Joe Bonamassa has revealed the costliest guitar in his 500-piece vintage instrument/gear collection: a 1958 Gibson Korina Flying V that he has dubbed ‘Donny J’.
Bonamassa is interviewed within the new difficulty of Guitarist and discusses the highlights of his immense assortment. In relation to the value paid, although, his Donny J Flying V lies on the very prime of that pile, having value the blues rock ace greater than $400,000.
“This can be a mint-condition ’58 Flying V I name Donny J,” Bonamassa tells Guitarist. “I bought it from my good friend Don in Oklahoma. He purchased it in 1976 for $1,100, which was some huge cash.
“It belonged to a preacher outdoors of Oklahoma Metropolis. I all the time thought it could be an odd sight going to church and seeing your pastor rocking a Flying V.”
Adjusting for inflation, $1,100 in 1976 can be round $6,000 in 2023 costs. These days, although, unique korina Flying Vs and Explorers routinely fetch far, far increased costs – certainly, they routinely rank among the many most respected electric guitars on the classic market.
As such, Bonamassa says he paid a a lot increased premium for the Flying V when he picked it up 4 years in the past.
“All my korinas have provenance going again to day one, just about,” says Bonamassa. “This one’s mint and is the cleanest I’ve ever seen – though, allegedly, there’s one in New Hampshire that is simply as clear. It additionally has a mint case.
“After I made the take care of Don I mentioned, ‘Don, in 1976, it wasn’t low cost. And it isn’t low cost in 2019, both.’ He goes, ‘No. It is not.’ The truth is, it is probably the most cash I’ve ever paid for a guitar in my life: over $400,000.”
As talked about, any unique Flying V carries an enormous premium. It is acquired iconic standing over the many years, however was thought to be a flop following its launch in 1958. Certainly, the space-age design proved so unpopular it was discontinued by ’59.
As such, Gibson’s preliminary manufacturing run resulted in simply 98 devices, making them among the rarest guitars within the firm’s storied historical past.
It’s an astonishing price ticket, finally, however then, as Bonamassa argues: “What’s a Flying V price? It is price what somebody’s prepared to pay for it.”
Elsewhere, in the identical difficulty of Guitarist, Bonamassa tells the story of the strangest guitar deal he ever did.
“I made a deal, paid him in money, and he died two months later,” says the collector of his deal to safe a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Commonplace, often known as the Bolin ’Burst. “His final textual content to his daughter was, ‘I buried the cash within the desert.’”
For extra highlights from Bonamassa’s immense classic guitar assortment, plus in-depth dialogue of his new album, Blues Deluxe II, choose up issue 504 of Guitarist.
