Insane Lap Steel collector. You gotta see it to believe it!

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 12 Feb 2016 10:23 am

See the instruments after the 2:00 minute mark....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqYk7LFtHUw

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 12 Feb 2016 10:32 am

I'd hate to pay his insurance premium!!! Is that in St Louis? His name?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 12 Feb 2016 10:38 am

Previously discussed here:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=212774

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Feb 2016 11:52 am

I think that's called obsessive collecting disorder!

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 12 Feb 2016 5:22 pm

I have the DVD of the collection its about 30 min or more and he takes his time and talks about his collection. He has a space for the ones he doesn't have yet.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 12 Feb 2016 6:33 pm

I missed the original thread from 2011, so this was a first for me.

Early in the video once they started checking out the various items, I was thinking "this guy is my hero!"

By the end I knew that he has a serious problem.

Never mind the lap steels - what cinched it for me was: Fifty Fender Coronados?

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 13 Feb 2016 4:20 am

Guys like this sicken me. That is GREED pure and simple. To make matters worse those beautiful instruments can be used to make music and bring joy to so many. But instead it is sitting gathering dust.

If this guy is on the forum he should be booted cause he doesn't want to further Lap Steel Guitar he only wants to hinder and withold.

Shame really disappointed in this type of behaviour. Greed is truly an ugly thing cause his need will never lessen.

"If the son of Adam had a mountain of gold, he would only want a second mountain of gold.
Nothing will fill the mouth of the son of Adam except for the dust from his own grave."

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 13 Feb 2016 4:36 am

I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but I'd rather be Billy Connally traveling about on a motor.

It's not even a museum, where we all could see the guitars.
These guitars aren't being played. Mine! All mine!

If it's not greed or wretched excess, it's a compulsive behavior. Hoarding, literally.
"The collection isn't for anybody else, it's just for him."

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 13 Feb 2016 4:43 am

Stefan;
I agree it is very sad that these instruments are not being used. "You can't take it with you when you die" so eventually his collection will be left for others to keep, to sell or to place on display in a museum.

The most rare should probably be kept in a glass case, on public display so future generations can see and learn about these wonderful instruments.

But I hope his family makes most of his collection available to younger and talented musicians who will create the beautiful music for which they were made.
Dom

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 13 Feb 2016 6:24 am

To hoarde like that he must not have a wife and kids.

I have two and my wife gets on me to sell the one that I don't use already. Which I am going to.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 13 Feb 2016 8:53 am

He has a collection. It is for him. Collectors collect what they love. I had a collectable record business for over 25 years and collectors each have a different
reason but the same love of there collection. I collect pottery planters and ashtrays from the 40's- 60's and have over 50 pieces and some of it is from my past. It's not in the value of a piece, it's the item itself and what you get from holding or looking at it.
As far as the money part I think the same thing when I see guitars that you could not give me in my youth with a asking price of 20 times it was back then. And good guitars of the past are insanely priced to any one who remembers when a buck was a buck. Also I think how will the young players every be able to afford a good guitar when the price would buy you a new house in the 60's.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 13 Feb 2016 11:31 am

I agree with others who say this is bizzare, unhealthy behavior. I also agree that he must not have a wife or kids. Collecting 50 of the same model guitar (and hundreds of other duplicate guitars) is hoarding IMO. It's kind of sad to see.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 13 Feb 2016 12:13 pm

His name is Rob Lurvey

here is a longer video. Skip to 4:15 to see his collection some more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFRLSN2OBrs

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 13 Feb 2016 12:15 pm

here's a post about his Lap Steel Guitar hoarding dvd.

If only players could actually use those instruments.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 13 Feb 2016 12:21 pm

Guys, look on the bright side: one day the collection will be broken up and there will be a ton of really clean vintage steels on the market. Maybe by that time, there will be a real resurgence of the instrument's popularity.

Rick Schacter · Post by **Rick Schacter** » 13 Feb 2016 2:28 pm

Why would anyone want to collect vintage Fender Coronados???? YUCK!!

werner althaus · Post by **werner althaus** » 13 Feb 2016 7:49 pm

...lots of self-righteous indignation in some of these responses. Get over it, he's collecting what he loves, good for him. The instruments were built to be sold, nothing more, what the owners do/ did with them is/ was never a concern to the makers of these guitars.
It doesn't matter if they provide enjoyment being played or being displayed, nobody is deprived of anything because of what this guy chooses to do with his money. I see no greed here, only lack of tolerance for his hobby. It's not like he's hoarding things that other people desperately need.
And maybe he's married after all and his wife is glad he stays busy rather than giving her grief.

werner althaus · Post by **werner althaus** » 13 Feb 2016 7:51 pm

Rick Schacter wrote:Why would anyone want to collect vintage Fender Coronados???? YUCK!!

