Time Guitars

i have no idea if anyone reads this site, but fyi my exquisite 1974 time is depicted on the cover of the brochure for the UVM fleming museum's "instruments as art" show i curated in 1991. ( ive since moved to ann arbor mich)..the instrument is virtually mint ( with the exception of a small repair on the bottom of the lower bout where i dinged it against one of my bronze sculptures)...the size of the body allows me to keep it tuned as a baritone guitar which rivals the "bob brozeman" santa cruz model in power and sonority...it was originally made for a guy in middlebury and i got it used, but had it refinished and tweaked by the people who took over from alan stack ( paul languedoc et al as i recall..).anyway ,it remains the monarch of a pretty nice stash of instruments ( guitars, banjos ,lutes etc) that i own a play...if anyone knows a value $ ( for insurance since im not planning on selling it) id appreciate it..steve pastner ( spastner@umich.edu)...

Too bad you live so far away now -- I'd love to see that guitar. I've never seen a Time acoustic in person.

I think I went to high school with your daughter, Deb. Tell her I say hi for me.

-Bill Simmon

Welcome Steve.
Yes, a few hundred people do read this forum every month.

I remember your guitar well. Alan & I had quite the time getting the 'SATIN' refinishing just right. At times it was more Satan and less satin! It's the only Time with a satin finish. It was originally built in Waltham. You'd be interested to know that SollyDad on this forum most likely built your guitar.

[SollyDad pictured here in 1976 at the Waltham shop.]


The refinish was done at the barn in South Burlington.
The Fleming 1991 brochure is here.

This picture and the Fleming picture are the ONLY KNOWN PHOTOS of a Time acoustic. Steve, if you are so inclined, please post some pictures. It has been estimated that there are about 60 Time acoustics in the wild. No one has ever sold one so we don't have any idea on the value. I know I would buy one over a post war D-18 any day. Of course, I have a bias!

Casey on this forum may also have an acoustic from his Road Apple days.

So, please post. I would hope it that prompts other owners to post also.

Thanks again Steve,
Chris

thanks for the response chris...my instrument ,as you recall, is fancier than the one sollydad is shown with ( more elaborate inlays, headstock, purfling) and the darker , sort of nutmeggy,refinish you guys did settled in and mellowed after awhile and looks like it was original...that and the distinctively shaped double pickguard make it a one of kind and quite striking....as i said, although the scale length is that of a normal flattop, the large body somehow allows it to be tuned as a baritone without any compromise to its action and sound ( a santa cruz "F" suffices as my "normal pitch " 6-string instrument) ...im pretty lame on computers and still use a film camera, but send me your mailing address and i will eventually send you some snapshots which you can then maybe post here...my email: spastner@umich.edu..............i may have it looked at by ELDERLY INSTRUMENTS up the road in Lansing mich .to assess insured value ( i'll never sell it) and will let the site know as and when i find anything out..best, steve pastner

stevep,

I used to live in Lansing and frequented Elderly. I took my PrimeTime in for an appraisal (for insurance purposes), and they offered to buy the guitar for $125. They said I could insure it for roughly $250. They might be completely unable to assess the value of your Time simply because of its rarity. So, although I am a huge fan of Elderly, I want to forewarn you that you may be in for a surprise if you take the guitar in. Their estimate may not reflect the true value of the instrument.