SRV Charley "Lipsitck Speical" Guitar

[steevo124]

I just bought this guitar. :banana

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/steevo124/charley-003.jpg


It comes with a certificate of authenticity (1 of 23)....not serial #1, signed by Rene Martinez and Bill Silvey (Previous owner of Charley's guitar shop in Texas)

Anyone know anything more about this guitar. According to my past research, in 2003 Rene Martinez (SRV's old guitar tech and John Mayer's current guitar tech) teamed up with Charley's guitar shop in Texas and built a limited run of 23 replicas of SRV's original "Charley guitar", otherwise know as "Ol White or "Ol Pearl" (with Charley's decal on the headstock). I have searched for a few years for this guitar and the closest thing I've ever seen was at themusiczoo.com selling a "Montreux Strat" built by Fender with no "Charley" on the headstock. You can see John Mayer playing (for those who like Mayer) the Fender version in the beginning of the 2007 Eric Clapton guitar Festival. I read that John has 2 of the original 23 replicas but have never seen him play it. Other owners include Kenny W Shepherd, Jimmy Vaughn and Carlos Santana. From my understanding, in 2005 ten more replicas were made by Rene and Charley's shop but again, without the Charley logo on the headstock. More info here... Charley's Lipstick Special (http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:VSeElekjbeUJ:www.thefretartgallery. com/lipstickspecial.html+lipstick+speacial+guitar+char ley+ed+fernandez&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us)

Anyway, I'm a bit surprised that this guitar isn't more sought after or discussed seeing as the tribute "Lenny" and "Number 1" made by fender go for 20K or more. I mean, this Charley guitar was made by Rene himself. Would you rather a guitar made by Fender master builders or SRV's actual guitar tech. Who would know the guitar better than Rene? It's amazing how Fender gets in on everything (even when its not even their original product) then charges big $$$$ for it and turns a profit. Why is fender limited stuff the end all be all??? I bet if Rene started working as a Master Builder for Fender tomorrow, and started making that guitar again, it would go for 20K like the rest of em.

[decay-o-caster]

Don't know anything about the Charley guitar, but lipsticks sure sound sweet in a Strat. The neck position tone into a clean amp is stunning.

[steevo124]

I second that. Especially though my New Two Rock Classic Reverb. yummmmmm!

[bobbypols]

Rene Martinez has passed away so he is not currently John Mayers tech... :jo

[Structo]

Are you sure Rene is dead?
Can't find any reference to his pass in Google.
In fact he has a website.
http://www.texasguitarwhiz.com/

[jtwang]

Rene Martinez has passed away so he is not currently John Mayers tech... :jo
I think you are confusing Rene Martinez with Charley Wirz.

[blueslover]

yeah Rene is on tour with Mayer right now...

[steevo124]

Whoa, Scared me there for a moment. That would have been a tragedy. Although it would have made my gear worth a lot more I would have never hoped for that. I have just as much respect for Rene as I do SRV or John. I met Rene at an intimate acoustic cafe performance by John and he was a nice guy.

[rallygsc]

it was more or less a commemorative guitar produced for SRV fans, they weren't cheap they were around $3,500 on the initial run, but a few were produced afterwards, some of them with a decal on the back of a female already applied then there's a guy on ebay who sells fakes of these guitars and repros.

the last one real one I seen on ebay sold for $1,500

take care
George

[woof*]

Rene is very much alive and very very busy. he's refretted several of my guitars and lives near me. I'd call him and leave a voicemail about your guitar with details. I'm sure he will get back to you with any info you'd like. He's a great guy and does the best work.
very nice score BTW!

[steevo124]

Rene is very much alive and very very busy. he's refretted several of my guitars and lives near me. I'd call him and leave a voicemail about your guitar with details. I'm sure he will get back to you with any info you'd like. He's a great guy and does the best work.
very nice score BTW!

That would be GREAT! I wanted to get in touch with him to ask him a few questions about my guitar, and also I want him to set it up. I understand that it hasn't been played in 5 years so It probably needs one. If you could either get in touch with him for me and give him my info (I will give it to you) or tell me how to contact him, that would be GREATLY appreciated.

