When you think of guitars, you might think about that dusty old thing sitting in the corner of your uncle’s house. For some people, guitars are not only fun to play, or things that sit in the corner, but they can be highly collectable. Springfield, Missouri’s Tom Wittrock is a world-renown guitar collector, and the owner of Third Eye Music. Tom has been collecting guitars for over 40 years.
Why did you decide that you wanted to collect guitars?
I don’t know that I have a simple answer to that question. I was around people who were trading, dealing and talking about vintage guitars and why they were better than new guitars. Some of these people were collectors. This was back in the 1950s when everybody collected something just to collect. I collected stamps and coins just to have something collectable. But there is not a specific event that made me decide that I wanted to collect guitars.
What drew you to guitars in the first place?
I am a guitar player, so I like having guitars to play. They are so versatile. I can play them and I can have them to look at because they are like pieces of art. When I collected stamps, the only thing I liked about them was that they were visually appealing. With guitars though I can collect, I can own, and I can enjoy looking at them because they are beautiful, but I can also enjoy playing them. I can also trade with somebody if I wanted something different for my collection.
What is your favorite guitar brand and what is your favorite era of that particular brand?
My favorite guitar brand is the Gibson Guitar Co. and my favorite era of their product is from the late 1950s up to and including 1960. That is because that’s the time and the company that made my most favorite guitar, the Gibson Les Paul, and it is when they made the epitome of the Gibson Les Paul. It was introduced in 1952. They then made changes in the design that culminated into what most people consider the finest Les Pauls that Gibson has ever made in 1958, 1959 and 1960.
Is there a certain term that a collector uses for these iconic guitars?
Yes. Most people call them “bursts” due to the colors in the tops.
How many ‘bursts do you think you have owned?
65, give or take one or two. I recently did a head count and tried to use the idea that there were a few things that didn’t get in my inventory cards. I think 65 is pretty darn close to the right number.
