George Benson selling his personal guitars on Reverb

**skiboyny** · 10-18-2024, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by floatingpickup

Is it my imagination, or is there something going on with the stinger on the Million Dollar Breezin’ JS? Maybe it’s just a bad/photoshopped picture, but it doesn’t look quite right to me.
Keith

Looks like the headstock is photoshopped on and poorly I'd have to say!

**murrayatuptown** · 10-20-2024, 02:59 PM

One has to set currency limits, if there is any logic to 'one last guitar' logic. Or real estate limits.

Murray

**murrayatuptown** · 10-20-2024, 03:04 PM

Maybe a financial advisor suggested paring down for some complex factors involving long-term care.

A few family members of advanced age liquidated assets before needing assisted living. How much one pays personally in some facilities sometimes depends on when their assets 'run out'.

Murray

**deacon Mark** · 10-20-2024, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by murrayatuptown

Maybe a financial advisor suggested paring down for some complex factors involving long-term care.

A few family members of advanced age liquidated assets before needing assisted living. How much one pays personally in some facilities sometimes depends on when their assets 'run out'.

Murray

I did that job for the State of Illinois for 10 of my 34 years. I am an expert on the subject and I can tell you right now George Benson easily has the money to pay for whatever care he might ever needs. He could easily stay home and pay for 24 hours round the clock nursing and help. The cost of most Long term care these days depending is $10-15K a month for the ordinary. I think George easily has the money to pay that an more for years to come. His social security would at the highest level one can draw, although that is peanuts to him, his endorsement, royalty checks, and the rest would be quite sufficient. He could not become eligible by giving it away that gets in to the look back period, 5 years at the moment.

**jzucker** · 10-20-2024, 04:27 PM

i'll pass on the million dollar johnny smith and $2k shipping

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 10-20-2024, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

I can tell you right now George Benson easily has the money to pay for whatever care he might ever needs. He could easily stay home and pay for 24 hours round the clock nursing and help. The cost of most Long term care these days depending is $10-15K a month for the ordinary. I think George easily has the money to pay that an more for years to come. His social security would at the highest level one can draw, although that is peanuts to him, his endorsement, royalty checks, and the rest would be quite sufficient. He could not become eligible by giving it away that gets in to the look back period, 5 years at the moment.

This is just one of many reasons that I have trouble understanding why Benson would be selling these guitars. I don't count other people's money because we know many people who go to great lengths to conceal great wealth or serious financial hardship, who drive modest cars, wear modest clothes, live very low key lives in modest homes or apartments, and turn out to have millions of dollars when they retire. We also know even more who live well beyond their means and work hard to stay one payment ahead of insolvency. But I find it very hard to believe that GB is selling these because he needs the money.

Most of those guitars appear to be in poor shape. None is particularly rare or unusually desirable in its own right, especially at those unreasonably high asking prices. The Breezin' JS is cool, no doubt. But if it's been maintained like the rest of that lot, it's likely to need work despite the description of condition as "excellent", unless it's been maintained well and coddled for the last 48 years. It's not even described as being all original - and there are few 50 year old archtops that were used by pros for any significant period of time that haven't had fretwork and/or other routine repairs and replacements. Worse, good JSs abound for asking prices of $8k to $12k. Paying twice top dollar for the one used on Breezin' might make sense if you really love Benson, but asking a million bucks for it is truly outrageous.

I'd love to know what's behind this sale. I don't think it's a financial need, and most of these guitars are nice but undistinguished models (many of which are described as being in fair condition or worse). I can believe that this is just to clean the junk out of the closet. Maybe the JS is an attention grabber and the asking price is to make sure it never sells. He may have put that price on it with the attitude that it'll probably never go for anywhere close to a million but if it does, he can live without it.

**Max405** · 10-20-2024, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

i'll pass on the million dollar johnny smith and $2k shipping

Yeah, my wife said I can’t have that guitar.
But… think about how cool it would be to own it? The guitar responsible for 1,000’s of young guitarists taking up jazz guitar and wanting to be just like George.
But you know, everytime I play Breezin on my GJS, I sound nothing like George. Nothing.
There will only be one George. And if he keeps just one of those guitars, I hope that’s the one he keeps. It should be with him when he passes. Hopefully 30 yrs from now.
JD

**skiboyny** · 10-21-2024, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

I did that job for the State of Illinois for 10 of my 34 years. I am an expert on the subject and I can tell you right now George Benson easily has the money to pay for whatever care he might ever needs. He could easily stay home and pay for 24 hours round the clock nursing and help. The cost of most Long term care these days depending is $10-15K a month for the ordinary. I think George easily has the money to pay that an more for years to come. His social security would at the highest level one can draw, although that is peanuts to him, his endorsement, royalty checks, and the rest would be quite sufficient. He could not become eligible by giving it away that gets in to the look back period, 5 years at the moment.

