still some fantastic guitars out there, still waiting to be found! This is the story of my father, who was a pack rat, his 50-year-old guitar, which sat neglected in our basement for years, and the extraordinary [...]
BB King’s Lucille Comes Home
I found this great story by Eric Dahl on the Guitar Center blog, so I thought I’d pass it on; I’m one of those people that is always in search of the next cool guitar so I frequent all of the Las Vegas pawn shops, music stores, Craig’s List and of course Ebay. I’m also [...]
Guitar Hero Games Foster Interest In The Real Thing
Once frowned upon by just about everyone, video games are breeding a new generation of musicians. Most guitar teachers and competent players will tell you two things about the video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band. One; they stink at them. Big time. Two; they’re bad for music. Playing fake music on fake instruments is [...]
The New Guitar Collecting Amazon Store
Time for a little shameless self-promotion. We have set up our own store within Amazon, for all the guitar related stuff we can think of. The thinking behind it is that we hope to create a starting point for anybody searching for books about guitar collecting, tab books and sheet music, CDs and DVDs by [...]
Gibson Guitars may face prosecution under revised Lacey Act
Gibson Guitars, long lauded by environmental groups as a pioneer in the use of sustainable wood products, is the first U.S. company to face prosecution under a new federal law banning trade in illegal wood. “This is the first enforcement action that we are aware of, and we are extremely encouraged that the government is [...]
Iowa music store will restring guitars for food
This is a great story, why don’t other string manufacturers follow D’addarios lead? Clinton, Iowa — Local music store, Tegeler Music, in cooperation with the D’Addario String Company and the Independent Music Store Owners coalition will take part in the national Restring for Food event collecting non-perishable food items in exchange for restringing guitars. All [...]
Relic your guitar parts
I found this interesting video yesterday. I’d never considered doing this myself. but it’s given me a few ideas..
Guitar Collecting for the Financially Challenged
As guitarists, most of us would love to have the financial means to acquire a dream collection of our favourite instruments. Real world pressures usually get in the way though, and most of us restrict ourselves to having one or two guitars at most. Our collecting urges can now be satisfied though, as well as [...]
1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard is up for Auction
California Auctioneers will be auctioning one of the rarest rock guitars in the world; The 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard. An amazing collection of over 70 Autographed guitars of the who’s who in rock n roll, contemporary art, and a rare collection of Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson Memorabilia. On Sunday Oct 11th, 10 am [...]
Hendrix 1967 Stratocaster For Sale
A 1967 Fender Stratocaster guitar owned by Jimi Henrix with a controversial past is now for sale after its owners settled with the late rock star’s estate. The sunburst Strat is a right-handed one that was converted to left-handed use to accommodate Hendrix. The owners, Rockstarsguitars.com, are asking $500,000. The instrument, currently on display at [...]
Bill Wyman criticises ‘Guitar Hero’ style video games
Bill Wyman, the former bassist of the Rolling Stones, has claimed that Guitar Hero, Rock Band and other music games discourage children from learning real instruments. His criticism comes on the eve of the release of  ‘The Beatles Rock Band’ computer game, which allows players to play along with to band’s back catalogue. “It encourages [...]
Steve Lukather sells his surplus gear on Ebay
Ex Toto guitarist and all round session superstar Steve Lukather has listed a whole bunch of instruments and gear on Ebay through L.A. Vintage Gear. Included are a very cool looking Rickenbacker 6/12 string double neck and a unique 26 year old Ibanez prototype of a potential Lukather signature model that never made it into [...]
Free Guitar Collecting Ebook!
We have put together a free ebook for all our visitors as a thankyou for your support over the last few months. “25 Cool Signature Guitars” is almost 50 pages long and is available for free download by filling in your name and email address on the right. We are also giving you permission to [...]
United Breaks Guitars pt 2
Dave Carroll has released the second of three videos in this now world famous saga. This one is about the now legendary “Ms Irlwig”…enjoy
