Guitars in your Will.

[open strings]

I'm doing my Will now, and want to do the most loving thing for my family with regards to my guitars and gear. Two of my three children are avid guitar players. I don't really want to assign certain guitars to certain kids, but I don't want to leave them with difficult decisions to make after my passing. Not sure whether to provide guidance or to leave it up to my survivors. I imagine there are good ways to approach this. I'd be interested in how you may have handled it. Thanks in advance.

[RedJoker]

I wouldn't worry, I'll be dead so I won't have to deal with it.

[llew]

I don't have any children so my story is a little different. I have left my guitars to a nephew who plays/builds, a good friend who I play with every week at church, and another friend and guitar tech who always works on my guitars and will never charge me a dime. I am specific about which guitars go to which guy.

Maybe you could ask your two children who do play if they have any preferences? Prior to my Dad's passing we had these type of discussions...they were never easy but proved very helpful after his death. All the best!

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I wouldn't worry, I'll be dead so I won't have to deal with it.

For your survivors sake (totally unrelated to guitars) I hope that was meant to be a joke.

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by open strings

... I don't really want to assign certain guitars to certain kids, but I don't want to leave them with difficult decisions to make after my passing. ...

I specifically bequeathed my various instruments to the individuals I felt would most appreciate them. Some relatives, one friend.

It is my intent, recently decided, to make a slight change - in the event the beneficiaries predecease me, then I'd like to donate the instruments to the local non-profit music society for their use as they choose.

good luck with your choices.

yours in tune,
amyfb

[HHP]

My will specifies that all relatives wishing to participate will enter a pit and fight it out, winner take all.

[cotten]

I have just one "child," and he uses a guitar to help earn a living. So for me it's a no-brainer. If I had more children, I would talk with them about it, preferably when we're all together, and then go ahead and assign my guitars to them, specifically. Of course, they would be free to swap guitars later if they liked, but I would want to alleviate the question of who is to get what, as much as I could. The reason is that I've seen families go through unnecessary struggles when the deceased left such things to chance.

cotten

[Kerbie]

I think that's a very valid question for lots of people. My experience has been that it helps to have these conversations ahead of time, much like Jim expressed. Leaving it completely for the heirs can frequently lead to disagreements that could have been avoided. Those discussions will give you an idea of what they want or don't want. I'd take care of as much of it as possible in advance.

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

For your survivors sake (totally unrelated to guitars) I hope that was meant to be a joke.

Half-joke. No children, no nieces or nephews. Other than my soon to be wife, I couldn't care less how the more distant relatives fight it out.

[ewalling]

This scenario sounds as if it has the makings of a good black comedy!

[devellis]

If the guitars have roughly equal value, that simplifies things and a discussion now can establish preferences. If, say, one is worth considerably more than the next, then it might be good to even things out by having something else comparable to the difference in value go along with the less expensive one. What you don't want is one kid getting what the others perceive as the best deal.

When my mother died a few of years ago (my father died way before her), my brother, sister, and I had no disputes about who would get what. If anything, we all wanted to be sure that if someone else really wanted something, they got it. None of us feel that we got less than we should have and mainly wanted things that belonged to our mother as a remembrance more than for its objective value. Every family situation is different, of course, but I suspect there's a petty good chance that your kids will be happy with what ever you leave to them.

[Kip Carter]

If you have (multiple) children the potential for conflict to arise out of individual significance placed on items makes it fairly important to settle this to some degree and with your guitars I think that would be even more so that other items you may have i your estate.

Your wishes expressed in your will will provide important guidance, comfort and even avoid potential bitterness between siblings by putting it out there.

I would think about it consider what you might want to do based off of what you know right now. Then I would bring my kids together and explain that I was working on my will and this was what you'd considered and ask them for their feelings regarding that arrangement.

I would do so to perhaps learn something that I hadn't taken into account and provide them a focal point that they all would have to acknowledge down the road of your consideration in your will. I'd do this for anything that may be a point of contention between my children.

I've considered even the liquidation of certain assets that may not be able to be divided up without causing conflict.

Not an easy issue to deal and not cause some future conflict.

[Jim Owen]

Having worked for a legal firm for a few years, I think you are wise and thoughtful to have the conversations now.

This is very touchy, in that sometimes a thoughtful and loving gift may prove a burden to the one to whom it is left. If, for example, I left a guitar with a wide fretboard to a relative with small hands, she would be left with a good guitar thait she might not enjoy playing. I could only do so if in advance we had talked and I was sure that she would feel that my wishes would be served if she traded it for another.

Guitars are extremely personal. I've specified a couple to folks I know will use them. The rest are to be placed on consignment.

[ukejon]

Originally Posted by HHP

My will specifies that all relatives wishing to participate will enter a pit and fight it out, winner take all.

Would you consider adopting me so I could be a part of the guitar brawl?

[MBE]

If both of them are guitar players, why not just ask them which guitars they like? Might be able to make everyone happy if they have different preferences, and if there's overlap, just split those ones up between them.