Guitar Adventures
Norman's Rare Guitars
On one of my treks to the USA in the early 1980s chasing more vintage guitars, I finally got to the famous Norman’s Rare Guitars, but to be honest it was not the vintage guitar wonderland I was expecting.
Seeing this small single shop front was not what I had expected so I have to be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. I expected to see something the size of what Norman’s Rare Guitars is today, but then again it was early days in the vintage guitar world.
Looking at the photos below, the walls were holding a variety of guitars from 1970s Stratocasters to Smith Strats and some vintage pieces. Nothing had a price on it sadly, so we can not check that out now, but the vintage Strats would have been in the US$1,500 ball park given the time it was.
There was however one guitar that grabbed my attention big time, a 1966 Fender Electric XII in Ice Blue Metallic finish that was in pretty minty condition.
Given the immaculate condition of the Fender Electric XII I simply had to have it. I do not recall exactly what I paid for it, but it was something like US$900 if my memory serves me well.
