“That guitar represents a hospital in Tibet.” says Richard Gere. “And, that one? That one is a school.”
I’m chatting by phone with Gere about the upcoming October 11 auction of over 100 of the vintage guitars and amps from his extraordinary collection. Well, maybe “collection” isn’t the proper word. “It’s not a collection,” says Gere, with a laugh, “and I wish people would stop calling it that.” So, it’s officially an accumulation of instruments. Or, perhaps, an assemblage.
Gere has a point about the terminology. “Collection” conjures in the mind’s eye rows of pristine, vintage guitars, often with multiple, perfect examples of identical instruments. To be sure, Gere’s, uh, assemblage, features some perfect instruments. Consider Lot Number 93: the minty, blond, dot-neck, 1960 Gibson ES-335. But, most of these guitars show serious play wear, which, Gere is careful to point out, “is in the right places, showing that the guitars were really played.” Gere adds that “all of these guitars are perfectly set up. They play beautifully and they sound great. They’re just great instruments.”
Gere tells me that he “can’t think of a single guitar I bought just to own it.” He bought them all to play and didn’t let concerns about collectability deter him from having guitars refretted, necks reset, or doing whatever it took to make them player’s instruments. He’s right: these aren’t museum piece collectibles. They’re just a bunch of really good, really cool guitars. Check out Christie’s glorious, 138 page catalog (a collectible publication if ever there was one) or, if you failed to order one (I hope that you learned your lesson!), check the online version. It’s a very well thought out, uh, accumulation. The catalog breaks the instruments into “The Golden Age,” “The Post War Years: The Age of the Electric,” “The Age of Rock,” and “Contemporary Classics.” The first entry is a way cool 1902 Gibson Style 0 with scroll and cutaway and the final entry is a 1977 reissue goldtop Les Paul, a guitar Gere “purchased while working on the film Pretty Woman.” It was the first Gibson Les Paul guitar he ever acquired.
And between those bookends? Roughly, one of every great American guitar model ever made: John D’Angelico’s own D’Angelico; a strikingly ornate 1901 Martin 00-42 (complete with tree-of-life inlay); four — count ‘em, four! — first-year, 1954 Stratocasters; a 1958, black, two-pickup Les Paul Custom; and an array of Telecasters and Esquires, both pristine and battered. Gere handpicked these guitars, and he didn’t buy impulsively. “Most times, I’d go back to the shop to play it again, sometimes two or three times, before I bought them.” The selection criteria? “You know, all guitars have something different to say, a different voice. And, you need to figure out what that voice is and whether you need it.” Figuring out that voice also extended to the catalog’s selection of primo vintage Fender, Gibson, Marshall, and Vox amps.
So how does a famous actor collect, er, gather guitars without drawing a crowd of fans and paparazzi? Mail order? Have an assistant buy them? Nope. “I love hanging out in guitar shops. No one cares if you’re a famous actor. It’s about whether you know guitars and whether you can play.” Gere knows guitars and can play. So, when on set, shooting a film, Gere would “slip away” to the nearest vintage guitar shop. These were “safe havens” from the demands of filmmaking. “Even my assistant couldn’t find me there,” the actor adds with a hearty laugh. Gere is a fan of blues and “any music that’s emotional” and the catalog’s concluding pages are adorned with photos of Gere playing and hanging with blues and rock greats like Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Cray, and Keith Richards.
When I ask Gere which sales with hurt the most, he answers, “Oh, all of them.” So, I press him. “What about the Albert King Flying V?” Talk about rare and iconic! Built in 1958, this is the second Flying V prototype … “the one,” says Gere, “that Gibson chose as the model for the production guitars,” of which 98 were made. Oh, and the first owner was none other than Albert King. I can almost see through the phone line to watch Gere wince as he thinks about the guitar. But, that one’s the guitar that will fund the building of a hospital in Tibet. “What about that first D-28?” I ask in reference to the 1931, 12-fret D-28, the very first D-28 that Martin built. That’s the guitar that will fund the construction of a school.
I ask about one other guitar. It’s a 1943 Gibson Southerner Jumbo, or SJ. One of the rosewood examples. I’m drawn to it because I’m a fan of wartime Gibsons in general and of the SJ in particular. Plus, the catalog page quotes my not-quite-finished book on these “Banner” Gibsons that bear a silkscreened banner bearing the mantra, “Only a Gibson is Good Enough.” “That guitar,” answers Gere, “is amazing. That’s the guitar that I kept next to my desk so that I could pick it up whenever I wanted to.”
Gere is soft-spoken, thoughtful, and articulate. Conversing with him is a real pleasure. A man who’s passionate about the plight of the Tibetan people, he’s also a man who’s willing to sacrifice his guitars for a worthy cause. “Obviously,” he says, “most of the money [from the auction] will go to Tibetan causes.” The funds will be distributed through his Gere Foundation, which supports a number of worthy causes, including “groups that are dedicated to the cultural preservation of Tibet and the Tibetan people.”
“It was just time to put these instruments to a better use,” Gere says as our conversation draws to a close. “These guitars have been great friends of mine and they’ll be great friends to someone else. And, the buyer will know that buying the guitar will also do some good. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
If you’re like me, you’re wondering what guitars Gere has decided to keep. “Well, I won’t tell you that,” he says with an easy laugh. “I’m keeping about 20 guitars I play everyday and just can’t let go.”
It’s nice to know that a good man will have some good guitars to make some good music.
[All photos courtesy of Christie’s]