Lester Flatt’s 1942 Martin D-18, described as “one of the most important guitars in bluegrass history,” is set to headline a history-rich auction event next month.
Heritage Auctions will host its latest event on October 9, with a Roy Clark Gretsch prototype, and Eddie Van Halen Kramer guitars made in collaboration with Steve Ripley, also set to make the auction block.
A Frankenstrat/Kramer Striker owned and played by Ripley sold for $50,000 in 2021.
The collection includes a little over 400 lots, but few stand as significant as Flatt’s D-18. It is considered the very first bluegrass guitar – as per the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation – which has led to its summation as being among “American guitar’s irreplaceable treasures.”
Flatt’s work as part of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys helped the genre architects influence countless guitarists, and his D-18 has been a vital proponent along the way.
“This D-18 might be one of the loudest I have ever heard,” says Heritage Auctions' Director of Vintage Guitars & Musical Instruments, Aaron Piscopo. “It remains in excellent playable condition, and the sound makes you tremble – especially when thinking about its previous owner and how hard he must have played this thing.
“This guitar is not only a high-quality Martin from the early 1940s but also a foundational piece of bluegrass history,” he continues.
Elsewhere, the 1978 Gretsch 7686 number one prototype made for Roy Clark, the host of the Hee Haw country variety TV show from 1969 to 1997, is another interesting six-string set for a new home.
Clark ultimately went for the second prototype because it featured music note inlays, but it did feature in Gretsch’s 1994 calendar – 16 years after its creation. The Deep Blue solidbody electric guitar has the serial number #5-8113.
Away from pioneering the Red Dirt sub-genre of country music, Steve Ripley had a long history of building guitars for esteemed players, with a customer list including Steve Lukather, J.J. Cale, and, most famously, Eddie Van Halen.
For Eddie, he built many now-legendary guitars, including his Kramer/Ripley Red, White, and Black Striped “Eddie Elvis.” That model is listed in the upcoming auction and is signed by the late guitarist.
As too is a Kramer/Ripley Pink Bowling Ball Super Strat – a rare example of an EVH axe not emblazoned with his signature Stripes design – and the original neck from the Kramer-Ripley guitar that Eddie modeled with for their original Guitar Player advert. Both are signed.
The pair enjoyed a four-decade-long friendship, with Van Halen calling Ripley “part genius, part musician, part inventor, and many other great things,” when he passed in 2019.
Other guitars featured in the extensive collection include Rick Vito's Ripley Custom Pink electric guitar, which has also been plucked from Ripley's estate, and a 1939 Martin D-45. Pre-war Martins are considered gold dust for collectors, and only 91 were made that year.
The auction is set to take place on October 9.
Visit Heritage Auctions to see the full listing.
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