In the left-hand one he looks like Charles DeGaulle...
In the right he looks a bit dyspeptic.
If I was at home, I'd snap a picture of The Benevolent Pete.
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
What's the saying? "If you've got it, flaunt it!". I guess he could have had a "job" done years ago if he wanted to. Speaking personally, I'm glad he hasn't - it's a great feature!
After I posted the PT picture yesterday I was thinking...
When Ric made the PT model they should have had him come into the factory and smash the horn off the guitar, and have the factory glue it back together.
What an advertising/sales gimmick that would be... "come and get your Pete guitar, with genuine authentic Pete damage!"
I agree, companies use product associations to market guitars for way more than they're worth.
Look at the Epiphone Texan. It was, and still should be, a relatively cheap guitar. I'd pay $500 at most for one. Epi wants $2400 for it.
They make another Texan as well - a Paul McCartney signature model. Although it does have Paul's autograph on it, the guitar itself is nothing more than a regular Texan with a Detroit Red Wings sticker on it, and some scratches near the soundhole. The cost: $40,000 dollars. That's ridiculous...
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did.”
― Kurt Vonnegut
I have 2 'artist/signature' series guitars: A Tom Petty and an Epiphone "Noel Gallagher" 335. I did NOT buy the Epi for the name. It was a bargain buy from my local luthier at $650AU. The neck plays beautifully and the '57 classic p/ups are superb. It's my 'cheap enough to gig' guitar. And it knocks the socks off plenty of mega-dollar guitars. Sometimes the manufacturer makes that little bit of extra effort that makes something worthy of a little fuss.
Sometimes it's just another geetar. My NG model is black, looks cool, plays great. I've compared it to other NGs on Ebay, and they (Epiphone) can't even produce two of these that are the same. I've seen FOUR (yes, 4) different signatures on the pickguard so far - presumably from Gallagher at different levels of sobriety. Would I buy one of these new - NO! - Gotta buy for the guitar, not the name.
If I wanted a Harrison-esque 12 string Ric, it would be more far authentic to me WITHOUT his name being put on its pickguard.
Poor ol' George sadly ain't here to approve them, either. I bet he would have been very pleased indeed to be honoured with a signature model, though....
Just about every Ric 12 player has bought one because of a few players, namely: