Stars play auctioned guitars

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA - It takes seasoned guitarists such as Earl "Peanut" Montgomery and Jimmie Johnson to notice the subtle differences in the two custom-made Benedetto guitars being auctioned by the University of North Alabama.

Johnson and Montgomery are among almost a dozen Shoals musicians who have come to Rogers Hall on the UNA campus to give the guitars a test run.

The guitars are the same model - electric hollow body Benedetto Bambinos handmade in Savannah, Ga.

The main difference is the paint schemes. One guitar has a dark-plum colored body while the other has a blond maple, almost gold-colored body with darker maple sides and back. Both have the same inlaid UNA lion logo on the head stock and the letters "UNA" inlaid on the guitar's tail pieces.

The guitars are on display in a special case in the Rogers Hall lobby, but are removed when artists such as Montgomery and Johnson, songwriter Billy Lawson and Grammy Award winner Chris Tompkins want to try them out.

"I've played both of them," Tompkins said. "They have warm, woody tones, a good hollow body jazz sound. It's a good, versatile guitar for jazz or for songwriting."

Montgomery played both guitars Thursday and sang a short medley of some of his tunes, including "We're Gonna Hold On," which was a hit for country stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

"This guitar I like," Montgomery said of the gold guitar. "This is a guitar I'd play."

Montgomery said he liked the intonation, or the sound, of the gold guitar.

"I like the weight of it," he said. "I like the balance of it. I doubt that I'd use this guitar to carry around and write songs with."

A couple of hours later, Johnson came by to strum a few notes on the two Bambinos. Unlike Montgomery, Johnson chose to play the guitars without amplification.

Johnson, a founding member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, said he liked the sound of the purple guitar, but liked the look of the gold guitar. He said the purple guitar was louder.

"This one has big, wide depth," he said. "Anyone would be proud to own one of these."

The guitars are being auctioned to raise money for the Commercial Music Endowed Scholarship and the Brian Vick/Jonathan Parks/Michael McCarthy Scholarship.

Two people will end up with the guitars once the auctions end at midnight Wednesday.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the bid on the plum guitar was $2,870 while the bid on the gold guitar was $2,650, according to the auction site.

UNA University Relations Director Josh Woods said winners will be notified by telephone early Thursday morning and will be offered tickets to the Mac McAnally benefit concert at 8 p.m. Thursday in UNA's Norton Auditorium.

The winners will be announced during the concert, which also features Shoals guitarist and UNA sophomore Dillon Hodges.

"We expect the bids to skyrocket in the last couple days and hours of the auction," Woods said. "The ones who really plan to win will wait until the last second."

Woods said he expects more local artists to come by and check out the UNA Benedettos.

Local guitarist Travis Wammack, known as "The Fastest Guitarist in the South," is expected to come by today, as is singer/songwriter Mark Narmore and Jerry Phillips, son of "The Father of Rock 'n' Roll" Sam Phillips. Guitarist/producer Duane Allen, of Pindrop Studios in Harvest, also has given the guitars a test run, Woods said.

Benedetto Chief Executive Officer Howard Paul and the builder, Robert Benedetto, were the first people to play the guitars, Woods said.

Woods said each artist that's played the guitars is asked to sign and date a certificate that will also be given to the winners.

Hodges also played the guitars, even though they're right-handed instruments and Hodges is left-handed. Hodges' relationship with Benedetto Guitars and their distributor, DHR Music Experience, was instrumental in having the guitars made for the university.

For details or to bid on the guitars, go to una.edu/guitars.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.