Museum & Original Owners
One Family’s 1959 Gibson ES-355
A 1959 Gibson ES-355 passed from father to son, played regularly for decades, and kept original except for a stereo-to-mono conversion.
Read moreVintage Guitar Resource Center: Authentication & Selling Guides
Museum & Original Owners
Bob Denton’s 1955 Gibson J-200
A 1955 Gibson J-200 attributed to Bob Denton, whose friendship and recording work with Eddie Cochran connects this guitar to rockabilly history.
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Museum & Original Owners
1983 Les Paul Custom: Dennis Hiatt
Dennis Hiatt bought this cherry sunburst 1983 Gibson Les Paul Custom new in San Rafael and kept it for more than four decades. Its story reaches back to the Summer of Love and a lost Capitol Records album.
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Museum & Original Owners
1954 Gibson L-5C: A Family Story
The daughter of a California session musician shares the original-owner story of her father's 1954 Gibson L-5C and his life in music.
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Specific Model Highlights
Vintage Martin D-18 Guide: History, Specs & Value
A detailed guide to Martin D-18 history, specifications, year-by-year construction changes, bracing, authentication, variants, collectibility, and vintage values.
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Specific Model Highlights
Vintage Martin 0, 00 & 000: Models, Dating & Value
A detailed collector’s guide to Martin 0, 00, and 000 guitars, including body sizes, 12-fret and 14-fret construction, woods, trim, bracing, tuners, authentication, and the eras collectors value most.
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Value & Evaluation
What Guitar Did Johnny Marr Play? The Smiths ES-355, The 330, And The Rest
A 1959 cherry Gibson ES-355 is on my bench in Mesa, the same model Seymour Stein bought Johnny Marr. Christie's sells Marr's collection in London on 17 September 2026. Here's which guitar is which, and what a regular one brings without his name on it.
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Value & Evaluation
What Guitar Did Dolly Parton Play? The Martin 5-18 "Baby Martin"
A 1950 Martin 5-18, serial 115817, is on my bench in Mesa: Size 5, Style 18, the baby Martin. Guitar World and Guitar Player both put Dolly Parton on a 5-18 Terz, and Martin listed her among Size 5 players in July 2026.
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Specific Model Highlights
Gibson Super 400 CES History, Dating, Specs, And Value
The Super 400 is Gibson's 18 inch carved archtop, named for its $400 list in 1934. The Super 400 CES followed in 1951. Here is how to date one from the cutaway, pickups, label, and our Kalamazoo shipping totals, plus 2026 dealer value as ranges. Shown on a 1938 Super 400, a 1957 CES, a 1964 Florentine CES, a 1969 acoustic, a Custom Shop thinline, and a 1990s black Super 400.
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