The Steel Guitar Forum

I am surprised no one has mentioned the sale of the third Bigsby Spanish guitar made.

The auction house is Heritage AUctions, The sales price was $266,500 which means the buyer paid $322,300. Auction ended April 21.

You can google the site. I cannot post my link because you need to register.

Ya mean
~> this
one?
~Rw

Yes, Russ. Thank you.

I guess that is another example why clear subject titles are helpful.

On another topic, Mike Meyers is by brother in law. He is your cousin?

Yup - PM sent.
~Rw

Mike Meyers is by brother in law. He is your cousin?

.....hmmmm, steel guitar in-breeding?

I was in Dallas for the show and got to witness this auction. Actually the winning bid at the hammer was $220,000. The $266,500 was the actual price, representing a 25% buyers' premium on the first $50,000 and a 20% premium on the rest. (Phew!)

And it is the fourth Bigsby Spanish neck built, after the Merle Travis, George Grohs / R.C. Allen, and Butterball Paige / Thumbs Carlille guitars.

Perhaps more significantly, it was the first guitar that Bigsby built in the 'New Modern Style' body shape, appeared on Bigsby's catalouge brochures, and was the first Bigsby Spanish guitar offered to the public.

Several Vintage Guitar Dealers thought it sold for TOO MUCH, but others believed that it was well worth the money, and that the price could have gone much higher. BTW this is not the record price paid for an actual Bigsby guitar, that honor goes to the Lefty Frizzell renecked J-200 acoustic, which was in the Country Music Hall Of Fame for many years, and which now belongs to Merle Haggard.

More signifant to me personally was the pleasant suprise upon reading the catalogue description that it was our own Deke Dickerson who did the extensive aunthentication. Some people said that this guitar was owned by Deke, but it was not, AFAICT. But Deke does own two other Bigsbys (and the Dale Granstrom Myrltewood guitar)! Lucky Guy. He has been on the Bigsby trail for twenty-plus years, I hope he finds one under a bed somewhere for me someday <G>.

chas smith wrote:.....hmmmm, steel guitar in-breeding?

My wife swears they're reproducing in my music room.

Interesting that Deke estimated its value between $25K to $35K...

Jim--

I wasn't the one who estimated the price on the Bigsby. I believe the people at Heritage were getting that figure because that's what they listed in the "Vintage Guitar Price Guide" for. The truth is, none had sold on the open market since 1990, so nobody really knew what the market would bear. I guess they know now!

They approached me to write a bit on the guitar to authenticate it, because it had some unusual features (the decal on the headstock, etc.) and I had experience with other instruments that had the same features. But I had nothing to do with the appraisal, or any other aspect of the auction.

I got to see the guitar in person, though, and it was really cool. Other than the pickguard and one tuner button, it was 100% original and in really good shape.

Deke

Peter--

I just read your post. Thanks for the good words! I thought I would clarify one thing, though. The Lefty Frizzell Bigsby guitar was listed for $350,000 when it was for sale a few years back, but actually sold for $150K to Merle Haggard.

However, the record price goes to Merle Travis' Martin D-28 with a Bigsby neck, that guitar sold for $250K when offered at auction a few years back. Don't know what that would be with buyers premium added, but it did sell for more than the current Heritage Auctions electric guitar.

I guess the notable thing is that the Heritage Auctions electric guitar had no celebrity provenance, which as you know makes a big difference in what people are willing to pay.

Deke

Speaking of celebrity provenance, few little Les Paul items will be auctioned by Julien's:
http://www.juliensauctions.com/images/a ... talog.html

Chris, life's too short for clear thread titles!

Hi Deke, thanks for the clarification on all the prices. Perhaps this was a record sale price after all. At least for an electric...