rare?
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paologregorio
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Re: rare?
"Rare" is a tired, overused, eye roll-inducing adjective employed by far too many Ebay sellers when placing Rickenbackers up for sale on the site. It is laughable when one considers that FG is one of THE most common Rickenbacker finishes, but remains in use nonetheless, probably due to the fact that some folks consider any Rickenbacker rare relative to the availability of other brands.
Re: rare?
They all seem to be"unplayed". If he isn't a dealer, how is he selling so many unplayed Rics. If you are selling more than 4 of the same thing on ebay you are a dealer, am I not right? Or were they left to im in a will?
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beatlefreak
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Re: rare?
"Unplayed" is the second most tired, overused, eye roll-inducing adjective employed by Ebay sellers to describe Ricks.
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paologregorio
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Re: rare?
+1!seanyfitz wrote:I mean, can't people go collect Hummels or Decoy Ducks so real musicians can afford good instruments, Sheesh
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paologregorio
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Re: rare?
Har! Good point!paologregorio wrote:+1!seanyfitz wrote:I mean, can't people go collect Hummels or Decoy Ducks so real musicians can afford good instruments, Sheesh
Perhaps the true "rare" Ricks are those that actually get played or gigged regularly!
beatlefreak wrote:"Unplayed" is the second most tired, overused, eye roll-inducing adjective employed by Ebay sellers to describe Ricks.
+1!!!-
jingle_jangle
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Re: rare?
I'm not sure which seller you're referring to, Fitz, but if it's "Sports Cards and Guitars", their multiple accounts with several legitimate Rick dealers had been cut off...
FYI, I've heard comments that something like 90% of all Rickenbackers are sold to amateur musicians and collectors. In any case, I maintain that they're still bargains.
FYI, I've heard comments that something like 90% of all Rickenbackers are sold to amateur musicians and collectors. In any case, I maintain that they're still bargains.
Re: rare?
It wasn't meant to offend anyone, it was really just an off handed comment, but I think it's true. My own personal study indicates otherwise, These 90% must live and tour everywhere but Detroit, Rock City. Might be different in Austin or Cali. But I rarely, ooops, see Rics played out and I go see national, touring, and local small time bands almost every other night of my life. I have run sound for years as well. I know only two other people that use them on stage, and not cause people don't want to. I walked into GC with my 360 the other day and you'd have thought I unearthed a walking, talking, King Tut from the reaction. Most musicians I play with and who play at the bars I go to are in their late teens and twenties, early thirties. Economically certain instruments are out of their reach. Rics are dearly loved, of course. But if I hadn't bought mine in the 80's early 90's I would never be able to afford them now. I know these kids can't now. That said I did see a couple fg 360's on stage in Ferndale at the Woodward Dream Cruise. One was a V64 played by a Beatle band, with you guessed it,oven knobs. I love me some oven knobs! I think I'll use that as a pic up line. "Hey baby, do you like ...oven knobs".If she says yes I'll know I have found the Ric girl of my dreams.
My point is that to a large extent the collecting of guitars as an object, rather than a tool of a craft, by deep pocketed collectors or mega music chains, has driven USA made, name brand instruments out of the reach of many players. And the desire for a good instrument of a certain type isn't just personal preference, but is important to asound, style and artistic process. In 1989 I paid 225 for a 72 SG. In 92 I paid around 4oo for a 75 3bolt strat. the last 75 3 bolt I saw was 1300 bucks in about 1998, in the vintage room at GC. It was probably mine that I sold at a guitar show for under what I paid a few years later cause I needed money for a security deposit on a flat. Rics are certainly a cut above these slabs of wood. I shoulda bought that 59 330 7 years back for 1900 bucks. Oh to stand on a stage with that thing! Anyway the guy, Larry, with the machine shop crunched hand that sold me my 12 string two weeks ago, said it was his dream guitar, he knew he could get more on Ebay, but hated the hassle and was like, please play it on stage! Good man!
My point is that to a large extent the collecting of guitars as an object, rather than a tool of a craft, by deep pocketed collectors or mega music chains, has driven USA made, name brand instruments out of the reach of many players. And the desire for a good instrument of a certain type isn't just personal preference, but is important to asound, style and artistic process. In 1989 I paid 225 for a 72 SG. In 92 I paid around 4oo for a 75 3bolt strat. the last 75 3 bolt I saw was 1300 bucks in about 1998, in the vintage room at GC. It was probably mine that I sold at a guitar show for under what I paid a few years later cause I needed money for a security deposit on a flat. Rics are certainly a cut above these slabs of wood. I shoulda bought that 59 330 7 years back for 1900 bucks. Oh to stand on a stage with that thing! Anyway the guy, Larry, with the machine shop crunched hand that sold me my 12 string two weeks ago, said it was his dream guitar, he knew he could get more on Ebay, but hated the hassle and was like, please play it on stage! Good man!
