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I know exactly how you feel! Exactly! I saw the auction too and got hooked on George's Mortoro Starling. I did a proxy bid and waited, hoping but doubting that I had bid enough. I didn't sleep well the night before, and couldn't wait for the bidding to start. When I saw the affordable prices that his guitars were going for, I began to have hope again. And I won! I even got it for $1700 less than my maximum proxy bid. I can't believe I have one of Gary Mortoro's guitars owned by George Benson. And I have less than $4000 invested. If I ever change the strings, I will save them and they will go on the wall in my practice room. I don't want to change them, but I will have to sooner or later I know.
Congrats Mike!Last edited by Easy2grasp; 05-26-2017 at 12:44 PM.
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05-26-2017 12:33 PM
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I gave the Motoro and the Palin a serious look with an eye for going for them too, but I wanted Red so much I decided to bid on it the most, I HAD bid twice (early) on the Kimono guitar, but the day before the auction it was pulled. When I called they really gave a very vague explanation (a no answer answer I call it). The people are extremely helpful and cordial... Can't wait for it to arrive.
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I wanted to bid on all of them! It was tempting at times and I didn't disable the bid button. My wife from across the room, "Why are you still watching that?", looking crosswise at me. "Um just checking what they got for the Tut Taylor like I sold on Reverb, and the L7 like I have on consignment at the guitar shop, Honey". That is when I stopped watching and closed the laptop, enjoying the surreal feeling that I would soon be enjoying the mojo of a guitar George Benson has played and remarked upon on Gary Mortoro's website. It feels very dream-like.
They mentioned during the auction that the guitars would be accompanied by a letter of authenticity from George Benson and an document of provenance of some sort! I hope to find some way to send him a thank you note.
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Very Cool guys.
Easy2grasp - welcome aboard.
Joe D
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Well if everything goes according to plan I will be backstage tonight after his Chicago show, I'll tell him for you how pumped you are you won it. Fair enough ???
Big
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When on the phone paying I asked if it was possible to ship overnight, HA.COM has a FedEx discounted rate so I went for Express By 10:30 delivery, well I just got an email that it is going out today and will be delivered tomorrow...
Update: when looking online it says Label Created but has an estimated delivery date of 05/30
DFW to ORD is a no brainer, my money's on a 05/27 Delivery - they deliver in my neighborhood all the time, even Sunday...
"Breezin'"
Last edited by BigMikeinNJ; 05-26-2017 at 03:23 PM.
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That would be totally awesome! Thank you so much. I would like to thank him for putting it out there for another player to be inspired as he spoke about in the YouTube video. Please post your experience meeting him.
Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
I always get so tongue-tied around those guys. I tried to talk to Joe Pass at a show once. He blew me off. I must of asked a stupid question or something.
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Waiting in anticipation Mike to hear your cool experience this evening. Great stuff
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You guys, I tell you it was an amazing and memorable night for sure. We had big thunderstorms hit right during our drive downtown, I got absolutely drenched walking the block and a half from the garage to the venue, found out we were almost 2 hours early, so we went to Chik Fil A and hung out. I met a family also going to the show, when I showed the son the photo of Red he was amazed. Eventually we got in to the theater and yeah the seats were close. We were on the left hand side of the stage, in my section we were the front row, but there was the Orchestra Pit seats that were truly front center. No worries as we saw everything so well. I could see the clear tape over GB's f-holes. He used only a GB10 the whole show.
It was an amazing show. Kenny G does not dissapoint, he starts out playing on a little step in an aisle for about 10 minutes and then moves to the stage. He's using the same sax he had in high school, the band are his mates from the band he started in high school. I asked my neighbor, is he really THAT skinny ??? Yes he is. It was good but after a while I wanted GB on...
15 minute intermission then GB, they did about 80 minutes. Just about everything you'd wanna hear and some. He did an amazing array of tunes, a couple from the studio album Absolute Benson and all the classics. I am ever awed by his rhythm work, the chords he uses are so gorgeous and rich, what he coaxes out of a GB10 is mind numbing. Anyone wanting a stage worthy arch top, just cut to the chase and get a good GB10. He did some unusual numbers. About midway through the show he said he was going to do a tune no one would expect him to do. They started out doing Witchita Lineman (the old Glen Campbell tune), I spotted it right away, a favorite of mine. Dog fellas he really did a great job on that. Again the tones he gets out of that GB10, and his chord work. After that he talked about Al Jarreau and how he missed him now that he's passed on. Kenny G came out of the wings and they did Al's old classic "Morning" - that was great, again the lush unexpected chords GB plays. Just, I am at a loss for words. The show kept going on, they'd do a tune and I thought, OK this is the last tune, nope, they'd do another. It was real late for me and I was very tired but I hung in there and they kept rocking it. He has a young latin percussionist/backup singer, what an eyeful she is, and a great a soaring voice. They did Moody's Mood and she came out on center stage with him and they really nailed. Eventually all great things come to an end and they closed with Give Me The Night (I THINK...). People were hollering and clapping wanting an encore, but hell it was late. The crowd cleared out and we were told to sit tight when we got our passes. So a guard comes to move us out and I showed him our passes and explained to him how bad my eyes are and he was especially gracious and helpful getting me across the width of the theater to the door down to where we'd eventually go. We wait about 10 minutes, there are only about 8 or 9 other people with passes. So a lady leads us downstairs. Now I do not do well with stairs, it was pretty