Pure guitar porn.. Norm buys 79 more guitars

Wolfetone

Strat54 said:

Norm goes to GuitArlington every year, well its moved to Fort Worth this year so maybe they renamed it. He gets in there as a dealer the day before it opens to the public and buys from the other traders. He gets all the good stuff and does pay dearly for it. The guys know what he wants and likes by now. Most of this stuff will never need to be advertised, it will go to high end clients or sell soon as this video gets seen. Norm goes with a shopping list too, he's very savvy...he knows what sells and having dealt with him a few times a really warm,friendly decent guy. One of the honest guys. 
Vintage guitars? Hype? The real pro's don't think so but there no point trying to reason with the negativity here.....you stick with your MIM's and Epi's.....each to their own.

Agreed. Not that I could ever afford any of them but there's something very magical about an old vintage guitar. Not really sure what's at the root of it but it's probably the 'If this guitar could talk' thing...... even if id did spend most of its time under someones bed...(if you get my drift).  

darthed1981

WezV said:

I remember staring in the guitar shop window at 13 years old before I could play a note.  I'm not just drawn to guitars because I am a guitarist.  I am a guitarist because I am drawn to guitars.

They have an aesthetic appeal totally separate from musicality.  That's okay.  Accept it.

That's very interesting @WezV

I was drawn to guitars because of music I love that's played on them and though I like them, I've never had the draw to very high-end or vintage guitars many others do.

I'd never thought of it that way round as someone seeing the guitar, loving the aesthetic and wanting to play it before but it does explain an awful lot of gear culture.

Food for thought.

jhumber

duotone said:

Has anyone here read his 'Confessions of a vintage guitar dealer' book?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Vintage-Guitar-Dealer-Memoirs/dp/1495035115

Yes, it's a great read. If I remember correctly I gave mine away to a forum member on here who was looking for a copy. I can't recall who it was but it's possible they'll see this message and pass it on in turn

WezV

darthed1981 said:

WezV said:

I remember staring in the guitar shop window at 13 years old before I could play a note.  I'm not just drawn to guitars because I am a guitarist.  I am a guitarist because I am drawn to guitars.

They have an aesthetic appeal totally separate from musicality.  That's okay.  Accept it.

That's very interesting @WezV

I was drawn to guitars because of music I love that's played on them and though I like them, I've never had the draw to very high-end or vintage guitars many others do.

I'd never thought of it that way round as someone seeing the guitar, loving the aesthetic and wanting to play it before but it does explain an awful lot of gear culture.

Food for thought.

I guess I am drawn to the aesthetic because I like the music that's played on them first.  I don't think it's that different

CountryDave

Oh dear, that Junior. ❤️

darthed1981

WezV said:

darthed1981 said:

WezV said:

I remember staring in the guitar shop window at 13 years old before I could play a note.  I'm not just drawn to guitars because I am a guitarist.  I am a guitarist because I am drawn to guitars.

They have an aesthetic appeal totally separate from musicality.  That's okay.  Accept it.

That's very interesting @WezV

I was drawn to guitars because of music I love that's played on them and though I like them, I've never had the draw to very high-end or vintage guitars many others do.

I'd never thought of it that way round as someone seeing the guitar, loving the aesthetic and wanting to play it before but it does explain an awful lot of gear culture.

Food for thought.

I guess I am drawn to the aesthetic because I like the music that's played on them first.  I don't think it's that different

Fair enough so. 

To be clear, I wasn't trying to imply a different or superior motivation or anything even remotely negative, more understand the way we all find ourselves where we are.

DannyP

That guy at 8mins45, the haunted look, the thousand yard stare - I know exactly how he feels!

Strat54

darthed1981 said:

WezV said:

I remember staring in the guitar shop window at 13 years old before I could play a note.  I'm not just drawn to guitars because I am a guitarist.  I am a guitarist because I am drawn to guitars.

They have an aesthetic appeal totally separate from musicality.  That's okay.  Accept it.

That's very interesting @WezV

I was drawn to guitars because of music I love that's played on them and though I like them, I've never had the draw to very high-end or vintage guitars many others do.

I'd never thought of it that way round as someone seeing the guitar, loving the aesthetic and wanting to play it before but it does explain an awful lot of gear culture.

Food for thought.

I was drawn to guitar because of my love for the music it created, just so happened that even back in the 80's a lot of bands were already using vintage guitars rather than new ones, plus there was that period where US production didn't exist.

WezV

darthed1981 said:

WezV said:

darthed1981 said:

WezV said:

I remember staring in the guitar shop window at 13 years old before I could play a note.  I'm not just drawn to guitars because I am a guitarist.  I am a guitarist because I am drawn to guitars.

They have an aesthetic appeal totally separate from musicality.  That's okay.  Accept it.

That's very interesting @WezV

I was drawn to guitars because of music I love that's played on them and though I like them, I've never had the draw to very high-end or vintage guitars many others do.

