Drool Time

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 22 Jul 2000 8:34 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=388715407

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Jul 2000 2:52 pm

This seems to be a fair price for a pre-war seven string Bakelite guitar.
I told the seller at the time he originally wrote to me that I expected he'd get between $600 and $1000 for the guitar based on the photos.
The seven string models are pretty rare in my experience. If it's in good shape and it sounds good, it will earn the big bucks.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 24 Jul 2000 4:54 am

That "measly little" Rick is nothing compared to what a good ol' National can bring:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=389801165 you better get'em now, while you still can, you know...

</img> ... J-D.
[This message was edited by J D Sauser on 24 July 2000 at 05:57 AM.]

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 24 Jul 2000 5:09 am

So what is this guy selling for $15K? A Tri-cone? A New Yorker? A Pig in a poke?

There's no photo or detailed description. This guy needs some marketing advice.[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 24 July 2000 at 06:12 AM.]

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 24 Jul 2000 8:21 am

There's a big difference between asking $15,000 for a National (sight unseen) and actually getting it. It's the same with the guy on eBay who keeps advertising his old Fender pedal steel for $1195. No takers any of the times he's offered it, and I've seen it go through an entire auction at least four times.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 24 Jul 2000 9:21 am

I paid $350 for my 7-string prewar Bakelite with hardshell case two years ago.

Bob Stone · Post by **Bob Stone** » 26 Jul 2000 5:29 am

On the soapbox...

As a new owner of a pre-WWII Bakelite Ric 6, I've got to say these are great guitars. The 7-strings are really rare--Ric made about 10 6-strings for every 7-string--and this one looks to be in exceptional shape. It would be a shame for a guitar like this to wind up in the hands of a collector who won't play it as opposed to one of us who would really appreciate its intrinsic value for making music.

Over the years, I have probably paid premium prices for good instruments more often than I've gotten a "steal." But after I've spent the money none of this really matters. The money is gone and all I have the instrument. It is hard to put a price on the joy that playing a great instrument brings. What's more important, bragging on how cheap you got an instrument (even if it is not exactly what you really wanted!) or getting what you really want and enjoying it?

On the down side, eBay seems to accelerate prices. But on the other hand, itn't it great to find your dream guitar without ever leaving your chair? Ask some of the guys who have spent YEARS searching for a pre-WWII Bakelite Ric 7.

I sincerely hope this steel winds up in the hands of one of us Forumites or some other player who will really enjoy it as a instrument of artistic expression, not just a collectible object.

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 26 Jul 2000 5:42 am

I notice that the BD7 on Ebay has the later 1 1/4" pickups even though its pre-war. Maybe thats why it hasn't hit $1000 yet ?
It does have the string-though though.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 26 Jul 2000 6:40 am

First, let me just say, that when I posted above comments about that $15000.oo National, I did that jokingly. I other words it was never my intentions to bad mouth the B7 Rick currently offered on e-bay. When I make faces like these

</img>, please don't take me or my writings too seriously.

Now, as to that B7:
Based on the information I have, it could have been built between 1940 and 1945.
Reasons:
<ul>[*]White plates were introduced 1940 (war time material shortages?).
[*]The smaller 1.25" horseshoe magnet was introduced 1946, but this guitar still has the larger 1.5" magnets.[/list]
As to pre-war or not pre-war (war-time):
The question would then be; what do you consider as being the year at which the war began?
<ul>[*]Was it When Hitler invaded Poland and the French and British subsequently declared war on Germany
[*]or, here in America, after the US declared war on Japan after it's attack on Pearl Harbor, that we consider the beginning of war time, here in the US?[/list]
This might be relevant in the case that this instrument would be found to have been built in, let's say in "1940", then here in America, it could still be considered a pre-war guitar (?).
I don't think so (but then I'm from Europe)... Because the French and British declaration of war set the starting date for the (2nd) WORLD-war area, world which includes the USA (yeah, that was before y'all went to the moon

), even if it didn't officially participate in that war from it's very beginning.
Thus, the offered guitar, IMHO is not a pre-war model.

