Calling All Auction Survivors

I would certainly be willing to share on that basis. They all have previously been in Julien's online listings, so this may be easier, they are still visible, in possibly better quality. For example, here is a link to one of them.

https://www.julienslive.com/m/lot-details/index/catalog/320/lot/137916?url=%2Fm%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F320%3Fpage%3D2

The best way to find them is to google the lot number,

eg. walter becker julien's lyrics lot 61

Then you get a direct link to the auction page and can move to the next or previous lots.

One that I am pleased to own is lot 48, which is actually the mastering notes for Aja, ready for the cutting room, in Donald Fagen's hand.

Even nicer, in a way, is a track listing for The Royal Scam, lot 69, in Walter's hand that shows the preferred mixes for compiling the album.

As this is a part of what I do as a process in my own recording, they are great pieces to own.

Let me know if you need any stuff!

That's probably a good and timely idea, I have previously gone down that specific route with little response, although Julien's were good enough to give me some access to other unsold lots after my request, and I bought some. Which was really great actually. They are an excellent company to do business with. I will try again.

Being stuck at home, staying safe, not playing shows, lets my mind wander down such avenues of possibility! Thanks.

A happy and healthy 2021 to everyone, and while I'm sorting out the few bits and pieces from the Karen Stanley/Walter Becker Julien's auction that I was lucky enough to get (WB lyrics, track lists, stuff) I thought I'd drop in a thought that I REALLY should have kept bidding on those lyrics for Haitian Divorce. Hmm, Does anyone out there know who got them? I'd be very interested in correcting my mistake, re-writing the past, and buying them. Or trading them. Anything that works.

D-Mod, your room looks in much better shape than mine, and some NICE stuff there BTW, my room is now officially out of control. In a good way.

I think those guitars of Walter's at Julien's auction are going to be out of my range. And that will largely be due to the fact that I already spent my money on the ones I have here. How many guitars does a person need? This is the forum that may go a long way to answering that question. At least I play ALL of mine. I think that, possibly, auction fever takes a long, long time to subside. I know I'll still be looking around even in a year. For now, I thought it appropriate to include a family snapshot of my mixed bunch. The common denominator is that they are all really great & useful instruments, so hats off to WB for seeking them out in the first place, he certainly knew his guitars. BTW in the photo, I haven't added camouflage spots to the Frye and the B-Way, it's just reflections of the pattern on my studio rug.

L-R Frye Model One, Bigsby prototype, O'Dell Blondie, B-Way, Headless Baritone.

Oh my goodness! I had received a Julien's alert and had not checked it out! Thank you! I'll be across the street checking them out for a while.

Continuing WB items on Auction:

Julien's auction of WB items in Nov and Dec of 2019 offered all the instruments in Walter's possession at the time of his death.

From time to time, you'll see one or a couple WB guitars for auction there even today; apparently,(I THINK), these may be returns, or aborted deals or non-payments from 2019 ....and so those items go back into the auction pool

NiteBob tells me today that there are " 2 Monty guitars and an odd bass in a current Julien's auction."

Just went there myself -- and in fact, there are several high value (imho) items under a Becker search:

(see https://www.julienslive.com/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/357?page=1&view=list&key=becker&sale=undefined&catm=any&order=order_num&xclosed=no&featured=no).

Some of you may wanna take a peek!

I'm intrigued to know what the longer reply may have been! I must say I do like this site, full of like-minded people who like good music.

I had previously read that Fretboard Journal article, and happily just read it again. I do trawl google looking for this exact kind of thing, and there isn't enough, to be honest. There are plenty of links to "experts" who can show you how to play just about any song the wrong way, or try to tell you how something was written, when they mean arranged or recorded. I have a filter for that.

What I find, in decades of playing, recording and listening, is that my brain becomes more attuned to fine detail in sound, probably at the same rate as my ears physically deteriorate. But its a great excuse for me getting more guitars, if nothing else. Maybe amps too.

I think it would be impolite for me not to post pictures of my auction items, so I plan to do that soon. And I should have bought a Hahn. I really should. Auction remorse.

I just came across this thread. Great stories. I bought 3 guitars in the auction; The red B-Way (which was onstage at the Beacon when I was there in 2015), an O'Dell Blondie Tele clone, and the headless baritone guitar. I'm pleased to say all are being used in my recordings, and the B-Way has been on stage. I was actually on stage playing when I bought it, honestly. My phone was right there near me and in the middle of an old Drifters song I pulled the trigger. Since then I've bought 2 more guitars from that sale on the secondary market, A Bigsby BY-50 (I think) which is fabulous, and a Frye Model 1 in black, also fabulous. All now in England, all getting played by a musician who has been a fan since Can't Buy A Thrill came out. That's five down, six hundred and four to go. It's an inspiration.

