Rick,

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has one of Lead Belly's Stellas. I don't know if it's the last one, though. Two years ago at the Folk Alliance I heard talk of the Hall of Fame stringing that baby up with new wire and having a couple of famous blues players lay down a track or two on it. I believe Sir Clapton's name was mentioned.

I did meet a guy there who had a 12-String he had restrung with Lead Belly's gauges. It also had old ladder type bracing on the top (like an old Stella). It was a new guitar, but oh, the sound! It took me right back to Lead Belly's recordings the way no other 12-string ever had.

I came back from the Folk Alliance and wanted to try that for myself. But, first, I had to research the gauges of Lead Belly's strings. Some Search Engine led me to a place called the Mudcat. The rest is history (and the ending of life as I once knew it).

I believe Eric was raising money for the drug rehabilitation center he helped to establish (I mean with his personal money, not with his health insurance payments!).

And besides, unlike yourself who can only afford 5,000 guitars (2,427 of which were later stolen), rock stars go through guitars like I go through peanut butter. So what's a couple dozen less guitars? I mean, how many guitars can you truly love at one time (a new thread subject?)

Big RiB