YouTube musician extraordinaire Jared Dines' has finally sold his magnificent 18-string Ormsby guitar after a buyer came forward to offer $20,000. It follows a failed eBay auction where the winner withdrew their $16,000 bid after claiming they were 'drunk'.
Proceeds will benefit a charity to buy instruments for underprivileged children in the holiday season and beyond, but Dines has now started a sweepstake to raise even more money for the cause with fellow YouTuber Steve Terreberry's [aka Stevie T] custom 20-string guitarup for grabs.
The sweepstake has already utilised the positive power of the YouTube music community to raise $16,000 in a couple of hours. And Jared checked in on his YouTube channel to update people on the story so far following the failed eBay auction…
"Just out of the blue, Philip [Kaplan] from [music distribution service] DistroKid, who I have a very personal relationship with - I've known the man for years and we worked together on many, many videos and many projects and he's always been so so helpful to me and my channel.
"He came and… I'm sorry, I'm getting a little emotional... but he texted me and he said, 'I'll buy the guitar.' He just came to me and he said, 'I'll take it.'
"And... he paid $20,000, for the 18-string guitar... So yeah, we did it, we did it! It's going, it's moving forward, we're gonna do it, it's happening it because of amazing people in this amazing community.
Dines went on to explain how others had come forward to donate goods, including Ernie Ball. And people have donated money too; "I was hit up by people I don't even know," adds Dines. "Comedians who want to donate thousands of dollars to the cause and it's just... it's so much better than it could have ever been."
Now Dines has now begun the crowdfunding sweepstake with 15 prizes up for grabs with all proceeds going to the charity cause.
The prizes include starter condenser mic kits from Rode, a six-string guitar and DigiTech Whammy from Dines himself, tremolo expression pedal and 'massive' prize packs from Ernie Ball, $500 in cash and the motherload prize… YouTuber Steve Terreberry's custom 20-string guitar.
Dines is understandably moved by this hugely positive turn of events… "The community, you guys, everyone came together and it's so cool," he added, "It is so cool and this is just what... this just reminds me of why I do what I do - when this kind of stuff happens."
You can check out the sweepstake here.