Hey guys,

Back in November I was lucky enough to win lot #411, a beautiful blonde Jazz-style bass without any manufacturer’s markings. I’m a HUGE fan, obviously, and would really like to know if there’s any story behind the bass or maybe even who sold it to Walter. Actually, I bet it’s older than I am….....The only clue I’ve got are the letters “JJ” written on the outside of the case along with “Acme Jazz.” The neck seems really amazing and sturdy, but off in comparison to the rest of the guitar. Maybe he had the intention of using the neck on a different axe? I may never know…but I hope to find out. I reached out to Julien’s months ago, no luck.

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

Rachel

I saw the “Josie” Tele by Sadowsky in the online catalogue and how it appeared in bad shape. I thought I might be able to snag it with my $2800 budget. I watched some of Friday’s auction on my laptop to get a feel of how it worked. On Saturday I eagerly placed some bids on the Josie guitar and some pedal boards. When the guitar came up I had my finger hovering with the cursor over the bid button. Suddenly the bids rolled in and I barely got my cursor away without accidentally bidding $20,000! I was blown away by the prices for the pedal boards, too.

Well I already had the fever for a Tele type, being mostly an archtop guy, but always hearing how Tele’s made great jazz guitars. I looked ahead in the catalogue and saw a NoCaster Tele type made by 30th Street Guitars in NYC. I bid on it and got it at my budget. Boy did I hit the jackpot. It plays like butter. There is a date in the neck pocket indicating it was built in 1988. Walter definitely loved this guitar, too. There is quite a bit of fret wear, the volume pot is worn out, and there is a sticker on the headstock, “10’s”, that I presume was put there by his guitar tech. The headstock has two scorch marks along each side of the 6th string tuner where Walter slid his Camel regulars under the string. There definitely was some WB mojo flowing through this piece of wood. I tried emailing 30th Street Guitars asking if they could tell me anything about the guitar and got a terse response that seems very NYC… “Without the guitar in hand, I don't really recall. Built a lot of guitars for Walter over the years. He was a regular customer.”

I have played guitar for 55 years and have a small collection of player’s guitars. WB’s guitar will join the group comprised of a Mortoro guitar that was George Benson’s, Billy Bean’s ES-175, and Tommy Tedesco’s ES-175.

Still flushed with WB vibes, I also picked up a couple of Greer Amps pedals from the WB Estate on-line only auction on Dec. 9! I’m eagerly waiting for those to arrive.

https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-amp-gizmos/76811-walter-beckers-1952-telecaster-replica-30th-street-guitars-nyc.html

Hi rgb,

It's really great to see that you were able to pick up that beautiful Hahn Tele at the auction, and for a price that was within your budget.. All of the Hahn guitars are very well regarded, for their high quality of craftsmanship, excellent playability, and their superior intonation.. Plus, you just can't beat a Tele for versatility and that great Rock and Roll sound ! It has made this entire auction process so much easier when knowing the guitars and other instruments have gone to musicians and the people who have always loved and respected Walter and his dedication to creating fine music.. Congratulations on your new guitar my friend.. I'm wishing you many years of playing satisfaction with this Beautiful Hahn guitar.. It's really nice ! ! Lary

I won this awesome Hahn 1229 - great instrument! I'm a PRS guy, but this is now one of my prized guitars. I managed to get this at what I feel was a great price (near list price), even without the WB provenance. I didn't have a Tele, so this is one of WB's guitar's that was on my list and I'm glad it didn't get bid into the stratosphere :). The neck needed an adjustment, but my luthier set it up perfectly - he was excited to work on it too!.

I feel honored to be able to own and play this instrument.

Hi Mike T,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your post and pictures, but hopefully better late than never will apply here, considering everything that is happening during this Holiday Season etc, etc..

