Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ guest loses his cool after the expert brought down the price of his special guitar (marketrealist.com)
Things Got Heated on “Pawn Stars” Over a Vintage Gospel Guitar
A recent episode of “Pawn Stars” saw a tense standoff between a hopeful seller and the show’s resident experts. An elderly gentleman brought in what he claimed was a prototype “Gospel Guitar” designed by the renowned gospel musician, Semie Moseley, founder of the Mosite Guitar Company. The seller, who acquired the guitar directly from Moseley 44 years prior, believed it to be worth over $100,000.
Rick Harrison, intrigued by the instrument’s provenance and seemingly pristine condition, acknowledged the potential value, especially given the seller’s accompanying paperwork. Harrison noted the historical significance of Mosrite guitars, mentioning their use by musicians like Jimi Hendrix and The Beach Boys. However, true to “Pawn Stars” form, Harrison called in his guitar expert, Jesse Amoroso of Cowtown Guitars, for an appraisal.
Amoroso, after examining the guitar, dated it to 1967 or 1968 based on its serial number. He then delivered the news that rocked the seller: the guitar was worth approximately $25,000 in the current market, citing a similar model recently sold for between $35,000 and $40,000.
The seller immediately disputed the valuation, claiming the guitar had been appraised at $100,000 in the 1990s and was insured for that amount. Amoroso stood firm, drawing a comparison to Les Paul prototypes, which he noted don’t typically fetch $100,000 at auction. The disagreement escalated to the point that Amoroso left the shop, later commenting he was glad to escape without a “black eye.”
Harrison, siding with his expert, declined to offer anything near the seller’s asking price. The seller departed empty-handed, but remained convinced of the guitar’s higher value, predicting a $200,000+ sale at auction.