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Topic: This is NOT cool follow up |
Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 5 Feb 2016 1:02 pm |
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https://reverb.com/blog/cf-martin-responds-to-the-destruction-of-145-year-old-guitar-on-hateful-eight-set
Reverb’s story “The Hateful Eight†Hates on Six Strings†contains information about the destruction of the priceless 145-years-old instrument that Dick Boak, director of the museum, archives and special projects for C.F. Martin & Co., says the company was not previously aware of.
In the film, John Ruth, played by Kurt Russell, grabs a guitar from Daisy Domergue, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and smashes it, eliciting horror. However, the smashed guitar was an authentic Martin from the 1870s, on loan from the Martin Guitar Museum, rather than one of several copies on hand for the shoot.
“We were informed that it was an accident on set,†Boak says. “We assumed that a scaffolding or something fell on it. We understand that things happen, but at the same time we can’t take this lightly. All this about the guitar being smashed being written into the script and that somebody just didn’t tell the actor, this is all new information to us. We didn’t know anything about the script or Kurt Russell not being told that it was a priceless, irreplaceable artifact from the Martin Museum.â€
According to the film’s Academy Award-winning sound mixer Mark Ulano, as quoted in SSNInsider.com, the scene was to be shot up to a certain point, a cut made, the guitar swapped out for a double and for the double to be smashed. “Well, somehow that didn’t get communicated to Kurt, so when you see that happen on the frame, Jennifer’s reaction is genuine,†Ulano said, as quoted in SSNInsider.com.
Further, Boak says that Martin did not offer a replacement, as stated in the SSNInsider.com. "As a result of the incident, the company will no longer loan guitars to movies under any circumstances,†Boak says.
To add insult to injury, Boak says the guitar was insured for its purchase price, which doesn’t reflect its value as an irreplaceable museum artifact. Boak also says that Martin requested that the pieces be returned for a possible restoration, not for inclusion in the Martin Museum as stated in SSNInsider.com. “Upon inspection of the pieces, we realized that the guitar was beyond fixing,†Boak said. “It’s destroyed.
â€
“We want to make sure that people know that the incident was very distressing to us,†Boak says. “We can’t believe that it happened. I don’t think anything can really remedy this. We’ve been remunerated for the insurance value, but it’s not about the money. It’s about the preservation of American musical history and heritage.â€
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Steve Pawlak
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2016 3:48 pm
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So instead of using a copy, they supplied a "Priceless" original as a movie prop?
What could possibly go wrong there? |
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Dennis Olearchik
From:
Newtown, PA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 5:39 am
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| Good grief! They could have created a repro instead of supplying a movie-set with a priceless guitar. It's surprising and disappointing that the Martin mgmt team would be that dumb. |
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Doug Clark
From:
Maine, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 12:13 pm
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I agree with Steve and Dennis. If it was going to get smashed, why not use a made-in-Asia beater right from the beginning? It's not as if the people who watch Tarantino movies are really paying attention to such details, anyway.  |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 12:42 pm
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It was a rookie mistake and frankly, it's not the director's fault - it's the props master's fault. The director is like a general running an army with 500 decisions, big and small, to make all day. The prop and set design folks are the middle managers who are responsible for the set. Movie sets are like construction sites with hundreds of people and equipment always on the move.
Martin made a bad call to lend the instrument. A tiny mention in the credits is hardly an equal value barter for putting a museum piece at risk. Everyone involved is now hyper-aware of their mistake.
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 2:35 pm
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I agree Andy. This was a monumental f-up, but it was not Tarentino's fault.
BTW, I saw the movie in the 70mm roadhouse version, and liked it. I'm not sure if I would still like it now, knowing what happened.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 6:37 pm
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You have to admit, Jennifer's expression when Kurt busted it was priceless ! SHE knew what was happening.
JB
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2016 10:44 pm
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_________________
"Gopher, Everett?" |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 7 Feb 2016 9:37 am
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| Quote: |
| Mistake or not, ultimately that is the director's fault, plain and simple. |
Maybe a better choice of words might have been, "That is the director's responsibility..."  |
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John Booth
From:
Columbus Ohio, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2016 10:05 am
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It's pretty clear if the item had been an authentic Ming vase or something similar they wouldn't have smashed it. A guitar tho? To most people how much could it be worth? A couple hundred bucks? Only musicians understand instrument values. To Tarantino it was just another prop. I blame Martin Co AND Tarantino.
Damn shame tho.
JB
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Jb in Ohio
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GFI S10 Ultra, Telecaster, a Hound Dog, and an Annoyed Wife
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Barry Blackwood
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 8 Feb 2016 10:24 am
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I read in few comments that Tarantino knew that the woman actor was aware what guitar she was playing. So when she saw it being smashed he got a "genuine" reaction from her.
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 9 Feb 2016 10:54 am
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Maybe those old things are just way over-valued to begin with.  
