Another emotive, touchy, morbid subject.....

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Another emotive, touchy, morbid subject.....
What happens when you pop your clogs...? Don`t wanna talk about it?, Fine, go read another topic
When a forum Bro goes, (and we are dropping like flies!!) these instruments that some of us have almost broke our backs to obtain are left with our ladies or bereaved relatives who know nothing of what they have inherited or what to do with it, quite often they find it difficult to part with the item and that too is perfectly understandable but, eventually, they realise that an instrument was made to be played, so, what to do? Just lately I have had the pleasure of assisting quite a few bereaved people to achieve the reasonable market price for their instruments and ensured they received every penny from the sale even if I had to work on the item to make it playable, there is a reward in this but it has nothing to do with money. For most estates where there is property involved, a steel guitar is a very small item but to some of us it can be the most valuable thing we have, especially if we own more than one!....... This brings me to the point of my post... When I go....(in the dim and distant future I hope) I nominate my friends, Bob Adams, Will Cowell and Mark Dunn to please come and collect my musical equipment, sell it for a reasonable market price and ensure my Daughter Rebecca receives the proceeds of the sale. And do it before the strings get rusty!

[Ken Byng]

Good topic JD, and one that my wife has harangued me about for years. She had no idea of the value of any of my 21 guitars, pedal and lap steels, banjos, mandolins, keyboards el al, and I have had to prepare an itemised inventory of most of my instruments with names & serial numbers with an approximate and realistic value. Likewise with amps, recording equipment, accessories, mikes, etc, etc.

I am in the last quarter of my life, and don't have any expectation of making 80 years of age or more with my medical history. I am in the process of selling one of my properties, and my accountant is keen for my children not to be hit with inheritance tax. He has suggested having a good old spend up over the next 10 years on holidays rather than buying more 'stuff'.

I also have thousands of pounds worth of tools, but they can go to my nephew. It would have been nice if one of my 8 grandchildren were musical, but alas no sign of that whatsoever. All of us seem to accumulate a lot of 'stuff' in our life, and it is left to others to dispose of.

[Uncle Roy]

Oh dear, what a thread to wake up to. But yes it's true something we will all have to address.

[Ken Byng]

I would like to think (or hope) that my instruments will go to a good home.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Ken, what you need is some good friends and you don;t have to go far to find them on here, the ones I mentioned are the most trustworthy blokes I know, I will never lose any sleep worrying about my situation.

Uncle Roy, You started me on this If you recall a distressed lady up on Teeside with a beautiful Cherry Showbud about 3 or four years ago....??? I paid for it, Bob collected it for me and it now resides with David Roberts who paid a fair market price for it. and the lady was paid infull in a clear and open transaction.

My preference is to think that steel players are ( for the most part) different to other musicians and try to deal fairly with each other and heres one reason, Becky has been selling you lot strings for the past few years, she has never had to ask for the money "up front" and I don't think she ever will......... how many times has she been let down with payment ?
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 none.

[Uncle Roy]

Yes I remember that and several others you have helped. Hope others would do the same for you if it was needed.

[Dave Nutt]

Great topic JD and one I have experince of (well almost)
Sept 2011- Complete replacement of right knee, all goes tits up so needed doing again, just about to go in and have it done when- diagnosed with cancer of the oesophugus, major surgery followed requiring 3 weeks in ICU then 6 weeks on the wards, followed by the luverly- 8 months of Cesplatin Chemo (there's fun) just getting over it and they find another bugger in right kidney, so! out comes the right kidney.
When having fun like this we tend to think a lot about what happens next, what does the missus do with an Emmons S10, my Clarke D10, my 1965 Gibson 335, my 1950s Natinal Resonator, my two 1970s Telecasters, two Fender acoustics, mandolin, banjo,fiddle, amps galore, recording kit of all kinds. Pauline hasn't a clue what its worth, couldnt even fit it together,admitted she didnt know what case was for what. Kids, grand kids and great grand kids even less interested 'you look after yoursel dad and dont worry about all that stuff' but! worry we do.
The visits to my music room to collate usually ended up with me getting all emotional (call it tearfull) and walking out thinking- perhaps tomorrow I will feel more like it.

2 years+ later I am doing fine, back working 5 days a week in my business (even at 71 yrs of age ) most of my kit (well almost) is still with me, am I glad I never got rid of it, I cant tell you how much it helped with my rehab and still does, I can sit at my baby and dream as much as I like, I can be on the Opry,in a pub in Brum, I can be anywhere.

After all these years together, I think I'm going to take mine with me

[Uncle Roy]

Oh well done Dave mate, glad things have come out well for you. It takes a lot to keep us old buggers down

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

YES! Wot Roy said Dave Tis great that you cheated the grim reaper again and again.... long may it remain so!!
must get back to sunny Wales sometime and share a teabag with you ......




Admin, Our clocks wrong? this post made at 5-07 not 6-07

[Dave Nutt]

Cheers lads, I'm doing fine and with the help of the man above I will carry on doing so.
JD, kettles on any time,you know that, you also Roy if you ever get down to the land of song.