Found a piece of potential music history. Keep or sell?

[rszdtrvl]

While DH and I were doing our weekend yard sales (found a set of 3 Twilight Barbie Dolls too!!!) we found an old bass amplifier head.

The story that went along with it:

It was originally owned by the music group The Melvins. It moved on to a group called Attica. From Attica it was given to a friend of the band. The friend sold it to a guy. We purchased it from the guy.

Everything seems to check out on the story, from stickers we found on the amplifier. At one time, there was a "Melvins" sticker, which was torn off partially (but enough so that we could make out part of the word) and "Attica" was written in pen partially on the words of the sticker.

We live in an area known for Nirvana and The Melvins. In fact, we purchased the amplifier in the city that The Melvins was originally from. The lead singer from The Melvins took Kurt Cobain to his first punk/grunge concert and turned him on to that type of music, which from there ended up with the group Nirvana.

We are still doing investigation on the amplifier head, getting as close as finding a member of the group Attica and contacting him (still waiting on a response).

If it turns out to be something that we can totally verify as being a piece of rich musical history (we believe it to be the original bass amplifier head that The Melvins used - probably even Nirvana, and since it seems like the stories check out, as of right now we are 99% sure) would you keep the item or sell it?

I want to keep it, possibly loan it to display at the local EMP in Seattle. DH would want to sell it to help reduce our debt.

What would YOU do??? This is the yard sale find of a lifetime, in my opinion. DS is a guitar player - has an electric, bass, and an acoustic guitar - and to me this is an awesome piece to add to his guitar collection.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

While DH and I were doing our weekend yard sales (found a set of 3 Twilight Barbie Dolls too!!!) we found an old bass amplifier top.

The story that went along with the amplifier :

It was originally owned by the music group The Melvins. It moved on to a group called Attica. From Attica it was given to a friend of the band. The friend sold it to a guy. We purchased it from the guy.

Everything seems to check out on the story, from stickers we found on the amplifier. At one time, there was a "Melvins" sticker, which was torn off partially (but enough so that we could make out part of the word) and "Attica" was written in pen partially on the words of the sticker.

We live in an area known for Nirvana and The Melvins. In fact, we purchased the amplifier in the city that The Melvins was originally from. The lead singer from The Melvins took Kurt Cobain to his first punk/grunge concert and turned him on to that type of music, which from there ended up with the group Nirvana.

We are still doing investigation on the amplifier, getting as close as finding a member of the group Attica and contacting him (still waiting on a response).

If it turns out to be something that we can totally verify as being a piece of rich musical history (we believe it to be the original bass amplifier that The Melvins used - probably even Nirvana, and since it seems like the stories check out, as of right now we are 99% sure) would you keep the item or sell it?

I want to keep it, possibly loan it to display at the local EMP in Seattle. DH would want to sell it to help reduce our debt.

What would YOU do??? This is the yard sale find of a lifetime, in my opinion. DS is a guitar player - has an electric, bass, and an acoustic guitar - and to me this is an awesome piece to add to his guitar collection.

Cool find! I'd continue with the research, then decide keep or sell

How much are similar items going for in auction? ebay?

For me it would depend on the amount of $ it could bring, and if I would look back in my life and be like, "oh, I wish we never sold that thing!" or not.

Congrats again! Love a good find

 

[Lucille1963]

Hmmmm..... I'm wondering why if this item was so rich in history why the sellers were selling it a garage sale and playing up the story.
I'd try to document as much as possible and start digging through old photographs to see if you can match it up.


I remember the Melvin's van being auctioned last winter, but I didn't keep track of if it sold or how much it sold for.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kurt-cobain-decorated-melvins-van-for-sale-20120306

But even the Melvin's van was really only being offered for that price because Kurt drew on it.

 

[rszdtrvl]

The guy did not have it for sale at the yard sale. It was underneath a bench that had other musical equipment on it.

DH asked if it was for sale, and the guy did not want to sell it at first. He told DH that it was not for sale, and a few minutes later told DH the story. (I am still shocked that DH had never heard of The Melvins!!!) But, in the end, he decided to sell it, as it had been sitting unused for so many years (it was all dusty and needed to be wiped down).

The guy seemed genuine, and I am a good reader of people. He came from the right area of where the group came from, he was very clean cut, and was obviously a musician (which would explain the music equipment).

We have spent many hours looking online, trying to find older photos of the group to try to find this specific item, but since they have been around so long pre-internet, unless someone had scanned photos and put them online, they won't exist.

 

[momof3ds]

I'm guessing that it won't be worth too much, even with documentation.

 

[rszdtrvl]

I'm guessing that it won't be worth too much, even with documentation.

