Guitar abuse / alternative use

Bob-Dubery

So these two guys walk into McGibbon's on Saturday - with a Maingard 10-string classical.

A Maingard.

Somebody paid serious money for this guitar originally.

Straightaway you could see the fab rosewood back and sides.

And the green patterns that somebody had painted on the top with enamel paint.

And what's that bit of two-cord lighting flex hanging out the side?

Somebody had taken this guitar and converted it into a lamp.

I kid you not. There was a socket inside for a 230v incandescent globe.

It was NOT in good shape. I would imagine that the heat generated by that globe had caused most of the damage. There were two big cracks in the top, one each side of the bridge. The top was flexing like crazy - you could put your hand on it and push the top inwards with little effort. Andy figured this was down to these two parallel cracks, that the bracing was actually OK.

There was also a hole in the lower bout where the switch was mounted, and another hole drilled or punched right through the rosewood back.

What I couldn't figure out was how this all came to be. You don't buy Maingards off the shelf at Dion's. Somebody spent some serious dosh on this guitar once upon a time. How did it end up being used as a lamp - modified and nearly destroyed by somebody who, I assume, had no idea of it's value?

The guys who bought it into the shop seemed to know what they had. They quickly pointed out the label. Andy wrote the serial number down and got one of his staff to try to get hold of Marc Maingard so they could learn more about the woods, the construction, the history of the instrument.

Bizarre.

chris77

A varsity mate had an old classical whose top apparently started to lift at some stage. He removed the back and sides and hung it as a ornament above his bed. I thought it looked cool. ? But This is nucking futs! I can just imagine going to a braai, being drawn to this unique conversation piece, seeing the label and going Uhmm, Hey Frikkie, how much you want for this lamp...

Keira-WitherKay

well i guess the abuse is horrific. but obviously someone found an old guitar in the garage and got creative.........

however the bonus is to the guy who brought it into andy's....... he prob eithe got it given to him or for a small amount bought the guitar ....as junk..... but wow he now has a guitar that is worth spending money on to restore.and anything can be restored.......... i once saw a 50K violin in italy that the orchestra bus had driven over and the body was splintered.. i saw it before and months later i saw it and it looked mint one could not find the 'scars" where it had been repaired......... so yeah with acoustics i have faith if you willing to throw money at it and get it restored by a competant professional....... they will have a maingard 10 string at at worst half the cost of a new one and at best for a mere fraction of the cost if the structure is not too damaged.... since fixing a few holes in the back and refinishing the top is big job but that guitar is really worth top dollar ........

and if he don't wanna fix it ...Bob tell him i would make him an offer heheheheh always looking for these kind of things........ long as it's restorable.....

so yeah a hectic abuse but an extraordinary find.........

vic

One sees this type of abuse elsewhere....sometimes in antique Cape furniture. Being a passionate collector of old Cape pieces, I once went to view an 18th Century Cape cupboard...on the outside it was fine except for being thoroughly cleaned...but on the inside it sported lighting, mirrors and crystal glass holders and green velvet! ☹ Gone were the thick aged yellowwood shelves and so forth. Needless to say.... :'(
There should be a law against these types of abuse ! It's just plain KOMMIN.

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote: well i guess the abuse is horrific. but obviously someone found an old guitar in the garage and got creative.........

however the bonus is to the guy who brought it into andy's....... he prob eithe got it given to him or for a small amount bought the guitar ....as junk..... but wow he now has a guitar that is worth spending money on to restore.and anything can be restored.......... i once saw a 50K violin in italy that the orchestra bus had driven over and the body was splintered.. i saw it before and months later i saw it and it looked mint one could not find the 'scars" where it had been repaired......... so yeah with acoustics i have faith if you willing to throw money at it and get it restored by a competant professional....... they will have a maingard 10 string at at worst half the cost of a new one and at best for a mere fraction of the cost if the structure is not too damaged.... since fixing a few holes in the back and refinishing the top is big job but that guitar is really worth top dollar ........

and if he don't wanna fix it ...Bob tell him i would make him an offer heheheheh always looking for these kind of things........ long as it's restorable.....

so yeah a hectic abuse but an extraordinary find.........