I mean, what's this:
| Quote: |
| To add insult to injury, Boak says the guitar was insured for its purchase price, which doesn’t reflect its value as an irreplaceable museum artifact. |
WHAT purchase price? The 1870 one doesn't seem quite likely, are they saying it's worth more than what it last sold for and it's irreplaceable because they don't want to, they just want everybody to sniffle and buy them chocolates? It can REALLY ONLY be an "irreplaceable museum artifact" if it's in a museum. And if somebody was twanking on it, oh! Quel Horreure!
Now I understand that lots of people do find reward and contentment in owning guitars that can't/shouldn't ever get played, at which point - to me - they're no longer a "guitar" they're a "wall hanging." Everybody DOES know that those "great old" 1957 Strats are pretty much garbage guitars FOR PLAYING MUSIC until you FIX the 7.25" radius neck, - flatten it and refret with some Manly train rails, put the tone control on the bridge PU, get a BETTER Bridge PU, real, functional tuners and ditch the "authentic" pitch randomizer and replace it with a functional whammy bar. Gosh - it might be easier to just get a good guitar to start with! Whoa......................
IT CAN'T BE WORTH MORE THAN IT WAS INSURED FOR BECAUSE tHAT WAS THE LAST ASSIGNMENT OF WORTH IT HAD. Unless the guy insuring it totally blew it, which doesn't sound like something anybody is fessing up to here. You just CAN'T have your Dick (Boak) and eat it too, you know. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 13 Feb 2016 7:55 am
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| I especially like where they said the guitar was "priceless". |
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Carl Mesrobian
From:
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 3 Jul 2016 9:25 am
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Next time use a Guild. They sound great, but cheaper 
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--carl
"The better it gets, the fewer of us know it." Ray Brown |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 8 Jul 2016 3:45 am
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well who would allow a "priceless" instrument to be used on a movie set as a prop and not have it chaperoned 100% of the time, who would do that ?
"Here ya go prop man, here is the priceless Instrument, call me when you're done with it and I'll come back and get it. Oh yeh, make sure you put it in the case when you are not using it ".
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 8 Jul 2016 4:56 am
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One of the earliest lessons I learned as professional film maker was:
"It doesn't have to BE. It just has to LOOK like it."
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 8 Jul 2016 10:38 am
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As Andy said, "It doesn't have to be, just look like it."
When you see instruments smashed up in movies they don't usually use real instruments. Just like stair rails, which don't break as easily as the ones in the movies, and so they make them in balsa wood, or bottles smashed over people's heads, which are usually made of some sort of sugar, real guitars are a lot more durable than you would want them to be, so they make replicas out of such things as balsa wood, which break much easier. It astonishes me at several levels that they would have used a real guitar.
But it's not just guitars. I know of people who have lent their vintage cars to film studios and had them damaged severely. It seems to show a lack of care on behalf of the studios for other people's property.
During the 60s some groups would smash up expensive instruments on stage that the rest of us couldn't afford. As someone who builds musical instruments it makes me cringe when I see that, and I lose respect for any musician who intentionally destroys instruments.  |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Posted 4 Nov 2016 10:46 pm
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The poor J-50 in the Elvis movie clip at the end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAtgAC1hUz8
Just realised that it was a cheap guitar 
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.
Last edited by Joachim Kettner on 6 Nov 2016 12:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mark Carlisle
From:
Springville CA
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Posted 6 Nov 2016 11:33 am
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I always felt sorry for the Gypsy Jazz guitar that Sean Penn ("Emmett Ray") smashed up at the end of Sweet and Lowdown. Bet it was a Gitane not a Dupont or..heaven forbid..a Selmer.
Woody just wouldn't let that happen! |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2016 3:04 pm
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Here's a link to the specific scene. To me, based on her expression...she completely came out of character.
https://youtu.be/5SSFASO1XvY
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Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Glenn Suchan
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 7 Nov 2016 10:11 am
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Is it possible that the Martin guitar was loaned to the movie production company so that they could recreate faithful copies of the 145 year-old instrument, then return the valuable original to Martin? The Reverb article does state there were "several copies on hand for the shoot". Is it possible that Tarentino only used the copies, but let the Jennifer Jason Leigh think that a Martin would be used, and the scene stopped to switch out the Martin with a fake to be smashed? Is it possible at which time that the scene was being filmed, Jennifer Jason Leigh wasn't told that she would be playing the faithful copy and not the actual 145-year-old Martin? That way Tarentino would get his "genuine" reaction from her and the Martin guitar would be unharmed? To me, that seems the most logical way to accomplish the desired scene.
Do we have an actual statement from Martin on the loss value of the instrument? The whole thing about a valuable guitar destroyed on set sounds like something an inexperienced set crew would allow to happen - not something a set crew associated with a top director would do. And the 'leaking' of this 'horrific accident' to the public seems like a sensation-generating, publicity stunt. Just sayin'....
Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
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Steelin' for Jesus |
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