5 string on ebay

[Ric4003/5]

Theres a Ric 5 string on ebay.seems a bit high on the price...
I do have a ??? I see they made these for sometime.Why do people say there rare.They had production for more than a decade.When I bought mine it was order only.so in my opion if they where order only and cut from production they must not be a popular style (4003s5).I do see that they offer a 5 in a 4004 model.Whats the public opion on this.

[jdogric12]

Welcome DeWayne. 5 strings are very rare, compared to 4 strings. Keep in mind RIC makes stuff by hand in a small factory in California, not a monster facillity in China, so while some items like the 4003S/5 may have been regular production items for a long period of time, actual production totals can still be rather small, and are unknown, as they are private company knowledge. So often times, pieces like that will fetch high dollars. But if you're thinking of the same one I am, I think it is a little steep. But you never know, so it's worth a shot from the seller's perspective.

And the 4004/5's are "on hiatus" indefinitely, I believe.

[rickfan60]

Right, they are pretty rare and no more are being made - at least for now.

[Ric4003/5]

Thanks guys.I never thought about it that way being a small USA company with little output and handcrafted materials but the same time offered it for over a decade.And being so when you go to a music store like I did today and did not see one Ric hanging up..Just to back up my ??? when I bought mine I just went to a Ric Dealer and ordered mine over the phone just because I knew what I was looking for not knowing there was not mass production of these instruments.
thanks DeWayne