CR87272

Owned by Will in Los Angeles.

 Faded Tobacco.
Utterly magnificent. 

The Story:

Hello there - love the web site, and I hope you enjoy this story, even though it comes from a (nooooo!!!) banjo player.
 
I've been playing banjo twenty years and am still no Earl Scruggs.  My nephew, Will, now fifteen and a half, has been playing guitar for three years and in that unfairly short time has - well, developed more than "enough stuff" to deserve what happened to him on Saturday.
 
He was playing a (public) concert.  All Led Zeppelin.  I picked him up as arranged, and we drove over to the venue.  In the parking lot, I got out my camera and pretended to interview him.  "So, Will, a Led Zeppelin concert -- look, this is disrespectful, why aren't you playing a chambered 58 Vintage Original Specs Les Paul?!"  Reply, with a grin, "Because I can't afford one."  "Oh.  Well, if you had one, would you play it?"  Answer, "Definitely!" -- "Okay, well look in the back seat..."
 
Incoherent noises followed along the lines of "gnurk?" and "whaa..?"
 
SN: CR 87272.  Faded Tobacco.  Stunning instrument.  I may be a poor, benighted banjo player, but I do love, and collect, good instruments.  My knowledge of prewar Gibson banjos stood me in good stead here.  You may say, "wow, spoiled kid."  But I never have to give him anything ever again, do I?  Because he's never going to get another present that will blow him away like this one.  And, let's see, he's fifteen, if I live to see him hit fifty, that's not much per year.  Taking into account inflation in the years to come...  And in those years to come, this wonderful instrument will be played.
 
And the concert?  Well, Jimmy would have been proud of the lad.  He nailed it. 
 
Richard

 

UPDATE:

I (Will) played CR87272 at the roxy last night. It was INCREDIBLE.
I played "Heartbreaker" and "Since I've Been Loving You" with our Santa Monica school, and then "Good Times Bad Times" with the Paul Green All-Stars (Paul Green is the founder of school of rock and the all-stars are all the best kids from around the US). Perry Farell (Lead singer of a really cool heavy rock group named Janes Addiction) was there and Jon Anderson (Lead singer of Yes) was there and they both told me I was great and gave me high fives and everything. Jon Anderson even gave me a hug. And It all sounded amazing. Because.... There was an awesome guitar :).

 

You must see this clip and remember he is only 15:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYCqkKZOrl0&feature=user

Check them out here.