Celebrity Owner since 10th grade

[Boucheron]

Hi, I'm a Mosrite owner. I have a Celebrity, # KO443, that I bought at Gerber Music in Dewitt, NY in 1968. I was in 10th grade. I remember that it cost $277, including the case. It is red with a maple neck, but the front has faded to orange.

I'm the type that hangs on to stuff, so I never thought about selling it. I didn't play much for years, but then when it came to that middle age crisis moment, instead of buying a corvette, I started buying some of the guitars I wished I could have afforded in when I was younger. I have a Les Paul, an American Strat, and a 72 Telecaster thinline reproduction.

One day I was in the Manhattan Guitar Center store in the vintage section and I saw a Celebrity just like mine for $1675. I couldn't believe it. I asked the kid working there if people really spent that kind of money and he said yes. I knew people coveted the Ventures models, but didn't think people were interested in the Celebrity.

Who knew?

[Dennisthe Menace]

Welcome Boucheron......Who Knew?!?!?!??.....

[Sarah93003]

Hi and welcome to the forum. We do have many Celebrity lovers on the forum. I would love to see pictures of your Celebrity. Does it have the tremelo or trapeze tailpiece? I have K0772 and K0426 and they are quite different on the inside. I would be interested in learning if your Celebrity has bracing running the full length of the bout, one on the bottom and two on the top. Did you buy it with a casse back then? If so, what type of case did you get? I'll be launching my website by next weekend and I think you'll enjoy it.

[dubtrub]

Welcome to the forum.

[Veenture]

Welcome Boucheron, you're a good 'holder-onner' and have spared yourself one of those 'guitar-regret' stories that we hear all too often

[MWaldorf]

Welcome to the forum. And congrats to your 10th grade self for such a wise investment!

[rog43win]

Welcome Boucheron, you're a good 'holder-onner' and have spared yourself one of those 'guitar-regret' stories that we hear all too often

welcome Boucheron to the forum.........it is so true what Paul said......nice to hear a story where there isn't a "regret".....lol.....

Roger

[GattonFan]

Welcome to the forum! Great story - you have something that connects you to a much simpler (dare I say better?) time.
Dennis

[101Volts]

Welcome, It sounds like you have a very nice Celebrity guitar, How does it play?

Austin

[Boucheron]

Thanks everyone for you welcoming comments. In response to your questions:

I have a couple of regrets. I left the guitar on a stand where it was exposed to the sun every day. That's why the top faded to orange. The other regret is that I played it through a Sears Silvertone 100 watt tube amp that I didn't hang on to. Since Jack White and the White Stripes, Silvertone is now worth money. And that amp was loud!

It has a trapeze tailpiece.

I don't know how to determine the bracing without taking it apart, and I won't do that.

The case came with the guitar. They both came in the same box from Mosrite. It is black with a yellow felt lining. I remember at the time that all the guitars were priced without the case, case was extra. But they all came with a case, so you really had no choice, you had to buy the case.

One other anecdote. Who goes into the guitar shop with their mom, right? But I needed a ride. We lived out in the country, and I didn't have a car or a license yet, so she drove me in to the store. I knew what I wanted, my friend already had bought a Celebrity a couple of weeks before, and I liked it. (he has regrets) So I pull this wad of money, the $277, out of my pocket, and my mom starts yelling at me, in front of all the cool guitar guys, that my money should be in order, right side up, not the mess I had. Really embarassing.

Now the money in my wallet is always face up, in order. I guess the memory stuck.