How many guitars do I have and how old is the oldest ? This was a comment question asked by a follower. How many ? well I have more than some collectors and not nearly as many as other collectors. This is not ment to be evasive. I have guitars in several locations and every time that I try to take a count or go to my recorded inventory I either forget to count some in different locations or realize that My inventory list is not up to date with my most recent purchases. The last time that I made a recorded picture inventory list it took all day to photograph, which is why I am now behind in this record. I probably need at least two whole days to do another full picture inventory( maybe more). Stopping and playing each guitar most likely does not help speed this process along. But what fun. The oldest ? That would be the 1928, The Gibson, tenor guitar that is posted on this blog. I do have older mandolins, but we're talking guitars here. That makes this guitar 82 years old. Not bad for guitar that was found in an attic in Vermont. In my next post I will talk about what criteria prompts a purchase for my collection. This is a 1966 Harmony nylon string, model 173 which I restored a few years ago . Not worth a lot of money by vintage standards or desirability, but it is a nice player ( if you play classical) and came out of a barn in central Vermont. The restoration included a neck reset, bridge re-glue and a few loose braces re- glued. The area just below the sound hole is well worn, but I do not believe that it ever had a pick guard as a classical is not suppose to be played with a pick, unless your Willie Nelson. Check out the hole on his classical guitar from years of playing. well that's it for today, but keep your eyes open for treasures that don't shine like gold, that's what makes them so much fun to find.
