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Topic: Walter Becker auction |
scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 1 Nov 2019 2:45 pm |
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just wondering if anyone else was paying attention to the Walter Becker (of Steely Dan) auction in L.A. a couple weeks ago. pretty fascinating, especially for fans of Walter and "the Dan". he had a massive collection of over 600 guitars and basses, including around 30 lap steels. there was an old ElectraHarp in there but no pedal steels otherwise.
I was outbid on a 7-string Gibson UltraTone lap steel that I thought was mine (!) but ended up winning a beautiful Glendale telecaster (!!!)
he also had over 400 amps, one was a Fender Twin Reverb modified with a 15-inch speaker and larger cabinet, formerly owned by Merle Haggard's Strangers (lot 517).
you can view the entire catalog and final bids here:
https://www.julienslive.com/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/312
most of the lap steels were grouped together, from lot 579 to 606. as far as I know, he never played any lap steel on record but he must have noodled a bit at home. he lived in Hawaii for many years, perhaps that sparked his interest in steel.
there will be another auction online soon, with a few more odds and ends from his vast collection
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Jack Stanton
From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
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Posted 2 Nov 2019 9:01 am
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| $9,000 for a Klon! Whoa! |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Nov 2019 10:07 am
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| Thirty lap steels...For noodling? |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 2 Nov 2019 4:09 pm
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his collection could be considered excessive by some. clearly money wasn't an object and if he wanted an instrument or an amp, he bought it. I can't imagine he really found the time to play 600 guitars and basses either
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Nov 2019 7:42 pm
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| Bordering on mental illness. |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 2 Nov 2019 10:38 pm
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just a question of economics. if money isn't an issue, then there's no reason not to buy an instrument that you want. he was also very willing to patronize small builders, no doubt keeping some of them in business to some degree. he was wealthy, charitable, and a total guitar and amp fanatic. the music he helped create speaks for itself
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 7 Nov 2019 4:09 am
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| scott murray wrote: |
his collection could be considered excessive by some. clearly money wasn't an object and if he wanted an instrument or an amp, he bought it. I can't imagine he really found the time to play 600 guitars and basses either
just a question of economics. if money isn't an issue, then there's no reason not to buy an instrument that you want. he was also very willing to patronize small builders, no doubt keeping some of them in business to some degree. he was wealthy, charitable, and a total guitar and amp fanatic. the music he helped create speaks for itself |
In his defense he appears to be one of those who invested his money in art.
Look at all the money he left his family.
But I like your thought that he might've bought stock in small builders to keep them afloat. His money didn't go anywhere and gained the halo effect upgrade in value because he owned the guitars. Whether intended or serendipity, that was a brilliant move on his part.
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ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7
Last edited by Godfrey Arthur on 9 Nov 2019 3:04 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Ronald Ballister
From:
New York, New York, USA
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Posted 9 Nov 2019 7:34 am
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| Most guitar players are afflicted with G.A.S. to some degree. Even with my tiny collection there is stuff I haven't really got around to playing much. I can't imagine Becker played most of this stuff more than once in the music store. Perhaps subscribed to the POV that whomever ends up with the most stuff when he dies wins. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 13 Nov 2019 11:04 am
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| Depending when he purchased some of the items, they could have been excellent investments. I don't see any bargains in the sale prices. Interesting list! |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 13 Nov 2019 12:06 pm
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Unless it's some well known iconic instrument I just don't get it, the part about paying way over market value for a guitar because it belonged to a celebrity player - just like I don't get the whole brand new guitars that are relic'd business. Try as I might my brain can't fathom these things.
Here is one example from Walter's collection: a Tokai Jazz Sound bass from the '80s with a high estimate from the auction house of $500 and someone bought it for $2,240.
You're paying a premium of $1700+ to pull it out of the case every so often to show it to someone and be able to say, "this bass belonged to the late Walter Becker of Steely Dan."
The old saying needs to be adjusted for inflation, but I still prefer the original - "that plus six bits will buy you a cup of coffee."
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Mark |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 13 Nov 2019 2:37 pm
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| Mark Eaton wrote: |
| , "this bass belonged to the late Walter Becker of Steely Dan." |
It's called the "halo effect" something owned by a celebrity will reflect a higher price.
And it is subjective, centered around that part of the population that knows and reveres the celebrity.
Law of supply and demand; when the supply is down and the demand is high, the price goes up.
