Adventures in Guitar Collecting

                   
"Guitars have become the art of the baby boomer generation"!


I have lived with
Guitar Acquisition Syndrome
for most of my adult life however
the vintage affliction began only a short 8 years ago!
 
One day in late 2000 I was on my way home from work when I spied a keyboard being thrown out by a neighbor. I mentioned to my wife who walked across the street and asked if they were actually throwing it out. She came back with a vintage Wurlitzer 200A electric piano! It was in great condition and even included the original sustain pedal, chrome legs and music holder. Although a vintage treasure it took up to much room in my small studio so I decided to sell it on eBay. I had already sold some of my studio equipment on eBay with very good results after being offered just pennies to the dollar by the local Guitar Center. What my neighbor had thrown in the trash ended up selling to a NYC studio for $700. They even sent a couple of guys with a van to pick it up. This is when the light bulb went off!
 
eBay changed the world by allowing anyone with a computer to buy or sell goods with anyone else in the world. You didn’t need to go to estate or garage sales to find collectibles or anything else for that matter. Just a few clicks of your mouse and you could practically find anything your heart desired. I like to think of this period as the time for the Internet Age Collector and I wanted to jump aboard that train! Sure there are drawbacks purchasing guitars or anything for that matter on eBay, which is built on a foundation of trust and honesty, but it has changed the way we shop and made the world your market place. Of course there is always one or two bad apples but overall it has proven to be a great vehicle to establish, build and refine my collection.
 
About this same time I started becoming more interested in vintage guitars particularly those made by Gibson. After doing some research and checking out dealer prices I quickly realized it would require a substantial investment to own more than just a few. Perhaps it was providence but my mother had just given me $10K as a gift which became my “seed” money. Since her passing in January 2004, I like to think of her as my “angel investor”. Now in the vintage guitar world $10K is not a lot of buying power and could easily be spent on just one or two guitars but I was looking to build a diverse collection. Based on my eBay experience thus far I knew that the profits from selling could be turned back into buying. Between work and family I didn’t have enough time to spend going to garage and estate sales so I needed a plan and it was lap steel guitars.
 
The Gibson Family 
(see the whole family in The G.A.S. Gallery)

An overlooked segment of the vintage guitar market at that time they have now almost reached mainstream with numerous custom builders and cheap Chinese models being sold by internet retailers. Fender even reissued their Princeton model. Vintage lap steel guitars were relatively inexpensive and certainly plentiful due to the Hawaiian craze of days gone by. On a historical note, the first electric guitars were actually lap steels which made them even more interesting. Many of the models had small matching tube amplifiers which by themselves were sought after by guitar players for that desired vintage tone and vibe.
 
Although I had never even played a lap steel guitar before I felt this would be a great and inexpensive way to get my feet wet in the vintage world. Armed with my Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars I began buying them on eBay. I was amazed by the sheer number of manufacturers and models. Many were very art deco in appearance and the high end models offered the same fine craftsmanship as their guitar cousins. It’s no secret but bargains on eBay are not normally found in the proper category. Many folks had no idea what they had when cleaning out Aunt Annie’s attic so they were often titled lap guitar, slide guitar, Hawaiian guitar and steel guitar. Odd, little, antique and small guitar were also used which really reduced the numbers of bidders. I even recall one being listed as a Kluson guitar because of the tuners! 

Catalog steels, sold by Sears and Montgomery Ward under their house brand names, were plentiful and often purchased for less than $100. Typically the condition was excellent with just the need for some new strings, tuner buttons (which had crumbled with age) and the pots sprayed. It took no time to build up an inventory and in turn begin selling with all of the proceeds being immediately turned back into purchasing more inventory. I also began buying high end lap steels from the likes of Gibson, Fender, National and Rickenbacher which were bargains as compared to their guitar counterparts. It didn't take me long to find out the market for small vintage tube amps was much hotter than lap steels so I focused even more resources ($) on that segment searching for bargains to turn especially those manufactured by National Valco. Entry and mid level acoustic and electric guitars followed which, along with the lap steels, became the starting point for my collection. By that time I had already amassed a beautiful collection of 50 lap steels with the intent of making them the core of my collection but that soon changed!

3 Blondes & A Tweed
(see all of their friends in the Electric G.A.S. Gallery)

Amazingly I had bought and sold more than 300 lap steels within my first 5 years on eBay which probably made me one of the largest dealers of these instruments. I can say with confidence that very few models did not pass through my hands. Add several hundred small tube amps, acoustic & electric guitars, parts, case candy, etc. and my initial goal of building a collection with only my seed money had become a reality. Only eBay could have allowed me to buy a guitar or amp and then turn it for a profit to support my G.A.S. without ever leaving my home! 
 
Fast forward to today. After less than 8 years of buying and selling on eBay I have built a guitar collection beyond my wildest dreams! Of course compared to collectors who have been doing this for 30+ years or those with deep pockets my collection is undoubtedly nothing spectacular except for the fact it was built with just $10K of seed money and within a relatively short time frame. Since I was fascinated by the historical value the core of my collection is made up of the prewar Gibson electric instruments however lap steel guitars, acoustic Hawaiian, acoustic & electric archtops, flat tops and “other” stringed instruments are all equally represented in my collection.

Like many of you I've made a lot of tough choices with so many beautiful instruments passing through my hands however I became focused on a theme of primarily rare Gibsons with a few notable Rickenbacher, Martin and Weissenborn models thrown in for good measure. Of course there are the dozen or so vintage amplifiers which compliment the collection since many are the match for a specific instrument. G.A.S. extends to amps too!

