A great shot of Mosrite guitars.

[BRRanger]

I agree with Sumlin, I have more guitars than anyone should have I suppose, therefore most are relegated to haniging on the wall, or in their cases...I could not play all of them unless I put them in heavy rotation when gigging as does John Fogerty (he switches guitars almost every song in concert)! Some I would never take on stage due to their value...so they rarely get played.
Scott

[Nokie]

It looks to me as if the thousands of guitars in this museum are not to be played and that is extremely unfortunate if it is the case. I heard a phrase in the clip where the owners are happy that so many folks "enjoy looking at guitars" or something close to that. Yes, we find much enjoyment in looking at guitars. A good part of that enjoyment for me has always been the thought that maybe one day I'll get to play that original sidejack Mosrite or '54 Strat. I always loved looking at the guitars at Deke's festival and the guitars folks display here on the forum BUT those guitars get played (for the most part). The main enjoyment intended in the mfg of a guitar is that someone is going to play it - the visual is secondary. That said, would I put this museum high on my list the next time I'm in Sweden? Oh yeah - I'll be ashamed to support it but I like to drool as much as the next kid.
-Marty

My understanding is that they are all working guitars and are played as regularly as they can be bearing in mind the owners own so many and you can only play one at a time. Lots of the guitars in the collection are far from pristine and far from original and there seems to be an emphasis on the instruments as working tools. When you bear in mind some musicians who could use their enormous guitar collections regularly onstage choose to lock them away in bank vaults, this is a pretty cool thing to do in my book.

It's good to hear that they do get played and aren't strictly for display. I'm guessing if Eric Clapton came in and said, "Hey, would you mind if I played that '56 Gretsch at my show tonight", the brothers wouldn't be the only ones playing their guitars.

[Nokie]

I agree with Sumlin, I have more guitars than anyone should have I suppose, therefore most are relegated to haniging on the wall, or in their cases...I could not play all of them unless I put them in heavy rotation when gigging as does John Fogerty (he switches guitars almost every song in concert)! Some I would never take on stage due to their value...so they rarely get played.
Scott

I have the same situation - with a large collection of geetars myself - so I fully admit that it is hypocritical for me to complain about these guys. Yet I still do 'cause they seem to have taken it to the extreme. It appears to me that their unintended goal is to keep a record number of great guitars out of players hands - and to keep this record number of guitars from producing beautiful sounds. Making music is the guitars' primary purpose and the reason luthiers put so much effort into crafting such fine guitars.

[StevieSTL]

Do I count 4 or 5 of the American Model V3 in that shot? I have heard that Semie made around a dozen of that model, of which I have only seen one other in the States besides mine, it is purple w/ a matched headstock. Now I'm not sure of the actual number of V3s made, but bearing in mind that I bought mine in London, could the 'American Model', hence the name, have been a mainly exported offering? I believe that mine came from a collection of the original owner, and was supposedly exported brand new. It's obviously got a bit fancier appointments than a lot of his work, with the wood strips in the neck and wood cavity and neckplate covers. Anyone know more about the number of V3s produced or who bought them please let me know. Since it was 'US goods returning I didn't have to pay a customs fee.

[dorkrockrecords]

They made way more than a dozen. There may have been a dozen in the first run of AF serial number instruments, but there were considerably more produced in the second run of NC serial numbers. Judging by the serial number of yours there could've been as many as 150-200 in that second run.

[StevieSTL]

Thanks for the input. Ps I've been drooling over that birdseye maphis you have on Reverb. I am one of the watchers.