hairy me holding the railing with one hand and the wall with the other. But we went down two flights of stairs to a large room with tables and chairs. There's a stack of box dinners warm and waiting for the band. We're there like 2 minutes and this lady that took us down there called my name. She said we were going up to see Mr. Benson. Hell I'm back on stairs, at least this time I know them, but we had to go up 3 flights of steps. I was woosed by the time we got up there. There were more old posters from shows that played there, autographed by all the famous people that have played there. We're ushered into a quiet dressing room and there he is. Sitting talking to someone from the theater. We're ushered in and then it's just George, my neighbor Dolores and me. No fooling. About as one on one as you can get. I told him right away about winning Red in the auction and also told him how a friend got his dream guitar too in winning the Motorro. I got my pick guard out and he signed it and he said what's this from, I told him I had a lot of Heritage guitars and in fact had purchased Toty Violia's big bodied 330 style guitar and he talked about how he had a hand in designing the neck joints it. Then a threesome came in and one of the men took photos of us with my camera and my neighbors camera. I told him how all those years I had the biggest thing for that Red Guitar how I thought it looked so stinking cool. Then I told him about my friend DeChown Jenkins who asked for the passes for me, how the kid was coming along real well, how I look out for him and what a good kid he is. George talked to Dolores explaining how he and DeChown had done some studio work, some for some stuff of George's, some on a release he was working on for DeChown. So I was thinking we'd better get moving and let the others have their turn. He was visibly tired, relaxing with a glass of chardonnay. I told him I'm 70 and can't imagine touring like he does, I think he's got 5 or 6 years on me. As I'm getting up to leave he calls out to me "Michael, that red guitar, that's very special - there's only one of them, that was my favorite guitar for a long time. You'll like how those pickups sound on her (the Alumitones). So we get escorted out a side exit and are on the street and I floated all the f-ing way home. I think I got about 6 hours of sleep... Still in awe that all this actually happened.
So, now for the guitar, for some reason it is Overnight, but must not have made the cut off time and will go out some time over the weekend and get delivered Tuesday...
Last edited by BigMikeinNJ; 05-27-2017 at 10:32 AM.
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Thanks Mike for relaying my thanks re GB's Mortoro Starling II. That is really cool what GB said about your red guitar. I hope they deliver it to you today! It looks like it might be up to 2 weeks for mine with the regular delivery schedule.
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Awesome stuff Mike. All the stars were in alignment for you that night. I'm very jealous!!
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To have George say that was his favorite guitar for while makes the whole thing that much sweeter.
I am in awe Mike. You are livin the life big fella.
I was fortunate to speak with George on the telephone briefly one time about 20 years ago. But I remember every nervous breath I took, still to this day. My friend Kendal produced him on "Got to Be There" and aside from the performance, he was as beautiful a man as anyone can ever imagine. George is a legend. We are lucky to be graced by his immense talent. He is also a good man. A great man.
Joe D
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Nice pics ! Hope you had a blast !
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All the way home my neighbor kept saying "your like a kid at Christmas that got a puppy". I guess I was. Still can't believe it happened...
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Great story, Mike. Thanks for sharing! GB's the man!
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Dreams do come true.......WOW. I WOULD PAY $1000 to talk with George for 5 minutes.
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bro, he would pay to talk to YOU. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
If he knew you, he would for sure.
Joe D
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Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
" And the cat said : ' Canary' ? - - 'What canary' ?
' I didn't eat any canary. '.....
Congrats Mike !
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A couple of months ago I was in a local guitar shop that had a box of used music magazines with the covers cut and priced at a dollar. I leafed through them and came home with the March 2010 issue of Guitar Player magazine. It is ironic that the cover story was about George Benson and now Mike and I are going to have a couple of his jazz boxes. I pulled out the magazine today to reread the article and I think there is a picture of GB playing Mike's guitar. It is in black and white so it is difficult to be sure about it. Mike, I can copy the article for you if you can't run down a copy. Check eBay.
Ted E
Last edited by Easy2grasp; 05-27-2017 at 02:02 PM.
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George Benson looks great! I'd have fallen down on my knees and asked if I may kiss his hands.
What a trip! Did someone here win the auction for George Benson's N. Palen #10? I recall #11 being offered for sale here.
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All I can say is "WOW!!!"
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Originally Posted by Easy2grasp
A couple of months ago I was in a local guitar shop that had a box of used music magazines with the covers cut and priced at a dollar. I leafed through them and came home with the March 2010 issue of Guitar Player magazine. It is ironic that the cover story was about George Benson and now Mike and I are going to have a couple of his jazz boxes. I pulled out the magazine today to reread the article and I think there is a picture of GB playing Mike's guitar. It is in black and white so it is difficult to be sure about it. Mike, I can copy the article for you if you can't run down a copy. Check eBay.
Ted E
That's an OLD picture of George, looks like a GB10 he's got. I'm so pumped for you man, I KNOW THE FEELING, and you got me thinking about the strings that come on Red. IF I ever need to replace them I'm gonna have a bracelet woven with the old strings. Sorta like those helicopter chain bracelets guys from the Nam would come back wearing. My neighbor stopped by and sort of ran her play by play of what happened to her kids what we did and they were
NO WAY,
WAY,
NO WAY... lol
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