"We did it!": Jared Dines finally sells his 18-string Ormsby, raises $20,000 for charity

Last week we reported on Jared Dines’ aborted attempt to auction off his 18-string Ormsby electric guitar on eBay, which failed after the winning bidder and, amazingly, the runner-up, both claimed to have been drunk when posting their bids.

Dines planned to use the funds to purchase instruments for children whose families were unable to afford them on their own, and promised that, "We’ll still make it happen regardless. I'm still gonna get kids instruments. If I have to pull out of my goddamn pocket, I will."

As it turns out, Dines won’t have to reach into his own pocket. As he reports in a new video, the Ormsby finally has a real purchaser: Philip Kaplan, owner of digital music distribution service DistroKid.

As Dines explains, "I've known the man for years and we worked together on many, many videos and many projects.

"He texted me and he said, 'I'll buy the guitar.'"

(Image credit: courtesy of Jared Dines)

Kaplan’s purchase price? Twenty grand - significantly higher than Drunk eBay Man’s original winning bid of $16,400.

Kaplan isn’t the only person to have stepped up. According to Dines, companies including Ernie Ball and Rode Microphones contacted him to donate to the cause, and so Dines has put together a sweepstakes with 15 prizes, “and all the money that goes into the sweepstakes - every dollar donated - is going towards kids,” he says.

At present, the sweepstakes includes five Rode condenser microphone kits, as well as five yet-to-be-revealed bundles from Ernie Ball that will consist of strings, picks, straps and other accessories.

Other prizes include Dines’ own Ernie Ball Expression Tremolo pedal, a Whammy pedal, $500 cash and one of Dines’ electric guitars at a cut-rate price.

And the grand prize? Fellow YouTuber Stevie T's 20-string guitar.

Entry in the sweepstakes is free, but Dines is taking donations via a GoFundMe page as well, with all of the money going toward his original plan of purchasing instruments for kids. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.