I'm So Happy that you were able to pick up that beautiful Rickenbacker guitar ! I'm a Huge 12String guitar lover, and owner, and Rickenbackers have that certain distinctive sound and sonic presence, unlike any other instrument in the studio or on stage.. They have been a valuable tool for the producer in the studio, because of their clear, crisp tone that helps to create a solid foundation in the mix. And in the final production a Rickenbacker adds a rich, full range of dimension to a song, without interfering with the information from any of the other instruments.. They are truly unique guitars and I'm Sure that you're going to really enjoy playing it.. Congratulations Mike, I know that Walter would be happy to have another one of his prized instruments ending up in the care of a musician from the extended Walter Becker group of friends and family.. Thank you ! Lary

Hey all, wanted to share a couple of pics - the Rickenbacker and Maverick (finally) arrived. Great condition, excited to get some time with them.

Hi there Jim, Man, I'm really happy that you were able to pick up that beautiful blonde Tele !

It was one of the finest instruments available, at least in my humble opinion.. It's just gorgeous,

and Teles have that ultimate Rock and Roll sound ! Not to mention the versatility.. Congratulations

to you, I think that Walter would be Delighted by your story.. Enjoy yourself .. Lary

I was following the auction on line and bidding on a few things as they came up not expecting to actually win a bid And ended up buying one of the Glendale teles. Mine is the blonde, black guard 50s. It’s incredibly beautiful and very light. Nice grain in the body. The neck is perfect. I reached out to the builder to see if there was a story behind it and this is what he sent:

Jim, I have always been a huge Steely Danfan. So when I got the call that Walter wanted to order one of my guitars I was very excited. By what I can remember I think he already owned one of my guitars. I think the first guitar he bought from me was a Dreamcaster. Then I made the orange Supermod guitar and he liked it and bought that one. And then I had the good fortune to be invited to a Steely Dan show to meet Walter. I brought 3 guitars and he played on them and said I like all of them I'll take all 3. I got to talk with him joke around and have a great time, I saw the show from the side of the stage. Earlier in the night before the show we walked down a hallway and Donald Fagen was sitting on a bench talking to a few people. It seem somewhat strange to see Donald Fagen that close up, not that is was strange. Just when I was a 17 year old kid driving around in my car listening to Steely Dan I never imagined I would someday be in the same room with them. I wanted to say hi to Donald and shake his hand but I did not want to bother him so I just walk on past. I wish Walter was still with us. Thanks, Dale

So there you go... I’ve got a great guitar with a cool back story!

Well John, it's all about the deep compassion and consideration for your friend that really creates such an impact among everyone who has loved and admired Walter, for many of those same reasons. That is very much the kind of man he was, and your amazing gesture of making a gift of one of his prized instruments is very much in keeping with something that would give him a great deal of satisfaction. It seems like a very natural progression, and it deserves a sincere vote of admiration.. You are a good man John ! Lary

Hi John,

Your post brought tears to my eyes ! That is one of the most incredible acts of Brotherhood yet to come from this entire event experience.. I can only imagine how it must have affected both you and your dear friend ! This is absolutely outstanding ! There really aren't any other appropriate words to express the warm hearts that you have given everyone here, and especially to your friends and family! Thank you for sharing this with all of us.. You have restored my faith in humanity.. Lary

The blue Japanese Fender Strat (lot 502) is now in it's final home. I actually bought it for a friend of mine who is an excellent guitarist (much better than I am) and a massive Steely Dan fan. It was a surprise present and he had tears when I gave it to him and told him what it was. He was hit hard by Walter's death and this meant a lot to him. He said he went home and played Steely Dan songs on it for the next 5 hours straight. The guitar will be cherished! He remarked on how perfectly the guitar was set up and said it must be nice to have a guitar tech follow you around all day! I had played it a bit myself before I gave it to him and, like Bilbo and the ring, I found I was hard pressed to actually hand it over when the time came. It is a beautiful guitar and it plays very well. But it will be truly honored in his hands so it was the right thing to do. Wile I imagine a few of the guitars will wind up on someone's trophy wall, it sounds like many (most?) will be played and loved whether by pros or beginners.

As I’ve said elsewhere, although I’m not a professional musician, I nonetheless bought two of his guitars at the auction… and I don’t (yet) play the guitar. I just wanted to have something that once belonged to the man who, along with his Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen, pursued a singular quest for musical perfection that brought me and many others such joy and carried us in our 1970s journey from adolescence to adulthood and beyond. At the end of the day, I somehow wanted my purchase to honor him… to recognize his excellence and attention to detail… to use his love for the craft as inspiration to learn a new instrument… to feel his presence as I strum his guitars. While I suspect that most of the bidders, both online and in-person, were professional musicians, I’m sure that there were others out there like me… I think Walter would have wanted it that way.

