Holy Grail of Steel Guitars

James Bolek · Post by **James Bolek** » 12 Feb 2014 2:27 pm

For 5 string banjo players, THE instrument to own would be a pre-war (WWII) Gibson Mastertone with an original neck. You could buy one today for between $40,000 to $180,000, if you can find one for sale.

Mandolin players lust for a Gibson Lloyd Loar era (1921-1924) F-5. I've seen them at music stores listing for between $180,000-$250,000.

Bluegrass guitarists want pre-war Martin D-28s and electric guitarists would kill for an original 1958 flame top Les Paul $40-80,000 or a 1950s Strat $40-60,000.

So, is (are) there PSGs that fall into this "lust" category that command giant prices?

Anybody? Bueller?

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 12 Feb 2014 2:33 pm

thankfully....NO

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 12 Feb 2014 2:38 pm

I would say the 64-65 Emmons D-10 Wrap around changer would be the Holy Grail of Pedal Steel. If you can find one for sale I imagine they would be pretty expensive. Some may say the Bixby but never had the please of seeing or playing one.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 12 Feb 2014 2:42 pm

golly...when you put it that way even a new $5-6000 steel sounds pretty reasonable.

i guess i'll order that purple , aqua and cream infinity now!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 12 Feb 2014 3:02 pm

I had a first year Gibson Mastertone Granada stolen from me. Also had a 1958 Flying V, #28, stolen. If I had those back, I'd sell them and move someplace warm!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 12 Feb 2014 3:09 pm

Thankfully there is no holy grail of steel guitars. Ask 10 players and you will get different answers.

Chris Johnson · Post by **Chris Johnson** » 12 Feb 2014 3:32 pm

I would say that Bigsby is probably the only brand that demands in the range of some of those figures.

I hear that Anapegs can be quite pricey too..

... Although I do believe that the 60's Emmons models are the steel that most others are judged against concerning styling, quality and tone.

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 12 Feb 2014 4:32 pm

Its amazing what excess money and gear lust can do to the market place.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 13 Feb 2014 5:18 am

There are those who put down the "holy grails" of any subject or field, be it classic cars, guitars, mandolins, steels, watches, violins, art, etc. Inevitably, the criticism centers around the high prices those pieces command. I'm guessing that more than a little of that comes from envy. Kind of like driving by a mansion you'll never be able to afford all the while making negative comments about "rich people," "overkill," etc., etc.

I used to think that way but grew tired of it. Now, much to the consternation of that brotherhood of arrogant cynics, I find it fun, interesting and fascinating to see or read about the holy grails of any field.

I mean, a while back I went to the Indianapolis art museum to see a show of guitars. Old, unusual, noteworthy, and rare ones were all on display. I got a real kick seeing and learning about them all, the same as I do when I go to an auto museum.

Will I ever own a '65 Emmons wraparound? Probably not. A Stradivarious? No. A 50's Corvette? Doubt it. But that's OK.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 13 Feb 2014 5:33 am

I'll never own a "holy grail" guitar, not only because of the price...but my meager ability to play the ones I have. I've found my match though, and can't thank Todd Clinesmith enough for keeping these legendary guitars alive.

James Bolek · Post by **James Bolek** » 13 Feb 2014 7:35 am

Well, if I win the lottery I may buy one of those pre war Mastertones. With steel guitars, I would bet that there isn't that ONE instrument because, while Buddy Emmons is a master, the steel isn't identified with just him. In bluegrass, Earl Scruggs defined the sound with his old Gibson banjo with the flathead tone ring. Bill Monroe created bluegrass on his Loar Gibson F5 mandolin. Lester Flatt played a Martin D-28. Duane Allman had the 58 flame top, etc. The steel is seen a bit generically.

But if the Emmons wrap-around IS the grail, what would it go for on the open market?

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 13 Feb 2014 7:54 am

Then you can look at it this way: What is your personal Holy Grail? I answer that with this line of thought. Suppose you were forced to give up all pedal steels except one. And you got to choose that one guitar and it would be given to you for free. And this is the one PSG you would have forever and play all gigs and recording sessions with. What guitar would you choose?

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 13 Feb 2014 9:33 am

I would take my Black 69 Emmons D-10, even if I was going to be given any other brand out there.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Feb 2014 9:46 am

Jerome Hawkes wrote:thankfully....NO

He's right on. Who wants the already-high price of steel guitars to rocket?

