Six-string sale: Late Rusty Baker's guitar collection going to auction

If there were two passions for Claude Ruston Baker other than his love for his family, it was music and painting. Baker was well known for his easygoing nature and his incredible talent as an artist and a musician.

The man most people knew simply as “Rusty” passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the age of 64.

Baker’s legacy will live on with the upcoming Claude Ruston Baker guitar collection auction hosted by Kaufman Realty & Auction. It will be both live and online. Bidding will begin Tuesday, May 7 at 5 p.m.

“Dad had a story for each of his guitars, and he loved sharing stories with anyone and everyone,” his daughter Rebbie Baker-Hill said, noting her dad would host many people in his Legends of Music Barn near Killbuck for an evening of music and fellowship. “There’s a lot of stories out there in the community and beyond that we don’t even know about. Our hope is that this auction will help continue his legacy by getting those guitars out to people who will love and cherish them as much as he did.”

Even the day of the auction holds special meaning because it falls one day before Baker’s birthday.

Baker left his fingerprints all over the world, from his Killbuck community in Holmes County in places like Historic Downtown Millersburg and West Holmes High School to throughout Ohio, across the nation and even into Europe, where he shared not only his gift to paint, but also his zeal for life with people.

Baker-Hill said whether someone knew her dad for a short time or a lifetime, this collection will hold special meaning to them, and because of that, she said he would have wanted to pass along these cherished items to those who appreciate music and art.

“This collection will be very valuable for both serious collectors and especially to those who know him and loved him and knew how passionate he was about his collection,” Baker-Hill said. “It’s a really exciting collection.”

The live auction will take place in the William T. Baker Building at the Holmes County Harvest Ridge Fairgrounds, 8880 state Route 39, west of Millersburg.

The array of collectible instruments includes more than 100 lots of cataloged guitars, banjos, fiddles and drums including top brands such as Fender, Gibson, Hummingbird, McKinley, Kingston, Silvertone, Epiphone and Charlie Daniel. In addition, there are signed pieces.

Along with the instrument collection, there will be plenty of Baker’s paintings and other memorabilia.

“Dad’s passion in life was music, art and entertaining,” Baker-Hill said. “One of the many ways he touched lives was through sharing his music collection in his Legends of Music Barn with people from all over the world. With that in mind, a portion of his collection will be sold so others can have an opportunity to enjoy music and carry on his memory and life passion.”

Baker began his collection back in the early 1980s and amassed a large number of rare collectibles from all over the world.

“This collection is probably more special than any of us realize because there are so many custom-made instruments,” Baker-Hill said, noting her dad painted on many of the guitars, whether it was to personalize them or paint someone famous on them. “Dad had this huge personality. He was fascinating, charismatic, a free spirit who loved to tell stories.”

While there will be more than 100 guitars, banjos and violins in the auction, the family did keep some of their favorites, not because of the monetary value, but because of the sentimental value.

Baker-Hill said she kept an eight-string guitar with a picture of her and her two siblings painted on it by her dad, along with a guitarlin that is a custom-made six-string instrument with her dad’s name and birthday painted on it.

Her sister Molly kept an artsy acoustic Hummingbird guitar, perhaps one of Baker’s most prized possessions, and her brother Andy kept a few Les Paul electric guitars and a guitar with Andy’s name painted on it.

Baker-Hill said there is one guitar missing from the auction, a custom-made Martin acoustic guitar that was especially prized by Baker himself.

“It’s a beautiful guitar that was Dad’s favorite, but we can’t find it anywhere,” Baker-Hill said.

The collection is rare and unique, and the expectation is this auction will bring in bidders from near and far.

According to Kaufman Auction auctioneer Derrick Kandel, “This will definitely be an interesting auction from start to finish.”

For a complete catalog and pictures, visit www.kaufman-auctions.com.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the correction of the last name of Rebbie Baker-Hill. AloNovus Corp. regrets the error.