My middle brother with Walter's Kelly bass. It looks a bit like a Tele bass but is set up very much like a P-Bass. The tone control knob really significantly changes the texture of the sound.

My youngest brother with Walter's Orange Sparkle Strat. The bottom knob was replaced with a push/pull to change the humbucker to a single-coil. It has a nice bite/growl.

Both brothers were psyched to hold/play/own Walter instruments. We're very much a Steely Dan family. In 2000, when I was following the band on tour, Walter pulled me aside a few days before the Atlanta show and asked, "Isn't your family from Tennessee?" I said we were from Chattanooga, and he asked, "How many tickets would it take to get your family and friends all at one of the Atlanta shows?" I hesitated, and Walter followed up, "Would a dozen tickets be enough?" Sure enough, there were tickets aplenty set aside, and both of my brothers got to see Steely Dan live with me. These guitars aren't just relics of a world-class musician, they are mementos of a man who personally went out of his way to make sure we all had a great experience listening to the music we were raised on. Trust me that it really does mean something, and that these instruments will be well-loved, well played, and cherished.

My bids all arrived while I was away lasr week.

Just got back and have played them all. Interestingly the stage played Music Man came with what I presume is the strap Walter used with it as it has been modded with strap locks.

The P90’s give this guitar a different edge. Forgive my messy room but here is a clip of how it sounds.

https://youtu.be/-3m3zOVP8i8

Here is one of the Fano Alt De Facto ML6 which I have really fallen in love with It's a really bluesy sounding guitar. I can hear why Walter bought it.

https://youtu.be/2-92XbmxYss

Nick Scavuzzo Beautiful guitar and presentation! Congratulations to you.. That bass probably

has greater significance than you're aware of, it's really great to see it in the ownership of a true

member of Walter's extended family.. Very Nice.. Lary

Beautiful, man... just beautiful.... congratulations.

i Was lucky enough to win an auction

item, a 1977 Gretsch Bass lot #66. Not the most popular guitar or attractive but it was in my price range. I hang guitars on my wall and have other famously used and stage played guitars on my walls from bands and artists I love. I am a huge fan of WB and had many interactions with him on the forums and met him at a few shows While I would have loved to have a staged played or more high profile guitar, i am so happy to have this piece of history hanging on my wall allowing me to memorialize Walter in my own way. I had a dear friend pick my bass up from artpak and ship to me. I just opened up after traveling all week, it’s been sitting boxed up for a full week in my office, the anticipation was killing me. It is exceptional. I expected this bass to be barely used but to the contrary, WB played the hell out of this thing. It is dinged up, scratched, and well worn which makes me wonder why he hung on to this one? What did he play on it? Was it used for practice or an album? Gaucho? Hey nineteen, Gaucho, Time out of mind. Doubtful, but I can dream because we will never know. I will honor him by hanging it on my wall with my autographs and memorabilia. I will play SD, listen to 11 Tracks, and Circus Money and think about how much I appreciated the man and the music. Thanks WB for giving these up to your fans.

congrats - did they reach out for a shipping estimate? I still haven't heard a peep!

I received my items (Lots 182 and 935) today (11/05/2019) in Texas from Art Pack in California via FedEx... well packed and in good condition. I’m just amazed (and humbled) that I now own two of Walter’s guitars!

Won this beautiful „Nelson„ at the auction! Spent the whole two nights live online.

i worked for it😄

Caveat: this was my first online auction and, in fact, my first auction period so some of my comments reflect that.

Pre-auction: The catalog was great and searching/tags about as good as could be expected. I picked out some items that I thought might not go for budget-breaking amounts and added them to my watchlist. That was all pretty easy. Signing up as a bidder was pretty easy, although I had to not only give my credit card info online but send images of my driver’s license and credit card, which wasn’t a problem but seemed a bit excessive. Again – my first auction, but I certainly buy things online and never had anyone ask for that. Julien’s got all that approved pretty fast.

Auction: really about as good as I could expect online. The video of the auctioneer, while not really adding anything functional to the process, really helped my to feel like I was there and connected so good for that. Bidding was easy both live and setting up max bids which was good because I did have to step away during one of the items auction that I was interested in.

Other people have commented on the estimated pricing being way off and I also found that frustrating. A number of items I thought I might have a shot at ended up being way way more and just too much for me. I would have picked out a different watch list set if I had had a better idea of prices.

