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Many team owners with more money than they know what to do with often spend their fortunes on race cars, sports memorabilia, real estate, and divorces, but Jim Irsay, the owner & CEO of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, had a passion for collecting guitars, artifacts from history, and objects of pop culture fascination. Irsay died on May 21, 2025, but left behind a collection of pretty incredible pieces of history.
The collection is mostly rock n' roll related but it does include one of John Coltrane's saxophones and one of Miles Davis trumpets, et. al.
Artifacts and Oddities from the Jim Irsay Collection
Music Related Collection -- https://collection.jimirsaycollection.com
Last edited by Mick-7; 05-29-2025 at 04:16 AM.
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05-29-2025 04:00 AM
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Good post.
Also, including the "Fender Pickup Winder" 1950's.
Fender Pickup Winder – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
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Very cool. What a collection. Among his holdings: the electric guitar that Bob Dylan played at Newport.
I'm not super sports-ophilic, but from what I've read he seems to have been well regarded by players and fellow owners. His philanthropy is impressive.
Well, nice he could enjoy those gits while he had them. Too bad he couldn't take it with him.
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Here's a jazz guitarists delight!
The Beatles' 1966 Vox Kensington – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
This could work too....
1961 Gibson ES-125TC – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
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The '49 Super 400P and the '50 D'Angelico Excel stand out. Two carved archtops in a sea of ...other stuff.
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Yes sir.... speaking of which, I have never seen a thread here re: Martin archtops ??
Originally Posted by Hammertone
2006 C.F. Martin & Co. CF-1SB – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
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I can hear the "vintage" tone coming out of that pickup winder
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The collection of (non-celebrity) guitars is interesting, but unfortunately for him, Dirk Ziff got to most of that stuff first!
There's a great article on that collection, recently donated to the Metropolitan Museum, in a recent New Yorker magazine.
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Although it’s fun to fawn over famous musician’s instruments.I think it’s much akin to Fool’s Gold in the end!
Sure I’d love to own or at least play E.C.’s Brownie Strat or a number of other iconic guitars. But it’s ultimately the magic the musician themselves made not the wand itself.
And to give way too much credit for owning the said piece, especially like i.e. Excalibur is just silly in the end! I say this as an older 68 year old guitarist, who at age 13 once saw E.C.’s Firebird l for sale in N.Y.City at We Buy Guitars. It was listed for $1100 if I remember correctly ,and I thought they were NUTS!
Again I get it, but I think something really changed,and owning famous things has been given way to much credence in my opinion.
It’s always the Musicians themselves!
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IIRC, he also owned Jerry Garcia's Tiger guitar made by Doug Irwin.
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Or one could buy the CD collection of a long time Bay Area Jazz DJ:
HERB WONG'S JAZZ COMPACT DISC COLLECTION. - cds / dvds / vhs - by owner - electronics media sale - craigslist
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Thankfully, George Benson is still among the living, and selling off some of his collection on Reverb. They're even leaving some of the 'sold' items on their sight for the time being.
Maybe that's a great idea. Sell the stuff while still alive, avoid the hassles of leaving it to your family to liquidate your stuff.
Just a moment...
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Woah! I don't see them selling at that price though, even though that's under 50 cents each. What do you think? Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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I think cash talks. Put 3 grand in front of them and you will probably have more music hours to listen too than you probably have actual waking hours left to live........ Originally Posted by Mick-7
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I'm pretty sure my wife would throttle me if I did that! Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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That's still probably 3 times what he paid for them. And he can't be bothered to count them and compile a list of the recording artists. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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They are essentially Dale Unger archtops, made under his supervision at Martin in Nazareth, PA, where he is located and makes American Dream archtops ( American Archtop Guitars and Nazareth Guitar Building Institute ). Nice light-weight, laminated 17" guitars, made between @2004-2007. @260 were made. They look a lot like Benedettos, which makes sense, because Unger interned with Benedetto at one point. Originally Posted by Mick-7
Yes sir.... speaking of which, I have never seen a thread here re: Martin archtops ??
2006 C.F. Martin & Co. CF-1SB – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
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I see there was also a two pickup version: Originally Posted by Hammertone
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That's lower than 50 cents per CD! What a deal. I wish I were in the 'hood. I would have bought the entire lot. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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I have a friend who has one. He says it’s a great guitar. I’ve never seen it, or even heard him play. Originally Posted by Mick-7
Yes sir.... speaking of which, I have never seen a thread here re: Martin archtops ??
2006 C.F. Martin & Co. CF-1SB – Artifacts – The Jim Irsay Collection
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Three things I can give thanks for: I don't play golf, I've never cared much for drugs or alcohol, and I'm not a collector.
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