I'm sure it can be restored. Andy has restored guitars that have been in car crashes.

I just wonder how this guitar came to be in this state. It started off with somebody buying a Maingard - and a 10 string nogal. That's a serious investment in a guitar, I can't see some dilletante buying that kind of instrument.

Who knows how it happened....

So a tip: Make sure somebody in your family knows what you guitars are worth. Then one day when you've shuffled off this mortal coil and a relative finds a guitar laying around in a case they'll no it's Uncle Fred's guitar and that it has some potential value and there may be better options than converting it into a lamp.

vic

How do you like this....?
A '59 Les Paul to which was added a second cut-away....and turned into a lefty.... :'(

A better word for these acts is... MUTILATION.

Heath

but it still aint a lamp shade , the person who turned the maingard into a lamp shade should be tarred and feathered and then his eyes poked out with a ibanez .............

interestingly enough , they had a interview with mark maingard on free spirit this morning . it was very interesting to watch , he has a very spritual approach to building guitars , and claims to only really building 6 guitars in a 4 month period . it would be interesting to see his comments on how he feels abouts one of his guitars been used as a lamp shade .

vic

Tailon. wrote: but it still aint a lamp shade , the person who turned the maingard into a lamp shade should be tarred and feathered and then his eyes poked out with a ibanez .............

If you want a freakin' lamp, go and buy a freakin' lamp...don't convert a freakin' old guitar into a freakin' lamp....for freak sakes !

Seventhson

I own a spanish guitar that my dad got in spain, about 25 years ago. It still plays but I has a huge crack by top of the neck(thanks to me when I was small :'() I must post picks.

Gearhead

Seventhson wrote: I own a spanish guitar

Would you qualify that as abuse? ?

Seventhson

No but what I did to it was a form of abuse when I was four. :'(

vic

Seventhson wrote: No but what I did to it was a form of abuse when I was four. :'(

You are forgiven my 7th son... ?

Riaan

That someone can be so ignorant may seem beyond comprehension to us, but I wonder how many times valuable items are dispatched this way? That silly old stamp collection, the ugly vase that grandma left us, etc. Trouble is, most of the time it actually is junk... But I hope this guitar can be restored to it's former glory, or at least part of the wood salvaged.

I can just imagine those guys: "Hey bro' you think it's worth anything?" "Nah, it says 'ere Maingard, it's not something well known like Yamaha, it's probably junk..." ?

ezietsman

Honestly, if someone gave me a beat up old guitar saying Mainguard inside on a pale yellow sticker I would have thought its junk too. Its a very easy mistake to make and I think Riaan's correct in suggesting this happens often.

Attila

Riaan wrote:
"Hey bro' you think it's worth anything?" "Nah, it says 'ere Maingard, it's not something well known like Yamaha, it's probably junk..." ?

Problem is Mark only has a big "M" on the headstock so to the "uninformed" it wouldnt mean much....did you see him on TV Sunday (7th) Morning...

vic

How about mutilating an old lamp or chandelier...? Convert it into a guitar.

Bob-Dubery

ezietsman wrote: Honestly, if someone gave me a beat up old guitar saying Mainguard inside on a pale yellow sticker I would have thought its junk too. Its a very easy mistake to make and I think Riaan's correct in suggesting this happens often.

Sure. I can see somebody who knows and cares little about guitars going that route. I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if the guitar were a cheapie. But a Maingard - somebody ordered that guitar and paid a lot of money for it. So I'm kind of wondering how THIS guitar ended up in such a state.

Attila

@ Bob

Kids

Riaan

How about mutilating an old lamp or chandelier...? Convert it into a guitar.

...now there's an idea!

Banditman

Some people have more money than sense. Some just don't give a monkey's.

Things you can't change (like human stupidity or selfishness) are just not worth losing your sleep over.