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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > If you died today, who gets your harp stuff?
If you died today, who gets your harp stuff?
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Frank
1670 posts
Dec 21, 2012
11:28 AM
If you died today, who gets your harp stuff? And would they know how to sell it with out getting ripped off?
HarpNinja
3037 posts
Dec 21, 2012
11:46 AM
I have a friend who'd hear right away and would come down to sort out my gear and harp orders. He'd be paid expenses/commission to come over and resolve the matters. He would also be able to see that any outstanding custom orders would be filled as ordered.

My music gear, though, will be a nightmare to sort out. There is some solid money to be made, but I honestly don't have friends close by to unload all my PA gear. The harp specific stuff is obvious, though.
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Todd Parrott
1069 posts
Dec 21, 2012
11:57 AM
Not a comforting thought as I get ready to board a plane. But my best harps are with me, so they would go with me I suppose.
Frank
1671 posts
Dec 21, 2012
11:56 AM
Harp stuff...I meant to include mics amps etc...like Mike stated "music gear"...

I told my wife to get on this site and harp-l, to get advice on how to proceed with the "stuff" in the event of a sudden death...

Todd - on the take offs and the landings I am in full prayer mode :)
JD Hoskins
295 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:14 PM
I won't care, or be coming back.

Last Edited by JD Hoskins on Mar 18, 2013 8:08 AM
Frank
1673 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:15 PM
Smart man JD - I also have a detailed living will and a "stuff will" and am confident things would be carried out smoothly if and when my number gets called...Truth is... I won't care and DON"T want to come back, I like to sleep to much I guess :)

Last Edited by on Dec 21, 2012 12:19 PM
bonedog569
768 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:32 PM
Good reminder to inventory and value my collections. I've taken pictures but not really followed through on it.

I assume most of my stuff would be sold, with familly holding on to a few things as memorabilia. Who knows?

Isn't the world supposed to end today? - That doesn't leave many folds around to inherit - ah well.
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LSC
345 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:31 PM
very good question Frank and one many of us should ask. Personally I've worked very hard to get what I have and for various reasons most all of my gear means something to me. A lot of this stuff has been a very important part of my life for the vast majority of time I've been living.

I've actually made a list of all music related items including amps, mics, guitars, PA, and even the boutique amps, preamps, and CD player in my studio/office. The list includes descriptions and values, both what I paid and what I believe the items should sell for. Considering the total value of the list is on the order of 15 grand plus, it's not something I wanted to leave to my wife or daughter to have to figure out.

In the event, my daughter is probably the one who would handle the sale with the aid of the list. She's not really familiar with music gear but she did roadie for me as a kid and probably more suited to dealing with it than my wife who I suspect would be overwhelmed by it all.

My one problem is my custom jumbo acoustic. It's been valued at $5k but I reckon a guitar of equal specification would cost more like $10k assuming you could find a builder with a stash of top grade Brazilian rosewood they were willing to part with. With 30 years and countless gigs it's not quite as beat up as Willie's Trigger but certainly shows it's road miles. It would be a tough sale. It's a great guitar but not a marquee brand and again condition. Really I'd like to leave it to someone but there is really no one I know that I'm close enough to who also plays guitar and would appreciate it for what it is. There have been a couple people in the past who I seriously considered but then they let me down in one way or another, save my friend, and my favorite guitar player I ever worked with, Jesse "Guitar" Taylor, but then he was so inconsiderate as to die before me.

My best friend, James, who has the most fabulous collection of guitars of anyone I've ever known, has left specific instructions in his will as to who should receive the most important pieces in his collection. I was included for two guitars but he outright gave me one of those a few years ago. I took my lead from him in deciding to compile my list.

I believe to just leave it to chance and burden one's survivors with having the disposal of these sort of things just dumped on them is irresponsible, not to mention the distinct possibility of having things sold for less than they're worth, going to people one would not want them to go to, or otherwise have the distribution very different than what one would have done if alive.
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LSC
rbeetsme
991 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:36 PM
I've thought about this. Probably should make up a list and pass it on to a gear savvy friend.
groyster1
2100 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:52 PM
I have a nephew who plays keyboards and a bro who plays guitar,neither plays harp but they would have all they need to learn....
Joe_L
2249 posts
Dec 21, 2012
12:52 PM
My wife knows many of my musician friends. Damn near all of them can be trusted to provide her with the value of the equipment in the event of my untimely demise.

Additionally, one of my friends has a consignment shop and regularly sells amps of all sorts.

