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T he Most Expensive Steel Guitar Ever Sold (Page 1)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
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T he Most Expensive Steel Guitar Ever Sold (Page 1)
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| This topic is 3 pages long: 1 2 3 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Wanted To Buy |
| Author | Topic: T he Most Expensive Steel Guitar Ever Sold |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 15 March 2001 12:20 PM
I am interested to hear from forum members about what is the most money that they ever heard of a steel guitar being sold for-as a owner of vintage Bigsby steels and one who tries to stay in tune to the vintage guitar market-it seems to me that original Bigsbys are the most valuable pedal steel to be found-I know of at least three recent sales of original Bigsbys being sold in the $7500 range with another Bigsby supposedly being sold a few years back to a customer in Japan for $9000 (Jody Carver's) Can anyone top that? |
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Jim Smith Member Posts: 6399 |
posted 15 March 2001 12:36 PM
I recently heard that "someone" has told people that he paid $12,000 for the D-12 20 pedal (heel and toe) Dekley that I built for him back in the late 70's.  ------------------ |
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Jim Palenscar Member Posts: 1566 |
posted 15 March 2001 12:42 PM
and would that be true? |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 15 March 2001 01:01 PM
Thats the interesting kind of stuff that i am looking to hear about-somebody who is REALLY CRAZY-or just wanted to throw money away-no offense but the Deckley would have to be triple gold plated and diamond encrusted to be worth that much |
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BobbeSeymour Member Posts: 5664 |
posted 15 March 2001 01:13 PM
You hear many stories about prices or what steel guitars sold for and what they're worth and not worth. I feel that on this particular post, we should deal in fact, and not what we heard from someone. If somebody says a certain guitar sells for a certain amount of money, I feel that proof should be offered, as everyone has heard big stories and everyone on this post will try to top everyone else's unless fact is offered on how much was really paid. I'm sure you can all understand what I'm trying to say here: anyone can put on here what was heard about, but I think this would be a good place to put a receipt for what was paid or a definate record of some kind. This should keep everybody from trying to top everyone else's story. How do y'all feel about this?? The highest price guitar I ever sold I feel is public record: as it was sold about a year and a half ago, and talked about on this forum, and the price did not reach $7000. It was a very collectable guitar, rich in history, owned by a famous player, and was on the cover of many albums. Also, it was in immaculate condition. I feel the guitar is worth much more than it was 1 1/2 yrs ago. This is only my two cents worth. Bobbe Seymour |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 15 March 2001 01:25 PM
Very well said Bobbe. Thank you and God bless you friend, carl |
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Bill C. Buntin Member Posts: 642 |
posted 15 March 2001 02:20 PM
Did that lacquer MSA on ebay ever really sell? One time that antique store had a bid for $3500. About a month later the guitar appeared again. Just wonder if anyone tracked that guitar and knows if it ever really sold for a BIG $$$? |
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Jim Smith Member Posts: 6399 |
posted 15 March 2001 02:20 PM
Regarding that Dekley, when I moved to Texas in 1980 that case was still in litigation, so perhaps after all the legal wrangling to get paid for the guitar, he really did pay that much. We did make some custom guitars with a lot of custom plating, airbrushed designs, custom inlays, etc. that would have retailed for $3-4,000, but keep in mind that we only sold through dealers at wholesale prices (50% of retail). My D-12 with 10&12 has all the above except for the airbrushing and we calculated at the time that it would have retailed for around $5,500. |
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Steve Feldman Member Posts: 2983 |
posted 15 March 2001 02:59 PM
I hear tell that Jimi Hendrix's went for a BOATLOAD! |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 15 March 2001 03:21 PM
Steve-I didnt know that Jimi Hendrix played pedal steel! |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 15 March 2001 03:33 PM