The Cutaway Cousins
(check out their buddies in the Acoustic G.A.S. Gallery)

I’ve tried to collect clean all original examples sometimes buying and selling until I found the right one. All have their original case and the overall condition is an 8 or better on my own picky scale. The majority were purchased from eBay seller's who were not guitar dealers, or even musicians for that matter, but just uncovered the treasure in an attic or at an estate sale. Although my collection will undoubtedly continue to evolve I have shifted my focus to properly maintaining the musical instrument history that I have been entrusted to preserve.

However, there is always “just one more” but isn’t that what G.A.S. is all about?
 
Of course I have not neglected today’s fine guitars and have continued to add models to my home studio collection. In fact my every day players are not vintage pieces but guitars that combine fine craftsmanship with incredible electronics. I love shredding on my Ibanez JEM or Artist but my own creations, Catalyst Guitars, are now part of the mix. The studio is where my love of the solidbody guitar becomes apparent but oddly enough you won’t find a Gibson anywhere in sight. And yes, I own a Fender Stratocaster!

A GEM of a JEM!
(lots of other "gems" in the Contemporary G.A.S. Gallery)

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Collecting has spun off a few small endeavors that all relate back to the guitar. Not satified to just collect anymore I find the challenge of building and creating new instruments to be the logical next step. As my skills improve the level of my work allows for the ideas floating around inside my head to become reality. In the same way finding that vintage treasure is a very satisfying experience, the moment you first play an instrument created with your own two hands is truly the ultimate experience for a musician! 



www.thecigarboxguitarcompany.com

I started The Cigar Box Guitar Company after building a candy tin box guitar with my son for a 5th grade school music project in the fall of 2007. A little internet research lead me to an underground movement of builders and players who preserve this uniquely american blues instrument. By the time I built my second one I was hooked! The creative possibilities are endless and they are just a blast to play. I took the design a bit further by developing the LBG (Lap Box Guitar) using elements from several instruments (resophonic guitar, lap steel, mandolin & banjo) to create a unique acoustic/electric instrument. I never anticipated the demand and between building for "notables" and my local customers, I've had to limit production to just 30 instruments a year. If you don't mind a wait, they are very cool!

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I continue to build "real" guitars besides my CBG creations however on a very limited custom order basis. Just not enough time in the day! I'm actually thinking about taking on an apprentice in the very near future as I had no idea the response I would receive. 

My prototype, seen above, was based on the first commercial solidbody guitar, the Broadcaster aka Fender Telecaster from 1950. It garnered rave reviews from local musicians and my first orders. Not a guitar for the faint of heart it's an absolute tone monster! Other models that have been ordered and in various stages of completion include a semi-hollow Telecaster-style (think 1970s), PRS-style and even a Flying V all with high performance ARTEC pickups and active tone circuits. I'll post photos once they are finished.

 

I've pulled my ad off of the G.A.S. Gear & Links page since I have enough orders to keep me busy for literally the next year! Once time or help permits, I hope to offer Catalyst Guitars to a larger audience. Thanks for all of the interest! 

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BUILD A TONE MONSTER!





While building CBGs, lap steels and guitars I found myself looking for something a bit different to install in my creations. I wanted to enhance the instrument's performance "underneath the hood", so to speak, without the addition of an external effect box. I stumbled upon ARTEC and installed one their QDD onboard overdrive circuits in place of one tone pot on a CBG.....WOW!

Ten years ago ARTEC designed a high quality acoustic guitar preamp/tuner combo and today manufacture an entire product line from pickups and preamps to guitar amps and effect pedals. I developed a business relationship with them and became an Authorized Dealer with the launch of www.guitarfuel.com for all the other tone freaks out there. We now have a worldwide customer base and continually add more "tone enhancing" products. If you're not afraid to use a soldering iron you won't believe the fire breathing monster literally at your fingertips! For those who are not DIY types, ARTEC also make great little boutique quality stomp boxes.

Of course we didn't stop there and have developed our own line of guitar effect pedals and tube amps that will be sold under the Guitar Fuel name. It was the natural evolution of our business model and is....well, incredibly exciting! Our first pedal, Angular Velocity, and first tube amp, The GF5, will be available late October 2008.

          
 
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I must take a moment to thank my loving wife, Debbie, for putting up with and supporting my G.A.S. over the past 8+ years and really our 25 years of marriage. She has been a tremendous help by taking an active role in my eBay endeavors and allowing me to take over various parts of our home with both my collection and inventory. Even the garage has not been spared since it is now a fully equipped woodworking shop for my CBG and guitar building endeavors.  A lot of wives would have committed their husband to the asylum for the guitar insane but I am a lucky one for sure!

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ROCK ON DESIGNS


Speaking of Deb she started her own business, Rock On Designs, after making a few guitar pick necklaces for some of our musician friends. Notables such as Richie Havens, Dave Mason and even the Jonas Brothers can claim ownership of one of her designs! Her creations have garnered rave reviews and she now has a loyal following of customers from her eBay, custom order and local sales. You can find a link to her eBay sales and can check out some of her designs under the G.A.S. Gear & Links tab. Her website, www.rockondesigns.com, is under construction and will be up shortly.

Who is wearing their Rock On Designs creation?
Our good friend Whiplashe aka Bob Suede or the Jewish Jonas!



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After spending 23 years in international operations with FedEx Express I decided it was time to pursue my passions so I closed that chapter of my life a month before my 48th birthday in 2007. With the book now wide open it's all about enjoying every day! I created this website to share my passion for collecting musical instruments. It is truly like no other hobby as you can play or entertain with a piece of American musical instrument history while you watch your investment grow year over year.
 
Peace & Enjoy!

Tighe (Ty) Falato

Founder
seriousgas@aol.com