Why did Blackie sell for so much?

[RoboCop00]

960k or something like that, right?

 

Seems like an exorbant amount of money, even if it was Clapton's main axe for awhile. Did Jimi's artic white Strat ever sell for that much?

[Sambora#2]

For a 'Bitsa' guitar, 960k is a heck of a lot of money.

 

I would almost certainly say that the price was hiked up because of the mojo the axe oozes out of every screw hole!

[flyguitar]

some overloaded with money, who probably can't play guitar at all

[Sambora#2]

If i recall correctly, some rock cafe company bought it, and I am sure they bought his cherry red es335 as well.

[misterhinkydink]

 

Originally posted by Sambo_The_Secon If i recall correctly, some rock cafe company bought it, and I am sure they bought his cherry red es335 as well.

 

 

 

Guitar Center bought both.

[FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit]

Blackie was unique in that EC himself assembled it from a stack of Strats he bought.

Guitar Center (owned by Musicians Friend) bought Blackie.

 

I wonder if Christie's gave them free shipping?

[Milkman1]

How much a guitar or anything else sells for has nothing to do with its quality. It's pretty simple really. It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay.

 

 

To me, "blackie" would be worth around $800. and I would have to modify it once I got it home.

[Faber]

It's a part of pop music history. An Icon from a particular era. How good or bad the instrument is doesn't matter

[FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit]

 

Originally posted by Milkman1 How much a guitar or anything else sells for has nothing to do with its quality. It's pretty simple really. It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay. To me, "blackie" would be worth around $800. and I would have to modify it once I got it home.

 

 

 

As a guitar, it's worthless. Clapton said himself he 'retired' it in 1987 because it was virtually unplayable from wear.

[Milkman1]

 

Originally posted by FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit As a guitar, it's worthless. Clapton said himself he 'retired' it in 1987 because it was virtually unplayable from wear.

 

 

 

Ah, I see. Well in that case I'll reduce my offer to $350. There must be a few good parts I could use.

 

 

 

I don't mean to sound disrespectful. I'm just not a collector. If I can't use it on stage or in the studio, it's useless to me, and even if I can, a Strat is worth a maximum of $1200 ~ 1500 if it's a special case, less if it's a garden variety strat.

[FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit]

 

Originally posted by Milkman1 Ah, I see. Well in that case I'll reduce my offer to $350. There must be a few good parts I could use. I don't mean to sound disrespectful. I'm just not a collector. If I can't use it on stage or in the studio, it's useless to me, and even if I can, a Strat is worth a maximum of $1200 ~ 1500 if it's a special case, less if it's a garden variety strat.

 

 

You're more generous than me. I don't think any bolt-neck guitar is worth $1000, and I don't think any set-neck guitar is worth $2000.

[Edward]

According to Clapton's guitar tech in an interview in the British Guitar magazine a few years ago, "it's still got plenty of playing left in it, just not as a stand up and give it a wallop every night guitar". Basically, the neck was too worn to support another refret, so it'd have needed a new neck fitted to it. Naturally, done by anyone but Clapton himself, that would decimate the value of it on the collector's market. Still, that aside, if the rest of it was still great and usable, it does bear out the positives of Leo's design brief that the guitar should be easily repairable.... bolt a new neck on and you're good to go...

[VoodooAxis]

Believe that Jimi's drummer"Mitch Mitchell" sold Jimi's

Woodstock Strat to Paul Allen for 500-600 K. It's in

the EMP museum in Seatle;

 

emplive.org

 

Jimi's favorite Strat was this one;

 

http://www.univibes.com/BlackStrat.html

 

As far as Clapton's Blackie I thought GC bought it.

If I had the money I would have bought it,put a new

"Old neck" on it and played it. Of course would have kept

the original neck too.

 

Peace,

VoodooAxis

[FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit]

If a guitar needs a new neck, isn't that guitar worthless as a player? If a car needs a new engine isn't it worthless as a driver?

