Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates

Subject: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:31 PM

Clicky

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:36 PM

Well, it's not as tacky as the Jesus Guitar was.....looks sort of like Porter Waggoner's Dream........

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: cowboypoet
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:37 PM

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! An actual tangible example of both conspicuous consumption and bad taste. Sorry, I know these things are subjective, and I like Martin guitars -- heck, I play one -- but this thing reminds me of the episode of the original Star Trek in which one of the characters was a creature so hideous that if you opened the box it lived in and just looked at it you went mad.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:39 PM

Agreed Cowboypoet.
I've always loathed "tree of life" inlays as garish and tacky. This takes it to an all new level...although if I had to choose between this and the "Jesus" guitar, I'd take this hands down. (4 grand for the wood, and the rest of the cost in inlay work.)

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: mousethief
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:43 PM

Hmm. I was going to say how pretty it was. Guess I'd better not, now.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Allan C.
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:51 PM

Gene Autry's shirts would have gone well with it. Or maybe Roy's.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:51 PM

Go for it "Mouse"! I've got a "tree of life" spruce and rosewood guitar, which I've grown to love (well, it'll do for now!) but it pales in decoration to Gates' dream axe. Actually I've owned two other "tree of life" axes. A Larrivee (with ivory...horrors!..bridge) and a Mossman.

This one is pretty overdone though.

Rick

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Metchosin
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:53 PM

Or how about a "Pikasso Guitar" at this site

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Metchosin
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:55 PM

a number of the parts don't seem to be functional.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: hesperis
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:01 PM

It's pretty. Kinda glittery though, and you can't really appreciate the beauty of the wood next to all that. (Very pretty grain on the wood.)

What would something sound like with all that inlay?

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:03 PM

The inlay adds absolutely zippo to the sound. It is purely ornamental. This guitar would sound as good as any new Brazilian rosewood D-45 Martin is making --which is pretty damn good.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: mousethief
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:04 PM

a number of the parts don't seem to be functional

I once dated a girl like that.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:10 PM

In the circles that I run in, if you showed up with a guitar like that you'd better be a world class picker, or you'd get some pointed one liners thrown at you.....UNLESS you were a "suit" with money to invest in everyone's newest album project! Ha Ha!

Rick

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:11 PM

I'd be afraid to take it out of my home.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: dwditty
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:11 PM

Yeah, but can she cook.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:12 PM

I think we all know people with more money than taste.....

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:13 PM

That's pretty hideous........Wretched excess strikes again.

And for those of you who missed the "Jesus Guitar"...CLICK HERE

Spaw

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:14 PM

...well 'Spaw if Liberace were alive today and a guitar player instead of a pianist...

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: GUEST,CraigS
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 06:59 PM

I'm just pointing out that George Gruhn, who's selling this thing, keeps vampire bats for a hobby.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: jeepman (inactive)
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 07:12 PM

Hey does this thing have Air conditioning and powerful steering?

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 07:18 PM

well, I think it's kind of pretty and I guess I have a stupid question: why is the the one for Bill Gates? Is it the money thing? {*_*}

kat

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 07:20 PM

Yes Kat. Who is going to pay $50,000 for a new guitar?..other than perhaps Bill who earns that amount every nanosecond. It just kind of floored me when I saw it and I thought I'd share it.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 07:48 PM

for that kinda money, it oughta be self-tuning and have a secret drawer for picks & capo

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 07:57 PM

Thanks, JP, just wondering...

BillD, for that kinda money, it should play itself and sound almost perfect!

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:07 PM

Bill...for that kind of money it should come chained to a hooker!

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:17 PM

Or, a stud-muffin!**BG**

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:19 PM

nah, self tuning and with pre programmed tunes/songs beats hooker any day!! (of course, for "only" $50,000 it would probably only play Go Tell Aunt Rhody")

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Susan of DT
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:23 PM

Wait till you see what matching picks cost.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:25 PM

I'll bet that was a BEAUTIFULL instrument before the inlayer got ahold of it. Mike

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:45 PM

You know if they'd just left it with just the herringbone pearl work around the top, the fretboard tongue and rosette, and put classic hexagon D-45 inlays on the fingerboard, and tortise style veneer on the peghead, it would have been stunning.

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 12:38 AM

Actually it wouldn't be that unusual if this was 1899 instead of 2001. Martin, Washburn and several makers built extremely elaborate guitars for performers AND teachers(!!) Pearl was King (or Queen) and abalone was NO baloney in those days. Vega, Cole, Bacon and Day and even Gibson built banjos that Bill Gates would have drooled over. OK, someone with a quick mind (or who didn't get thowed outta high school)...A most elaborate Martin that sold for 125 dollars in 1900...what would that be in today's dollars?

Rick

Subject: RE: Finally! - A guitar for Bill Gates
From: Justa Picker
Date: 03 Feb 01 - 12:49 AM

That would depend on its uniqueness, desirability, collectability and historical importance --but your points are spot on and well taken, Rick.

I'll cite for example a 1939 D-45 which originally sold for $250.00 is today worth somewhere in the proximity of between 80 and 140 thousand dollars. A D-18 made at the same time that might have cost 85 dollars would today be worth 12 - 18 thousand dollars. Yet a Martin classical guitar made in 1939 would barely be worth enough now to purchase a new D-28. Many factors have to be considered about what constitutes appreciative value in vintage instruments.