I repaired one of Johnny Cash's guitars!

What a great project Fret!

Wow, how awesome is that?!

That's rolled carpet tied with fishing line serving as a homemade neck rest. I have a few of different diameters. The asking price for formal neck rests is ridiculous, plus mine simply work better, safer and smarter.

You use neck rests to get angled-back headstocks up in the air a touch off the bench surface. Otherwise, tilt-back heads end up supporting weight they don't need to support. Plus the guitar is generally more stable on the bench with the head elevated. Easier to manipulate the D and G tuners on a 3x3 headstock on the fly too.

People are crazy if they take their guitars to anyone else in BR besides Jeff.

I finally got around to reading your Facebook link. Sorry. It answered most.

I assume that's the priciest thing you've worked on? Auction value being vague though.

Very cool. I would imagine that's a huge pucker factor in putting a heating element inside of a dry and wildly valuable wooden box.

It sounds and plays simply incredible post-repair. We players would fall in love with it even not knowing its history or previous lineage. I was able to dial in very low action considering its age and wear and it practically played itself. Very balanced tone, very touch sensitive, good boom without flub, and big projection (it has a maple back and sidewalls). There is a reason Danny's builds were and are so acclaimed.

Speaking of which, this may shed some light ... here's a list of SOME of Danny's clients over the years ...

Beautiful work on an extremely cool instrument.

That old Johnson outboard boat motor in Danny's photo is cool too.

Thanks for all the kind words, much appreciated!

Here's what Danny himself says about #9 and its completion in 1978 ...

"I built this guitar for Emmylou Harris, at least I wanted her to have it. Ricky Skaggs was one of her sidemen and he said if I came to the Willie Nelson Picnic in Dallas, he would get me backstage to show it to her. Maybe she would buy it. I went, Emmy liked it but liked her Gibson J200 more. She wanted me to inlay a rose on it which I did (it's now in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville), Ricky took my guitar back to the hotel that night and picking it up the next day, he said Waylon Jennings said when I get back to Nashville, bring it to him and he would buy it. Well, I did, thrilled to sell a guitar to Waylon. About a week or so later, I was working at the Old Time Pickin' Parlour (music shop in Nashville) and I got a call from Johnny Cash's office. I had never met John so I was surprised. His assistant said she had John on the line patched in from New Jersey. He said, "Danny this is Johnny Cash and I have a guitar here that you made and it was given to me by Waylon Jennings last night at Wolf Trap and I think it's the finest guitar I've ever played and I want you to make one for my wife June, a little smaller and a little less black than this one," which I did. He played this guitar on his (prime time televised) Christmas Special in 1978 with Kris Kristofferson and Steve Martin, and on his Spring Special. He also played it on his 25th Anniversary album."

Here's something cool for you guys too ... Johnny Cash's belt buckle rash.

Wow! That is incredible. The buckle rash photos are way cool!