That is my guess too. Which is one reason why I would want to keep it.


To have a piece of music history would be super cool!

 

[mrsklamc]

I think it's highly unlikely you will be able to sell it for any amount that would put a dent in debt. To get any real $ out of a piece of memorabilia, you would need better documentation than what you've got.

 

[Pesky]

Agree with pps. The provenance is a little too spotty (namely undocumented) to garner a good price. I would see if you could get the guy to write down the story and sign his name. He might be able to provide more names than "I got it from a guy who got it from a guy" which might help you one day when you do want to sell it.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

 

[happygirl]

LOL.

I would say it's nothing worth anything or the guy would have never sold it

 

[rszdtrvl]

Love it!! But you would need to have an expert authenticate it first.


DH talked to the guy again today. He grew up with all of the band members and even "jammed" with them, attended school with them, etc. To him, it was a cool item. To us, not growing up here, it is a piece of history. Since this guy knew all of the band members for both The Melvins and Nirvana, and other local groups, it was just a cool item that he had hung on to.

The guy named names that we had looked up multiple times over the weekend. It was the bass amplifier head from Matt Lukin, the original bass player for The Melvins. He has retired and is now in Seattle. We got his address and are going to write him a letter and send him photos of the amp and ask him if he can verify it for us. If he ends up verifying it, that would be the piece to the puzzle we need.

This amplifier head is known in the music business as the "Folgers" amp head, as the bass player put on a Folgers sticker first. It has other stickers on it, but the Folgers is what designates this amplifier head as what it is.

We should find out more tomorrow, as the local music store is open. DH is going to take DS to get some guitar strings, and will take the amplifier head along with him to see if they know anything about it.

I will let y'all know if we get total verification.

BTW, DH is now thinking about keeping it. Yay for me!!

 

[njmom47]

I am married to a bass player who loves all things Kurt Cobain/Nirvana, so I would totally keep it...especially if you get all the verifications!!
We are fans of the whole Seattle scene as well (Mother Love Bone is tops on my list ). That would make me really happy!

 

[richmond282]

I have to agree w/ PPs. I don't think you're going to get much for it especially on ebay and without any sort of proof.

 

[rszdtrvl]

DH went to the local music store yesterday to get DS new guitar strings and talk to them about.

They directed him to a street name and said that Kurt used to live with this guy in high school and it is the area all of them (Nirvana and The Melvins) used to jam in.

DH Mapquested, and went over to see the guy - the father of the only kid in the jam session that didn't make it big.

He knew he was at the right house when he saw the "Kurt Lived Here" sticker on the door.


Anyhoo, the amp head was not familiar to the guy, but his son lives in Oregon and next time he sees him or talks to him he will ask him about it and then call us to let us know.

DH said that guy was very cool - Lamont Schillinger. His son is Eric.

He was bit weary when DH asked him if he was Mr. Schillinger and cautiously said "Yes", and then DH said that he was not a crazy Nirvana fan and had some questions about the amp head that he had photos of.

They talked for about 15 minutes, and DH said it was a very cool conversation. Surreal.

And we didn't send the letter to the original bass player of The Melvins. We think we can get all of the information we need locally if we are patient enough. Chances are that one of the members of The Melvins probably gave it to Eric or left it at his house when they moved on, and he is the guy that we need to verify it.

Just thought I would update everyone.

And if nothing else, we go to Vegas every January, so maybe Rick and the Old Man can get this crazy thing figured out for us!

 

[prncess674]

Unless it was signed by Kurt Cobain I don't think it is worth anything more than any other 25 year old amp in fair condition.

 

[ShesAPirate]

I remember the Melvin's van being auctioned last winter, but I didn't keep track of if it sold or how much it sold for.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kurt-cobain-decorated-melvins-van-for-sale-20120306

But even the Melvin's van was really only being offered for that price because Kurt drew on it.

It didn't sell. The seller listed it for 50 grand. No bids.

 

[libinatorsmom]

My hubby is very into older amps and guitars etc... Granted something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it - but in my opinion I dont think you have anything that is a high priced piece of memerabillia... it sounds like to me its important and meaningful to the two of you and that is priceless... so I would suggest you keep it because I just dont think it would pay off your debt... (not unless you have just a few hundred in debt)

 

[swilshire]

Did I miss the brand of the amp head in the thread?

My husband is a bass player and owns a nearly 40 year old amp. He seldom uses it any more because it's so big and heavy, but we did a bit of research online and was surprised to see how much those old treasures go for. No historical connection. Just a love of the sound of the older ones. His is an Acoustic. Acoustic makes new amps (he even owns a couple of them) but they are not nearly the same quality as the early ones.

Sheila