I thought both auctioneers were entertaining each in their own way. Yes, it would have been great if maybe someone had given them “read this description and don’t shorten it” notes for the items because they obviously had no idea what each item was. Or told them to even just stick with the full descriptions as in the catalog. They missed calling out the important info (I think someone else mentioned them calling a Les Paul styled guitar just a Les Paul). Did that hurt the auction? No, because we all could read the descriptions and I’m sure all of us knew exactly what each item was. Still… it detracted from the overall “vibe”. Very quickly you realized that they were not “one of us” which is not unreasonable, of course, but it would have taken very little extra effort to make them sound more knowledgeable.

So far Julien’s has seemed far more organized with the actual auction than the follow-up. I am 3,000 miles away and am having someone local pick it up for me. Scheduling a pickup time has been a little difficult. They are very nice, but they only want to communicate via email and I don’t think they check their email very often. A week after they took my money I’m still trying to set up a pickup time. First they told me to pick a time, and I did, and then a day later they said they were busy then. So I pick another time and then don't hear anything back all weekend. Don't tell me to just pick a time if there are entire days that you are already all booked please!

Last one – and maybe this is just me not being familiar with auctions – I would have liked to have the prices that we were bidding reflect their commission as well. It was a fair amount of money added on and I had to constantly be transposing the prices in my head during the auction.

I received my shipping estimate yesterday and paid it. but still no word on when it will actually ship

For those of you that successfully bid on items, I'd be curious to hear if/when you get shipment info, or actually receive items. Julien's gives a 2-8 week estimate.

my god I love all your stories. They have turned what could have been a pretty sad occasion into a wonderful and heart-warming event. Thank you all!

really enjoying this thread and really enjoyed the auction, bittersweet though it was. thanks for the video Matt, hadn't seen that til today. I'll share my experience... sue me if I play too long! the entire week was a Steely Dan dream come true, I flew up Tue with a bandmate and we took in the first 2 Beacon shows. opening night was the Aja album and after 20+ shows I had yet to see a Deacon Blues performed live, so that was momentous for me. add to that the fact that Roger Rosenberg put us on the guest list the first night, and post-show night 2 we found ourselves randomly hanging with Jon Herington at the Amsterdam Ale House two blocks from The Beacon! the stars seemed aligned, but the stars were just getting started. I had ordered the catalog a few weeks earlier and had intended to pore over the whole thing and really digest the entire collection. but with all the preparations and such, not to mention the sheer enormity of the auction, I just never found the time. we got home Thu afternoon and for some reason I thought the auction was a Sat-Sun affair. imagine my surprise when I discovered Fri evening that it was already in full swing, at which point I immediately tuned in and tried to familiarize myself with the items up for bid. I had previously scrolled through much of the auction list, just to scan what all was available. I was pleasantly surprised to see all of Walter's lap steels... I started on guitar but play more steel guitar these days. I also figured that the steels wouldn't fetch nearly the interest or bucks that most of the guitars, basses, and amps would. maybe I'd have a chance of actually winning one. I set my sights on lot 592, the 7-string Gibson Ultratone lap steel. it wasn't in great cosmetic condition but the art nouveau design and that 7th string appealed to me more than the others. I also really liked the Oahu acoustic lap steel (lot 603), something I'd not seen before. it wasn't clear to me when the Friday auction was ending, so I remained glued for the duration. I finally had a chance to sit