Only another steel guitarist would recognise that one owned by one of the great steel guitarists was worth more than any other steel guitar, and steel guitarists usually have very little spare cash.

John Scanlon · Post by **John Scanlon** » 13 Feb 2014 9:48 am

Tom Gorr wrote:Its amazing what excess money and gear lust can do to the market place.

Nailed it.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 13 Feb 2014 1:13 pm

I'll bet George Gruhn, or Tut Taylor, would know.
Or they will, after they read this!

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 14 Feb 2014 11:48 am

Value is a very misunderstood thing. I once had a man call me to say he had a very valuable pedal steel that he would sell for fifteen hundred dollars. Well I went to his music store and there it was a vinyl clad ShoBud Maverick, complete with a written certified appraisel from a famous Nashville appraiser for fifteen hundred.When I asked when the famous appraiser saw the guitar, he said well he appraised it over the phone and then mailed the document to him.And that only cost him fifty bucks...Figure that one out.

Old Bud

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 14 Feb 2014 11:53 am

EVERY guitar is the holy grail. Everybody is making great guitars today, and you're going to get a great instrument no matter which one you choose.

We are truly fortunate to have so many wonderful steels available to us.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 14 Feb 2014 12:14 pm

Holy Grails are only of value to the select niche who appreciate / understand them. if someone came to you with THE Holy Grail of baseball cards, or stamps or coins and gave you a STEAL figure of, say $200 - assuming you know nothing of its value, most would balk and say i'll give you $2 for it. thats all its "value" is to you.
the entire vintage market is a ponzi scheme in many ways, but i do enjoy them as most players appreciate the history. much as been written on this, but i can imagine if Earl Scruggs had played a pre-war Vega - those would be $50k and you could buy pre-war Gibsons for $2k.

i remember when my grandfather died, he was a HUGE shotgun collector and we were offered 1 gun from his collection as a inheritance - i chose probably the cheapest one, as it was the one he let me hunt with as a kid - probably a $200 shotgun...thats the one that had "value" to me. i'm sure there were easily 5 figure guns in there (engraved Parkers, etc) - but i had no use for a bunch of old shotguns

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 14 Feb 2014 5:06 pm

Nonetheless I have heard of some pretty wild price speculation regarding Mr. Franklin Sr.'s last ever guitar

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 14 Feb 2014 7:09 pm

Frypans and Rickenbacher Bakelites, in their own way.

Bigsbys and authentic, good Emmons Wraparounds.

of the 17 Bigsby steels that changed hands in 2013, a couple single necks were sold:

8 string 1953: $7400
10 string 1959: $5200

and the rest were doubles and triples, some with ten string necks, but no wall-to-wall tens. These guitars went in the $11,500 to $21,400 range.

The lowest fetching was actually a Quad. Quads have always been the least popular Bigsby, which is why only six were made, but I still want one. It is the only configuration I do not have. Ray Monte has the coolest one on the planet.

The highest clean offer For a Bigsby steel last year was $28,000 for the D-10.

Fewer authentic Emmons Wraparounds changed hands last year, but they are far rarer than Bigsbys.

I know of four completed sales. The prices were $7800, $8,000, $12,400 plus an airline ticket, and $11,500. I do know that an offer of $16,000 was refused for a 1965 model, but it is a rarer one than usual.

I am sure there have been other sales of Wraparounds last year that I did not notice. I will say that two fake Wraparounds sold last year -- high profile fakes too. They were not a secret, except to those that do know the first couple dozen Emmons guitars. I hesitate to state the prices as the buyers will know. I do not want to make it my problem. They got what they paid for.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 15 Feb 2014 8:13 am

human stupidity has no limits...

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 15 Feb 2014 9:16 am

I have the only 'original', one owner BIGSBY quad with six pedals that remains in pristine condition and the most I've EVER been offered for it is $2,500 per neck or $7,500. This was from a prominent Nashville dealer.

Do you suppose it would be worth more if it had made its way into the recently published BIGSBY book?

Don Griffiths · Post by **Don Griffiths** » 15 Feb 2014 9:47 am

I just saw one of these on the forum for sale for $400. I guess anything that has a legends finger prints on it is worth many times as much. I also observe that this isn't selling.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200 ... =824&kw=lg

The poor guy selling it says he paid $50,000 for it. Acually if he paid that much he is a lot less poor than me.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 Feb 2014 10:54 am

now that was funny!

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