The Steel Guitar Forum

posted to FB today:



A little bit of mystery is a good thing ... hey - what's in those cases?

Wow. I guess he bought out a collection or is selling it on consignment. When I was there back in the summer they had 6 or 7, which was the most I'd seen in a music store. This should be interesting.

Their website currently shows five lap steels.

Here's a follow up on this. It's from a post to the Squareneck Journal's FB page.

Cool things seem to just happen when you visit Nashville. I just stopped in Carter Guitars and they were busy unpacking a collection of Gibson lap steels - one example of every Gibson lap steel model. Sounds like the entire collection may be going to a museum in S. Dakota. Really neat thing to happen upon.

Wow, that's a bushel of lap steels for sure! Very impressive.

I guess maybe destined for this place?
http://nmmusd.org/

Serious collection.......I recognize some of those cases

Maybe it's a case sale

I showed my wife this photo, and her comment was "Yeah, I'm not married to him."

Yes, I understand that the collection is headed to the National Music Museum in Vermillion, SD, on the Missouri River-border with NE, in the extreme southeast portion of my state.

Painful. I hope its not going to a museum never to be played again.

Shame but I guess the next generations can look at them behind the glass displays.

I hope it is going to a museum so that these great works of art are preserved, not stripped for parts, lost in some attic, tossed out by children who don't know its worth, or otherwise lost to the world.

Thank god for collectors so we can see well preserved examples of our music's history.

I agree. There are plenty of guitars to play. The lap steel is a blip in history. What will a lap steel look like in 200 years? Having a collection of related 20th century instruments cared for and preserved is a good thing for future generations.

Andy Volk wrote:I agree. There are plenty of guitars to play. The lap steel is a blip in history. What will a lap step look like in 200 years? Having a collection of related 20th century instruments cared for and preserved is a good thing for future generations.

right! Think of the future generations of builders who could go to such a place in person and be inspired by so many awesome pieces of history! "One of each" taken out of production/use is a small price to pay, in my opinion.

I really want to see them all out of the cases though!!!

I messaged them, the Gibsons are to stay as a collection but the rest are for sale!!!

Now guess what is in what case, I think I have spotted a cast National...

Lee

Doesn't look like they have more than a few listed on their site yet, will be neat to see what all is in there!

Cool store, I scanned around their site, some interesting instruments. This one, however, is arguably overpriced. AB Sitarmaker is a relatively inexpensive, entry level maker (IMO) from Miraj and the most you'll pay for this same tanpura, brand new and made to order, is about half the price they want for it used (but not old enough to be vintage). But they probably don't know much about those instruments, anyway, which is fine.

https://cartervintage.com/collections/m ... s-tamburra

Andy Volk wrote:I agree. What will a lap step look like in 200 years? Having a collection of related 20th century instruments cared for and preserved is a good thing for future generations.

They'll be very tiny, as we'll have ceded the planet to the cockroaches long before then.

Notwithstanding, I am glad to learn at least the Gibsons will be preserved in a safe environment that keeps them accessible for interested persons to view and study.

If it's true that the gaggle of Gibsons is headed to Vermillion to join their big brother, its a win-win situation for everyone.


The National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota is truly a national treasure. How many Stradivarius guitars have you seen? Last time I was there, they had one on display.
http://nmmusd.org/

The collection of Gibson lap steels just arrived at Carter Vintage a few days ago. It includes one example of everything Gibson made. I've had a personal weakness for lap steels for many years, and at this point I'm still enjoying checking out the instruments.

We will offer the collection for sale as a collecdtion. We haven't priced it yet. Although the National Music Museum would be a good home for these instruments, we have made no commitment to any potential buyer yet.

As for the tamburra, it's priced based on its ownership and use by Steve Earle.

Walter Carter

Maybe the museum would be interested in my collection of all the Gibson 6 string lap steels AND matching amps????
But I could not part with them...

Like many people, I've drooled over your collection. Can you talk at all on how long it took you to collect them all?

Beautifully staged photo too! That one on the top of the pyramid leaning at a rakish angle gives me a little heartburn though, imagining it clattering to the ground after the shot was taken, with photographer shouting "nooooooo" in slow motion!

Yes, I stand corrected on what I said earlier; I was getting the lap steel guitars confused with a collection of brass instruments the National Music Museum is obtaining from someone in North Carolina.

I hope this Music Museum is situated on the high ground if next to the Missouri River. Nashville had a "Hundred Year Flood" some years ago...warehouses innundated, vintage collections drowned, etc. Wasn't supposed to happen, but...