Social science looks at celebrity guitar collecting

[fur85]

Some research about why we want celebrity instruments. Hmmm, it's the Black Plague after all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/science/09guitar.html

[Dave W]

I was wondering when they would get to using the word mojo, and it's the last word in the article. Maybe it should have been the first, considering how strongly some musicians believe in it. Their theories about contagion are another way of expressing it. But is this a bigger reason to want celebrity instruments than the pleasant associations?

[Chaser001]

I don't identify at all with the logic that would make people want celebrity instruments.  I'd way rather buy something new, or maybe something used in good condition.  But the fact that a celebrity may have used something is totally irrelevant to me. 

[Pilgrim]

Celebrity-owned instruments have no increased value to me either, BUT they definitely have value to some segment of the buying public.  I think the thought process may be related to the group that likes reliced instruments.  I think of it as "rent-a-mojo."

[nofi]

almost one million bucks is stiff rent for a parts guitar, 'blackie'. but i can see how the mojo thing may be relevant in some cases. the guy who thought playing with duane allman's strings made him a better player, for example. who knows for sure. in his mind it may have seemed real to him, maybe it was.

[gweimer]

Well, I wouldn't say that owning a celebrity bass makes it any more valuable, but it does have some cool factor.  Even the Eden head I picked up used was apparently owned by the bassist for POD.  His initials are on the front...I think.  I've seen the same type head in a video of theirs.  For me, it was a good second head, and cheaper than buying new.

As far as my Embassy, I think the real reason why it's a great bass has more to do with what Tom Petersson *might* have had done to it.  I'm pretty sure that Cheap Trick was really into pickup mods early on.  I'd bet money that the pickups in there have been rewound.  This bass sounds just so good - nothing like any other stock Thunderbird I've ever played.  Right, Mark?   

[Dave W]

Mojo can't be transferred to a new owner.

I've never been into the cult of celebrity in any way. But there are a few musicians whose music personally means a lot to me. none of them are or were really celebrities. It would be an honor to own something they once owned. I might even pay extra for it.

[Pilgrim]

I figure that all the "mojo" in the world plus a buck will buy you coffee in a cheap restaurant. 

Not a believer here.  At all. 

[uwe]

I have a handful lesser celebrity basses (Pappalardi, the bass player from Kingdom Come, T.M. Stevens, Me'Shell Nd-whatshername). I can truthfully say that none of them was bought for the celebrity factor, they were all prototypes, one-offs or custom shop raries with the exception of Pappalardi's cherry refinned EB-1 which was at that point just an affordable, non-broken fifties EB-1 to me. It probably means the most to people who don't play an instrument - when they see my collection in the office they inevitably ask "were any of these basses owned by famous people?". I then have to explain to thirty-year olds who Mountain and Felix were, but all that ever interests them is that he was shot by his wife. If I had a bass pre-owned by Jack the Ripper that would be the one for them.

And, no, when I play Felix' EB-1 his ghost does not possess me nor do I speak in strange tongues, I'm still Uwe Hornung with a too small silly-looking bass on me. Given his ultimate fate, I think that is a good thing!

[fur85]

I don't identify at all with the logic that would make people want celebrity instruments... the fact that a celebrity may have used something is totally irrelevant to me. 

It's completely illogical. We, the offspring of the survivors of the plague, are not a logical breed. But we survived because we feared the bad mojo of those who were infected (before we knew anything about germs or infection).

This bass sounds just so good - nothing like any other stock Thunderbird I've ever played.  Right, Mark?   

I have to agree with you Gary, it does have a special sound. I'm not expert though, I haven't played that many T-birds.

I've never been into the cult of celebrity in any way. But there are a few musicians whose music personally means a lot to me. none of them are or were really celebrities. It would be an honor to own something they once owned. I might even pay extra for it.

I agree. I'd love to have Eddie Shaw's white EB-0 (painted white at an auto body shop) from his days in the Monks.

[Freuds_Cat]

Anyone who can come up with a line like: "a dynamic cyclical model of fetishization appropriate to an age of mass-production." Needs to be ignored very quickly.

Most basses when in my hands regardless of date of manufacture or history tend to sound mostly like me. I get up and play with other guys basses through a 3rd players amp (did this recently) and still sound mostly like what I'm used to hearing on my own stage. Probably has something to do with the fact that I get to twiddle the knobs and play in such a way that pleases my ear 

I can honestly say that playing a Geddy Lee or Marcus Miller Jazz for a few songs did not make me sound even remotely like either.

[Pilgrim]

Most basses when in my hands regardless of date of manufacture or history tend to sound mostly like me. I get up and play with other guys basses through a 3rd players amp (did this recently) and still sound mostly like what I'm used to hearing on my own stage.

One of my favorite quotations, to be completed by the reader:  "The sound is in the h_ _ _ s."

I believe it.

[godofthunder]

 Mojo is not transferable. Having said that the only piece of Celebrity gear is my '75 Hiwatt DR201 from Slade's back line. The Slade connection didn't really add any value to it I paid $1500 (a great deal imho) in fact I think I got a better deal because it is a Slade amp and I am a fan. The two guys who arranged this deal knew I am a fan and went to great lengths to get this amp to me. even holding it for almost a year till I could scrap up the funds. It's kinda cool to have this amp in my back line I think of all the tens of thousands of people that enjoyed the music that ran through it. It makes me smile every time I set up and plug in. Does anyone else even remotely care? Probably not.

[Highlander]

(I feel for ya, Bro... )

Crikey, I'd forgotten what you paid for that old girl... that's a lot less than you'ld pay for one of that vintage here - I've been offered twice that for mine...!

[godofthunder]

  Stu (BigStu here) and Nomis were keen to see me get this amp and I am forever indebted . Nomis was more than kind with his pricing.