Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar, ‘Number One’, is located in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. It was donated by Stevie’s brother, Jimmie Vaughan. The iconic instrument was used by Stevie during his rise to fame in the early 1980s until his untimely death in 1990. Number One has become a symbol of inspiration for many aspiring musicians worldwide. Visitors of the museum can take pictures with this piece of musical history as part of their experience.
Contents:
The Mystery Surrounding Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Guitar
The mysterious and sudden disappearance of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar has become a great enigma amongst music fans and historians. After the tragic helicopter accident that took his life in 1990, many were left wondering what had happened to the guitar he played on stage.
Stevie Ray’s signature black Fender Stratocaster became iconic among blues-rock fans during the 80s, and its loss has been felt by millions over the past three decades. It is known that after his death, a family member who was close to him retrieved some of his belongings from the crash site, including amps, pedals and other items – but not the guitar. There have been conflicting reports as to why it wasn’t taken or where it ended up, with no definite answer available even today.
Though speculation about this matter still runs rampant today, some believe that another musician may have found it at the scene of the accident and kept it for themselves. Others claim that nobody knew which piece of equipment belonged to Stevie until weeks later when a road manager identified them; if this is true then perhaps by then all of his belongings had already been disposed of or auctioned off by authorities. No one knows for sure whether these theories are true or false, though they certainly add an interesting twist to this legendary mystery surrounding Stevie Ray Vaughan’s beloved Stratocaster.
Initial Reports of the Guitar’s Whereabouts
When news of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s untimely death in a helicopter crash broke, the public was left wondering what had happened to his beloved guitars. While it is known that some were recovered from the accident site, speculation ran rampant about where they might have ended up. Initial reports suggested that many of Stevie’s guitars had been taken to a secure location by his wife and family. His brother Jimmie quickly confirmed these rumors in an interview, saying that “we moved all his instruments out of the house and put them into storage” soon after his passing.
While no specifics about the safe-keeping location were released at this time, we now know that most of them can be found in Austin, Texas at one particular museum: The Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Museum. This is not only home to several instruments played by Stevie during his career but also serves as an educational center for aspiring blues musicians looking to hone their craft on some legendary pieces of equipment.
The main attraction at the museum remains none other than the iconic Fender Stratocaster used by SRV on nearly every stage throughout his entire professional career – dubbed “Number One” by fans and admirers alike due its unique artwork and sound. Other featured artifacts include harmonicas, plectrums and picks used during concerts along with various photos documenting key moments throughout Stevie’s life before ultimately coming to rest here in Austin.
Search Efforts by Fans and Collectors
The legacy of Stevie Ray Vaughan continues to grow, and for many music fans, collectors and investors, finding one of his guitars is a dream. His family has made some of the instruments available for purchase in limited releases or via auctions. However, for those wishing to find an original instrument used by the virtuoso guitarist himself, the search is often fruitless. That hasn’t stopped dedicated fans from pouring over every detail about each of SRV’s most iconic instruments; searching through auction houses, vintage guitar dealerships and even music shops with rumors that they have uncovered something special.
Social media platforms have become hotspots where enthusiasts can post leads on potential finds and share their own stories regarding what it means to own a piece of history. Through these online communities it seems unlikely that any stone will be left unturned as passionate individuals collectively look to unearth these gems amongst the thousands of faux replicas out there trying to pass themselves off as authentic relics.
Since Vaughan’s passing nearly three decades ago, intense effort has been placed into uncovering his lost pieces of equipment with varying success levels as years pass by without much tangible progress being made on any particular lead or rumor suggesting otherwise. It appears that this quest will continue to captivate many minds both near and far who simply want to get closer to the masterful musician who so tragically left us too soon.
Claims and Counter-Claims from Various Parties
The mystery of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s final guitar has been a source of much speculation ever since the legendary bluesman tragically passed away in 1990. Over the years, several claimants have come forward with their own version of what happened to the instrument.
One such claimant is Doug Sullivan, an Austin-based sound engineer who toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble throughout the late eighties and early nineties. According to Sullivan, the last show that he worked with SRV was at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin on August 26th, 1990; after which he helped break down equipment and return it back to Texas. He remembers packing up “Number One” – SRV’s first Fender Stratocaster that he had played for nearly twenty years prior – into a road case owned by Jimmie Vaughan (Stevie’s brother). To this day, Sullivan stands firm on his claim that this is where Number One ended up.
Another party involved in the puzzle is Terry Balsamo, the lead guitarist from Evanescence who once played alongside Jimmie Vaughn as part of Storyville in the mid-nineties. Balsamo claims that while jamming out one night during recording sessions, someone tossed him SRV’s iconic Stratocaster which had supposedly been kept by Jimmie all these years. When asked about this story in recent interviews however, Jimmie stated that he never held onto any of Stevie’s guitars nor does he know where they went afterwards. With both sides standing firm on their stories, fans still remain unable to determine exactly what happened to ‘Number One’ following its last show over thirty years ago.
Future Hopes for the Discovery of SRV’s Iconic Guitar
Though the guitar of Stevie Ray Vaughan remains undiscovered, hope for its recovery has never faded. Music historians and collectors are still searching for the iconic instrument with a fervor that won’t relent. Speculation as to its whereabouts range from loaned out or stolen before his passing, to buried with SRV himself in order to honor his death.
Though the chances of finding it appear slim, modern-day detection techniques may help bring answers. Thanks to advances in forensic science and investigative methods, once cold leads can be revisited and clues can be followed up on again for any potential signs of life regarding the missing electric guitar. A new approach could lead to previously overlooked sources of information providing a fresh perspective into this time-honored mystery surrounding Vaughan’s lost axe.
An ever-growing number of hardcore fans have joined forces via social media networks hoping that one day their relentless efforts will pay off in finding SRV’s lost instrument so it can remain part of music history forever. The enthusiasm is only growing among those who dream of bringing this relic back home and returning it to where it belongs – Texas.
Leave a Reply