Collectors Dream

Pedal, lap, Hawaiian, resonator ... anything played with a bar
Marc Helms
Posts: 1
Joined: 26 Jan 2021 10:26 am
Location: Tennessee, USA

Collectors Dream

Post by Marc Helms »

listing closed by admin subject to authentication

1948 Double-Neck Gibson Console Grande Owned and played by the late Don Helms. This is the original "Ole Red" that he used on almost all Hank Williams' hits, including "You're Cheatin" Heart", "Cold, Cold Heart", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Hey Good Lookin'",and dozens more. He also played on Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" and other hits by Stonewall Jackson, Lefty Frizzell, and The Louvin Brothers, just to name a few.
This a once in a lifetime offer to own the guitar that helped define the Hank Williams sound. reply to tmarc6@live.com
Image

Image
User avatar
Abe Levy
Posts: 975
Joined: 26 Sep 2008 9:29 pm
Location: California, USA

Post by Abe Levy »

Holy Smokes!!!!!
Mostly Pre-1970 guitars.
User avatar
Erv Niehaus
Posts: 26797
Joined: 10 Aug 2001 12:01 am
Location: Litchfield, MN, USA

Post by Erv Niehaus »

How are you related to Don?
Erv
Peter Shenkin
Posts: 16
Joined: 17 Jul 2010 7:04 am
Location: New York, USA

Jerry, not Don

Post by Peter Shenkin »

On the first recording (the best known one) of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", Jerry Byrd, not Don Helms, is on steel. (Recorded at Herzog Studios, Cincinnati, 1949.)
User avatar
Mike DiAlesandro
Posts: 1503
Joined: 8 May 2010 7:36 am
Location: Kent, Ohio
Contact:

Post by Mike DiAlesandro »

Last edited by Mike DiAlesandro on 2 Mar 2021 3:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Jon Irsik
Posts: 300
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Wichita, KS USA

Post by Jon Irsik »

"The" 'Ole Red' was in the Patsy Cline Museum last I knew.

Taken November 9, 2019

Image [/img]
User avatar
Jerry Cobetto
Posts: 17
Joined: 23 Aug 2012 2:21 pm
Location: Glen Carbon, Illinois, USA

"Ole Red"

Post by Jerry Cobetto »

It would definitely be great to own a piece of steel guitar history, but there's a part of me that feels that Don Helms' Gibson Console Grande, which was on so many of Hank's tunes, AND on stage with Hank, should be in a museum, like the Hank Williams Museum.
Gibson Console D-8, Miller Custom D-10, Sho-Bud (Pro-III Prototype) D-10, Fender Artist D-10
Keith Bolog
Posts: 784
Joined: 18 Dec 2010 12:32 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

hmm

Post by Keith Bolog »

Nobody collects steel guitars. We ACCUMULATE them lol.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say.
User avatar
David Ball
Posts: 1229
Joined: 18 Feb 2010 1:37 pm
Location: North Carolina High Country

Post by David Ball »

Different person--Mark Helm rather than the OP here, Marc Helms...

Dave
Wesley Medlen
Posts: 938
Joined: 14 Jul 2009 2:31 pm
Location: LaCygne,Ks

Post by Wesley Medlen »

Back quite a few yrs ago here @ the opry on Saturday I met at a restaurant on Sat. morning the owner of the opry. He hollerd at me motioned me over to their table. Another couple were with them. Heasked me you are a steel player do you know who Don Helms is. I said yes he said let me introduce you to him. When I went to the opry Don and his wife were setting at a table invited me to sit down we talked about an hour. He told me had turned down an offer of $100,000 for it said it was going to go to hall of fame when he passed. He passed about 90 days later. A very nice gentleman. This was at Louisburg, Ks. about 50 miles south of Kansas City. It was at the Middle Creek Opry. Wes
Justice S10 Jr, Gibson Electra 6string, Boss Katana 100, Steelers Choice ,Gretsch 6 string lap, Hilton VP
User avatar
Erv Niehaus
Posts: 26797
Joined: 10 Aug 2001 12:01 am
Location: Litchfield, MN, USA

Post by Erv Niehaus »

How many of you think this for sale listing is legitimate? :whoa:
Erv
User avatar
Damir Besic
Posts: 12261
Joined: 30 Oct 2000 1:01 am
Location: Nashville,TN.
Contact:

Post by Damir Besic »

Erv Niehaus wrote:How many of you think this for sale listing is legitimate? :whoa:
Erv


I would not touch this with a 10’ pole
User avatar
Erv Niehaus
Posts: 26797
Joined: 10 Aug 2001 12:01 am
Location: Litchfield, MN, USA

Post by Erv Niehaus »

