Bid to win this extraordinary acoustic guitar from The President Carter Legacy Collection, played by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, as part of President Carter's 96th birthday tribute. It is the only instrument in the collection also played by President Carter himself, and has a very unique feature built into its design that only a former naval officer, like Carter, would understand! It comes with a hard case and a certificate of authenticity signed by President Carter.
Meticulously handcrafted by Arizona-based luthier and army veteran, Jason Kostal, from Empress (Paulownia) wood grown on President Carter's farm in Plains, Georgia, this one-of-a-kind instrument has a Morse code message inscribed on the back of the guitar. Kostal left the message for President Carter, a former Navy man, playing on the age-old rivalry between the two branches of the armed forces. The message, in a series of dots and dashes, reads: Beat Navy.
When President Carter was presented with the guitar (see photos above and video below) in a socially distanced performance in his garden during the pandemic, he was so pleased with the thoughtfulness that went into the design that he wanted to keep the instrument. But his wife Rosalynn reminded him auctioning the guitar would help raise needed funds for Farm Aid and the Boys and Girls Club, two charities favored by the Carters.
For luthier Jason Kostal, being involved in the President Carter Legacy Collection meant a great deal:
"There are so many things about this project that resonate with me. From using sustainably grown wood from President Carter's farm to build the guitar and create awareness of the wood itself and its potential uses in the future, to creating something on behalf of a man that has dedicated his entire life to serving his community, his nation, and humanity as a whole. Speaking with him allowed me to experience firsthand a kind, compassionate man who still maintains his strength of character and his desire to make the world a better place. I am honored to have been able to create this guitar on behalf of Jimmy Carter, the Naval Officer, Jimmy Carter, the United States President, but most of all, for James Earl Carter, Jr., the man." Jason Kostal.
This extraordinary guitar is one of only three acoustic guitars in The President Carter Legacy Collection. The collection was commissioned to honor the 39th President of the United States' commitment to building a sustainable future. Not only was he the first man to put solar panels on the roof of the White House, he pioneered the farming of a non-invasive variety of Paulownia in the United States. Paulownia is one of the world’s fastest growing hardwoods; a tree that reaches maturity in as little as 10 years and regrows from the stump multiple times without replanting, making it a truly renewable resource. As the stringed instrument industry faces increasing shortages of traditional tonewoods, farmed Paulownia is primed to become a viable alternative tonewood in the future. President Carter remarked when presented with the completed collection:
“It is my hope that these instruments bring happiness to all who both play them and hear them and that they inspire us all to pursue a more sustainable future.” Jimmy Carter.
In this clip, President Carter gets to hear, for the first time, what a renewable resource sounds like. The collection received the Presidential Seal of Approval.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit those two charities very close to President Carter’s heart: Farm Aid, founded by his long-time friend Willie Nelson, which advocates for fair farm policies that promote resiliency, sustainability, equity, and diversity across our food system, and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Unit of the Boys and Girls Club of Albany, an organization that enables young people (especially those who need it most) to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
Base Model: OM
Scale Length: 25"
Top Braces: Sitka Spruce
Back Braces: Mahogany
Back and Sides: Paulownia grown by President Carter
Rosette: Stained Glass
Back Headcap Veneer: Ebony
Fingerboard: Ebony w/ Ebony Binding
Body Joint: 14 Fret
Neck: 1 piece Honduran Mahogany
Nut Width: 1.75"
Strings: John Pearse
Pickguard: None
Fretwire: Medium Tall
End Graft: Decorative
Headcap Veneer: Two-Tone
Binding: Ebony
Cutaway: None
Tapered Body : None
Side Position Markers: White Dots
Backstrip: Decorative
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Gotoh 510 Black/ Ebony
Saddle: Bone
Nut: Bone
Case: Hoffee Custom