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While attending this year's winter NAMM Show, I recognized Sean Michael Clegg, owner of the infamous "Missing NAMM Rhoads" guitar, in the Hilton lobby. I decided to meet him because I was curious (and I must admit, I thought of the Forum and that some of you might also be interested to hear a first-hand account of what kind of guy he comes across as in real life and not in print) about him and a question I've had about the guitar since the story became public. I approached him and said, "You're the guy who owns the lost Rhoads guitar, right?" He seemed genuinely surprised to be recognized and greeted me. I asked him, when did he realize that his guitar was actually THE guitar? How did he make the connection and realize what he had? He thought it was a great question and told me the story, but filled in some gaps. According to Sean, the guy who bought the guitar from Joanne/Grover at the NAMM Show may not have known exactly what he had but he knew that it was special in some way...they thought it was a "prototype" of some kind associated with Randy, a non-production guitar. As we've all read, Sean was "the" RR guy in Long Beach and his shop at the time...so he, too, recognized that it was "special" in some way. The original buyer told him the NAMM/Grover story when he brought it in for trade...because he had nicked one of the wings and felt that he couldn't get comfortable enough to play it, he was too self-conscious about it. Sean says he made the connection of what the guitar actually was after a year, when he read a magazine interview with Grover, recognized the parallel stories (Grover's and the dude who traded in the guitar), put two and two together and realized then that he had THAT guitar that was mentioned in the article.
I'd always wondered about that...that makes sense to me.
He proceeded to play it because he loves that guitar...he gushed about it like a first love. The blackness and smooth feel of the ebony...the hand-signed headstock...the immaculate inlays...the awesome sound. I got the sense it was all about the instrument, not necessarily because he discovered that it was associated with Randy. He says he decided to contact Guitar World and tell his story after reading about the exhorbitant amounts being obtained for guitars associated with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and the like...he and his girlfriend decided it was time to put it away and possibly use it to ensure their future if it would command similar dollars. Also said that although he wouldn't confirm it publicly, that Grover Jackson did verify that it was the actual "lost" guitar.
I also asked him if, after making the connection a year into owning it, did he have an attitude of "Nyah nyah na na na...I've got THE guitar everyone is looking for and I'm just not gonna tell!!!" As in, was he sitting back reading all of the various magazine articles over the years and later, message boards like the JCF and mocking everyone because he knew he had it? He said no, it was never like that. He played it out publicly but didn't advertise it as "Randy's guitar," primarily because he didn't want anyone to steal it or hurt him to try and take it. Again, makes sense to me.
Let me say this...I don't know the guy personally after a five-minute conversation in a crowded hotel lobby...but I can tell you that I did not get ANY sense of smugness, asshole-ishness, jerk, etc. He came across as a genuinely decent dude who just had a Holy Grail fall into his lap from being in the right place at the right time. As a result of his exposure in Guitar World, his career is on an upswing...Jackson is interested in endorsing him and his band just got some major label support. I know many of us wish it was us who were in that store on that day, or were the recipients of other great fortune like the guys who found Rhoads LTDs or pre-pro Charvels in a dusty pawn shop or garage sale...and I'll concede that he didn't come across well in that GW magazine article. He did look smug in some of those photos and sounded the same in the narrative. But having met him in person, I got none of that attitude. Seemed like a regular nice guy.
I'd always wondered about that...that makes sense to me.
He proceeded to play it because he loves that guitar...he gushed about it like a first love. The blackness and smooth feel of the ebony...the hand-signed headstock...the immaculate inlays...the awesome sound. I got the sense it was all about the instrument, not necessarily because he discovered that it was associated with Randy. He says he decided to contact Guitar World and tell his story after reading about the exhorbitant amounts being obtained for guitars associated with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and the like...he and his girlfriend decided it was time to put it away and possibly use it to ensure their future if it would command similar dollars. Also said that although he wouldn't confirm it publicly, that Grover Jackson did verify that it was the actual "lost" guitar.
I also asked him if, after making the connection a year into owning it, did he have an attitude of "Nyah nyah na na na...I've got THE guitar everyone is looking for and I'm just not gonna tell!!!" As in, was he sitting back reading all of the various magazine articles over the years and later, message boards like the JCF and mocking everyone because he knew he had it? He said no, it was never like that. He played it out publicly but didn't advertise it as "Randy's guitar," primarily because he didn't want anyone to steal it or hurt him to try and take it. Again, makes sense to me.
Let me say this...I don't know the guy personally after a five-minute conversation in a crowded hotel lobby...but I can tell you that I did not get ANY sense of smugness, asshole-ishness, jerk, etc. He came across as a genuinely decent dude who just had a Holy Grail fall into his lap from being in the right place at the right time. As a result of his exposure in Guitar World, his career is on an upswing...Jackson is interested in endorsing him and his band just got some major label support. I know many of us wish it was us who were in that store on that day, or were the recipients of other great fortune like the guys who found Rhoads LTDs or pre-pro Charvels in a dusty pawn shop or garage sale...and I'll concede that he didn't come across well in that GW magazine article. He did look smug in some of those photos and sounded the same in the narrative. But having met him in person, I got none of that attitude. Seemed like a regular nice guy.
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