Is it still a desirable instrument? I think very much so, but it is not the guitar you see Jerry Byrd holding on his Steel Guitar Favorites album.
Even chrome plating the white plates and placing one control back to the opposite plate (as in 1937), won't make it look like a true pre-war model, because of the white outlined fretmarkers.
Incidentally, these white outlined fretmarkers go simultaneous with a change in the bakelite formula Rickenbacher used. The newer material was better machinable. What it means to the sound, I can't say.

... [email]jaydee@bellsouth.net?subject=B7 Rick on e-bay/SG-Forum/No Peddlers[/email]
[This message was edited by J D Sauser on 26 July 2000 at 07:51 AM.]

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 26 Jul 2000 10:12 am

I live 60 miles from Dayton. If the winner is going to the convention in St. Louis,I would be more than happy to pick up this guitar and deliver it to the person. I am retired and have plenty of time to pick it up. I would hate to hear another UPS horror story. I would gladly do this. NO CHARGE.jvogan@wcoil.com

Steve Honum · Post by **Steve Honum** » 26 Jul 2000 11:17 am

I'm new to the forum, which by the way is about the coolest site on the web (next to Mamie Van Doren's) so I hope I'm responding correctly. Question - The ebay posting links on No Peddlers are great, but when I go to ebay on my own I can't find the steels. What category are they listed in? Electric guitars? Antiques instrments? I may be missing something. Anyway the Rick is very cool. I play 8 string A6 so the 7 String is better than a six. I looked at a 6 bakelite in Voltage Guitars Hollywood but it did not have the white lines on the frets, just the black mold lines (hard to see in the dark). Sweet tone though. I was in Norman's Rare Guitars about a month ago. They had an 8 string bakelite Rick. It had a modified jack with an RCA jack point added (in addition to the 1/4" phone jack). Scratchy pots but played well. They want too much $$. Hare Mae[This message was edited by Steve Honum on 26 July 2000 at 01:04 PM.]

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 26 Jul 2000 11:24 am

Just type in steel guitar and push search. Jim

Eric Stumpf · Post by **Eric Stumpf** » 26 Jul 2000 12:44 pm

Sometimes eBay sellers list their steel guitars as "lap steel" instead of "steel guitar" or "lap steel guitar". Try these search headings as well as "Hawaiian Guitar".

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 27 Jul 2000 5:44 am

I emailed the seller, asking about the p/u width and she says they are 1.25"

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 27 Jul 2000 6:52 am

I wrote the chucklehead with the 15 G "old National" It's a style 1 roundneck tricone. He simply sent me another eBay # and said, "it's just like this one but in better shape with the original case"
He's out of his mind. A style 1 RN in excellent condition may go for upwards of $4-5000 Gs. Trying to sell something on eBay for that much with no pictures and not even a description of the item is just bizzare.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 27 Jul 2000 12:03 pm

MickD, I bet you a bagel with cream cheese, that this guitar has a pick-up with 1.5 inch wide horse shoe magnets

, no kidding this time.
... J-D.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 27 Jul 2000 12:26 pm

I say it's a 1.5" magnet for two reasons: 1) the adjusting screws on the 1.5's are thumbscrews, as in the photo. The 1.25's use Phillips screws; and 2) the 1.25's have a large mounting baseplate with two screws in front of the pickup. The 1.5's, as in the photo, do not have this mounting plate.

This looks like a 1939-40 guitar to me. Nice piece.

------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

mickd · Post by **mickd** » 27 Jul 2000 12:31 pm

Herb/JD
I believe you - she ought to get a new tape measure. That put me off bidding.
What puts me off bidding NOW, is just the price !
Mick

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 27 Jul 2000 1:13 pm

Herb, why '39 to '40?
[email]jaydee@bellsouth.net?subject=Rick B7 on E-bay/SG-Forum/No Peddlers[/email]

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 29 Jul 2000 1:03 pm

$866.oo.