Hundred thousand dollar Epi?

[BluezOldy]

Gallins Guitars in Australia is a retail chain owned by the Gibson/Epi importer/distributor for Australia - GibsonAMI.

 

I was just browsing the Gallins website and found this in the Epiphone section:

 

EMTAANNH1 Aged USA Ep McCartney Texan $100000

 

( http://www.gallinsguitars.com.au/onlinestore/GUITAR/brand/EPIPHONE/ )

 

Is there really an Epiphone that costs that much or is this a misprint? Google didn't help much on this one.

[pohatu771]

There are three versions of the McCartney Texan:

 

The $2000 Elitist, made in Japan (1964)

 

The $5000 US-made, signed by Paul (250)

 

An exact replica of Paul's (hand-aged), signed by, and supervised by, Paul (40).

 

I imagine this $100000 model is one of the 40.

 

$100000 AUD comes out to roughly $95000 USD.

[BluezOldy]

Wow ... so it probably isn't a misprint. I think I would have to be close to the Bill Gates financial level before I would pay that for a guitar (unless it was Peter Green's LP :-) ).

[Red 333]

There are three versions of the McCartney Texan:

 

The $2000 Elitist' date=' made in Japan (1964)

 

The $5000 US-made, signed by Paul (250)

 

An exact replica of Paul's (hand-aged), signed by, and supervised by, Paul (40).

 

I imagine this $100000 model is one of the 40.

 

$100000 AUD comes out to roughly $95000 USD.[/quote']

 

The aged, signed version you saw advertised was selling for as much as $40,000 here in the US.

 

I was at the Gibson Acoustic factory in Bozeman, MT about three years ago, and Master Luthier Ren Ferguson was signing out an unaged Texan to take to his home workshop, do he could duplicate the scratches and crazing of the already-aged Texan he as also signing out to use as reference. An afternoon or two of his work (and a swipe of the pen by Sir Paul) was worth about $35K at retail, in that instance! That must feel pretty good.

 

Ren ( a very nice guy!) also showed me a Texan he was taking out back to destroy, because one set of the three on a strip tuners had been mounted upside down!

 

Fuller's Vintage Guitars, in Houston TX, recently had the unnumbered and unsigned over run of the Bozeman-built Texans for sale. They seemed very nice, but not significantly better than the Japanese-built McCartney Elitist Texans, which is a tribute to the Terada luthiers (Terada is the Japanese company that makes/made the Elite/Elitist acoustics, hollow, and semi-hollow body guitars).

 

I also saw Pete Green's LP at a guitar show. If I remember correctly, the seller was asking more than $100,000 for sure. North of $200,000 I THINK (but don't quote me). It's been estimated that McCartney's actual stage-used Hofner Bass would sell for $1M! I wonder what someone with the means would pay for his actual Texan, given that replicas were sold for $40,000?

 

Red 333

[pohatu771]

Blackie sold for almost $1,000,000... Brownie only sold for $450,000.

[BluezOldy]

Here is the Peter Green/Gary Moore LP which, according to comment on the page was bought by Maverick Guitars for a million dollars:

 

 

And apparently this it being played:

 

 

 

 

.

[Ricochet]

Here is the Peter Green/Gary Moore LP which' date=' according to comment on the page was bought by Maverick Guitars for a million dollars:

 

[/quote']

 

Rumour is Maverick bought it for 1.2 million stating it would not be sold. They sold it within a few months for 3 something million... Probably turning to dust in some collectors safe now....

[carverman]

I also saw Pete Green's LP at a guitar show. If I remember correctly' date=' the seller was asking more than $100,000 for sure. North of $200,000 I THINK (but don't quote me). It's been estimated that McCartney's actual stage-used Hofner Bass would sell for $1M! I wonder what someone with the means would pay for his actual Texan, given that replicas were sold for $40,000?

Red 333[/quote']

 

So what is happening with the world these days? More money available than brains?

 

What's the big deal about a Epi Texan that was played or touched by Sir Paul McCartney?

