Fall Philly Guitar Show

The GuitarAttack Crew traveled to Reading, Pennsylvania for the "Fall Philly (Philadelphia) Guitar Show" on November 11, 2006. this is an annual show hosted by an outfit called Bee3 Vintage. Overall, the show was decent, and there were some huge surprises in store for us. Again; we have this disclaimer: Unlike some other sites, we are posting information on products that we liked, rather than a comprehensive look at everything. We also believe that the products we liked will be in the interest of our GuitarAttack visitors. So, check the photos out, and keep checking back!
OK -- how do you react when you unexpectedly meet your idol? What happens in that netherworld of unreality when you finally realize that you are in it? It happened when I unexpectedly met Rick Derringer at the Warrior Guitar booth. I had just arrived at the show and was doing the first walk-through. I walked past the Warrior Guitar Booth and saw a pile of Rick Derringer merchandise. Hmmm...he couldn't actually be here, could he? Then I heard one of the dudes at the booth say, "Rick will be right back." Suddenly, without warning, Rick Derringer appeared. I just couldn't believe it. Imagine sitting there playing a guitar, with Rick watching. I started playing "Beyond the Universe" from his live album -- my favorite -- and he kind of chuckled. Did I stink? Was it killer? Not sure, but there was Rick. In the words of Dieter from Saturday Night Live, "I was intimidated to the point of humiliation." He was nice enough to pose for a photo, then he charged me $10 bucks for an autograph. Oh well....I guess I got off easy! Over the years I've met a lot of "guitar heroes", or dudes who thought that they were heroes. However, none were as nice to me as Rick, and I certainly appreciate that. I believe that is the hallmark of a real pro, and somebody who understands the business. Thanks again, Rick. I truly appreciate the opportunity to finally meet you!
This was a great display. Aside from the high prices (lots of lookers, not many buyers), we thought that this was interesting to show the differences between TV finishes. Note the five all-original TV yellow/beige Les Pauls in the center of the photo. See how different their finishes are? The faded single-cut Jr. on the left is almost a Tele-shaded blonde, while the double-cut Jr. in the middle (unbelievably clean) is bright yellow. So what is right? Don't always believe what you read on those guitar refinishing boards. The real answer is "it depends".
Here's another shot of two Les Paul TVs. Check out how different their original finishes look. What's that Jaguar doing in there?
A dealer from Allentown, PA had this 1960 Les Paul on display. When I first saw it I thought it was a recent R0. It is the cleanest 1960 Les Paul I have ever seen. Click on the photo to see it full-size because you won't believe it.
The same dealer had a very nice 1959 Les Paul (and a clean '58) sitting next to it. Yes, there were a lot of gawkers walking around his booth, but I didn't see any cash!
Once again, there were some really nice Strats on hand, but there were a lot of fakes/clever refins. I think most of the guitars in this photo were real, but it is hard to tell unless you can examine them close-up, and even then it can be a crap shoot. The custom color Strats were the ones generating the most attention, and it is hard to believe how much dealers are asking for early 70's Strats. Weren't they the ones everybody hated?
A dealer from Japan had some insanely clean Strats. Here are a couple -- a '54, a '63 Blackie, and a '59. Click on the photos to see them full-sized...if you dare.


This is a pretty cool 1960 Telecaster. What makes this special is that the body is mahogany! The dealer swore it was original, and it looked pretty authentic. Does anybody out there know anything about this guitar?
Overall, a pretty good day. I got to meet Mr. Derringer, gawk at some killer Les Paul Standards from back in the day, and wring my hands over how expensive these great old guitars have become. Again, there are some bargains out there, but it is always a hard call on what will be the next hot guitar. If you have any ideas, let me know.

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