with the catalog as I tuned into the live auction, and I basically opened right up to one of the most striking and gorgeous guitars I've ever seen: lot 862, page 461. the Glendale Dreamcaster. love at first sight. I was unfamiliar with the make and model but when it comes to electric guitars, I'm a telecaster guy all the way. and as I said, this is perhaps the most gorgeous guitar I've ever seen with its "honey burst" herringbone maple body and roasted maple neck. I considered it out of my league, unrealistic. I didn't know if the lap steel would even function, it might just hang on my wall in tribute to Walter. and that was more than enough. the Fri auction ended and the lady and I headed out to see our friends' band. after the show we enjoyed further libations with those of our kind. I kept looking at the Dreamcaster and showed it to my guitar-playing gearhead pals. we made it home and I vaguely remember placing an absentee bid on the guitar in a moment of drunken whimsy, collapsing shortly thereafter. come morning, I had forgotten placing said bid but was reminded upon logging back on for Sat's auction. I was sure my bid wouldn't stand. not for a guitar like that. my goal was the Gibson, possibly the Oahu or another lap steel. something I could actually afford without as much competition. lot 592 was put on the block and I began bidding. the competition was mild and I ended up with the high bid at just $600. fair warning. hammer down! I assumed I had won and I was pretty damn giddy about it. the Oahu was coming up quick but I didn't bid since I figured the Gibson was mine. had to play a gig that afternoon in another town, and so had to tear myself away from the auction. I was getting a bit worried that I hadn't received any confirmation of winning lot 592. I began a correspondence with Nima at Julien's via email, while simultaneously packing the car then driving the 25 miles south in pouring rain. I was crestfallen to learn that I hadn't actually won the Gibson since a bidder in the room had also bid $600 and won, unbeknownst to me. the Oahu was long gone too, so I felt I'd lost twice. I tried to get out of playing the gig upon arrival. the event had basically been rained out and the foul weather was no match for my foul mood at this point. maybe I could get home and bid on something else, but we ended up playing mostly out of obligation. songs were sung, moods lifted, and acceptance creeped in. I was glad to be part of the auction regardless and I had the wonderful catalog as a permanent keepsake of Walter's vast and one-of-a-kind collection. got home and got settled back into the tail-end of the auction, really just as an observer now. maybe I could get a stomp box or a small amp, but I wasn't really counting on it. I was in no hurry to see what the Dreamcaster actually went for, but I eventually decided to check. and that's when I clicked and saw those 2 magic words: You Won! say WHAT?!? turns out, my bid was enough to win. I couldn't believe that a guitar this exquisite, this luscious, wasn't fought over or more sought after. my jaw dropped, my spirit soared, I laughed aloud and shed a tear. I'm still beside myself, telling everyone who will listen. I honestly never thought I'd own this guitar, or any guitar of this caliber. but I took a chance when the spirit (and spirits) moved me, and by some mixture of fate and chance and dumb luck... this Dreamcaster gets to be mine. my dream guitar. I've since done a little research on the make and model, it is indeed one of the finest guitars ever made and I got it for a great price. I exchanged a couple emails with the builder, Dale Clark, who shared fond memories of selling Walter the guitar and then being invited to the Beacon to hang out backstage with Walter (where he bought 3 more guitars) and watching the show from the wings. he's been a huge fan since his teens and he felt like a kid on Christmas morning, which is exactly how I feel. so thank you Dale. thank you Matt. thank you Delia. and most of all, thank you Walter. I'll think of you whenever I play this fabulous instrument and I have no doubt that the first thing I'll play will be those opening chords to Deacon Blues. this brother is free... I already bought the dream!