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MP
2606 posts
Dec 21, 2012
1:22 PM
MojoKane.
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MP
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florida-trader
216 posts
Dec 21, 2012
1:42 PM
Frank. Great question. In my case it is not only my personal gear but my harp business. When I started the harp business, I included my children in its development. I want to teach them how to be entrepreneurial. I think everybody should have a business on the side where they can make a little extra money. The learning curve has been so steep that I’ve been in a constant state of change since I started. It has been difficult to teach my kids the business to the extent that I would have preferred but they spend time with me in the shop and little by little they are learning. I have my entire business set up on Quickbooks – inventory, customer base, vendors, banking information - everything. My real plan is to structure my business in such a way that I am not necessary. With some of my harmonica business brethren their business is set up so if they are gone – the business is gone. I want my business set up so that if I’m gone, the business still has value and continue to operate. “Gone” can also mean just taking a vacation and knowing that while I’m away all the orders will be processed and shipped and when I come back I won’t be behind the eight ball. I want to own the business. I don’t want the business to own me. And if I ever decide to step away from the business and none of my kids want to take over, it is a sellable commodity.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
STME58
336 posts
Dec 21, 2012
2:30 PM
Just last Friday one of the other parents in my son's scout troop was relating to me how she had distributed her fathers harmonicas among the family member aftre his death. There wer enough for each child and grand child to get one and one was buried with him. Clearly the value here was sentimental and not monetary.
Jehosaphat
387 posts
Dec 21, 2012
2:52 PM
I hit a milestone birthday a couple of weeks ago..conversation turned to the "have you made a will..?" type of thing.Yikes.
Have never made one because of procrastination,inertia,and well,it tempts fate ?
Not to worried about my harp gear to be honest.After all what would 20 or so (mostly)second hand L/Os be worth?Lol .Told the wife to bury 'em with me.

My 4 amps would be worth tops 2 grand on the second hand market.
Have two very nice mikes worth maybe 600$
Going to make up some Ads for them and the amps so all she then has to do is put them up on our auction site.

Said not to put"deceased estate" on the ads..might freak people out a bit.
Now i am off to the Pub to cheer meself up ;-)
BAG
133 posts
Dec 21, 2012
3:13 PM
This is why I like this site.

Other poeple have actually thought about this stuff. My Ipod, cds and vinyls too. 4500 songs on the ipod, a lot of 'em with great harp tunes and nobody in my family likes more than 20 of the songs on there. A Sonny Terry and Brownie 10 inch vinyl collector's item. My Little walter Vinyls. Arghh!!!

Harps, pedals, amps, mics, mostly of them only gently used because i rarely get up and play outside the basement anymore.

I think I'll just inventory it and suggest that my wife aution it all off in one collection in something akin to thsoe reality storage shows.

Hopefully sombody that can really use it will get it for a couple hundred bucks and either really enjoy their good fortune or else bust it up and sell all the parts and make a few bucks.

There is still hope that the last of my 4 kids will learn to play and want it it all.
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Frank
1676 posts
Dec 21, 2012
3:50 PM
Thank you killerJ, I pray I'd live up to your expectations :)
Todd Parrott
1070 posts
Dec 21, 2012
4:35 PM
Frank,

I was in full prayer mode in the security line, because I was afraid of missing my flight. The airport was INSANE! I have flown over Christmas and other holidays before, but I have NEVER seen the lines as long as they were today. I stood in the security line for over 2 hours and still had to RUN to the gate and made it by the skin of my teeth (Gee... the caps make me sound like BBQ Bob :))

Anyway... now that I am on the plane I can answer your question.

I would really like to leave my harps to someone who could put them to good use. I'd probably leave them to someone like Joe Spiers, as I'm sure he'd find good homes for them, or perhaps have my family auction them off to pay my funeral expenses. Maybe a couple of them would be given to my close harp friends like TJ Klay.

Other recording gear would go to friends of mine who could use it.

Hope this flight lands safely! If not, this may serve as my will... at least for my harps!
Frank
1678 posts
Dec 21, 2012
5:03 PM
whooley manolly Todd, stressfull indeed my man....Happy flying, and may your arrival be a piece of cake :)
FMWoodeye
510 posts
Dec 21, 2012
5:35 PM
I'm taking it with me. I just hope they have a power source in hell.
Frank
1679 posts
Dec 21, 2012
5:32 PM
Larry, haahahahaha, I'm sure Bon Scott
would show you the ropes...