Re: rare?
I think one seller was Olivia's and there was another fellow, who said he wasn't a dealer who had like 3 unplayed of em up.
"Perhaps the true "rare" Ricks are those that actually get played or gigged regularly!"
Excellent quote, Paul G!!!!!!
"Perhaps the true "rare" Ricks are those that actually get played or gigged regularly!"
Excellent quote, Paul G!!!!!!
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jingle_jangle
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Re: rare?
...or a baker who pays too much attention to her ovens...seanyfitz wrote: I love me some oven knobs! I think I'll use that as a pic up line. "Hey baby, do you like ...oven knobs".If she says yes I'll know I have found the Ric girl of my dreams.
No offense taken on this, Fitz, and your observations are just that--your observations. It's always collectors who drive market prices on vintage things, upwards. But even vintage Ricks are a stone bargain compared to vintage Fenders and Gibsons.
In any event, it's the nature of the business and economy, and I still maintain that anyone who wants a Rick of his/her dreams, will find a way to get that dream guitar or bass. Several Ricks in my collection have cost me less than $700.00 in perfectly playable collection: An ES-16 at $375.00, a 430 for $525.00, a 320 at $675.00, and a 4001 for $450.00. (My exact recollection is a bit fuzzy on a couple of these, but the range is correct within a few $$$). These were all in the last three years, and although it would be tougher now, bargains are still to be found.
Re: rare?
Those are reasonable deals, ones I would love to see, but they don't exist much around here. Hence the 1966 360 boat oar I saw for $2500 the other day at a shop on Woodward. That guitar is worth 450 tops! That's the norm these days. I guess I don't quite buy into the lazifare, if they want it bad enough, way of looking at things. Like I said, were I looking for my 360 JG today instead of in 90, there is no way I could have afforded it. And I know that peoples creative directions are strongly influenced and limited by there tools. How many great musicians have you heard on a bad instrument and then on a good one and noticed the difference. Did John Lennon buy his first Rickenbacker because it was the guitar of his dreams, or because it was good quality, affordable and there. How lucky we are he chose a Ric, not a Fender. Listen to a lot of todays mainstream rock and much of it sounds as if it was made on Epiphone and cheap Fender knock offs of the real things. Lifeless. To make good art, one has to have good tools. I am not saying that good guitars shouldn't be priced like it, but the state of this stuff is reaching the point of being out of hand and wouldn't it be nice if next generation of creative geniuses could afford to be influenced by a Ric, and not a squire. I won't even go into what effect this has on smaller stores. But you are right, that's the cycle of the capitalism that allows for the original creation of good guitars in the first place. Things become more valuable. Then something comes along to take it's place. Imagine no possessions, as long as i can keep my Rics! I promise I'll share....
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jingle_jangle
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Re: rare?
Har!seanyfitz wrote: Imagine no possessions, as long as i can keep my Rics!
Re: rare?
Don't forget the term "vintage" being passed around like the dock hooker on dollar day on ebay. I love those 2004 "Rare, Vintage" and even "custom shop" models. Isn't the standard for vintage 25 years or older? It's really amazing what some of these people advertise in their descriptions of things on ebay, and other places I assume.
I'd suspect you will see a lot more bands using Ricks as their backlog gets caught up. A large problem has been the availability of them to the customer who would like to walk in to music store and see many to choose from, rather than wait a year or so to get an instrument they have never tried, but like the looks of and the sounds of the Artists they have seen use them. This doesn't really affect the many people who already own and know about them, as they are familiar with the sound and quality. Many forumites here and at the RIC forum have instruments they have been waiting a long time for.
When shopping for my 330 a few years ago, I called a place that is supposed to be very reputable, and was told in a snotty way by the person in sales that it would be a year and a half before they would have one and made some derogitory statements about Ric. This I'm sure would have discouraged the average person that was unfamiliar with the instruments, but having owned a few in the last 25 years, I knew what I wanted and was going to track one down. A week later I located one and have been happy with it ever since(big surprise).
I'd suspect you will see a lot more bands using Ricks as their backlog gets caught up. A large problem has been the availability of them to the customer who would like to walk in to music store and see many to choose from, rather than wait a year or so to get an instrument they have never tried, but like the looks of and the sounds of the Artists they have seen use them. This doesn't really affect the many people who already own and know about them, as they are familiar with the sound and quality. Many forumites here and at the RIC forum have instruments they have been waiting a long time for.
When shopping for my 330 a few years ago, I called a place that is supposed to be very reputable, and was told in a snotty way by the person in sales that it would be a year and a half before they would have one and made some derogitory statements about Ric. This I'm sure would have discouraged the average person that was unfamiliar with the instruments, but having owned a few in the last 25 years, I knew what I wanted and was going to track one down. A week later I located one and have been happy with it ever since(big surprise).