I had previously won a guitar in the Les Paul auction and a piece of art from a charity auction from Julien's so I must be on their mailing list. I received the hard cover catalogue in the mail and continue to be amazed at the quality and cost they must expend mass mailing such an item. Beautiful though. Of course I have the utmost respect for Walter and thought it would be wonderful to be able to play one of his instruments in the hopes that maybe, perhaps a spec of his genius might rub off on this mere mortal. Like others here I intend to play the guitars I win at auction or purchase and record with them when I am so fortunate.

I was not able to attend the party since I was traveling but I was able to visit the exhibition in Beverly Hills before I left LA. I think they did an amazing job displaying everything. I understand there was much of the catalogue that was not displayed but I was like a kid in a candy store. The security guard and I started up a conversation and she said that she could tell how excited I was from the moment I walked in. She was inspired by all the enthusiasm from many visitors to take up guitar. Jason and those that I spoke with were very nice and accommodating and I was able to play a few instruments.

My bidding experience was different than many in that I was bidding from my iPhone with a "Bid" button and a red text warning telling me that the gavel was soon to come down. No video or sound. I was traveling with my two teenaged daughters to a wedding and they were quite good sports as I monitored and bid from airports, restaurants, and the hotel room. It's quite addictive.

I had my eye on the Nik Huber Krautster II which I have always admired. There was also a beautiful Dolphin II by Nik that I thought would skyrocket to a point I would not feel comfortable bringing out to play. Some of my bandmates (and myself) suffer from occasional middle age carelessness which can take a toll on amps and instruments. As it ended up I wish had pulled the trigger on the Dolphin because it ended up going for less than the Krautster. I'm happy for that lucky somebody who got a great deal! I was also outbid on the Krautster. I bid on a few more items to no avail and resigned myself to continue on Day 2. I was looking for something a little different than what I already own. I have a Fano and love it. Dennis makes great guitars and I have a couple of LSL's which are also really great. I had always heard great things about Hahn guitars and they are hard to find. So, as those lots came up I stepped outside from the wedding brunch and snagged a Hahn Strat style in an unusual yellow color. Done. All good. I didn't need anything else. I was happy with the deal and comfortable with the spend. Then, at the airport I couldn't resist temptation and tuned back in near the time when the Hahn Solo amp came up. My neanderthal self took over and I envisioned it being the perfect match for my newly acquired Hahn. This is the small amp that has the faceplate stating that it was a custom build for Hahn Guitars. Meanwhile I didn't even know if the amp was functional at all, what the wattage or tube config was, etc. But I pulled the trigger and may have spend a bit more than I should have to win it but c'est la vie!

Previous auction pickups for Julien's have been in Beverly Hills. I noted that they have a location in Culver City so early in the week I called them to find out that the warehouse is in Torrence, about an hour drive from me. I made an appointment and loaded up the dog (since there is a renowned dog beach nearby) and trekked to the warehouse. Another Jason was there amidst the most fabulous array of amps, guitars and gear from the auction. They had my items ready to go. I asked him if the amp worked. He shrugged his shoulders and plugged it in. First off, the guitar is in mint condition and really super cool and understated in person. Love it! The action is perfectly low and the build is top notch. I imagine Walter picking this one out (hopefully). Really a beautiful instrument that has great resonance and chime and is surprisingly lightweight. Onto the amp: Indeed it works and has very minimal controls - tone, volume, two inputs and that's it. Small but a lovely clean sound a good pedal platform. It was made by Satellite Amps and if anyone knows anything more about it I'd be grateful for any info. I haven't reached out to Hahn or Satellite yet. At home I removed the back panel to discover two 6v6 tubes similar to some of the Swart Amps up for auction, which is a format I really like.

I am really happy with the experience and to keep the guitar and amp in circulation. I will think of Mr. Becker each time they are played. I started playing later in life than most. It's been a true gift that I appreciate each day. The guitar and amp did end up being a beautiful pair. And alas, the dog had a great time at the beach! Cheers!

The rapid fire pace of the auction was actually an issue just in that there was never any break in the action. I had to miss out on good chunks of it because I needed to go to the restroom and make something to eat for example! I also hated that one of the days was a weekday -- I was at work and therefore not able to really pay much attention anyway, but especially since the auction website didn't work properly on our work computers. I could see the live video stream, but the window showing the price and giving you the option to bid didn't work! I enjoyed Zack's approach to leading the auction, he helped keep the energy up and did a good job encouraging higher bids. I agree on the way they were unprepared with any real knowledge of the items and saying obvious misinformation was not good. I also learned that one of the downfalls of living in a state with a very low cost of living like Kentucky is that I have accordingly lower wages so a $2000 guitar is a lot more for me than it is for someone who lives in an area with higher wages! Especially in my case, since I am a hobbyist musician and can't really justify spending a large amount of money on anything since I wouldn't be using it to make money, it'd just be for sentimental value as a fan.

I only heard about the auction a few days before. I wasn't that intent on buying anything.

I was just curious really.

I live in the rural far south of France and my internet connection is very slow. This could have been a disaster. I pressed the log in button but it took ages so I pressed it twice and moved the page up and down a bit. Whilst doing so the actions caught up with themselves and I found I had just inadvertently bid on the Fano Alt De Facto ML6. Aaaah.

My heart sank whilst i waited for someone else to bid on it.

Nobody did (thankfully this wasn't The Black Strat!) so it was mine.

I knew nothing about this guitar so looked it up and realised that i had just bought it for less than I could have if it was new anyway so I was happy to have won something that had belonged to Walter. And upon further investigation it really seems like a cool instrument.

Anyhow I licked my wounds and started to browse the catalogue properly and saw 3 Fender Champion Lap Steel's. I play guitar in (and am co-founder) of Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets.

Nick is Pink Floyd's drummer and we focus on playing the early catalogue (pre Dark Side) of the band. I play lap steel in the band and require a back up so wanted to bid on one of Walter's. I was very happy to win one of them and at what I think is a great price (considering it was owned by him).

The other guitar that had caught my eye was the Albert Lee Music Man. I've been interested in that model for a long time. This was in gold, had P90's and was stage played (apparently in 2011) but I couldn't find any pics/videos anywhere. The fact it was stage played wasn't too much of a factor for me though but without any photographic proof it was always going to be something that I wondered about.

