Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I see there are two 37012/RMs on Ebay, a Mapleglo which looks to have has all 5 knobs the same and therefore doesn't look to have the compressor option, and a Fireglo which is advertised as having the compression circuit. Do the knobs on the Fireglo look all the same size to anyone else ? Maybe my eyesight or monitor are not that good but they look all to be the same size to me. I thought on guitars with compression circuitry the fifth knob was smaller. However if they are the same size I guess they could have been changed at some time or maybe this one was made that way.

Mapleglo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3756844334&rd=1

Fireglo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3756769289&rd=1

That fireglo's really pretty, and the BIN on the other seems reasonable, being that they have gone for much higher. Or does the less than mint condition make the BIN about right?

Oops ! I seem to have got that wrong. Its the ones without the compressor circuitry that have the smaller 5th knob.

That does seem like a very reasonable bin for a Mapleglo option McGuinn.

I agree that the BIN price of $3259 for the MG is reasonable, considering it lacks its certificate.

I do have a slight problem with the seller of the FG. The seller states:

A warning to snipers, BEWARE! If this guitar doesn't get bids, up to an amount that is at least what I have into it by the last day, I will cancel all bids and end the auction early. If you really want this guitar, don't wait until the last minute. There may not be one!

I do not adhere to this philosophy. If there is a minimum acceptable price the seller is willing to take, then that should be the starting bid price, not the $370.12 that the seller started it with. Nearly all major bidding occurs in the last few hours of an auction. My last auction that ended Wednesday got 15 bids, 14 of which were made the last day!

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=3754967710

So I maintain that the seller is doing himself/herself and potential bidders a disservice by running it that way. But, that's just my opinion, and the seller (would-be-seller) has the right to run the auction as he/she sees fit.

When I put something on eBay, it's because I really want to sell it!

I personally would not buy it without the certificate... That's part of what makes the Signature Series what it is - "The Signature Series"... I just bought a 230F Glenn Frey Limited Edition WITH CERTIFICATE... I mean let's face it... Mickey Mantle is still signing baseballs and how many years has he been dead... How hard can it be to make a pick guard especially for the money we're talking... I don't know you could argue they can make the certificate too but the certicate and the pick guard... Hmmmm... I'll stick to buying what makes ME feel comfortable... I would hate to spend that much money and have doubt! Seems to me that anyone that would invest in a limited series guitar would do so for the investment and would know the value of the certificate...

Have to agree...the certificate is almost as important as the guitar, not to take anything away from a McGuinn.

The active circuitry, (which these guitars seem to have), is in my opinion what really sets these guitars apart and makes them worth the extra money, not the certificate, although it does have some importance in determining the price. The same thing applies to the 381JK, (again my opinion).

Well... someone just paid $3250.00 for it without the certificate... That's a lot of money for an incomplete product... Hopefully he got one with the active circuitry and not one of the 370RM's without it!

If it had the certificate it would probably be another 1000 - 1500 dollars more. If he wants it to play and not for an investment then that is a lot of money to pay for a "piece of paper". As far as I am concerned I have other areas to put my investment dollars rather than guitars. If I do happen to buy a guitar then yes it is nice if when I sell it I make a profit, but that is not the primary reason for buying it. The 381JKs I have, I bought because I liked the guitar, I did happen to get the certificate with both, but one of them I would have bought even if it did not have the certificate for the price I paid for it. If as it seems to be in your case the "certificate" is that important, then yes you should make sure it is there when you buy. I guess we all have different things that are important to us, to some people the certificate is not a deal breaking item. Some people buy guitars with serious structural problems, missing major parts, or that have had neck repairs, I wouldn't but that doesn't mean those that do are wrong to do so. As to the buyer of this guitar I don't know what checking he did.

Technically, the designation is "Limited Edition Series Guitars And Basses" according to the Rickenbacker website.

I do like the disticntion of the signature series as opposed to the other limited editions that have certificates but don't have signature pickguards (Blackstar, Redneck, Tuxedo, etc.).

To me, the certificate is part of the originality of the instrument, and if it isn't included, then the price should be lower. And by now we should know that each buyer has his/her own opinion on how much originality counts!

Does any know if RIC can authenticate a signiture instrument by the serial number? It would be nice if they had a different numbering system to set them apart.

Ken, I think they can tell from the serial number what model it was, e.g 370/12RM vs. a 'regular' 370/12. I did this on my Blackstar to confirm its originality. One datum they they can't tell you is its number in the series (e.g. 150 of 1000).

Thanks