Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yeah, that's some *serious* coin, unfortunately - and with shipping, insurance, customs, etc. it just gets worse. :-\ I admit to not knowing the value of the '50's EB-1's, but...forgetting completely about the idea that something's worth what someone's willing to pay, am I wrong in thinking that's just *way* overpriced, no matter how nice it is? Thanks to Dave's numbers, I know they're in limited supply as compared to '50's & '60's Fenders, but those minty P's & J's seem to go for less money, and they're a whole lot more in demand.

I have nothing more to add as far as what to look for, but personally I'm not into paying high dollar for old instruments, regardless of brand. I'm not a collector, and i guess you'd have to be in order to evaluate what this is really worth compared to other brands, supply, etc.

Dave - hopefully I didn't come across as trying to force you into hard and fast answers, and I appreciate the info you've already provided. I can't say that I'm a collector either, really, as I only try to acquire stuff that I'm interested in, and would actually play. As a matter of fact, I kinda wish the stuff I liked *wasn't* worth the big bucks - it would make it a heck of a lot easier.

Then there's the old scenario of "if only I would've jumped on one 5 years ago..."

No, you didn't come across that way at all. It's just that the factors that drive the vintage market are a mystery to me, especially since I'm old enough to remember how certain guitars that are valuable today were held in low regard or ridiculed in their own time.

Is that true of the EB-1's Dave?

Bob, no, I was referring to things like the early Telecasters being ridiculed by other companies, the big market flops like the Flying V or the Fender bass VI, economy line guitars like the LP Junior, or the fact that the original LP was discontinued after 1960 because of steeply declining sales. Yet look at their values now, even though none of them were valued much in their day.

I have a 1969 EB-1 reissue and it is far better than an original 50's EB-1, which I have also owned prior. The turners on the 50's are banjo-style and impossible to stay in tune. Also the humbucker pickup is far more effective than the Alnico brown pickup of the 50's.

Chris - Go for a reissue.

Chigago Music Exchange, who is selling the current 1953, has a very high price on it as he pays high for everything.

Thank you for the first hand advice, Mike. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes just having a year (such as 1953) on an instrument makes us do silly things - there's that perception of 'instant vibe', I guess.

You bet! My EB-1 was a 1952, the year I was born, but thats not what Felix Pappalardi played in Mountain, the guy who influenced me. So I bought it, not knowing he actually played a 1969 reissue -- a far better bass! And cheaper...

I've also heard the reissues sounded better there are a lot of threads on this bass and other Gibsons in the Dudepit, I thought Felix played an original one?

He originally had one but it was stolen. I believe he played it on Leslie West's first album.



You can tell by the tuners and also no f-hole in this pic that it's the reissue at this point.

Well, the '58 didn't hit reserve at a high bid of $1875 U.S. - I didn't even bother getting in the game this time around. Figured I'd reign in my impulsiveness for a change.

These basses, with no issues, have been selling at the $4000-5000+ range. With a completely changed pickup, this number was right to sell. He must be into it high.

[With a completely changed pickup, this number was right to sell.]

Not to mention the missing rear cavity cover, and, as I found out by e-mailing, non-original HSC, as well as missing extention peg. Who knows though, maybe it'll be relisted.

I saw Mountain twice during the early 70's and that's exactly the set up he had, all Sunn 2000S heads and cabs, probably three heads and six cabs. Felix also played bass on one song on Goodbye Cream, (What a Bringdown) was that an original EB-1? It sounded good whatever it was.