To Darice and Kate, First of all, it was I who had complained about the representations made re the JM guitar on e-bay (which eventually went for $4,750, if this was not previously noted - I suspect this was a "steal" for the buyer, but what I don't know about such things has no doubt filled many books). The following was posted by the person (Paul @ anglesnet.com) who wrote to the list:
> Joni recently purchased new guitars from Fred and asked him to sell a number > of her older ones that she used to record Hejira and to tour. So, to help > him help her out, I'm putting them on eBay. > Now that implies to me that the buyer is really buying them from Joni (no?) and that Fred was simply her agent. I found that not clear. In fact, on e-bay, the seller is represented to be Fred. Well, which was it? Had Joni already sold her guitars back to Fred (say, as trad-ins, for something less than the reserve price), with Fred to then free to re-sell them for whatever he could manage ? If so, the above is not really entirely up front either. Or is Fred really just taking a commision on the deal ? (Are Joni's capital gains - not to mention alternative minimum - taxes affected by the e-bay transaction ?). The description on e-bay began with "Joni originally purchased this Ibanez George Benson guitar and several others from Fred Walecki's Westwood Music when she was recording Hejira and played it for years while she was touring. (See About Me to learn more about Fred Walecki.)" >From that, I posted some wonderings about whether it was one of the instruments used in the S&L tour, etc. An "important correction" was posted 4 days later - I would guess at Fred's insistence (or perhaps Joni's ?). One is left to wonder, though, why the initial "story" was ever put out there in the first place. Darice and Kate - would you have made this representation without confirming it first ? Really, the description (even after the correction) was not very forthcoming. For example, I would have expected something like "This is one of approximately two dozen (?) GB Ibanez guitars that Joni purchased from Fred over the years. She used this particular guitar in performances (if so) on her Refuge of the Roads (?) tour. It was built in February, 1982." Of course, if this was a guitar that she did not use on stage, I think that should have been stated. My initial point is that one's credibility suffers when one misrepresents. Sorry, just cannot undo that. Just for the record, my initial post read as follows: "From the site (that I revisited via Dan's link) came the following correction. > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2508437444 "IMPORTANT CORRECTION The serial numbers for this instrument are B825576 for the body and 4589 for the head stock. In doing some research, I find that the "B" indicates that it was manufactured in February and the "82" is 1982. So it definitely was not used to record "Hejira", although she did use it on tour." That means that it definitely was not used in the S&L video, either. What an odd misrepresentation to make by the seller (about Hejira). Yes, he corrected it, but one's credibility is bound to suffer from that type of gaffe. Are we sure it is one of Joni's at all ? Yeah, probably. But I would want more confirmation than this guy correcting an error that was bound to be caught sooner rather than later anyway. I assume he is now talking about the Refuge of the Roads tour." Bobsart That said, I think I wish I had bought it. :-). Maybe one of the later ones, after I get more comfortable with the process. I still think these ultimately belong in Joni's museum. You know, like the Picasso or Rodin museums in Paris, or Joni's in LA ?
