The Artistry of the Guitar - Day 1 2014-04-02 Auction - 137 Price Results - Guernsey's in NY
LiveAuctioneers Logo

1935 Martin 000-281940 Gibson ES-2501954 Gibson Super 400CN
Done
New York, NY, United States
Auction Details

The Artistry of the Guitar - Day 1

Every so often, a remarkable collection is sold at auction. In this way, paintings by Picasso, historic racing Ferraris and other forms of the most sought after items get dispersed to passionate collectors seeking the rarest and best. Such is the case with Guernsey's April 2 & 3 Auction of a stunningly beautiful collection of the finest guitars. Assembled by a gentleman over a period of four decades, there is little in the way of precedent when looking for a comparison to the extraordinary instruments that soon will be sold. The event will be held live at New York City's stylish Bohemian National Center with multiple accommodations for those unable to attend.

Imagine a broad array - nearly three hundred instruments in all - of historic Martin, Gibson, Epiphone, Gretsch, Washburn, Stromberg and Larson Brothers guitars. Bid on treasures created by such talented craftsmen as Torres, D'Angelico and Simplicio. The fifty extraordinary Martins include an 1840s Martin & Coupa, various OM-28, F-9, 00-45, D-28, and D-45 models and the rarest of the rare, a 1930 OM-45 Deluxe. Of the many Gibsons are Super 400s, SJ-200s, L-5s, Nick Lucas models and a one-of-a-kind Super 400 Flattop. The dozen D'Angelicos include New Yorkers, Excels, a Special, a Style A and a mandolin. And then there are instruments made noteworthy by the legendary musicians who played them. But this is just a taste, a sampling of the excitement in store for those who take part in what certainly will be a memorable event.

Guernsey's has produced a comprehensive, handsomely photographed catalogue documenting the many instruments in the auction. Several noted experts have provided detailed descriptions. To acquire the auction book and receive more complete details about this important auction, please contact Guernseys.

