Old Cain's Dance Floor Yields Custom Guitar

If you go to a concert at the Cain's Ballroom these days, you're tapping your toes on a brand-new dance floor.      

But, what happened to the old floor?  
    
"What we're using here is stuff that is 80 years in an environment, so, it's well-weathered, well-seasoned, so structurally, it's going to be very stable. After it's been around this long, you can't lose, this stuff is gonna be fantastic," said Dog Tired Guitars Owner and Operator Roger Cowan. 

Cowan owns and operates Dog Tired Guitars out of his home in Stillwater. He's putting the finishing touches on four guitars made out of some very special wood, vintage planks salvaged from the old Cain's ballroom dance floor.

"The vast majority of it is Hard Rock maple," Cowan said. 

Did you hear that? Is that perfect? Hard Rock maple. The floor was made out of Hard Rock maple. For 80 years it absorbed some of the greatest rock n' roll and country and western music that's ever been made.

From Leon to the Kings of Leon, Elvis Costello, Bob Wills, of course, and so many others.

"The guitar is amazing. It's an amazing, functional playing piece of gear," said General Manager of Tulsa Band and Guitars Trey Johnson. 

It could be yours! Johnson is going to raffle it off.

"The money from the raffle is going to go directly to putting instruments in the hands of kids in Tulsa, Tulsa Public Schools District. We want to create as many opportunities as possible, so, we might find the next Miles Davis," said Johnson. 

"If somebody's inspired by the history of this guitar and this wood, then that's going to inspire them to play in a certain way I think. There's no denying the effect of mojo right and that's because it inspires you in a certain way," said Cowan. 

The big question is how much the guitar could be worth. 

"I mean, it's priceless, there are four of these things made, ever," Johnson said. 

And because of that, Johnson is setting his fundraising goal as high the Bob Wills banner.

"My initial goal for the project, just from donations, was six figures. It's about the community supporting the community, so that's my goal and hopefully we shatter that,” said Johnson. 

If they do raise that much, a lot of Tulsa Public school kids may discover a talent they didn't even know they had.  

Raffle tickets cost just $10 and you can buy as many as you like.  

You can find tickets here.