 

Yes, they were and still are good flattops, just as nice as the J45/Hummingbird/Dove and other flattops

made by Gibson during that period. But for a LOT less today,(lets say under $5000,

you can get a beautiful Gibson (Bozeman Montana) flattop that is not only a work of art as far as

workmanship/MOP designs, but the sound just as good, if not better (IMO), than some of the older

flattops made back in the 60s.

[Ricochet]

 

So what is happening with the world these days? More money available than brains?

 

It's art...and money. A famous painting is not just the paint on the canvas. Just like The PG LP is not just a piece of wood with strings. Once it reaches a status beyond it's practical use(instrument, decoration), it is almost required by economic mechanics to propel it's status into mythical proportions. The more ridiculous the amount bought and paid, the more outragious the price it can be sold for.

[Tesla_HV]

Here is an article from the Epiphone website:

http://www.epiphone.com/news.asp?NewsID=177

 

[carverman]

 

. Once it reaches a status beyond it's practical use(instrument' date=' decoration), it is almost required by economic mechanics to propel it's status into mythical proportions. The more ridiculous the amount bought and paid, the more outragious the price it can be sold for.[/quote']

 

Ridiculous is the key word. It's just an instrument like any other. The nostalgia thing is going to heads of

sellers and buyers of these so called "icons" of the rich/famous/dead/or still living but made it big at one

time/ artists/musical personalities.

Maybe it's our aging generation trying so desparately to relive a moment of their youth and

happen to have lots of money around to purchase these things and then.....hang them on their walls?

lock them up in a vault?..or maybe for the ones that can actually play, be inspired for a moment,

then put it away in it's case for safe keeping until the NEXT buyer comes along?

Big money, and you don't have to pay taxes on what you sell..that must be the reason so many

are compelled to buy and sell.

[mattfeltham]

I actually bought my lefty SG Standard from Gallins...i must say they have great customer service.

I got the lefty down to $2150 from $300, including new strings, hard case, tuner, stand, strap and a free setup withing 12months of ownership.

(Not trying to talk them up, just saying that in terms of service, Gallin's slaughter Allan's and Billy Hydes who tried to exploit me lack of knowledge of guitars and rip me off...good to see a store with morals)

 

In regards to the $100,000 guitar...i asked in store about it, the guy actually showed me a guitar they had in store a few years prior which sold for something that approximates $500,000.

Next time your in ask them...theres a poster on the wall of the acoustic section of it.

[RotcanX]

I actually bought my lefty SG Standard from Gallins...i must say they have great customer service.

I got the lefty down to $2150 from $300...

I guess you mean $215.

 

When you say 'SG Standard" I hope you mean 'G-400'. Because even for $300 an SG Standard would be one heck of a deal.

 

As to a $100,000 McCartney Texan... I can think of a lot of things I'd buy first. But some people are a lot more gushy about the Beatles than I am these days. Still, I am pretty sure I'd be just as happy with a contemporary model Gibson acoustic or a Martin D-28... and spend the rest on something useful. You have to envy the sort of people that have that kind of scratch, though.

[mattfeltham]

I guess you mean $215.

 

When you say 'SG Standard" I hope you mean 'G-400'. Because even for $300 an SG Standard would be one heck of a deal.

 

As to a $100' date='000 McCartney Texan... I can think of a lot of things I'd buy first. But some people are a lot more gushy about the Beatles than I am these days. Still, I am pretty sure I'd be just as happy with a contemporary model Gibson acoustic or a Martin D-28... and spend the rest on something useful. You have to envy the sort of people that have that kind of scratch, though.[/quote']

 

Um..i think you missunderstood.

By 'SG Standard' i mean Gibson SG Standard Left Handed, and i do mean $2150.

[eor]

i played one of the japanese elitist versions one day when shopping for jumbos and slopes. after a day of nothing but new and old gibsons and taylors, it was the only one i actually kinda liked, but not north of $2000 liked. natually, the regular epi version sucked in comparison. sadly, so did the vintage gibsons, too. but that's guitar center for you. i'm hoping it was the old strings and poor set up, but we'll never know.