P.S. So this guitar originally sold for 3k or so and the last one seen on E-bay sold for $1500??? That doesn't make sense to me. You're telling me that something made by Rene Martinez, is limited to 23 guitars worldwide and is owned and sought after by professional musicians such as (Santana, John Mayer, KWS and Jimmy Vaughn) actually depreciated in value over the years?? I find that hard to believe. That guitar must have been one of the knock offs>

[rallygsc]

you can't base ebay on all sales, I realize the guitar is one of a kind, but ebay has it's moments where something cool goes for big $$$$ and then sometimes a turd goes for big $$$ , it is a hit or miss game on ebay.

if you word an item properly, good pictures and such, it will help in the sale.

the last one was the real deal but it only sold for around $1,500 , one factor noticed on ebay is when you list an item to end at a certain time, that also plays a big factor in the price and bidders bidding on the auction.

but there's this guy who has been selling fake ones on ebay off and on, I have seen them and they are basically slapped together kits with the decals, and a fake neckplate, those have been going for $700 - $1,000 , and those turds aren't worth it.

they look like mitey mite parts slapped together with cheap knock off dano pickups.

last year a legit one at Christmas time sold for $2,400 I remember that one , I was watching it for the heck of it, but the last one I seen recently hit around $1,500

sure these guitars were done by two famous people in low numbers, but the big factor is the name, if fender produced them they would be kicking $15,000 used, but it is being produced by two people who were associated with SRV, it has more of a fan based following rather than a pure collectors following.

too many of these collectors purchase case queens, where the fans would actually play it, or display it in their collection,

the collectors market is nuts, go figure.

[daddyo]

Regardless of what it's worth, those Charley lipstick guitars are beautiful and I will probably build a clone for my next project. Having a real one must be sweet.

[steevo124]

you can't base ebay on all sales, I realize the guitar is one of a kind, but ebay has it's moments where something cool goes for big $$$$ and then sometimes a turd goes for big $$$ , it is a hit or miss game on ebay.

if you word an item properly, good pictures and such, it will help in the sale.

the last one was the real deal but it only sold for around $1,500 , one factor noticed on ebay is when you list an item to end at a certain time, that also plays a big factor in the price and bidders bidding on the auction.

but there's this guy who has been selling fake ones on ebay off and on, I have seen them and they are basically slapped together kits with the decals, and a fake neckplate, those have been going for $700 - $1,000 , and those turds aren't worth it.

they look like mitey mite parts slapped together with cheap knock off dano pickups.

last year a legit one at Christmas time sold for $2,400 I remember that one , I was watching it for the heck of it, but the last one I seen recently hit around $1,500

sure these guitars were done by two famous people in low numbers, but the big factor is the name, if fender produced them they would be kicking $15,000 used, but it is being produced by two people who were associated with SRV, it has more of a fan based following rather than a pure collectors following.

too many of these collectors purchase case queens, where the fans would actually play it, or display it in their collection,

the collectors market is nuts, go figure.

I appreciate the extensive reply. If that is true about one of the "original" batch selling for $1500 then the seller was a plain idiot, or it was a clone. All I can say is I paid WAY more than that and I actually saw one selling for $7500 at one time.

[Mullet Kingdom]

I got to play one, briefly, when the first run of them came out. It was a nice guitar.

The original "Charlie" strat that was given to SRV was assembled from spare parts laying around the repair shop. The neck and body probably came from Schecter, Charvelle or (ironically enough) Mighty Mite.

Guitarist Alan Haynes was also given one of the reproductions, FWIW.

[fender753]

There were actually originally 4 charley strats, and SRV took all 4 on tour until he decided which one to keep. He kept the one he liked, one other went to Jimmie and the other 2 stayed with him, I think the 2 that stayed with him are privatly owned now.

[Mullet Kingdom]

I thought it was five (not four) and the others went to JV, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton and Doyle Bramhall II.

[steevo124]

I talked to Rene on the phone (awesome experience) today and he's gonna set this baby up for me. He reassured me that there were no more than 25 made and he has one. He said a lot of people are offering to buy it from him but he won't sell it, so it's gotta be worth a hell of a lot more than $1500 on e-bay. The last one that was stated to have sold had to be a fake.

