Robben Ford Discussion

sheadan · Member Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 20

Yeah,that's right in about the last 30 seconds of the encore in Chicago,a dumpy fat guy walked in with a super cheap dreadnaught guitar(I'm guessing 39.95).Of course, he didn't have to pay because it was so late.Sure enough,he left minutes later with a sparkely gold Robben signature on the pickguard.I'm almost sure I saw that same guitar by Monday morning on Ebay.WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE????Just like bootleggers and photographers who sell items at the local Holiday Inn record conventions,this type of guy screws things up for normal fans.I remember the good old days when you could bring a camera into any show.No mas.The goons will get you(and maybe beat you,or worse yet,expose your film!).I just wanted to vent.Now,I'm going to get in my car and go look for fatboy!Dan [/quote]

Leftbender · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 12:27 am Post subject:

I'm with you Sheadan!!!
These sort of people, who virtually would sell their mother, are so pitiful
and have such tiny microbrains!!! They only care about money. They do not understand that their last suit doesn't have pockets!!!

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Bluelobster · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 12:56 am Post subject:

Do you know the Keith Richards Story ?????

Bluelobster · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 1:08 am Post subject:

Incredible , this guy sells stuff ranging from signed Foot helmet to posters
to Baseball stuff to whatever he can sell . I think he could sell his mom.

So Keith Richards was in his limo at a stop when a dude asked him to sign a fender telecaster, Keith grabbed the guitar and asked the driver to move on.
The guy told to NYC that keith was a lunatic asshole and a thief.

The facts : This was the third or fourth time the guy was selling Keith autographed Tele on E bay

Leftbender · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 2:10 am Post subject:

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BlueRunner · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:03 am Post subject:

I just don't get this autograph thing. What does a cheap acoustic have to do with Robben? (Now the Fender Japan Esprit with Robben's autograph on the lower bout, being sold by a Portland guitar dealer on EBay, that may be a different matter.)

I have very few pieces of autographed memorabilia. Some books signed by historical detective auther Sharan Newman and military historian Victor Davis Hanson, a baseball signed by Ted Williams, and a guitar pick signed by Robben Ford. The authors are long-time friends I keep in touch with. As a timid 11-year-old I approached Mr. Williams as he sat in the stands watching the All Star Game in Candlestick Park (my uncle took me to the game, gave me the ball, and pointed me toward Mr. Williams -- some historical accounts paint him as aloof or rude, but he was certainly nice to me). Robben signed the pick at the end of this past October's clinic up in Ojai. In each case it isn't so much the autograph as the memories and connections that go with with it. I can't imagine actually paying money for some piece of junk signed by someone for someone else, when I wasn't even there. What's the point? ('Tho I've got to admit, if someone offered me something like, oh ... say, a ticket stub from Ford's Theater in Washington DC autographed by Abraham Lincoln on his last visit there, I couldn't claim it didn't mean anything.)

And has anyone figured out just what Fatboy's guitar IS? He's photo'd it so that the label is fuzzy. It certainly doesn't look like a Squire. My bet is that the $39.99 retail estimate is closer than the $199 Fatboy's claiming on EBay.

Bottom line: Take your OWN guitar, pick, poster, program, broken ankle cast, baseball, bare shoulder, or whatever, to one of Robben's shows, ask him to sign it, but instead of just running off take the time to say "hi," and ask how everyone in the band's doing with their battles against the flu, and whether or not they're enjoying their visit to your home town, how Anne's and his house in Ojai survived our recent torrential rains, whether or not he's going to make it home for her gig at the Gardenia in Santa Monica in April ... you know, HUMAN kind of stuff. Not "Thanks guy now I gotta run and photo this puppy and put it up on EBay so I can make some change off of your good name."
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sheadan · Member Joined: 21 Feb 2004 Posts: 20

So,I see we have a little army of people that agree with me.Great!
I agree that an autograph meant for someone else is not that great.
By the way,maybe Robben(or any other artists)should thinking about saying"what's your name?"then personalizing.Fatboy would have a hard time selling a guitar that used to belong to "Duane" and even says so on the pickguard.Thanks for the Keef story(I can picture it happening).I met Jaco in Michigan when I was a kid and followed him to the door of the Peking house restaurant in Royal Oak.I asked him if I could have his signature.He cheerfully replied "ShitYeah!".I have not been able to find it in many years and faithfully believe I will find it in my mom's house someday.Dan

jconstant · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:20 am Post subject:

Check out my avatar. That's Robben sig on the back of the headstock of my Robben Ford Signature geetar. I asked him to sign it on my 30th birthday when I attended a 'clinic' of his many years ago when I lived in Minneapolis. What a great day that was for me.

Anyway, that's an autograph that means something to me. I asked him myself, he looked over my guitar and recommended that I get a different bridge (which I did, by the way), carefully signed it, and I was the happiest guy in the world. Something like the thing that Fatboy is trying to peddle just doesn't have much meaning in my opinion. I'm glad to see others feel the same way.

jc

jconstant · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:24 am Post subject:

And another thing....

Fatboy claims its a BACK TO THE BLUES SIGNED GUITAR SIGNED GUITAR IN PERSON WHEN HE WAS IN TOWN. What the hell is a 'Back to the Blues Guitar'? And, is it possible to sign a guitar NOT in person?

dodgeboy · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:43 pm Post subject:

I agree with Bluerunner.
My wife and I recently went to the Keb' Mo' show at the L.B.C. in Santa Rosa.
They were doing a strange thing I.M.H.O., If you bought a C.D. there they would exchange the run of the mill inner booklet for one that had been autographed ahead of time by Keb'. My wife asked how come I did not jump at this chance, as I am a avid and longtime fan of Keb's. I answered it was more about actually meeting the artist and haveing some sort of dialogue with your hero than the sig. it's self. For me,its all about the interaction or memories that the autograph rekindles at a later date.

Aeolian · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 6:51 pm Post subject:

elizabeth · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject: We all know I'm a little slow...

...but I just thought of the way a guitar can be signed, other than in person. How, you ask? By Tele-con-esis! (Okay, so I am the only one laughing...but sometimes I just crack myself up!)
love, elizabeth

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