Ricky Skaggs

picker77 · Dec 19, 2010

sweettractors said:
Now that you mention instrument prices, I bet the J-45 Gibson Flat Top Guitar that My Dad left me is worth a dollar or two. It was made Pre WW11. I had rather play it than any new guitar I have played. Ken Sweet

If it's a '42 with the banner logo, Ken, could be $5K+ depending on condition, but $2500-$3500 would be about the scale for most. The last original top tension Mastertone I saw sold went for $14K, but it had the original neck with it, which mine doesn't. They only made the Top Tension for three years and the original neck was a 4-string tenor type. Since the Earl Scruggs craze hit in the early 70's most old pots have been fitted with custom made 5-string necks similar to mine in the photo. The flat top I built from scratch myself in '75, played it on stage for a long time, recently gave it to my son who plays in a BG band in NC. Note that it's serial number 001--there was no 002. Building this thing mostly with hand tools took five months, didn't want to do it again, lol. Great BG guitar with powerful low and middle range and a neck profile taken from the original Les Paul (wider and thinner than the D-28 Martin), so it will carry on even after I don't. My son loves playing it, says he's had to fend off sale offers many times--don't know if that's because his dad built it, or because he knows I'd strangle him if he sold it.

Ok, I'll quit hijacking this gentleman's post now. Sorry, Sir. Where BG is concerned I never know when to shut up.

sweettractors · Dec 19, 2010

EE_Bota said:
Take it easy on me...there is a show called "American Pickers" and they mostly buy junk for profit.

I have a early 1930ish Vega Tubaphone, and I picked banjo for years, but switched off to my Martin entry level guitar. I have spent a couple of years now working on "classical gas" which I pick with banjo picks.

I might put Bele Fleck or John Hickman as my 10. I like lots of melodic and chromatic stuff, so Bill Keith would rank high to me as well.

Bele Fleck is the best in that progressive style he has transitioned into, however, I liked him best when he was with New Grass Revival. Ken Sweet

picker77 · Dec 19, 2010

EE_Bota said:
I might put Bele Fleck or John Hickman as my 10. I like lots of melodic and chromatic stuff, so Bill Keith would rank high to me as well.

I live about 45 miles from Byron Berline's "Double Stop Fiddle Shop" in Guthrie, OK where John teaches banjo. I have jammed with John and Byron in the store, they are both great guys, some of the nicest people around. I jam on guitar up there, no way would I dare pick up a banjo around John (or a fiddle around Byron)! :laughing: John is a famous and very talented banjo player but an even better teacher, I'm told by his former students, some of which are incredible young musicians. And Byron, in addition to being one of the nicest guys I've ever met, is one of the top fiddle players of all time. His timing is phenomenal, the man is a human metronome. Their fiddle shop has a little theatre upstairs where they play (with John on banjo and Byron on fiddle/mandolin) on weekends during the winter when the BG show circuit is dormant. Best $8 you'll ever spend, but you'd better come early, the place probably only seats about 100 or so.

Speaking of Bela Fleck, if you like his style listen to Jens Kruger sometime. The guy just totally blows me away. Like Fleck, he's sort of a savant at what he does. But of course Bill Keith kind of started it all.