You would think but you never know! I read that George was worth 5 million dollars in 2016. Is it true, who knows, is anything true anymore, but I digress. I was surprised to see only 5 million. His touring has diminished since 2016, due to age and health. He lives a pretty good lifestyle in Hawaii which is bound to have substantial financial upkeep. He has a wife and who knows what other obligations. He wouldn't be the first person who made good money and ended up with little. Whatever the reason I wish him the best. A super talent, who worked hard and steady for so many years. He is deserving of all he wants in this world, he has given much to many.

**murrayatuptown** · 10-23-2024, 01:44 PM

I think the 'tortoise' verbiage referred to the pattern, because some of the celluloid material that decomposes has tortoise pattern.

Re: The Rob Tai video on Ibanez history

has timelines split up by topic and one mentions when Hoshino stopped making tortoiseshell picks...sounded like they were the last after 'bans' were established...sounded like the lag in ceasing whaling commerce.

**11SecretHerbsAndSpices** · 10-24-2024, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

The Breezin' JS is cool, no doubt. But if it's been maintained like the rest of that lot, it's likely to need work despite the description of condition as "excellent", unless it's been maintained well and coddled for the last 48 years. It's not even described as being all original - and there are few 50 year old archtops that were used by pros for any significant period of time that haven't had fretwork and/or other routine repairs and replacements. Worse, good JSs abound for asking prices of $8k to $12k. Paying twice top dollar for the one used on Breezin' might make sense if you really love Benson, but asking a million bucks for it is truly outrageous.

I was thinking similar before the shop opened, in that I thought the Breezin JS would be about double what a good condition one was. I was ready to drop $15k, but thought it'd end up being more like $20-25k. But wow, $1m is "I don't want to sell this" price. I'm guessing advertising the Breezin guitar was to just get people in the door and make his non-famous gear look like a deal in comparison.

I'm a big GB fan, saw him on his most recent tour, might even do his guitar camp in a few months, but if $1m is sincere, either GB himself or someone else is way overestimating his popularity and/or significance.

**murrayatuptown** · 10-24-2024, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

i'll pass on the million dollar johnny smith and $2k shipping

If you spent 1 000 000, wouldn't you think free shipping would be a courtesy, or have someone drive it to you ??

Oh, that's trivial, compared to the sales tax... unless you live in a state with no sales tax. A country without VAT/duty?

Michigan 6% sales tax would be $59999.94.

I'd hate to seem cheap, but is there a Make Offer button?

(Seriously, not serious).

Murray

**Brian859** · 10-25-2024, 07:06 AM

Agreed. The breezin guitar is priced not to sell. I'm sure someone would pay the michigan sale tax costs for it though. Maybe even a bit more. Maybe $100,00-110,000?

**2bornot2bop** · 10-25-2024, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by murrayatuptown

If you spent 1 000 000, wouldn't you think free shipping would be a courtesy, or have someone drive it to you ??

Oh, that's trivial, compared to the sales tax... unless you live in a state with no sales tax. A country without VAT/duty?

Michigan 6% sales tax would be $59999.94.

I'd hate to seem cheap, but is there a Make Offer button?

(Seriously, not serious).

Murray

Only 6%. My state is nearly 11%. But we have a high sales tax in lieu of having a state tax. Our next door state has no sales tax!

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 10-25-2024, 03:34 PM

What's all this talk about sales tax? Aren't guitars therapeutic necessities?

**jads57** · 10-28-2024, 10:45 AM

At that price one million dollars,I’d say it’s more a Tax Headache,Lol!

**pawlowski6132** · 10-29-2024, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit

I’m wondering if he decided to sell them because the archtop market is softening steadily and they’re no longer appreciating assets. Being over 80 seems irrelevant to me, since I’ll be there in less than 2 years.

I never count other people’s money, so I don’t know or care if he needs more. But I’m asking myself why he would decide now to sell guitars that were an integral part of his life and success, if the money is irrelevant to him. He’ll certainly have to pay a fair amount of income tax on the proceeds. He has a wife and 7 kids IIRC, so these guitars would pass to them on his death. Why pay income tax on them now and then leave the rest of the proceeds in his estate to be taxed again? Estate tax thresholds are going back down next year, unless Congress extends the current higher exclusion.

I’m surprised at your Ibanez comment, Mark, and I hope you were kidding. Benson has probably been the most important person of all to show the world how good the high end Ibanez guitars are (especially his signature models). They’re not D’As for sure, but they’re wonderful instruments, especially for gigging pros. I’ve had about half a dozen, including my default gigging archtop (bought new in 1997) and my only flattop (bought new about 10 years ago).

Personally, I’d love to have any of his guitars. I just wouldn’t pay more for an instrument because it was owned by a name, especially since they “only” have 6 strings. If I had the $, I’d be after Tony Mottola’s 7 string Gibson

You should be careful giving financial advice. I'm not an expert either but I understand enough to recognize that reverb will issue you a 1099-K if you have over $20,000 in sales in a fiscal year and more than 200 transactions. The 2024 estate tax threshold was $13.1 million.

I could see a scenario where selling these guitars now while he's still alive makes complete sense.