Bonamassa wades in!

[Mapleman54]

This on Facebook this morning.. delighted for the Guild shout.. a bit sad if this take’s affordable and amazing vintage Guilds into another price world!

 

[krysh]

merged double thread.

 

[Mapleman54]

merged double thread.

Thanks for heads up!

 

[Walter Broes]

This on Facebook this morning.. delighted for the Guild shout.. a bit sad if this take’s affordable and amazing vintage Guilds into another price world!

First-issue Duane Eddy 500's and 1950's M75's have been among the most expensive/collectable electric Guilds for a while. Let's just hope Bonamassa keeps on being a "very obvious/not too obscure/calendar-ready" guitar collector, that'll keep three fourths of our beloved vintage Guilds relatively safe.

 

[Mapleman54]

First-issue Duane Eddy 500's and 1950's M75's have been among the most expensive/collectable electric Guilds for a while. Let's just hope Bonamassa keeps on being a "very obvious/not too obscure/calendar-ready" guitar collector, that'll keep three fourths of our beloved vintage Guilds relatively safe.

Yeah you’re so right… I sometimes forget that several guitars I have were only possible for me to buy as they’ve been tampered with (wrong pickups the usual thing) whereas the prime specimens like his have been up there in price for years!

 

[SFIV1967]

Joe bought them both in 2022 already, see the earlier thread about both guitars:

https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/joe-bonamassa-starting-to-collect-guild.211393/

But he continues buying, two days ago he bought a 1963/64 Gibson Firebird III from Norm which Norm had for more than 30 years in his warehouse:



Ralf

 

[GAD]

If there’s one thing Norm is good at it’s selling to Joe Bonammassa.

 

[Harp Tail]

If there’s one thing Norm is good at it’s selling to Joe Bonammassa.

Easy task though

 

[GAD]

Easy task though

I got turned away from Norms and it soured me on the entire operation which is a shame because I bought one of my favorite Starfires from them.

I’ve also caught them hawking an “all original” ‘60s Starfire with a Newark St. Pickup in it and they refused to correct the video.

Edit: Thread on the Starfire from when it happened:

Norman’s GOTD - ‘64 SF III

Norman’s GOTD - ‘64 SF III We finally got another Guild on Norm’s Rare Guitars GOTD, a ‘64 Starfire III. Of course, Mark totally forgot that it had one feature.

letstalkguild.com

 

[Harp Tail]

Caught with their hands in the cookie jar... awful.

I guess they think they can get away with anything because of their visibility.

 

[Walter Broes]

I’ve also caught them hawking an “all original” ‘60s Starfire with a Newark St. Pickup in it and they refused to correct the video.

It's all about money of course, I realize that, but it's kind of sad and funny how they get away with it because it's a lowly starfire.
Try that with a 59 Les Paul with a fake PAF in it, and you'll get sued - for real.

 

[Harp Tail]

I agree but Starfires are never lowly.. frugal perhaps.

That is - until Joe drives their prices up the roof.

 

[Walter Broes]

Oh, hey, I have and old Starfire and I don't care much for humbucker Les Pauls!

 

[Harp Tail]

Oh, hey, I have and old Starfire and I don't care much for humbucker Les Pauls!

Neither did Lester Polfuss, who never played anything with humbuckers (except maybe for the occasional promo shoot)

 

[Walter Broes]

I like Les Paul a lot - His playing, his bright clear tone, I even have his biography, but his sound is not what people think of when they picture a Les Paul, of course.

And I love some of the music and sounds people got out of humbucker Les Pauls - but I can't make them work

 

[Harp Tail]

Exactly.

 

[Guildedagain]

I don't think JB can affect the value of old Guilds, which I see very ambitious prices on already... They're surely not going to double because he bought a couple guitars.

I like Les Paul a lot - His playing, his bright clear tone, I even have his biography, but his sound is not what people think of when they picture a Les Paul, of course.

More like this.

 

[Harp Tail]

And like this:

 

[Guildedagain]

They had no idea how right they were about that, the state of the modern day human mental health is troubling.

 

[DrumBob]

Joe Bonamassa never fails to stir up controversy. He is obsessed with gear collecting, of course, and has the money to do it.

I went through a Bonamassa phase a few years ago. I bought the Black Country Communion CD first, then a couple of Joe's CDs after that. I played them, kind of liked them, and put them away. They haven't seen the light of day since. I signed up for his mailing list, and was deluged with offers of dumb merch; bobbleheads, drink coasters, Christmas ornaments, guitar picks, etc. I got sick of all that and unsubscribed. I'd like to see Joe live, but don't want to pay $125 and up for a ticket.

But, I give him credit for doing things his way, and being successful at it. As far as him playing Guilds, I'm glad to see it.