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PROPERTY OF JUDY COLLINS On July 20, 2010 Judy Collins met with Cathy Elkies, Head of Christie's Iconic Sales, and Kerry Keane, Department Head for Musical Instruments, in her Manhattan apartment to discuss the collection of instruments she would be offering with Christie's. Excerpts from the interview are used here as catalogue notes and associated with the instruments they discussed. A full transcript is available on Christies.com It is such a privilege to have played these amazing guitars, some of them for half a century. Most of these Martin guitars have traveled with me through the early Sixties, on the road in fifty states and many countries, on the planes, the buses, the cars, the trains, in clubs and on the stages of the world. I have learned to finger pick on them-- the six strings--following the teaching of people like Danny Kalb and the examples of Eric Weissberg. Ramblin' Jack Elliot taught me to do that Travis-style picking in the smoky rooms of Gerde's Folk City in 1963 and 1964 on one of these guitars, and Pete Seeger along with Tim Buckley and Jim McGuinn (later Roger) have served as mentors for my 12-string career. In 2002, Martin Guitar made me a beautiful 12-string guitar based on the model Martin I have played for years, the D-35. This guitar, with its electric hookup, has been with me in recordings, performances, in Festivals including most recently the Newport Festival in the US as well as the Glastonbury Festival in England. These instruments have been loved, played, polished, tuned and treasured by me for all these years, and now it is time to send them off to be enjoyed by you, their future owners. I wish them well, and wish you joy in them as I have had. I will be keeping a number of Martin guitars, including the Judy Collins Signature Martins in both six and 12 strings, and some of my other instruments, but it is time to lighten up my guitar holdings as I send these beautiful babies off to your keeping. Enjoy them! I have always been drawn to the song with a strong narrative and one of the foundations of the tenets of the folk tradition is telling a story through song. Another is passing that song on to the next performer who, through change and performance, makes it their own. It is what I hope for these instruments as I reluctantly let them slip through my hands. It is time for me to pass them on, to the next musician, who will play them and add their stories on top of mine. Like a good song they will live on, I hope, through the songs that will be played on them. It is the Folk tradition after all!

GUILD GUITARS INCORPORATED

AN ACOUSTIC 12-STRING GUITAR, STYLE F-312, HOBOKEN, NJ., 1968

Details

GUILD GUITARS INCORPORATED
AN ACOUSTIC 12-STRING GUITAR, STYLE F-312, HOBOKEN, NJ., 1968
The headstock inlaid GUILD, stamped on the reverse AS 354, labeled GUARANTEE This GUILD instrument is hereby guaranteed to the original purchaser against defects in workmanship and materials Model F-312 SS Serial No. AS 354 GUILD GUITARS, INC. Hoboken, New Jersey U.S.A., length of back: 19 7/8 in. (50.5 cm) with strap and photograph (2)

Provenance

Judy Collins

Special Notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

KK: You are known for performing on both 6-string as well as 12-string guitars but it is later into your performance career that you start playing the 12-string. What lead you to these guitars?

JC: All the songs in the early 60s were with my 6-string. I don't think I did a record with a 12-string until 1969 or 70? The Guild was my first 12-string guitar. I was just getting use to the idea of playing the 12-string. In the 60s there were these wonderful singers in the Village, like Tim Buckley who played a Guild 12-string and I adored the way it sounded, and of course Pete Seeger played the 12-string. I became intrigued and fascinated with the fact that you could make the thing sound like an orchestra. It sounded like bells! I love that feeling.

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