Coronados are pretty hip guitars for the kids these days.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 13 Feb 2016 11:42 pm

werner althaus wrote:...lots of self-righteous indignation in some of these responses. Get over it, he's collecting what he loves, good for him. The instruments were built to be sold, nothing more, ...

If you call this "collecting". 50 of one kind. He also stated when he sees a lap steel guitar that he hasn't seen before "I've got to have it."

Collector is a spin term to justify Greed.
needs vs wants in all things in this life.

also surely the luthiers who built instruments intention was for it to be played primarily and through performance it would become displayed.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 13 Feb 2016 11:59 pm

I am really not opposed to his collection, I would love to see it on display, and I would even pay the price of admission.

But I do think that instruments were meant to be played. All but the most rare and fragile examples, and those should be preserved for posterity.

I myself have way too many guitars, amps, lap steels, keyboards etc. But no one has the right to force me to sell them or give them away.

That being said, I have began to get rid of some of them now in order to simplify my live in my golden years.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 14 Feb 2016 6:42 am

Stefan Robertson wrote:Guys like this sicken me.

Can't necessarily disagree with that sentiment, but to me there is another type of guy who is exponentially worse. That is the professional guitar cannibal who disassembles intact original vintage instruments to cherry pick for their parts and components, and then sells off the disemboweled shells as "fixer uppers" or "project guitars."

This practice seems especially prevalent with vintage Fender and Gibson lap steels. Gibson made only a handful of the final version of their premium Ultratone lap steel that featured Seth Lover's recently developed humbucking pickup, circa 1957-58. Fat chance coming across one of those with its original electronics intact.

It is not uncommon today to come across original Gibson lap steels from the fifties that have their original P-90s missing. The really sad part is that most of the cannibals are ignorant of the fact that the pole-piece spacing from a lap steel P-90 is significantly wider, and won't line up properly for most guitar applications.

Probably the worst offenders are those who pull all of the electronics from vintage Fender Champion lap steels because the pickup, pots, capacitor, wiring, jack, and jack cup are virtually the same as used in early Broadcasters, Esquires, and Telecasters.

For the vintage 6-string lap steel aficionado, this all too common practice seems utterly despicable. Akin to rappelling down Mount Rushmore with a portable jackhammer and cutting off George Washington's nose.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 14 Feb 2016 9:27 am

I wonder if the guy actually plays guitar or steel guitar? He doesn't say that he plays, but he does admit that he's a manic, obsessive, compulsive collector.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 Feb 2016 10:10 am

His house looks like a music store. In fact, if he turned it into a music store he would probably have ten years' supply of stock already. His house must be gigantic. I wonder what sort of occupation he has to provide the income needed to buy all that stuff. I'll bet he's not a professional steel guitarist.

My wife always accuses me of hoarding instruments, and I do have a lot, but they're all different, and they get played regularly. Besides, I built the majority of them myself, so I'm not depriving the public.

...and I only have one Fender Coronado, not 50. $:\$ $:\$

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 14 Feb 2016 11:03 am

There are a number of collectors who frequent this forum. They collect steels for a wide variety of reasons and it brings a level of satisfaction and enjoyment to them. They participate in discussions about rare instruments and a lot of people enjoy seeing pics, etc.

Personally, I get my enjoyment from playing and studying. I used to be interested in the instruments themselves and I bought quite a few, but I no longer have interest in those pursuits since I have three steels that satisfy and inspire me.

But to each his own. I can't harbor negative feelings towards people for something as innocent as collecting instruments. It comes off as envy, and I don't dig that. Truthfully, IMO steel guitars are nothing special until they are in the hands of people who can play them.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 Feb 2016 4:14 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:...he does admit that he's a manic, obsessive, compulsive collector.

He also collects suitcases. $:\$
Now that's weird.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Insane Lap Steel collector. You gotta see it to believe it!

Insane Lap Steel collector. You gotta see it to believe it!

Good grief....

Re: Good grief....