Invoice Guardino, of Gilroy, together with his huge choice of tune memorabilia at his house. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
Invoice Guardino stands amid the just about unfathomably huge choice of tune memorabilia that overwhelms the home he stocks together with his spouse Janet and his canine Zappa in Gilroy.
“I don’t know the place to start out,” the 69-year-old fan says as he’s about to steer me on a personal excursion of his artifacts, curiosities and undeniably cool stuff.
So, I make the verdict for him and in an instant zoom previous the Beatles, Thankful Useless, and many others. and apply my very own musical pastime proper to a stupendous framed show of Black Sabbath’s debut document, signed through all 4 of the band participants.
“That’s the album that began all of it,” Guardino says of the 1970 epic that is regarded as to be flooring 0 for heavy steel.
From there, Guardino continues to supply remark as we absorb such treasures as a signed Doorways image (“That’s a unprecedented piece — to have all 4 signatures on {a photograph} like that”) and a replica of Crimson Floyd’s “A Saucerful of Secrets and techniques” album this is signed through all 4 authentic band participants — together with the overdue Syd Barrett (“I simply can’t consider that I’ve Syd’s signature on that”).
We pause a second to savor the sight of a bass guitar this is signed through none rather than the mythical Paul McCartney.
“It may well be one among my favorites,” Guardino says. “However there are too many to selected.”
Paul McCartney’s signed bass is displayed inside of Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
That’s made abundantly transparent as we transfer directly to a framed Touring Wilburys show that includes signatures from all 5 participants of without equal rock supergroup — Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. And, oh, wow, that’s a guitar signed through the nice bluesman Muddy Waters.
“What I’m appearing you is simply the end of the iceberg,” says Guardino, who operates a a success drywalling trade, Guardino Drywall, Inc, within the South Bay. “What I’m appearing you as of late is most definitely 1 p.c.”
If truth be told — doing the short math — it’s a long way much less. I’ll simplest see a couple of hundred items (a minimum of up shut) all through this excursion. But, Guardino estimates he has 250,000 pieces, constituting what he believes to be the biggest choice of tune memorabilia in Northern California.
“It is a six bed room area and each and every room is complete — and the partitions,” feedback Janet Guardino, who in short joins our casual excursion sooner than disappearing off to her place of business.
A signed {photograph} of The Doorways is displayed inside of Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
Complete is slightly of a real understatement. A few of these rooms are so full of sweets — together with some non-music, popular culture memorabilia — that it’s laborious to even stroll thru them. The entire pieces discussed to this point on this tale had been framed and prominently displayed at the partitions on this two-story area.
But, the Guardinos would wish dozens (if no longer masses) of different homes with the intention to have the wall area essential to show all of the profitable memorabilia on this assortment. Many of the treasures are simply stocked up in piles, waiting for for his or her likelihood to provoke.
That reality is underscored as Guardino thumbs thru some extra pieces, in the end touchdown upon a framed replica of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album that isn’t simplest signed through the mythical singer-songwriter himself but additionally his then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo (who seems at the album quilt with Dylan).
“This must be displayed,” Guardino feedback of the traditionally important piece. “It’s wonderful it’s no longer placing at the wall.”
Invoice and Janet Guardino speak about gathering tune memorabilia all through an interview on March 29 at their Gilroy house. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
It’s in point of fact the vintage rock pieces — from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — that leap out at you whilst walking thru his assortment. But, Guardino has stuff from different a long time and musical genres as smartly.
“I attempt to collect from each and every technology,” he says. “And I’ve.”
As though for example the purpose, we quickly come pieces from Nirvana, Foo Combatants and — wait — is that Justin Bieber?
“That’s a backyard sale in finding,” Guardino clarifies.
But, that’s how he’s put in combination a lot of his assortment, garnering one piece at a time from a number of assets over the process a long time. His pastime for gathering can also be traced again to basic faculty, when he began purchasing up Beatles 45s. It went to the following stage, then again, as soon as he in point of fact started to note all of the cool artwork that embellished rock posters and album covers of the technology.
“The art work is simply in point of fact inspiring to me,” he says. “That’s in point of fact what were given me into gathering.”
And one of the vital bonuses of this pursuit is that Guardino is no doubt by no means at a scarcity for one thing music-related to put on.
“I’ve possibly 3,000 live performance T-shirts,” he reckons.
But, he’s no longer only a collector. He’s additionally a supplier, having remodeled his outsized passion into an aspect activity. He sells tune memorabilia at Ashford’s Heirlooms on Monterey Side road in Gilroy in addition to on-line thru his personal Head Shuttle Tune web page, headtripmusic.com.
“Obsession? Possibly,” Guardino says of his assortment. “Hobby? For sure?
“Funding? For sure.”
Sure, he’s no doubt loved some just right returns on his investments through the years. For instance, he presentations off some uncommon Thankful Useless handbills, with Rick Griffin artwork, for a gig that used to be scheduled to happen in Hawaii, however didn’t finally end up taking place.
“I were given these items for $10, $15 a pop and I’ve bought them for $3,000,” he says.
He turns to his vinyl assortment — which he reckons numbers round 100,000 — and showcases a sealed, early quantity, first urgent of the Beatles’ “White Album.”
“I’d need to get $12,000 for that,” he feedback.
But, this isn’t in point of fact a cash factor for Guardino. That a lot is made abundantly transparent as you witness the enjoyment on his face and listen to the eagerness in his voice as he walks during the wonderful assortment that he’s put in combination during the a long time. It’s in regards to the love tune and the enjoyment of the search — of discovering that subsequent cool new piece so as to add to the combo — that assists in keeping him gathering.
“I don’t wish to prevent,” he says.
See extra photos at fb.com/headtripmusicgilroy.
A signed piece of Kiss memorabilia is displayed inside of Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
A a large number of choice of The Beatles memorabilia are displayed inside of Invoice Guardino’s area in Gilroy. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
Invoice Guardino presentations a signed piece of Nirvana memorabilia. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
Invoice Guardino presentations a 1971 live performance poster for Miles Davis and Elvin Bishop at Fillmore West in San Francisco. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
Invoice Guardino presentations a 1980 live performance poster for the Thankful Useless and different vintage tune posters at his area in Gilroy. (Dai Sugano/Bay House Information Crew)