In short.. I won the guitar and was happy with the price.

In an interesting turn of events after the auction I realised that I had mutual friends with Walter's tech at the time Dave Rule so contacted him. According to Dave the guitar was gifted to Walter by none other than Sterling Ball before a Santa Barbara show in July 2011.

It was played at that show and then at the next 2 shows at the Greek theatre and after that tour was retired from the road. So it WAS stage played and had a cool backstory. (I would love to be able to find a pic of the great man playing it but that is unlikely).

Even though I was bidding online I did get the sense that this auction was being bid on mostly by people who are actually going to play these instruments... which reminds me what Dave also said to me "Please play and enjoy the guitar, it's what Walter would have wanted".

And thus concludes my story!

Cheers

Lee

This video gives a good idea of what the space was like.

I ended up just being an observer and I was watching closely the acoustic guitars, I quite fancied owning a WB acoustic to go with my Spanish acoustic to keep it company, but sadly it was not to be. Also had my eye on the snare drums. I had the added issue, like psue788 of the cost of shipping to Europe.

Great to hear that some of the community here were able to purchase some of the collection. It really does sound like Julien's were the right choice for handling Walter's collection.

The on line staff at Juliens were impressive.

Nima was a kind and patient guide.

The bidding itself was quite exhilarating. D-Mod had warned us it went from 0 to 60 and,as ever,she was right.

I was concentrating on the small acoustic guitars ,having never played on an electric model of any description.

My priority was to aquire something I could play and love and introduce to Grand children later.

And how special would it be to tell them it belonged to the great WB.

By the time my choices were in the spotlight the hammer prices were not surprising...perhaps with the exception of lot 374.!!

I was only slightly constrained by having to factor in the cost of shipping to Europe...otherwise I might have been successful.

It's fabulous that people have got some beautiful gear.

A steep learning curve for this fan.

But one that I simply would never have wanted to miss.

.

I watched the auction online, and found it fascinating. I wish I could have been there in person, but alas, 'twas not to be. I did bid on the ukuleles, but they soon rose out of my price range. My thinking was that, since I don't play any instrument (I'm not counting the period of time I had to take banjo lessons when my father decided our family should have a "family band" - the less said about that, the better), nor do I have any real eye/hand coordination; a uke would be something I could actually learn to play. I didn't want to bid on/purchase anything that I couldn't actually use; that seemed disrespectful to WB's memory. All of the instruments were so beautiful, just works of art, but with real purpose and functionality, that it seemed a shame to buy something to just have. Moot point, as it turned out.

But you know what? The exercise of seeing the auction, bidding on the instruments, hearing the delight in those that were able to purchase WB's gear inspired something in me I didn't even know was there - a desire to play music, even in my own clumsy way. So, I'm going to look into buying a ukulele, and learn how to play. So, upshot: gratitude.

I have lots of thoughts about the auction. First, the exhibit space at Julien's was set up very well. I said to more than one person that it was like a museum exhibit of great guitars, amps, and gear curated by Walter Becker. The staff at Julien's was knowledgable and helpful and all around pretty great. Even during the auction, Ricky (the warehouse manager) was moving ladders around to take down guitars that were coming up later in the auction for inspection by bidders. Ricky also put up with 83 different people telling him not to lose that number, and all with good humor. I made a point to talk to a number of people that came in and out during the time I was there, and for some it was like a Hajj to the Mecca of great music. Some came to bid and some came to honor Walter. Many came for both. I was an evangelist about this site.

The mechanics of the auction and the way Julien's staff ran things was remarkable. Live bidders, absentia bidders, phone bidders, and online bidders at liveauction and julienslive. Two very different auctioneers. Dan Kruse, who is listed as one of the top 50 auctioneers in the world, was a bass voiced Texan. Zack Krone mixed humor and pop-culture references, reminding bidders that an increased of $500 on a bid amounted to a parking ticket on the Beverly Hills street outside of Juliens. The cadence of the auction, worrying about missing "the one" even if that one is 200 lots away. I bid on and won two instruments, a bass and a strat style guitar. No big money and nothing that anyone else would immediately associate with Walter. But I know. I know Walter played them. That he walked into a shop and for some reason chose them. If you're asking who the very best human being to vet a guitar would be, WB would be at the top of the list for sure.

I have just read this on my break at work.!!

But would love to comment later as there are terrific subject areas to discuss..and in my own case as a total auction novice..a lot to learn and reflect upon.