I agree with Mr Seymour-the intention of my posting this was not to elicit heresay testimony-but only with what is factually documentible-in regard to the sales of the Bigsby instruments-I was seller or was confided by the buyer or seller personally in the deal-with the exception of the guitar supposedly owned originally by Mr Carver- |
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Ed Naylor Member Posts: 1827 |
posted 15 March 2001 04:25 PM
Paul- How many Bigsbys were made?? I know of one that sold a few months ago for $600. I have a "Deville" in my collection but believe it may be a Bigsby that someone reworked.Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 15 March 2001 05:07 PM
Yeah, a Bigsby archive is needed, or maybe someone has already started one. When they were made: That would be interesting. Mosrite Guitars have a similar sort of cult of collectability (is that a word). |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 15 March 2001 05:49 PM
Jason-I agree with you-it seems to me that just about everyone who was anyone it the history of western swing and honkytonk that played steel played a Bigsby-It is known that Paul Bigsby produced one instrument per month from when he started production in approximately late 1947 to 1962 when his production was taken over almost entirely by making of the vibrato handles-This would then reflect an approximate total production of 168 instruments-mostly steel guitars-maybe a few dozen electric spanish guitars-a few mandolins and at least one bass-I myself have tried to keep a list of all of the Bigsby steels that i have known or heard to exist and the total comes up to somewhere around 40-now here is what is interesting-when i bought Ted Mcarty out of all of the remaining Bigsby steel guitar parts-included was a box full of approximately 1500 old tuner grommets-since Paul did not need the tuner grommets from the Kluson deluxe and Grover stay-tite tuners that were mounted on steels he apparently just threw them all into a box-if you then figure that since the far most commonly made Bigsby was a triple neck 8-string and we divide 24 grommets not used into the 1500 you get a total of about 62-I therefore theorized that the 62 number is a more likely total of steel guitars that were made by Paul Bigsby |
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Michael Johnstone Member Posts: 2535 |
posted 15 March 2001 11:48 PM
Who ended up with that one-of-a-kind backwards Bigsby single 8 w/6 pedals and the tuning head on the right and the changer on the left that Joaquin played briefly in 1951? There's a picture of it in the liner notes of the new "Murph" CD. That's gotta be worth something. -MJ- |
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Tele Member Posts: 965 |
posted 15 March 2001 11:59 PM
What happened to that T-8/w pedals (1962?) that was for sale here last year?? How much was it ...$10k ??? Andy ------------------ |
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Mike Perlowin Member Posts: 6731 |
posted 16 March 2001 12:01 AM
For what it's worth, somebody listed a steel for sale that had previously belonged to Noel Boggs (I think his name was inlayed in it) in a local paper. They wanted $100,000 for it. I don't think they got any takers. [This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 16 March 2001 at 12:02 AM.] |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 16 March 2001 05:19 AM
Michael J-I do not know what happened to Joaquin's single neck Bigsby with the tuners on the right side of the player-I have a photo of Joaquin playing it and it clearly has only 5 pedals-photo was sent to me by the great Bobby Black |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 16 March 2001 05:29 AM
Mike P-I too heard about that guitar that belonged to Noel being for sale-I believe it was his quad neck fender stringmaster-The asking price of that guitar just goes to prove that a seller can ask any price for anything-but doesnt know what it is really worth untill it is sold-I formerly owned Bud Isaacs quad neck fender(purchased directly from Bud)for a quite low price and wound up selling for the same despite the "personality" connection as the guitar ws not in great shape |
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Steve Feldman Member Posts: 2983 |
posted 16 March 2001 06:04 AM
quote: Sorry, Paul...I was being a little too tongue-in-cheek, given the other thread about one of Jimi's Strats going for $130K+ on E-Bay right now. [This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 16 March 2001 at 06:05 AM.] |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 16 March 2001 06:20 AM
