Songbirds museum getting ready to fly

Johnny Smith had the nervous energy of an expectant father last week watching the new Songbirds sign going up on top of the space the guitar museum will occupy at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Full disclosure: The sign, a 47-foot wide and 13-foot-tall neon number, was fabricated by Ortwein Signs, which is owned by my sister and brother- in- law. The sign is cool and will definitely get people’s attention, but the excitement last Tuesday was also about what it represents.

It means we are that much closer to getting one of the coolest things to come to town in a long time.

I’ve been telling people about this museum for almost a year, so I understand when Smith says, “People don’t get it yet, just what this will be. There is no place like it in the world.”

The collection has more than 1 , 700 guitars valued at more than $ 200 million. Some are from a private collection, and some are on loan. Some are valuable because of who owned them or because of their place in history. Sometimes those two things merge.

One of the guitars is a 1954 Stratocaster owned by Wanda Jackson, for example. Jackson is a pioneer in rockabilly, but she had the guitar customized in “shell pink,” making it one of the rarest collectibles out there. The collection is more about the history of the guitar, particularly the electric guitar and its place in history, than it is any particular guitar.

About 300 guitars will be on display at one time, Barry Courter and they might be grouped by color options, chronological order of release, body types or any number of factors, meaning it could have a fresh slant each time you visit. Chief operating officer and curator David Davidson, the man who has been building the collection for decades, says, “We have the group for the opening, but I’m already thinking about the next three or four displays.”

Smith promises the experience for visitors will be “very interactive and loud. It won’t be like any museum you’ve been to.”

Originally targeted to open last month, it looks like January will be the opening date. The museum space occupies the entire floor above part of The Comedy Catch and Revelry Room. I got a tour after watching the sign go up, and it’s going to be nice.

One of the coolest things is the addition of a balcony overlooking Station Street. Smith says he added it both as a way to get VIPs in and out of the place, but also as a great place to watch some of the future outdoor concerts that will take place on the street.