Lot Number: Lowest
24
Sold
1928 Gibson Nick Lucas Special: Most collectors only want guitars in original condition with few, if any, modifications, but this particular guitar may be one of the few examples where collectors would make an exception. In
0001: 1928 Gibson Nick Lucas SpecialEst. US$35,000-US$45,000
See Sold Price
1940 Gibson ES-300: NO RESERVE. This 1940 ES-300 is virtually identical to the other example with serial number 96370, although it features the more common nickel-plated metal parts and standard Bakelite control knobs.
0002: 1940 Gibson ES-300Est. US$30,000-US$40,000Lot Passed
1919 Gibson L-4: NO RESERVE. Gibson employee Thaddeus J. McHugh applied for a patent for his adjustable truss rod design on April 5, 1921 (#1,446,758), but this 1919 Gibson L-4 proves that Gibson was experimenting
0003: 1919 Gibson L-4Est. US$40,000-US$50,000Lot Passed
1935 Martin 000-28: Here is a very rare and desirable pre-war Martin 000-28 with a dazzling combination of herringbone and a sunburst finish. It is very similar to the sunburst 1931 OM-28 also in this auction, although
0004: 1935 Martin 000-28Est. US$105,000-US$115,000Lot Passed
1929 Gibson L-5: Here is an early example of an L-5 with all of the standard late-1929 catalog features, most notably its squared-end, 19-fret fingerboard. Eddie Lang’s Gibson L-5 also had a 19-fret neck and very
0005: 1929 Gibson L-5Est. US$85,000-US$95,000Lot Passed
1934 Euphonon: From 1933 through 1944, brothers Carl and August Larson made guitars that were sold under the Euphonon brand name. Euphonon instruments are not marked with any style numbers or model names, and
0007: 1934 EuphononEst. US$95,000-US$105,000Lot Passed
1907 Gibson Style O: Gibson’s first guitar model, the Style O, may not be quite as exotic as the hand-carved guitars that Orville Gibson himself was making only a few years earlier, but the basic overall shape, major
0008: 1907 Gibson Style OEst. US$75,000-US$85,000Lot Passed
1946 D’Angelico Excel: John D’Angelico’s record book lists November 16, 1946 as this guitar’s date of manufacture and “Del Castel” as the customer. Completed a little more than a year after the end of World War
0009: 1946 D’Angelico ExcelEst. US$70,000-US$80,000Lot Passed
1953 Epiphone Triumph Regent: NO RESERVE. The Triumph Regent may not be as visually dazzling as its comparably sized counterpart the De Luxe Regent, but it’s still a very handsome guitar with its notched-diamond
0010: 1953 Epiphone Triumph RegentEst. US$12,000-US$15,000Lot Passed
Sold
1961 Gibson Johnny Smith: NO RESERVE. Of the various hollow body archtop electric artist models that Gibson introduced in the 1960s, the Johnny Smith model was the most successful and enduring, remaining a fixture of the
0011: 1961 Gibson Johnny SmithEst. US$25,000-US$30,000
See Sold Price
Sold
1932 Martin OM-18: Martin’s OM guitars were an instant success upon their introduction. By 1931 when production was in full swing, the OM-18 was one of their most popular models, outsold only by significantly
0012: 1932 Martin OM-18Est. US$90,000-US$100,000
See Sold Price
Sold
1900 Manuel Ramírez Flamenco: Manuel Ramírez (1864-1916) learned how to build guitars from his brother José Ramírez and eventually opened his own shop in the early 1890s located on Madrid’s Plaza de Santa Ana. In 1897,
0013: 1900 Manuel Ramírez FlamencoEst. US$125,000-US$150,000
See Sold Price
1936 Gibson Super 400: This is the first style of the Super 400, which became Gibson’s top-of-the-line model upon its introduction in 1934. Despite making its $400 retail price (the equivalent of about $7,000 today) and
0014: 1936 Gibson Super 400Est. US$40,000-US$50,000Lot Passed
Sold
1935 Martin C-2: NO RESERVE. Like the 1932 C-2 also in this auction, this C-2 has a carved, arched top and numerous Style 28 appointments, including slotted diamond fretboard inlays and a “zig-zag” back strip.
0015: 1935 Martin C-2Est. US$30,000-US$40,000
See Sold Price
C. Late 1940's Stromberg Ultra Deluxe: The Ultra Deluxe is a rare model that wasn’t a standard part of Stromberg’s catalogue; however, as a small, independent shop that built custom instruments, few of the guitars the Strombergs
0016: C. Late 1940's Stromberg Ultra DeluxeEst. US$85,000-US$95,000Lot Passed
1950 Gibson Super 400CN: Gibson didn’t resume post-war production of the natural finish cutaway Super 400, officially known as Super 400CN, until 1950. This is one of only seven Super 400CN guitars that Gibson made the
0017: 1950 Gibson Super 400CNEst. US$85,000-US$95,000Lot Passed
C. 1956 Epiphone FT-210 Deluxe Cutaway: Epiphone offered the FT-210 Deluxe Cutaway flattop guitar for only three years between 1954 and 1957. Some featured a vine-pattern headstock inlay like the one seen on the sunburst example also in
0018: C. 1956 Epiphone FT-210 Deluxe CutawayEst. US$55,000-US$65,000Lot Passed
Sold
1914 Gibson K-4 Mandocello: NO RESERVE. The mandolin reigned supreme as the most popular stringed instrument in the United States at beginning of the 20th century through the early 1920s, closely followed in popularity by the
0019: 1914 Gibson K-4 MandocelloEst. US$20,000-US$25,000
See Sold Price
Sold
1955 Martin D-28: NO RESERVE. This is a great example of a D-28 from the mid-1950s period that’s preferred by many players. Notable features include its original Kluson “ridge back” enclosed tuners and
0020: 1955 Martin D-28Est. US$35,000-US$45,000
See Sold Price
C. 1935 B & D Senorita S-1: The Bacon Banjo Company operated in Groton, Connecticut from 1906 until 1940 when Gretsch purchased the company. In 1922, David Day left Vega to work for Bacon, and shortly afterwards his move was
0021: C. 1935 B & D Senorita S-1Est. US$90,000-US$100,000Lot Passed
Sold
1914 Martin 000-28: Built in 1914, the Martin 000-28 predates both World Wars. Interestingly, this guitar’s neck has 20 frets, but Martin did not display this feature on style 28 guitars until its 1917 catalog. Other
0022: 1914 Martin 000-28Est. US$90,000-US$100,000
See Sold Price
Sold
C. 1935 Prairie State: NO RESERVE. Were it not for the interior reinforcement tube and laminated neck seen on this guitar, this Prairie State could easily be mistaken for a jumbo 14-fret Euphonon from the same era. This
0023: C. 1935 Prairie StateEst. US$45,000-US$55,000
See Sold Price
C. 1950 Stromberg Master 400: Swedish immigrant Charles Stromberg and his son Elmer built guitars together in a small workshop in Boston, Massachusetts from the early 1930s through 1955. (Elmer died only a few months after his
0024: C. 1950 Stromberg Master 400Est. US$225,000-US$250,000Lot Passed
View:
24
TOP