Hendrix went through guitars like toothpicks, so that would kind of kill the thrill for me. Paul, I know what you mean about the Bigsby's ...Noel Boggs, Speedy West, Bobby Black, Pee Wee Whitewing (I think), Bob White, Vance Terry, etc. |
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Gary Walker Member Posts: 1446 |
posted 16 March 2001 08:02 AM
Jason, as a kid I used to listen to Tex Williams and Wayne Burdick was a great player that also played a Bigsby, in fact in 1955 I went to Paul Bigsby house in Downey and he gave me a brochure and it had Burdick's steel on the front, Gary |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 16 March 2001 08:20 AM
I think that Don Helms' Gibson, the one used on all those Hank Williams records, would bring a pretty penny at auction. It's probably the most valuable steel guitar in the world. Hank has reached pop icon status, and everything associated with him is highly collectable. |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 16 March 2001 09:48 AM
Jason O-you are right about all those guys playing Bigsbys-I own Vance's triple 8 and Pee Wee's triple 8-both are 1951 production year-Bobby Lee-you ar right about Don Helms Gibson Console Grande-supposedly he has stated that many people have wanted to buy the guitar but as of yet he has not been offered six figures-at that point he would consider selling it |
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Bobby Lee Sysop Posts: 14849 |
posted 16 March 2001 11:13 AM
Quoting 'Uncle Don': "That depends on which six figures..."  |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 16 March 2001 11:33 AM
$100,000-just like whoever it was wanted for Noel's Fender |
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Jason Odd Member Posts: 2665 |
posted 16 March 2001 05:50 PM
Paul, Gary, yeah the Bigsby legend continues, Buddy Emmons had one back with Little Jimmy Dickens band, which I think he obtained while he was still in Detroit. Norm Hamlett also had a Bigsby triple neck in the 1950s, while forumite Ray Montee still has the 4-neck Bigsby he purchased in April, 1956, thanks for that email a while back Ray. Gary, Tex also had another steel player in the 1950s, one Al Vernon, but I believe he was a Fender man?..I think. Paul.. quote: That's very cool. [This message was edited by Jason Odd on 16 March 2001 at 05:51 PM.] |
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Adam Member Posts: 311 |
posted 16 March 2001 08:54 PM
I have a single-8 Bigsby of early manufacture that was probably made from a multi-neck.It may be the cheapest Bigsby purchase ever(paid $325 for it)!It has the beautiful figured maple body which looks to be at least 3/4ths from the original instrument with a piece or two of nicely matched maple to fill in. |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 17 March 2001 05:26 AM
Adam-check on your guitar at the tail end of the neck to see if a number is stamped there-Bigsby stamped number of each individual neck on multi-necked steels-if the number is greater than 1 you most certainly have a part of a "cut up" guitar-probably done by a guy named Rudy Farmer from Fresno CA.-In a recent interview with Terry Bethel in the Ozark Steel Guitar Assn newsletter Norm Hamlet states that this guy was looking for Bigsbys and removing the necks to make non-pedal student guitars-at least one of these has surfaced with the number 4 on the end which leaves me to conclude that this fool also hacked up one of the three quad neck Bigsbys that were made-that leaves only two known original condition quad neck Bigsbys to exist-mine and Skip Montee's |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 17 March 2001 05:34 AM
Fortunately Mr Farmer did not choose to hack up Pee Wee Whitewing's first triple neck Bigsby which Pee Wee sold to Farmer in 1957 when Pee Wee got his second Bigsby-Instead he sent the guitar back to Paul Bigsby to have Pee Wee's name taken off the front and to have five pedals added to the previously non-pedal unit-I know this because Farmer is the guy that Pee Wee told me he sold the guitar to in 1957-and the guitar(which I own)is stamped into the wood underneath that it was "rebuilt with pedals added for Rudy Farmer" with the date in 1957 |
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Chris DeBarge Member Posts: 811 |
posted 17 March 2001 08:31 AM
This is the only one I know of for sale right now (unless of course Paul you wanna sell me one of yours  ).http://www.gbase.com/guitar_picture.asp?guitar=237645 Six grand, and unfortunately I'm not familiar with the steeler's name: Doyle Boyett. |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 17 March 2001 09:39 AM
