Guitars: The Museum

[landminelenny]

More humour please Mr Southworth. You're a breath of fresh air and i read your bonkers posts here with a smile every time. Get a job, fruitcake. Priceless.

 

[Guitardon]

palsey, you're taking the piss right now. hey, i miss my mark sometimes, i realize, but my post's are usually meant to interject FUN... like comedy...like fun...stuff like that. the stage was set for me to take the fun out of your recent custom (listen to her...me...she sounds like a little girl) purchase. i could have suggested one to you for 17 without a planned board, with clean original frets and shiny orig. gold hardware that kills...but i didn't...'till now. and it would have been a favor, but i didn't, as it would have been spammy dave jr.

tom, often doesn't get my sillyness, but even he knew my "joke" post was positive, not negitive. settle down chief. it's free, if you (how could you?) care to respond. i only go tit for tat...not tit for tat tit for tat tit for...i won't volley back. also: get a job, fruitcake

Sorry I guess I don't know you, but I do see a lot of people getting down on each other once and a while. I thought you were serious. Now where are all them there customs that I can buy with the money I no longer have

 

[GooCart]

So I've talked to Sam and Mike about this thread and they both understood the joke from Gil so absolutely no problem there. They asked me to say that without Gil non of this would have been possible. It was a lot going on in the mid 80's and Gil had a finger in almost everything. I've knew these guys since the late 70's and I've always been impressed , amused and confused over how they have been able to build up this amazing collection. It's not about the money, it's all it's about the total devotion to these amazing instruments.

 

[GooCart]

The museum have been open a week today and the public interest is huge. Believe me, there have been everything from guitar nerds to grandma, age 80+ and they all seemed to have a great time. I wish I had some cool celebrity shots to show you but I don't. Yet



But here's a guy that I think some of you might recognize. It's from the left Sam, Tom Bartlett and myself. Tom is holding a guitar I designed specifically for a team work between Kim Lafleur, Tom Bartlett and myself. This example is in all gold and is one of the three guest exhibition guitars. In addition to it we have a JG Guitars Bluesmaster and the third guest is a Swede by the name of Jesper Eriksson. Google the name and see some of his amazing works.

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[Tom Wittrock]

Wow! Tom Bartlett in public?
I thought he was in hiding. :ganz

 

[Unbound Dot Neck]

Love it, gotta visit !!
thank you
:jim

 

[Stoj]

Awesome concept - Congrats to the all the folk involved :salude

 

[Hardrockmapletop]

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186949

 

[Black58]

I like Gil's sense of humor.
.. I also like a side of pickles with my bacon and eggs,
so that prolly ain't sayin' much! :rofl

 

[alk-3]

My wife, my young son and myself just returned from a last minute trip to visit the museum for its grand opening. I am so very proud to have been asked to display a guitar there for its grand opening.

I have been wanting to visit my friend Magnus and see beautiful Sweden for quite a while, so I figured what better time than now?

I can say that it really is mind blowing to see so many rare instruments in one place. Each guitar has a story about it that makes it unique among others of its kind, Getting to talk with Michael and Sam about them was a treat I will never forget.

What tops it all off is the extreme attention to detail in all regards. The display cases are perfectly executed and highlight the guitars so well. There is even a display showing how both a fender and a Les Paul are made, including the raw lumber and parts all the way up to the finished product.
There is also an old garage where you could actually plug into working vintage amps and have a jam session right there. Tools hanging on the walls and even a small block 350 on an engine stand in the corner, just the way we all probably started in our first bands in our parents garage..except awesome!
Oh, and there is a real pawn shop in the museum where you can buy and sell instruments.
Downstairs there is a bar and restaurant, and even a venue for live shows.
It really has to be seen to be believed. I've never dreamed of something this cool for guitar nuts.

The town of Umeå itself is a great town to visit as well, so there is more than just the museum to see here. It's right on the water and really is pretty. We spent a few days in Umeå then took a very short flight down to Stockholm and spent several days enjoying that wonderful city.

Here are a few shots we snapped along the way.

Here we are in Brussels. It was surprisingly easy to talk my wife into travelling 6500 kilometres across an ocean to see a building full of old guitars.. just tell her you're taking her on a European vacation worked like a charm!

When we first arrived. Magnus didn't know we were even coming so it was a real treat to surprise him out of the blue I've known him for years, but we've never actually met in person.

Downstairs in the hallway that leads you to the various areas of the building. The bar is on the right:

The "Stairway to Heaven" as Sam so eloquently called it!

The museum lobby. It was packed on opening night, which I believe was invite only.. LOTS of people filled the place from top to bottom.

The first room. This is where the real fun begins!

The BBC doing their thing:

 

[alk-3]

Wow! Tom Bartlett in public?
I thought he was in hiding. :ganz

I was! I was hiding in the north of Sweden

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Great pictures Tom. :salude

 

[MapleFlame]

I was! I was hiding in the north of Sweden [/QUOTE

Very nice, thank you for sharing.:salude

 

[PLarson]

Please come and visit Guitars the Museum! It's only a 55 min flight from Stockholm. And Umeå is a very friendly town.

 

[wernerg]

That museum is sick!

(in a good way!)

 

[landminelenny]

That museum is sick!

(in a good way!)

It's a sick joke (in a good way)

 

[gilapagostortois]

:ha

 

[gilapagostortois]

Sorry I guess I don't know you, but I do see a lot of people getting down on each other once and a while. I thought you were serious. Now where are all them there customs that I can buy with the money I no longer have

no worries

 

[PLarson]

Think I'm going to visit the guitar museum again today. I think it's the fifth time! Lol! :hank

 

[landminelenny]

I'm heading over when the weather gets better I'm not a fan of Sweden in winter.