[OldSchool]

Money aside that is a cool ass-ed geetar. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/images/icons/icon14.gif

Is it Hollowed out (swimming pool route) like the original?

[bluesjuke]

Last few times that I was a Charley's there was one there "Not for Sale".

[steevo124]

Is wired exactly like Stevie's was, I don't know the particulars but I know Charley Wirz deliberately didn't wire it like a Fender.

Bluesjuke..... So is that guitar in a display case or is it available to be played (I doubt it), and was there any price associated with it? Did you ask about it or anything???

[bluesjuke]

It is/ was in a glass case with a "Not for Sale" sign posted on it.
I should have asked Clay the history on it.

[winkofaneye]

Fender Japan do a limited run of these guitars.The same except it has Fender on the headstock.I think they use the Seymour Duncan lipstick p/ups.Obviously these ones aren't as well made as the Charley ones,but I was watching two on ebay recently that went for 700GBP,which is almost $1500.I wouldnt mind trying one,for the pickups and the hardtail bridge.Stevie's had a beautiful glassy tone.

[MBreinin]

One of the coolest SRV axes for sure.

[steevo124]

I believe I've seen the Japanese take on these guitars, and if I'm not mistaken, it has two tone knobs instead of the 1 on the original. I saw a post/pics of a guy claiming he had #23 of 25, the only problem is that his also had 2 tone knobs and the although the neck was maple, it wasn't half as nice as the original. The original has beautiful birds eye maple. I'll post some pics. There appears to be a lot more knock offs of this guitar than I thought. People prob mistake fakes for the original b/c this guitar is more easily copied than say a Relic. As I stated before, Rene Martinez stated people ask him to sell his all the time and he refused, and here's a guy that can make another one for himself without anyone knowing... Just goes to show you what an honest guy he his, and how sought after these guitars really are (by true SRV fans and people whio know the guitar).

[winkofaneye]

I believe I've seen the Japanese take on these guitars, and if I'm not mistaken, it has two tone knobs instead of the 1 on the original. I saw a post/pics of a guy claiming he had #23 of 25, the only problem is that his also had 2 tone knobs and the although the neck was maple, it wasn't half as nice as the original. The original has beautiful birds eye maple. I'll post some pics. There appears to be a lot more knock offs of this guitar than I thought. People prob mistake fakes for the original b/c this guitar is more easily copied than say a Relic. As I stated before, Rene Martinez stated people ask him to sell his all the time and he refused, and here's a guy that can make another one for himself without anyone knowing... Just goes to show you what an honest guy he his, and how sought after these guitars really are (by true SRV fans and people whio know the guitar).


Fender Japan do a one tone knob version,just like the original.They were made specifically for the Japan market.White body with matching headstock,hardtail,lipstick p/ups,one tone one vol.It just says Fender not Charley on the headstock.

[steevo124]

Fender Japan do a one tone knob version,just like the original.They were made specifically for the Japan market.White body with matching headstock,hardtail,lipstick p/ups,one tone one vol.It just says Fender not Charley on the headstock.

I stand corrected.

[EunosFD]

Fender Japan do a one tone knob version,just like the original.They were made specifically for the Japan market.White body with matching headstock,hardtail,lipstick p/ups,one tone one vol.It just says Fender not Charley on the headstock.

Yep, and here are some pics of one fwiw:

http://www.digimart.net/inst_detail.do?instrument_id=DS00449302

http://www.digimart.net/images/4673/DS00449302_1.jpg

[George Johnson]

Cool guitar for sure! :BEER

Rene Martinez has passed away so he is not currently John Mayers tech... :jo

Are you thinking of Cesar Diaz ?

[playon]

I made one just like it for $700...

[burner]

That's a cool guitar!
I've installed 'sticks in a Strat before and thought they sounded great for slide but just a bit muddy otherwise
might have been the particular model
YMMV.

[steevo124]

I'll post some sound samples when I get my rig complete.

[mYpAl-JoEy]

I have a Charley Clone I'll sell.. PM me for picks and info..:munch

[Stratofuzz]

I have the promo poster for "Family Style" on the wall. Stevie's playing the lipstick Strat with his back turned (but you see the head stock). Too cool