Skiptracer1981 wrote:
that guitar from the 1st link is 36 fucking thousand dollars!! WTF!?
Who in their right f@#$ing mind would pay that much for a god damned pre-war Martin REPLICA!!!!
You're right, that's absurd, they should just go get the real deal, not some replica.
oh wait a second:
"Only 40 OM-45s were produced between 1930 and 1932, and these guitars currently bring $150,000+ in the vintage guitar market.�
–Zachary Fjestad
author of the Blue Book Series "
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... ction.aspx
I wonder what a celebrity=owned one would get?
"Price Realized (Set Currency) $554,500
Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate$150,000 - $250,000 "
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_ ... ID=5185535
OK that's too much, let's look for something very similar. Ah this one should be cheaper, it was refinished, and new lower price:
" • Cash price, $165K, New Lower Price"
http://www.om28.com/stock.htm
And who is this hack, T.J. Thompson, that somebody would want to throw coin on his guitars, never heard of him: !!
Quick "Google" and here's what another luthier has posted on that point:
"TJ Thompson is, in my opinion, the very best in the world at replicating vintage model Martins. His abilities in every area of lutherie are legendary and should be something that other builders take notice of and strive for.
The fit and finish and tone of his guitars rival any other builder's work in the world in any design area whether modern or vintage in nature and intention and he is probably one of the most overlooked builders in this golden era of lutherie. The reason that he's often overlooked is not because the quality of his guitars don't merit notice by everyone, but because he doesn't invest the huge majority of his time in trying to push himself and his instruments to forefront of the industry's window front.
He's a humble guy who has allowed his great guitars to speak for themselves for many years.....and they offered adequate testimony to his ability and their own quality to create a well established slot for TJ among the very best builders of all time.
Legendary may be a stretch when talking about most builders who have claimed that status for themselves, but it is a good fit when talking about TJ Thompson and his guitars.
Regards,"
"TJ, on the other hand, has specialized in the replication and reproduction of what have been considered the very best of the nest of the vintage Martins that have survived many years in the marketplace and in the hands of players and collectors. His work is not only equal to that of the very best builders in the world, but his understanding of and intuition for what makes those great old guitars so great set him apart from almost anyone else in the industry.
The few guitars that i've played that TJ had built had the same incredible tone, volume, response and sustain that make you realize that you're playing something truly special when you handle a beautiful vintage Martin. He doesn't achieve these results as the result of coincidence or by accident, but because of the huge number of true vintage instruments he's been able to handle and closely examine and the sheer number of guitars he's built in their same vein. His experience and exposure to fine vintage Martins actually run deeper than those of even the longest standing employees at Martin and that fact plays a large part in his ability to achieve what he does.
Few builders.....including some who claim themselves to be among the best....actually are, but TJ has allowed his work to make that claim for him and establish that status for him and he really deserves every word of accolade or compliment that he gets as do his wonderful guitars."
Well that's just one guy, let's hear from someone else:
"..there's no one out there building better flat-top guitars in any style. Though he's built many different models, his specialty is the 1930/31-style OM with bar frets, pyramid bridge, ebony neck rod, etc"
"Since I also have 1930 OMs and a late 20's 000-45, I can tell you that T.J.'s guitars come damn close to matching the sound of the originals. I'm not sure how many people could pick out the originals in a blindfold test. In their own way, they're as good now; with more seasoning that will come with more playing, I think they'll surpass the originals in every way. "
And another..
"I've probably played 6 or 7 of them and to me, there is no experience quite like playing a TJ Thompson guitar. I've owned a nice 1930 OM-28, a nice 1930 OM-18, a nice 1929 00-29 and a lot of other great handbuilts (however defined, ha ha) and nothing has touched the OM-45 of his I played some time back. Along with Tone of the Gods, just opening the case and looking at it, the guitar literally looked alive and had this incredible presence that is hard to describe."
etc..
