Johnny Cash Personally-Owned and Stage-Played Guitar Made by Danny Ferrington. ...

 

Johnny Cash Personally-Owned and Stage-Played Guitar Made by Danny Ferrington. A majestic black acoustic guitar played and loved by the Man in Black himself. A dreadnought-style instrument with bound body, neck (with mother of pearl inlays), and peghead (with Schaller tuners). There is abalone purfling on the top and soundhole. Inside the guitar is Danny's original handwritten label, stating: "Ferrington. Custom built by Danny Ferrington. June 30th 1978. Nashville, Tennessee. #9." It was used by Cash on his 1978 TV Christmas Special (DVD included), on his next Spring TV Special, and on various recordings. There were photos taken of Cash holding this guitar (also included). The guitar is well used as expected for an instrument of its age and history. A narrow leather strap, capo, and worn, vintage case are included.

Danny Ferrington himself can tell the story of this guitar better than we can: "I built this guitar for Emmylou Harris, at least I wanted her to have it. Ricky Skaggs was one of her sidemen and he said if I came to the Willie Nelson Picnic in Dallas, he would get me backstage to show it to her. Maybe she would buy it. I went, Emmy liked it but liked her Gibson J200 more. She wanted me to inlay a rose on it which I did (it's now in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville), Ricky took my guitar back to the hotel that night and picking it up the next day, he said Waylon Jennings said when I get back to Nashville, bring it to him and he would buy it. Well, I did, thrilled to sell a guitar to Waylon. About a week or so later, I was working at the Old Time Pickin' Parlour and I got a call from Johnny Cash's office. I had never met John so I was surprised. His assistant said she had John on the line patched in from New Jersey. He said, "Danny this is Johnny Cash and I have a guitar here that you made and it was given to me by Waylon Jennings last night at Wolf Trap and I think it's the finest guitar I've ever played and I want you to make one for my wife June, a little smaller and a little less black than this one," which I did. He played this guitar on his Christmas Special in 1978 with Kris Kristofferson and Steve Martin, and on his Spring Special. He also played it on his 25th Anniversary album. A year or so after, I ran into him in the airport. He said,"I need you to make another." Something happened to the other one. He told the crazy story of a shrimper in Florida, and a boat sinking; anyway it was on the boat. So I thought it was lost, made him another, and one for Rosanne. Twenty years or so later, I get a call from some lady who wants to sell a guitar I made given to her by her father-in-law who is a shrimper in Florida. Well, I bought it. Seems John gave it away and didn't want me to know, and hurt my feelings. I never told him I got it, I didn't want the story to end like that."

Danny Ferrington is one of the most talented and revered luthiers of the last three+ decades; he has crafted instruments for many of the top names in music: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards, Chrissie Hynde, Eddie Van Halen, Lindsay Buckingham, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and Kurt Cobain (to name a few). He grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, and learned woodworking in his father's cabinet-making business. A friend called him up and suggested he move to Nashville and put his skills to work and the Old Time Pickin' Parlor, a music store, acoustic guitar repair shop, and bluegrass venue. A music-lover and guitar player, he decided to give it a try. While there, he determined that there were many players better than him and that maybe making the instruments they played was his best bet for a long career. He stayed in Nashville for several years, selling fancy, custom-built instruments to all who would pay his price. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles to open his own shop on the second floor of an automotive paint shop. His stellar reputation has brought him many clients for whom he crafts unique guitars. His years of working with wood have served him well. He once said, "I think of guitars as being sculptures. There's real rapport you get with wood. When I make a musical instrument, it has to have a certain amount of life to it. It has to have a sensual feel to it. It has to have a certain resonance. If I let down in any of those areas, I've failed." One of the more interesting of Ferrington's commissions came in 2010 when the legendary Dallas-based retailer Neiman Marcus placed a "Danny Ferrington Handmade Gourd Ukulele" in their 2010 Christmas Book (for $6000): "...Like every instrument he creates, Ferrington will build each extremely rare ukulele from scratch, with hand-selected woods for acoustics and balance and rich mother-of-pearl inlays." Estimate: .

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Service and Handling Description: Musical Instruments, Large (view shipping information)

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