Jay Rosen has had that guitar fro sale for several years I have been contacted about it several times-he has had it in Vintage Guitar Magazine advertised for quite a long while-I have been given a more thurough description of the guitar and it unfortunately is in need of some work-at this price if someone were to buy it and send it to me for the proper restoration-it would be probably be a larger investment than what the current market would bare for the guitar |
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chas smith Member Posts: 3168 |
posted 17 March 2001 09:13 PM
Hey Paul, The T-8 Bigsby with 6 pedals I have is a '54 and was rebuilt by Rudy Farmer also. |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 18 March 2001 04:20 AM
Chas my friend-the Bigsby I have was "rebuilt with pedals added" by Paul Bigsby FOR Rudy Farmer-not BY Rudy Farmer-He was according to Norm Hamlet-the guy who was taking them apart |
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Harry Hess Member Posts: 1131 |
posted 18 March 2001 08:35 PM
Well I've heard it said that the problem with the PSG is that it's a rich man's sport with no rich men in it. But collecting those Bigsby's really seems to be for the wealthy. I'm sure they sound great and are very cool, but six grand for a PSG with ancient mechanics? Regards, |
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Jody Carver Member Posts: 7455 |
posted 18 March 2001 09:06 PM
Paul,,,I e mailed you a while back re info on my triple Bigsby purchased in 1960. I beleive I told you that story,,so as not to go into an extended post here and bore you people,,,I gave this to a "friend" who had intentions of buying it,,,it was mine for 1 year at that time,,and since I was a Fender sales rep,,,word got back to Mr. Fender that I was playing a non Fender guitar. Although Leo did not really take issue with this,,,it still bothered him. I loaned the Bigsby to a friend for his consideration to buy it,,,as I didnt want to advertise it in the media,,,my "friend" never paid me (one cent) and disappeared for a number of years,,,I caught up with him years later,,,he had sold the guitar to a mom& pop music store on Long Island NY for $150.00,,,,this was enough to buy him some alchohol at the time,,,I found out who the mom & pop store was,,,,they had the guitar there for months on end for sale for $500.00 they were aware that it was my guitar and they knew who I was,,, I didnt deal fender with them,,,IF I only did I would have seen the guitar in their store,,,they sold it to a vintage dealer in new Jersey who reportedly sold it to some collector from Japan,,,,,my friend was dying of liver cancer when i caught up with him,,,and I asked him why he didnt call me ,,, I would have paid him for the guitar,,,he was in his final months of life,,, I was not able to confront him after that,,,I have tried to find out where it went just for the heck of it,,,I had asked Jon Light to post a picture and story of my guitar to see where it was by now,,,,,I guess it dont matter at this point,,,but it hurts when I think of the whole thing that happened,,,I still have my fender Quad mint new and since Fender earned me my living,,, I guess i should be thankful for that,,,,It was a shocker to hear that guitar was sold for the amount I heard,,,I paid $1,100.00 for it with 4 pedals,,,,sure was a beauty,,,,ya see what alcohol can make people do,,,never held any malice towards my friend,,,I just never could understand why he did that,,,I still think of him in my prayers,,,even though,,,,,,I still have the original bill of sale from Paul Bigsby dated November 1960,,,plus the serial number ...Goodbye Jody PS I hope I dont receive anymore "hate E mail" from someone out there who has nothing better to do,,, I was going to "pack this post thing up after that happened,,but,, I enjoy the "Forum" and I will take issue if I receieve any further e mail from that individual,,,,how does someone take pleasure for trying to hurt someone for no reason whatsoever??? must be something in the "water they drink" [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 18 March 2001 at 09:12 PM.] And I promised this would be a short message Im sorry guys,,,,,,this is a "miniseries e mail[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 18 March 2001 at 09:16 PM.] Copyright(c)2001 by Jody Carver"All Rights Reserved" [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 16 May 2001 at 03:03 PM.] |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 19 March 2001 05:34 AM
Jody-im sorry to hear that you were taken advantage of by your so called "friend" and that resulted in the loss of your Bigsby-Im sure that you had your reason (being with Fender)for letting it go and trusting someone you knew-your forgiveness to him is very honorable although I would have not been so forgiving myself had I been owner of an original that Paul Bigsby made for me with my name on it |
