Dickey Betts' "Redtop" Goldtop...a bunch of cool pics!

CDaughtry said:

As is, without any restoration, hypothetically speaking, what would you pay for it?

Without the Dickie panache, is it worth...10-15k?

With the Dickie vibe.....30k?

What say you ABB fans?:spabout

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Any parts included?? When linked with D, it definitely adds value, but it would be better with the parts he had on it. It would be worth alot restored red. Sad that it's in this state. I see bigs holes. Also looks to have been painted Gold over Red, thus may be the reason top is so dirty.

MapleFlame said:

Any parts included?? When linked with D, it definitely adds value, but it would be better with the parts he had on it. It would be worth alot restored red. Sad that it's in this state. I see bigs holes. Also looks to have been painted Gold over Red, thus may be the reason top is so dirty.

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Well since we're just doing this hypothetically, let's assume "as is" with no parts included. Any guess on value?

How is this guitar related to Dickey ? Has anyone seen him play a '58 painted red ?

Just another one he picked up ? Does Dickey own it, and having it refin ?

It is not Goldie. It is not the Toler. It is not the '57 used for the signature model.

Is there any provenance at all ? :hmm

I think the real question is, what's a '58 husk worth ? :ganz

I like buying projects and I tried to buy this one but the owner was asking way too much for me . He did claim it to be the Betts Goldtop but had no proof only a tale which I did not add any value to. The guitar is really busted up even the maple top has been split in a few places and looks like the headstock was busted off around the nut . The only good thing is the back of the headstock still had finish and the serial number so it a 58 goldtop as far as I could tell. I offered 17500.00 cash for it and was turned down flat . The guitar whomever it did belong to has had a very rough life and been very abused and will need a lot of counseling.

Top looks cool, but my biggest concern is the multiple brake neck and the fretboard itself, whatever that is.
If I were to buy it, I'd probably give it a full new neck. Some guys can do magic restoring it.

I have all the missing parts for this, and a '61 fretboard. He should sell it to me. Seriously.

Vibey top, center seam... the beat to sh*t ones often play great- could be a contender in the right hands... :hmm

I take it that it's not this one.

Here's my thing, it has a scarf joint, how do we know that the top part is actually original guitar. It could be from something else. Doesn't make sense to replace the top with the original neck if it's purpose was to fix with new piece. There's an awful lot of over sanding in many areas which has compromised the shape. I think I remember seeing this guitar a while back, I'm almost certain I tried to make an offer. This isn't worth that much without any documentation.

I understand, although it's second hand information, that it is currently owned by one of the inner sanctum guys with the ABB, and that Dickie has verified it was his, and is willing to authenticate it.
I have also heard that the current owner thinks it is worth WAY more money than I think any of us here think it is.:jim
So the long and the short of it is, I think it's technically for sale, but realistically it is not...if that makes any sense.:teeth

That would also jive with what STROKER said above.

sws1 said:

I take it that it's not this one.

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The busy, non-original inlays in this pic, look a lot like the busy, non-original inlays in the guitar we are talking about.:jim

Let's put it the other way around, how much would it cost to restore a husk like this? And how much would you pay once it is restored? That could give you an idea of the actual value...

Another view...looks like a different guitar than the one in OP. Look at the mark between pups and grain on top. BUT, same busy inlays.

Oye!! I showed this thread to Warren last night.. He just shook his head. Dickey's son Duane was there last night as well. He has a hard time keeping up Dad's guitars I think..
From my recollection, this is what I know.
Dickey gave Duane the SG/LP when he bought his first Goldtop. That one had a Bigsby shadow. there was another GT that was bought around the time Duane was killed. I'm not sure if that's the one that went to Gibson and was refinished in Cherry Sunburst or if it was his first GT. When I saw the "Five Man ABB" in mid-`72 he used a GT and the burst. I seem to recall he used the GT for slide and the Burst for regular lead work.
After Great Southern fused into the Bros., Dickey played a GT as he gave Danny the Burst. I know Dickey had a few GT's as there was one that had a bad bridge that he thought it was bad guitar and threw it in the trash. Reddog fished it out, took it home and fixed it and brought it to rehearsal the next day. Dickey got mad at Dog and put it back in the trash bin telling him it was bad guitar and he didn't want to see it again. Dog took it home and I'm betting it stayed there until he need some money for his illness's a few years back. (He passed away in Feb. 2011). I'm not entirely sure what he's had, but I know in the early `90's he bought a `56 or early `57 GT with P-90's. His then tech, the late Troy Venible installed a pair of humbuckings without having to rout out any wood. That guitar was his backup guitar for a while but now resides in the R`n R HoF in Cleveland and has been there for at least a decade. I know back in the `90's he took the main GT and stripped it and had it sprayed Red. He's had all these other signature guitars and stuff to use, but I'm betting he keeps his old guitars at home these days. I'll ask Duane the next time I see him. He lives most of the time here in L.A. but has been out playing with a band named "Dawes" but also has his own deal and whenever he goes to Jacksonville, Fla. he plays with Berry Oakley (Jr.)'s band.
Anyway...if this GT/Redtop was the guitar he played for a number of years, I simply can not understand why he stripped it and had it refinished. I played it a number of times back in the `90's and it was a really nice playing and great sounding guitar.I would have left well enough alone. I always thought that this was the Fillmore East guitar..
Does anyone know iof there are Bigsby holes on the bottom end that have been plugged/filled or maybe just left alone? If there is evidence of a Bigsby then this is the Fillmore guitar most likely.

So if Duane was there last night, would it not have been easier to have him call dad and settle this ?

Like; hey dad, do you still have Goldie ?

Digga ever have a '58 goldtop painted red ? :hmm

quote; If there is evidence of a Bigsby then this is the Fillmore guitar most likely. Wrong serial number.

This one looks like it was thrown in the trash bin more than once. Sad condition if it is the Filmore guitar.

TM1 said:

Does anyone know iof there are Bigsby holes on the bottom end that have been plugged/filled or maybe just left alone? If there is evidence of a Bigsby then this is the Fillmore guitar most likely.

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That would be a very important detail for the Fillmore guitar. Here are more pics of the BEtts/Toler: http://burstserial.com/gallery/main.php?cmd=album&var1=1958/8+1810/&var2=2 He played that ex-Bigsby Goldtop pretty much every pic I've seen from '71-including FIllmore East March '71.

mistersnappy said:

That would be a very important detail for the FIllmore guitar. Here are more pics: http://burstserial.com/gallery/main.php?cmd=album&var1=1958/8+1810/&var2=2

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But the guitar in the OP is almost center seamed.

WBailey said:

But the guitar in the OP is almost center seamed.

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Oh, I know. I was just focusing on what Don had said about the Bigsby'd one and was seeing if there was evidence of a former Bigsby on the Betts/Toler. I wish there was a pic of the strap button area for that guitar!

The OP guitar seems to have the snake bites.