Last Edited by on Dec 21, 2012 5:33 PM
nacoran
6320 posts
Dec 21, 2012
8:05 PM
I know they can press your ashes into a diamond now. I wonder if anyone could make a 'me' harmonica?

When Buddha died it made me think a lot. He was really close to my age and pretty close to my build. I didn't do much last year, but this year I've put my mind to exercise. I've lost about 40 lbs. (all though I've still got another 80 to go before I'm down in a healthy range.) I guess that means there will be less of 'me' to go around for harmonicas.

I've thought about where my stuff would go, and I could probably, with a second or two's thought, tell you who any given thing should go to, but I've never really written it down. I guess I'd want my band mates, past and present, to get some of the music stuff. Really, I'd be more worried about the less obvious stuff. I'd kind of like the idea of someone going through my recordings and putting anything good up online, and any of my lyrics or short stories to be put up there to, with a 'free' sign. I doubt I'd have anything worth a lot commercially, but I get a kick out of the idea that maybe someone would have fun playing something I wrote.

Like most people, I've got the ideas in the abstract, but nothing written down. I did give my brother my super secret password that, when typed into my password safe on my computer, unlocks all my other passwords so news of my demise could be shared with my internet friends. I'm not sure he remembers it though!

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Frank
1684 posts
Dec 22, 2012
7:24 AM
Madcat does a song on his "Gone Solo" cassette called > St. James Infirmary Blues< and he changes the line in the original song from [give me six crap-shootin' pallbearers] TO (give me 6 harmonica playing pallbearers)

Last Edited by on Dec 22, 2012 7:25 AM
Rick Davis
1042 posts
Dec 22, 2012
12:12 PM
I should leave my stuff to Nic Clark.

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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Frank
1691 posts
Dec 22, 2012
12:05 PM
Does that include your work-out equipment...Nic, just kidding, you still got baby fat bubba - live it up and have fun cause we can't take it with us...One of my buddies drives a Hearst around, the Grim Reaper lies in waiting!!!
SuperBee
748 posts
Dec 22, 2012
4:34 PM
I doubt there'd be much fuss about my gear. My guitar I'd like to go to a good home, and the Princeton. If I knew some young harp players locally I'd rather them have my mics and other amps and put them to use. It's not worth much $$.
Maybe when my daughter is older...she plays flute...maybe she'd appreciate the gear, but I doubt it.

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XHarp
525 posts
Dec 22, 2012
6:43 PM
Thank god the Mayan's were wrong and I didn't have to worry about it. Other then that no one would want it. It's a passion to me but nothing to anyone else. It has no value and no one could earn a decent income or profit from it so it'll end up in the trash. If they want it to get their own passion from it then its their' s right now if they want it all.
In fact I hope people remember me for being a better father/ grandfather and good person than ever being a harp player.

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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
rbeetsme
998 posts
Dec 22, 2012
6:40 PM
Many years ago I was in the camera business. Left that job and became a working photographer, but continued to snoop through the ads and visit flea markets searching for gear to buy and sell. Continued to do the same when I started picking up music gear. No one in my household knows the value of any of my amps/mics/harps etc.. I need to find someone like me to fairly dispose of my stuff.
Dranivola
1 post
Jan 03, 2013
4:08 PM
Strangly enough, I ran across this site because my uncle recently died and I have no idea what to do with his collection of harps. I really don't have the money to spend reconditioning any of them, but I would hate to just toss them. They were important to him, and I would like them to have a good home if it is possible. Does anyone have any ideas or know any places that buy used harps to recondition? Things like mics and amps I can deal with because I am familiar with them. However, harmonicas are certainly an unknown area for me.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Most of his harps are hohner (some xb40's, marine band's, blues harp ms).
Rick Davis
1111 posts
Jan 04, 2013
8:15 AM
Frank, your remarks about Nic Clark were in very poor taste.

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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
BikerG
12 posts
Jan 04, 2013
10:15 AM
If I died today, I hope someone would put a Special 20 in my hand before closing the casket. The rest can go in the trash. Nobody would want them, though my wife might hang onto one as a rememberance. My amp is another story. They might fight over it.
TheoBurke
240 posts
Jan 04, 2013
12:44 PM
no one. i want to be buried with every harmonica i own,

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Ted Burke
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-VPUDjK-ibQ&feature=relmfu

http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.co,
florida-trader
221 posts
Jan 04, 2013
2:36 PM
Dranivola - feel free to contact me to discuss what you have. I buy a lot of vintage harps and might be interested in what you have.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com


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