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A True Story


The Shark

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Well, they've reissued it.  And "it" is the "Painted Over" black Les Paul Sunburst that's a copy of the vintage guitar Joe Bonnamassa now owns.  I just saw a reissue for sale on TGP, so I thought I'd revisit the whole sordid tale.  But first, read this article.  Then, I'll tell you "the rest of the story (hat tip to radio great Paul Harvey)" about the real one. 

https://www.vintageguitar.com/21269/the-blackburst/

So, attorney Jim Dulfer (who wasn't married at the time) was a buddy of mine.  I met him through a studio owner, producer, engineer and the son and heir of the London Fog apparel company.  I was in the business of dealing vintage guitars and had a shop in Orlando.  Dulfer bought a few guitars from me and I'd been to his house in New Smyrna Beach many times.  

After I returned to Stetson University to seek a master's degree in accountancy, I kept my hand in the local vintage scene.  I was the guy that appraised guitars for the local pawn shops and was the first person to call when a "piece" came up for sale.  I had a buddy (I gave him a bottle of Jack every time I found a guitar) that lived in a neighborhood about two miles north of me that was the first neighborhood to get "The Pennysaver".  I can't exactly remember how I became privy to that info, but I think I just paid someone that knew.  So, I'd just cruise his driveway at about 6am every Tuesday morning and be ready to call on any add by 7am.  I wasn't a dick.  I wouldn't call before 7am.  I was, however, the first to call on a bunch of stuff that I flipped while changing professions.  But I missed the big one.

I'm certain it was a Tuesday.  My home phone rang and it was Jim.  He said, "Dave, I can't believe you missed this one.  It was four blocks away from your house".  That moment in my life affords me the opportunity to periodically tell this story. 

The fact of the matter is that I missed that guitar because God didn't want me to have it.  It rained all night.  When I went to get the Pennysaver from my buddy's driveway, it was a bloated mess.  I remember leaving it in the driveway.  The one that was delivered to my house an hour later was soaked too.  My friend Jim Dulfer's Pennysaver delivered later that morning was sufficient to secure the purchase.  He paid $1,200. 

I can remember Dulfer telling me about how the red was bleeding through on the top around the binding.  It had the original sales receipt.  It had the five latch case.  I was sick to my stomach.  I could have paid off my house.

I can remember walking into Jim's house a week or so later and seeing the case on the floor.  He was buying a Boogie from me.  He told me, "I'll never sell it, Dave".  I think he really felt bad for me.  Hell, I felt bad for me. 

The rest is history.  I think one of those other "owners" was Aoki in Japan. I've contacted Joe B. via a mutual friend.  No matter what anyone says, my story should be inserted between Mr. Waters order and Joey B's acquisition.  It's provenance, for God's sake.  And I want free tickets to the gig in Orlando...

 

 

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Wow - sorry you missed it but pretty neat to be one step away from so much history.

Around here pre internet days we anxiously awaited the Bargain News every Thursday morning IIRC. Now and again you would hear about somebody who had a friend at the printers who would tip their buddies off to the good deals so they were already gone by Thursday morning! :-)

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Wow... That’s a great story!!! I had just worked on a friends 1964 Firebird, new strings intonation... the sales slip from Sioux Falls Music was still in the case. $450.00... he picked it up, said thank and sold it to Stevie Ray Vaughn... who happened to be in town for a show... for a $1,000.00... I wanted that guitar and would have paid him twice that... the guitar still had the original strings on it when I changed them and a new set of 1964 Gibsons in the case... which I left undisturbed. I’m still pissed at him...

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16 hours ago, The Shark said:

Well, they've reissued it.  And "it" is the "Painted Over" black Les Paul Sunburst that's a copy of the vintage guitar Joe Bonnamassa now owns.  I just saw a reissue for sale on TGP, so I thought I'd revisit the whole sordid tale.  But first, read this article.  Then, I'll tell you "the rest of the story (hat tip to radio great Paul Harvey)" about the real one. 

https://www.vintageguitar.com/21269/the-blackburst/

So, attorney Jim Dulfer (who wasn't married at the time) was a buddy of mine.  I met him through a studio owner, producer, engineer and the son and heir of the London Fog apparel company.  I was in the business of dealing vintage guitars and had a shop in Orlando.  Dulfer bought a few guitars from me and I'd been to his house in New Smyrna Beach many times.  

After I returned to Stetson University to seek a master's degree in accountancy, I kept my hand in the local vintage scene.  I was the guy that appraised guitars for the local pawn shops and was the first person to call when a "piece" came up for sale.  I had a buddy (I gave him a bottle of Jack every time I found a guitar) that lived in a neighborhood about two miles north of me that was the first neighborhood to get "The Pennysaver".  I can't exactly remember how I became privy to that info, but I think I just paid someone that knew.  So, I'd just cruise his driveway at about 6am every Tuesday morning and be ready to call on any add by 7am.  I wasn't a dick.  I wouldn't call before 7am.  I was, however, the first to call on a bunch of stuff that I flipped while changing professions.  But I missed the big one.

I'm certain it was a Tuesday.  My home phone rang and it was Jim.  He said, "Dave, I can't believe you missed this one.  It was four blocks away from your house".  That moment in my life affords me the opportunity to periodically tell this story. 

The fact of the matter is that I missed that guitar because God didn't want me to have it.  It rained all night.  When I went to get the Pennysaver from my buddy's driveway, it was a bloated mess.  I remember leaving it in the driveway.  The one that was delivered to my house an hour later was soaked too.  My friend Jim Dulfer's Pennysaver delivered later that morning was sufficient to secure the purchase.  He paid $1,200. 

I can remember Dulfer telling me about how the red was bleeding through on the top around the binding.  It had the original sales receipt.  It had the five latch case.  I was sick to my stomach.  I could have paid off my house.

I can remember walking into Jim's house a week or so later and seeing the case on the floor.  He was buying a Boogie from me.  He told me, "I'll never sell it, Dave".  I think he really felt bad for me.  Hell, I felt bad for me. 

The rest is history.  I think one of those other "owners" was Aoki in Japan. I've contacted Joe B. via a mutual friend.  No matter what anyone says, my story should be inserted between Mr. Waters order and Joey B's acquisition.  It's provenance, for God's sake.  And I want free tickets to the gig in Orlando...

 

 

                                        Sorry you missed that one Dave that is a "BIG DOG" for sure...........................VERY cool story nonetheless.  Hard to forget...........................and I'm sure you never will. This should bring back some memories.https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?188804-The-Black-Burst-has-stopped-by-for-a-visit!!!&highlight=blackburst

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2 hours ago, DBraz said:

Thank you for sharing.  It’s a great read although I dare say you get that sinking feeling whenever you share it.

I think the ultimate "dis" was when I saw my friend Mac Yasuda at the Orlando show the following year.  He was drunk (per usual) and he punched me in the arm and said, "I would have given you 200K for it"!  I told him I had a pre-War D-28 and I wasn't even going to let him look at it.  Fun times, but the "sinking feeling" has afflicted me more than once!

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