Damir,
Glad you agree!
This Marc Helms only joined a month or two ago and this is his 1st and only posting.
Makes you wonder. :roll:
Erv
Jim Rossen
Posts: 522
Joined: 7 Apr 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Iowa, USA

Post by Jim Rossen »

Marc- What is evidence that this is the guitar that was used by Helms on the Hank Williams songs?
Thanks
Jim
Wesley Medlen
Posts: 938
Joined: 14 Jul 2009 2:31 pm
Location: LaCygne,Ks

Post by Wesley Medlen »

I second Damirs's comment. Wes
Justice S10 Jr, Gibson Electra 6string, Boss Katana 100, Steelers Choice ,Gretsch 6 string lap, Hilton VP
User avatar
Rick Baker
Posts: 124
Joined: 17 Apr 2011 9:05 am
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Post by Rick Baker »

Caveat Emptor
...it's never to late to be the good guy...
Emmons Legrande D10 9/7, 'cause I'm an Emmons guy.
David Zornes
Posts: 436
Joined: 4 Feb 2012 8:18 am
Location: Ohio, USA

‘Ole Red’

Post by David Zornes »

Erv Niehaus wrote:How many of you think this for sale listing is legitimate? :whoa:
Erv
I thought the same thing but waited till someone else agreed with my caveat emptor.
User avatar
Damir Besic
Posts: 12261
Joined: 30 Oct 2000 1:01 am
Location: Nashville,TN.
Contact:

Post by Damir Besic »

Erv Niehaus wrote:Damir,
Glad you agree!
This Marc Helms only joined a month or two ago and this is his 1st and only posting.
Makes you wonder. :roll:
Erv


right
Charles Stange
Posts: 100
Joined: 21 May 2010 8:59 am
Location: San Francisco, California

Post by Charles Stange »

Not to be confused with fellow forumite Mark Helm...

just thought I should mention.
Charles 'Skip' Stange
User avatar
Richard Sinkler
Posts: 17067
Joined: 15 Aug 1998 12:01 am
Location: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Post by Richard Sinkler »

Not to mention, instead of posting pictures of the actual guitar, he posts a picture and poster of Don playing his Gibson.
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
Bill McCloskey
Posts: 6877
Joined: 5 Jan 2005 1:01 am
Location: Nanuet, NY
Contact:

Post by Bill McCloskey »

Don Helms did have a son named Timothy Marc Helms:

https://obits.tennessean.com/obituaries ... =115519723

No idea if this is the same guy. But the email is suspicious as hell: throwaway microsoft email
User avatar
Richard Sinkler
Posts: 17067
Joined: 15 Aug 1998 12:01 am
Location: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Post by Richard Sinkler »

Bill McCloskey wrote:Don Helms did have a son named Timothy Marc Helms:

https://obits.tennessean.com/obituaries ... =115519723

No idea if this is the same guy. But the email is suspicious as hell: throwaway microsoft email
Interesting. Maybe the Helms family regained possession of the guitar and are now looking to sell it.

Maybe someone in Nashville could go to the Pastsy Cline museum, or at least talk to them to see if Don's guitar is still in their possession.
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
User avatar
Jon Irsik
Posts: 300
Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
Location: Wichita, KS USA

Post by Jon Irsik »

I find it difficult to believe this is 'The' Console Grande. I'd heard through the years that Don had one or two more he kept as spares but they couldn't match the mojo of Ole Red. Maybe this is one of those, I dunno.
User avatar
Gary Watkins
Posts: 1763
Joined: 14 May 2004 12:01 am
Location: Bristol, VA

Re: Collectors Dream

Post by Gary Watkins »

Marc Helms wrote:1948 Double-Neck Gibson Console Grande Owned and played by the late Don Helms. This is the original "Ole Red" that he used on almost all Hank Williams' hits, including "You're Cheatin" Heart", "Cold, Cold Heart", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Hey Good Lookin'",and dozens more. He also played on Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" and other hits by Stonewall Jackson, Lefty Frizzell, and The Louvin Brothers, just to name a few.
This a once in a lifetime offer to own the guitar that helped define the Hank Williams sound. reply to tmarc6@live.com
Image

Image
I'll take it! I've always wanted a collectors guitar. I just can't pass this offer up.

Thanks,
Gary
Last edited by Gary Watkins on 2 Mar 2021 1:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool. It's just that the person trusted you far more than you deserved.
User avatar
Erv Niehaus
Posts: 26797
Joined: 10 Aug 2001 12:01 am
Location: Litchfield, MN, USA

Post by Erv Niehaus »

If Marc Helms would be Don Helms son, why wouldn't he refer to him as "my father" when referencing him and not "the late Don Helms"?
Erv
Locked