I guess what I am saying is if it were a '87 strat owned by Joe Blow down the street and it was that worn, is it worth a new neck?f

[jchrist]

Has any of you ever heard the word: Charity? If not, read the story behind before you start whining.

 

 

Blackie was one of 88 guitars and other items Clapton and other musicians donated to raise money for Crossroads Centre Antigua, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center Clapton founded in the West Indies. In addition to "Blackie," a 1964 Gibson ES-335 guitar went for $847,500 and a 1939 Martin 000-42 acoustic used in Clapton's "Unplugged" concert album brought $791,500.

 

[angus_old]

i read that jimmy page got a serious offer of 1 million pounds (almost 2 million dollars) for his #1 Les Paul but turned it down

[Musashi]

Look at it this way too as a possibility:

 

Guitar costs $960,000.

GC COULD (or could sell the rights, outsource whatever) to have relic models made that are EXTREMELY accurate.

 

Produce a limited run of 2000 that sell for $5000 each. 2000*5000=$1 million. Not LIKELY, but not outside the realm of possibility.

 

Or maybe they really believe in his charity.

[Dr Wanker]

Why? Because it's a piece of history.

 

P.S. I'm selling off a piece of Christ's Cross if anyone is interested.

[otis_rush_fan]

I always liked Brownie's sound better.

[Milkman1]

 

Originally posted by FlyingBloodyFrogBiscuit If a guitar needs a new neck, isn't that guitar worthless as a player? If a car needs a new engine isn't it worthless as a driver? I guess what I am saying is if it were a '87 strat owned by Joe Blow down the street and it was that worn, is it worth a new neck?f

 

 

 

 

A replacement neck can be had for around $100 ~ $150.

 

 

Definitely not worthless as a player in my opinion.

[Milkman1]

"Has any of you ever heard the word: Charity? If not, read the story behind before you start whining."

 

 

charity, shmarity.

 

 

Guitar Center wasn'tlikely motivated by any such altruistic sentiments.

 

 

They'll find a way to use it for promotion.

[coyote-1]

I don't begrudge anyone who can spend that kind of $$$ for a guitar.

 

AND no matter how wealthy I ever become, I'd not EVER spend that kind of $$$ on a guitar. No trophy-case instruments here.

[jdjonsson]

Originally posted by Musashi Look at it this way too as a possibility: Guitar costs $960,000. GC COULD (or could sell the rights, outsource whatever) to have relic models made that are EXTREMELY accurate. Produce a limited run of 2000 that sell for $5000 each. 2000*5000=$1 million. Not LIKELY, but not outside the realm of possibility. Or maybe they really believe in his charity.

 

How about GC buys it, and puts it in their boutique shop in LA behind glass, and uses it as a draw to sell thousands of pricey custom shop models?

 

(cuz that's what they're doing.)

[jchrist]

 

Originally posted by Milkman1 "Has any of you ever heard the word: Charity? If not, read the story behind before you start whining." charity, shmarity. Guitar Center wasn'tlikely motivated by any such altruistic sentiments. They'll find a way to use it for promotion.

 

 

Of course they would use it for promotion - so would I. Otherwise they wouldn't have spent that amount. They spent that amount for charity, not just for buying an old beater guitar. They're also getting some good publicity by selling Gibsons "Music Rising" Les Pauls. Main purpose is still charity in some way or another.

 

Some of you would buy it for 350$ and spend 0$ on charity. I'll leave it up to you to decide who the decent people are.

 

My god, you're such a bunch of mindless Guitar Center bashers.

[jerry_picker]

 

Originally posted by Milkman1 "Has any of you ever heard the word: Charity? If not, read the story behind before you start whining." charity, shmarity. Guitar Center wasn'tlikely motivated by any such altruistic sentiments.

 

 

Hey, a write-off is a write-off...I'm sure their accountants did their homework.