Below is Hendrix's Woodstock Strat, the one he used playing the Star Bangled Banner. Sold to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for a reported $2M in 1998.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwIymq0iTsw
Jimi's Star Spangled Banner Strat
Marley's Washburn was a gift to his guitar tech, Gary Clausen, and although the whereabouts of the guitar are under wraps, the Jamaican gov't declared the guitar a national treasure and the value of this guitar was upwards of $2M when the Jamaican gov't reportedly purchased to secure it.
Bob Marley's Washburn
Fender made the Strat below for Bryan Adam's (Summer of '69-Cuts Like A Knife, that Bryan) "Reach Out To Asia" project to help musos raise money for the victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia. Fender spent up to $25k making the guitar. It sold for $2.7M with the autographs of 19 artists, including Clapton, Page, Gilmour, and Iommi. One "holy" guitar.
Reach Out To Asia Strat
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ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 14 Nov 2019 12:53 am
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while a handful of Walter's items sold for large sums, many sold for less than their market value. I'm fairly sure I paid less than Walter did for the guitar I acquired.
it was nothing like the recent David Gilmour auction, where basically everything went for exorbitant amounts simply because Gilmour owned them.
for comparison, Gilmour auctioned 126 items for a total of 21.5 million. the highest selling guitar went for just under 4 million.
the Becker auction contained over 1000 items, netting 3.3 million total. the highest selling guitar went for just under 70,000.
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 14 Nov 2019 9:43 am
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| Quote: |
| for comparison, Gilmour auctioned 126 items for a total of 21.5 million. the highest selling guitar went for just under 4 million. |
And the inflation reflects the prices, so does the halo effect for each artist.
Upside is those that paid $2M for Jimi's Strat in 1998 can expect (should the planet not go to the apes) an increase in the value.
For Walter, I think his situation was he was in a band that wasn't really all about the guitar, but the songs and the vocals.
And it would've helped I surmise that had Walter played the guitars in public, it would've upped the ante.
But that he thought to collect all that gear, he did gather some nuts for the winter.
Jerry Garcia's Wolf below, went for $789,500
but it resold in 2017 for $1.9M although tied to a fund raiser.
Clapton's Blackie below sold for $959,000 in 2004.
Perhaps timing has much to do with things.
As long as society retains its history, these planks of wood and strings will hold and increase their value.
Same for any work of art.
Bring the Mona Lisa to some lost tribe in a forgotten jungle and you will not get anything for it.
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ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2019 9:53 am
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Just a detail, Godfrey, but the planks of wood aren’t the works of art. They are akin to Michaelangelo’s hammer and chisel - which might indeed be valued as highly as some of his works of art.
I wonder, are those the same strings Jimi played at Woodstock? |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 14 Nov 2019 10:50 am
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| Fred Treece wrote: |
Just a detail, Godfrey, but the planks of wood aren’t the works of art. They are akin to Michaelangelo’s hammer and chisel - which might indeed be valued as highly as some of his works of art.
I wonder, are those the same strings Jimi played at Woodstock? |
Fred I have often pondered your same thought on this but I still come away with a work of art as a chisel, hammer or paint brush are too simple of a tool.
In the case of musical instruments, they are works of art that can be used as tools. You find them in museums.
This is where a dichotomy exists.
The great thing about musical instruments is you can own them, play and use them to make another dimension of art while retaining the value, watch it accrue in worth while you're using them.
Jerry's Wolf guitar as well as his Tiger, can't be other than works of art for the amount of time, effort and expense.
As far as Jimi's Woodstock Strat, I don't imagine those are the same strings as Jimi could've changed them after the show.
But guys like Steven Seagal, who besides breaking bones on the big screen, is a great musician who collects guitars.
And he goes to the extent of not even cleaning the guitar as he doesn't want to wipe the finger and hand oils of the original artist off the guitar.
Now is that Zen or what?
Here is an interesting History clip with Steven showing off his collection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2MUzYR_2eM
Keifer Sutherland's collection below
Andy's Dragon guitars
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ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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Mike Bacciarini
From:
Arizona
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Posted 15 Nov 2019 11:50 am
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Geddy Lee has a few nice instruments too.
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MCI Arlington S-10 3+5, George L E-66, BJS & Emmons bars, Fender Stage Lead II 100W 1x12, Fender Satellite SFX, custom FX rack, 1983 Dobro 60D, SX-8 lap steel, Martin D16GT, Ibanez AS73, 1978 Rickenbacker 4000 custom. |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 23 Nov 2019 8:14 am
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phase 2 of the Becker auction is live... it's online only and ends Dec 9. it's mostly effects pedals and amps, but there's a few instruments and random equipment
https://www.julienslive.com/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/326
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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