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PAUL WARNIK Member Posts: 1417 |
posted 19 March 2001 05:49 AM
Harry H-I do not consider collecting vintage steel guitars as you say a "sport" I am not by any means a wealthy man but my lifestyle of having a decent secure job with benefits and without having a wife or children,I can afford the material things in life that I enjoy-obviously you have never played a Bigsby-while the mechanics are outdated the sound will never be-the people who want these vintage guitars and the new reissue models that we have built want them for THE TONE-nothing but a Richenbacher comes close-ask people like Junior Brown,Ry Cooder,and the forums very own Herb Steiner-the Bigbsy is the only "truly vintage collectable" steel guitar and that is why they sell for so much-they are not for everyone in a day when most people want the most updated mechanically efficient machine that they can buy-but for those who can afford to have several guitars or who play in "retro" type swing bands and need that sound and look-nothing can beat the Bigsby |
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Herb Steiner Member Posts: 6119 |
posted 19 March 2001 07:14 AM
I agree with Paul, and have stated many times here on the Forum, that the Bigsby guitar is not what most steel players want. It simply is in no way related to a modern pedal steel and those who expect them to play like a brand new Zumsteel/Franklin/Carter/etc. will be in for a severe disappointment! If the player you desire to emulate is Paul Franklin, you can just stop right here! We had a "Model A Ford Owners" Association meeting around here recently (or some group like that), with all these beautifully restored old Fords from the 20's and 30's driving up and down the highway near my somewhat rural/suburban home. I can only imagine the reaction I might have gotten if I had told them "ya know, for the same money you have in that thing, you could have bought a brand new Lexus..." If you don't play the music that a Bigsby is meant to play, quite simply you don't need a guitar of this type. And it might baffle you why someone would spend as much or more for one of these as they would for a new, custom made full-dress modern guitar. But if you have that sound in your head you are searching for in your playing, well... I met Paul W. in 93 or 94 at ISGC. We had known of each other for several years but had never met that I recall. He told me he was delivering a "PA Reissue" to Ry Cooder, and since RC was an old friend of mine from LA, we all went up to his (Paul's) room to try out the axe. I walked in and there sat PA Reissue #2. I had never played a Bigsby guitar before, though I was certainly aware of them because I was a big Joaquin/Bobby White/PeeWee/Morrell acolyte. They had a sound I loved but regardless of the notes played or how much I tried different hand technique, couldn't duplicate. I don't even recall what amp the guitar was hooked up to, but I sat down behind it and played some Hank Thompson-style stuff. "WOW!!! THERE IT IS!!!" was the unspoken thought that rang through my brain and obliterated any notice of what else was going on in that hotel room. Without getting off the pack-a-seat, I looked up at Paul and said "I'd like #3, please. What sort of down payment will you require, sir?" I believe Ry started laughing at that time, since he wasn't really a steel player at that time and was slightly unsure of what he was getting into. I really only use the Bigsbys on pure retro gigs and recording Western Swing. For most jobs, like Johnny Bush or Cornell Hurd shows, I play my Emmons. I've noticed that some of the current professional "retro-style" players who have taken their Bigsbys out on the road in the past, and I'm thinking of Jeremy in particular, are now using Fenders and Ricks when they travel afar. We gotta keep these babies out of Harm's Way and it's just too risky out there on the road. Excuse my long rant, but this is a subject dear to my heart. Herb out. ------------------ |
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KEVIN OWENS Member Posts: 209 |
posted 19 March 2001 08:33 AM
Paul I agreed with all you said until "the Bigbsy is the only "truly vintage collectable" steel guitar and that is why they sell for so much". I own Jimmy Day's first D-10 Sho-Bud (the one with the pearl inlayed spade on the front). How could this not be considered a collectable guitar. Same for the Lloyd Green fingertip that was sold last year. I love the tone and look of a Bigsby but to said they are the only collectable steel guitar is a little extreme. Kevin |
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