Guitars Made From Opry Pews Up for Sale
N A S H V I L L E, Tenn., July 21 -- Guitarists hoping for a little countrymusic magic in their playing can now buy an instrument carved outof oak pews from the former home of the Grand Ole Opry.
The Ryman Limited Edition Acoustic Guitar will debuttonight at a news conference. Only 243 are being made by theWashburn International company, each costing $6,250.
Among the first customers were singers Vince Gill, Amy Grant andLoretta Lynn, said Larry English, an executive at Chicago-basedWashburn.
“Loretta bought two,” English said. “These hunks of wood willnow live forever. They could have been sent off to the dump yearsago.”
Popular Pews
Fans sat in those Ryman pews while stars like Hank Williams,Patsy Cline, Minnie Pearl and Elvis Presley performed on the GrandOle Opry from 1943 to 1974. The show on WSM-AM continues to thisday, now based at the Grand Ole Opry House in suburban Nashville.
About 20 pews weren’t needed anymore when the 108-year-old Rymanwas renovated in 1992. They were put into storage until the dealwas made with Washburn.
Only the seats of the pews were used to make the guitars. GrandOle Opry officials are considering using the backs of the pews insome other product.
“We’re trying to decide what that could be,” said Opryspokesman Jim Hennessey.
Historic Designs
The guitar was designed by English, with several design featurestying into the Ryman. A carving design on the guitar is based onthe one on the original pews, and the serial number of each guitarwill correspond to the seat from which it was made.
“If there was a screw hole or nail hole, we left it,” Englishsaid. Nails removed from the wood will be shipped with each guitar.
English said he wasn’t sure during the design stage whether theguitars would be viable instruments, besides their value as akeepsake.
“The guitar really sounds great, which I didn’t necessarilyexpect,” he said.
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