Holy Grail of Steel Guitars

[Eddie Cunningham]

My Uncle died in 1959 and I got 4 guns appraised for a total of $250.oo . I later gave them all to my Son and now he is selling them. They were appraised for a total of around $5,000.oo !!! I'm happy for him !! I'm not into guns at all !! In the late 40s you could buy all the pawn shop Ricks and Dobros for $10.oo to $25.oo !! "Why do we get so smart so late ???" olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C"

[James Bolek]

Thanks Chris L. Very interesting info. A lot of money, but not in the stratosphere. Where the heck would you find a banjo player with $100K, let alone five bucks?

Are there pictures of an Emmons wraparound anywhere? I'd love to see one.

[Chris Lucker]

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

No.

There is value in mystery, and besides, there are three guitars that are not Bigbsys in that book, yet the book thinks they are.

Ray, the book is not very well respected in the Bigsby world, and in fact it is pretty insulting to folks like Pee Wee Whitewing and Paul Warnik, and Mike Cass, and Jon Frye and Semie Moseley and others who were significant in the Bigsby production days and the resurrection of Bigsby interest.

Ray, your quad, is better off not being in the Book. No one doubts what it is. An original owner Bigsby just the way it left the shop.

Bless his heart, but the author of the book was happy to repeat very bit of nonsense he could find. For example, he proudly restates the nonsense that the production records are gone.

That is what everyone says about anything if they do not know where to look.

They were the second place I looked. The second place.

Others know about them as well. They have been for sale for four years. But to go back to your question, your Quad is better off not being in the Bible. Your guitar stands on its own, plus it is referenced in a postcard from Hawaii.

A 1958 faked Bigsby needs the book for its credibility.

[Don Griffiths]

This is not a good visual of the wrap around Emmons tailpiece James.
I can't tell the difference by the photo.

http://www.melmusic.com/laceyj/page04.html

[Ray Montee]

Your informative comments are sincerely appreciated.
THANK YOU.

[Chris Lucker]

Thanks Chris L. Very interesting info. A lot of money, but not in the stratosphere. Where the heck would you find a banjo player with $100K, let alone five bucks?

Are there pictures of an Emmons wraparound anywhere? I'd love to see one.

If you want stratosphere, look at Bigsby Standard guitar prices. Their steels are bargains.

There are photos of Emmons Wraparounds on the Forum, but there are photos of fakes trying to passed as authentics too.

I do not post photos of Wraparounds for a couple simple reasons:

1. I do not want to help the guys (maybe only one guy now) who fakes Wraparounds for profit. They make glaring mistakes, I don't want to provide their research.
2. I currently have nine of the four dozen Wraparounds made, and have had thirteen of them. The 1964s changed from guitar to guitar. I have posted photos of perfect, Factory 1964 Emmons Wraparounds, and have had hillbillies who met a guy in a parking lot one time who knew a guy who once saw an Emmons Wraparound, and mine was wrong because this other guy's had his girlfriends baby teeth as fret markers.

I do not even know how to address that, so I choose to stay away from posting photos. It would be great to be able to do it. I used to have people over to see the Bigsbys and the Wraparounds and the 25L15s and other stuff, but nothing good ever comes of it.

I have not made my collection off limits. Others have.

[Paul Redmond]

Can I be led to believe that this beautiful hard-bound book I just received as a gift from a friend, is a hoax? A scam?
If not, please indicate to me what pages, photos, data, or whatever, I must avoid. I'll never believe that this gorgeous publication is a complete scam.
PRR

[Jack Aldrich]

My Uncle died in 1959 and I got 4 guns appraised for a total of $250.oo . I later gave them all to my Son and now he is selling them. They were appraised for a total of around $5,000.oo !!! I'm happy for him !! I'm not into guns at all !! In the late 40s you could buy all the pawn shop Ricks and Dobros for $10.oo to $25.oo !! "Why do we get so smart so late ???" olde geeze - AKA Eddie "C"

I was in a pawn shop in Venice, CA in 1960, looking for a string bass. The proprietor offered to sell me a National Tri Cone for $25. Another opportunity missed!