$9.5 million guitar collection donated to Nashville University

[Brucebubs]

Wade Hampton just sent me this link to an incredible story.

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2017...tion-nashville

[KevinH]

The instruments — the most valuable is worth $350,000 — had been stored in Shaw’s house, without a security alarm and without climate control...

Must not have read all the humidity threads on the AGF

[MBee]

Amazing story. That would be a fine place to visit once things open up.

[Mirosh]

Nashville has been high on our go-to-when-safe list for almost a year. Good to hear of this collection. Thanks.

[The Bard Rocks]

Neat story. Even neater is the knowledge that Wade is up and around some. Many of us have been concerned. Thanks for sharing.

[Mr Bill]

That's a neat story. It would be amazing to see the museum.

What would be really amazing is if somehow, most of these instruments could be put to good use and played. I don't know if such a thing is feasible, short of the university selling them, and that has its' drawbacks.

If perchance I were to be gifted with 500 state of the art vintage instruments, I would probably sell about 490 of them. But if I learned to play mandolin, maybe only 485.

[Jim Comeaux]

[QUOTE=Mr Bill;6648080But if I learned to play mandolin, maybe only 485.[/QUOTE]

If you owned a Lloyd Loar signed mandolin, you’d learn to play. It would be criminal NOT TO.

[Spook69]

There was no mention of what actually was the collection......

[LeftyKev]

Never mind how many instruments, the story is fascinating, who he was etc. Wow ...

[dnf777]

Looks like the release was from 2017. Is a museum or display up and running now?

[guitararmy]

https://webelieve.belmont.edu/2018/0...on-to-belmont/

I don't much about mandolins, but I do know that those Les Pauls and those pre-war Martins have a bit of value...

[FOG01]

Interesting story, thanks for sharing. I'd say his dad's collection of 8 wives was equally impressive, as Mr. Kern Shaw's mother was number 4, between Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. Now that, sounds like an expensive collection!

[SpruceTop]

What a wonderful outcome for all these fine instruments to be shared and played through the generosity of Steven Kern Shaw!

[ship of fools]

at first I thought they would just be hanging there being wasted, but after re-reading it it makes me happy knowing that they will be played and enjoyed. There is that little thing in the back of my head that still ticks me off that people collect these things and they never or rarely get played. And it makes me wonder how many more collections are out there like this that just sit, ughhh.

[Dru Edwards]

Bruce - thanks for posting. Glad to hear that Wade is still corresponding.

Some quotes from the article:

• "500 of the finest vintage guitars and mandolins out of circulation."
• "The 1927 Gibson F-5 mandolin is rarer than a Stradivarius violin, Gruhn says."