I'd never thought of it that way round as someone seeing the guitar, loving the aesthetic and wanting to play it before but it does explain an awful lot of gear culture.

Food for thought.

I guess I am drawn to the aesthetic because I like the music that's played on them first.  I don't think it's that different

Fair enough so. 

To be clear, I wasn't trying to imply a different or superior motivation or anything even remotely negative, more understand the way we all find ourselves where we are.

I can certainly explain some by the love of the music, les pauls, explorers, offsets etc..

I can't explain why a 13 year old version of me was instantly drawn to a sunburst wood bodied resonator, or D'angelico archtop.... but i do remember finding them fascinating instruments even back then

Blaendulais

Strat54 said:.....you stick with your MIM's and Epi's.....each to their own.

You probably play epi's and MIM's cos you can afford epi's and MIM's.  Like you say Buddy each to his own.

Rabs

mli3 said:

@Rabs ;
youve now added something to my GAS list damn you !

You are welcome..  But that is why we are here, grown men sharing GAS with each other   

The LP Junior?

jdgm

All the ones he gets out look in very good shape indeed.....top-notch condition.

DB1

I think I have a guitar coming from that very show. It's not signed, sealed and delivered yet, and not in the Norm league, but I was still excited enough to wet myself when I heard. Of course, I'm getting to the age where wetting oneself isn't necessarily rare.

guitars4you

jdgm said:

All the ones he gets out look in very good shape indeed.....top-notch condition.

nothing wrong with a players grade old guitar - after all Rory's Strat and G Moore's LP were wrecked from sheer amount of use - But people like Norm know you can buy a host of old guitars, so why not just buy the best example of each - That way you elevate yourself above other dealers who have 'mediocre' examples and charge accordingly

I saw an episode the other day of 'Fast n Loud' and they went to a dealer in the middle of no where who had the finest and largest collection of Trans Am style cars - Maybe a 100 of them - Doesn't matter if you like such cars or not, but as a collection it is mighty impressive - I recall an episode of Route 66 with Billy Connolly where he stumbled across a guitar collector, again in the middle of know, where there was a massive collection of guitars like Coronado's - You have to admire their passion for collecting the finest examples and as such the knowledge that goes with it

mli3

Rabs said:

mli3 said:

@Rabs ;
youve now added something to my GAS list damn you !

You are welcome..  But that is why we are here, grown men sharing GAS with each other   

The LP Junior?

The hummingbird! 

richardhomer

guitars4you said:

Think Mike at ATB buys a good % of stock via similar shows

I assume he never pays the sticker price, though?

breadfan

@richardhomer You really do do it so well!

Rabs

mli3 said:

Rabs said:

mli3 said:

@Rabs ;;
youve now added something to my GAS list damn you !

You are welcome..  But that is why we are here, grown men sharing GAS with each other   

The LP Junior?

The hummingbird! 

duotone

Think this is more my price level   Some nice designs though

https://www.normansrareguitars.com/product-category/merchandise/

duotone

jhumber said:

duotone said:

Has anyone here read his 'Confessions of a vintage guitar dealer' book?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Vintage-Guitar-Dealer-Memoirs/dp/1495035115

Yes, it's a great read. If I remember correctly I gave mine away to a forum member on here who was looking for a copy. I can't recall who it was but it's possible they'll see this message and pass it on in turn

Thanks @jhumber ;

Good to hear that you enjoyed it, I read a couple reviews on Amazon, where people said much of the book was Norm blowing his own trumpet.  Am glad you enjoyed it & will probbaly end up getting it now for Christmas.  Cheers!

JezWynd

CountryDave said:

Oh dear, that Junior. ❤️

It was a bit of a heartbreaker wasn't it. Such a sweet little case.

Phil_aka_Pip

I liked the 50s s/burst strats and the L7-style archtop

mli3

Rabs said:

mli3 said:

Rabs said:

mli3 said:

@Rabs ;;
youve now added something to my GAS list damn you !

You are welcome..  But that is why we are here, grown men sharing GAS with each other   

The LP Junior?

The hummingbird! 

Ha. I saw. 
Now stop fuelling this nuts obsession of mine please
:-)

Henrytwang

As somebody mentioned a lot of those guitars are probably spoken for. I really enjoy Norms YouTube stuff,I wish that he’d do some back room videos.  I can’t believe that all of the guitars he buys are prefect so he either has some good luthiers on tap or his own workshop out back prepping instruments for the shop floor.

scrumhalf

Blimey.

Does anyone know how to remove coffee drool from a keyboard?

Rabs

mudslide73 said:

The thing for me is where have those 50s minters been squirrelled away all these years? They look newer than new stuff

Yes this has been mentioned a few times..  I don't think he fixes most of them up.. Even though im sure some of them must need some work, even if its just a good set up.

Just remember, they are American made guitars and theres millions more people over there than we have here..  Much more chance of finding an old untouched case under a bed or in a loft or something as the generations pass...