R.C. Allen: What are his guitars worth?
By Rebecca Apodaca
We are looking at the guitars owned by R.C. Allen, the last man from his generation of guitar builders from Southern California. These innovators include Knutsen, Weissenborn, Dopyera, Rickenbacker Kaufman, Fender/Fullerton, Bigsby, Kiesel and R.C. Allen. R.C. Allen is the last man still alive from this prestigious group. The first part of this article appeared in the January 2011 issue.
Comparable Sales: A Certified M.I. Appraiser looks in the most appropriate market.1 Where would a guitar of Paul Bigsby normally sell? It might be through a private or specialty dealer, a collector, a large auction house, a charity auction, an online “live auction” or user groups. An appraiser should also check for international sales. A certified appraisal is not just an appraiser’s five-minute opinion; it is based on actual sales of similar situations, and verified offers. It is not just taken from one specialty store sold inventory. It is not just one source. Sales have to be researched and we need several to create a market study(1) to be able to determine a true fair market value.1 This process takes weeks and, sometimes, months to do properly. I found 12 comparable sales of Bigsby guitars, which included celebrity value and known modifications.
A market study is grafting the comparable sales to compare by date, features and condition versus value. By charting the features, a certified appraiser can determine what the value change is for the Martin with a Bigsby neck compared to a Bigsby that is original and a Bigsby that has had modifications. It is called “known modifications.” We note anything that is not original, whether it upgraded or devalued it. We also check the provenance (history of ownership) to look for celebrity or historical significance. The Bigsby guitars in this article have both. The electric went from Paul Bigsby to George Grohs to R.C. Allen to child star Bobby Durham and back to Allen. Allen says he had no intention of selling it. It was left as collateral at a store and sold in error. Allen had Bigsby repair the cut-a-way that the store started, add wood armrest, pickup bezels and change the pickguard. The original builder did the known modifications.(2)
Rarity
Bigsby has passed on, so the rarity and value increases. The Bigsby Web site states he only made 56 guitars. Forty-seven were steels, six standard, one tenor and two double-neck, as well as six neck replacements.(3) However, in the Bigsby Book, it states 75 steels, 23 standards and 15 neck replacements. VG price guide states 70 to150 pedal steels, under 50 standard and 12 neck replacements. Allen also owns one of these neck replacements. It is a Bigsby neck with a Martin D-28 body previously owned by Zeke Clements. One of the same models that was owned by Merle Travis sold at Christie’s Auction House for $264,000.(4) Bigsby’s guitars are still desirable, which will also increase the value.
Tribute
At the time of the NAMM show, country swing guitarist Deke Dickerson did a tribute to R.C. Allen and his guitars at the Guitar Geek Festival. He created a museum of R.C. Allen guitars with the names, dates and ownership of many of the guitars that Allen built. There were photos and album covers featuring artists with Allen guitars and a tribute on stage of 29 guitars, mandolins, double necks and triple necks. Allen granted me the honor of performing on his Electric Bass Banjo. 
It felt like it weighed 25 pounds. I sat at the edge of the stage so I didn’t fall over!
The band leader was “Papa Wah Wah,” Del Casher, a guitar player for Elvis featured in the movie “Roustabouts.”(5) The room was guitar player-heavy, with Deke, Glen Glenn, QSC’s Dr. Q, Pat Quilter, and R.C.’s biggest supporter, brother John Allen. John is at every vintage guitar show, aiding his brother, and tells me that “Richard dreams guitars.” I rarely see one without the other. It is great to see a man who truly supports and honors his brother’s passion. That night, Allen’s nieces came for the tribute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJZk7fj_izA. We performed six songs to honor Allen’s 60 years of guitar building, since 1951.
The other thing for an appraiser to consider is a similar situation. What are the values of the first or second guitar from other known makers? John C. Hall of Rickenbacker International granted me an interview and invited me to come into Rickenbacker headquarters to look at the private museum. There, I saw the first electric guitar made by Adolph Rickenbacker. “The Frying Pan” was in a simple glass case. I wasn’t expecting it to be there and walked right past it. It was like visiting the Louvre Museum and seeing the Mona Lisa in person and having Leonardo da Vinci’s successor tell you about it. Not only did I get to see The Frying Pan, but I also saw its prototypes and much more. Hall stated The Smithsonian Institution set the insured value at $2 million for The Frying Pan.
So what are R.C. Allen’s guitar worth? Paul A. Bigsby’s second guitar, fair market value: $400,000. Martin D-28 guitar with a Bigsby neck: $130,000. Allen’s 2001 Hank Thompson model electric archtop guitar, in the style of a Super 400 CES: $6,250.(6) Listening to R.C. Allen tell you the history of guitar building in Southern California…priceless.
Sources:
(1) Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice
(2) R.C. Allen and documented in The Story of Paul Bigsby by Andy Babiuk
(3) www.bigsbyguitars.com/vibe/?page_id=3
(4) Christie’s Auction House, NY
(5) Del Casher and www.delcasher.com
(6) Christie’s Auction House, NY