prewar rickenbacker bakelites

[Daniel McKee]

i am just curious if i sold a rickenbacker bakelite what should i ask for it

[Brad Bechtel]

If you're selling it to me, $10.

Without seeing pictures of the instrument in question, it's impossible to guess how much it should be worth.

[Robert Salomone]

I bought a '35 single octagonal knob, 1.5" PU, OHSC in mint condition for a well known player two years ago, off Ebay for $1500.
Matt Umanov has an identical one for $1895., can't tell the conditon from the pic tho.

Of course if you're quick on the draw, and want to get into bidding you can check out Ebay.

[Andy Sandoval]

$10? what a ripoff, sell it to me for $20 and double your profits BTW, I bought a prewar B7 on ebay awhile back and paid about $1400 for it.

[Robert Salomone]

I'll give you $10. for the case!

[Bill Creller]

There's just nothing like a bakelite If it was a seven string, it would be worth even more

[Steve Hamill]

I paid $1600 for a 1937 B7 off this forum last fall. I was damn glad to get it before someone else did. I think it sold within an hour of it being posted.

[Erv Niehaus]

I paid $1,500 for this one a couple of years ago:

[Daniel McKee]

so the seven string rickenbackers are worth more im not to sure why anyone care to fill me in

[Erv Niehaus]

There weren't as many made.

[Daniel McKee]

if you bought strings for a seven string rickenbacker do they make seven string packs or do you buy an 8 string pack and take out one its probalbly a dumb question but i would like to know.

[Ray Montee]

You might find answers to some of your questions on the JerryByrd-FanClub.com/ site.

Good Luck to you!

[Bill Creller]

I buy 8 string sets from juststrings.com They are the SIT sets, available in various tunings, and are the semi-flat type. For under 6 bucks a set, an extra string (the 8th) is no big deal.

[Daniel McKee]

just so you know i havent even bought them yet but now i will try my best to i had no clue they were worth so much i figured about 300 dollars if any are in good condition 7 string in case i will sell for probalbly around 1900 dollars contact if you might be interested if there are cases i would probalbly sell case for 30 dollars no less

[Alan Kirk]

Prices for Rickenbachers have been dropping on eBay. Six months ago, a 1935 would cost you $1800. Today, someone got an early '40s one for $550.

Link to auction on eBay.

[Ray Montee]

A Seller in Hawaii has been posting his Bakelite now for several months. He's offered it at $3,995.00. Each time it closes without bids, he re-lists it for the same price. How 'bout that?

[Derrick Mau]

Alan,

You can't compare prices with a Pre-war and a Post-war Bakelite. The Pre-war ones are worth more, especially if it's a 7 or 10 stringer. Prices vary depending on condition, and whether it has 6, 7, 8, or 10 strings. Jerry Byrd told once me that the pickups on the Pre-war guitars are better than the Post-war ones, and I agree with him.

The 1935 Pre-War must have been in time capsule condition to get $1,800.

The Post-war one that went on E-bay for $550 is only in good condition. Lots of scratches on the chrome parts.
$550.00 was a fair price considering it's condition and year of the guitar.

[Brad Bechtel]

If you search eBay for "rickenbacker lap" or "rickenbacker steel" and check the "Completed Listings" option, you find those auctions which actually sold in the past few weeks. One guitar sold for $1449 USD (a double neck wood body); the other sales were for $550, $300 and $122.50.

Compare that to the existing open auctions at $750, $400, $595, $899 and $947.47 and you see that people are still optimistically asking for too much for their steel guitars.

[Bill Creller]

Optomistic is an understatement for the gent who wants $3995.00

[Doug Freeman]

There's a really nice looking '30s B-7 on gBase that came up on Monday for $1,450. Pretty minty but for one missing tuner button. Ad says it doesn't come with a case, but that's a mistake -- it has the original case and you can see it in one of the pics. Seller won't take Visa or PayPal, though, and that's the only reason it isn't on its way to my front door. (You're welcome!)

[John Drury]

Optomistic is an understatement for the gent who wants $3995.00

Bill,

There are people out there who will pay that for the right axe. I met one when I sold mine.

It was a 1936, one of the first. No rod in the neck, so it had a slight bow in it. Other than that, there wasn't even shop wear on it. I gave the guy a number so high my dog didn't hear it. The dude never batted an eye.

I wouldn't trade my SuperSlide for a dozen of them.

[Bill Creller]

So high your dog didn't hear it? wow!
I saw a steel on ebay last evening for over 7 grand, another wow.

[Alan Kirk]

I just looked at my records. I sold a 1935 B6 for $1600 ten months ago.

[Jon Zimmerman]

Just like old cars, everything depends on CONDITION (mostly) and ORIGINALITY. The B6 mentioned earlier (#330306335035) could not have been made 'pre-war'. It has the narrower horse shoe PU, a different bridge system (outside the body vs thru-holes) (see #120366187428 to compare), and as stated, the tuners are incorrect, the corrosion has taken a toll, etc etc. Not even a case to go with it. Just like on the Antique Road Show, intact and original always trumps the price upward; everything else spins it downward.
These sellers have sketchy knowledge, at best, as to provenance. Probably their PARENTS weren't even born yet, when bakelite steels went out of production!

Let the buyer beware! Get a book about Rick history before seriously shopping/bidding on Ebay. JZ

The one book that will cover all you need is: Richard Smith's 'The History of Rickenbacker Guitars'--look for it.

[Mark Eaton]

Optomistic is an understatement for the gent who wants $3995.00

Bill,

There are people out there who will pay that for the right axe. I met one when I sold mine.

It was a 1936, one of the first. No rod in the neck, so it had a slight bow in it. Other than that, there wasn't even shop wear on it. I gave the guy a number so high my dog didn't hear it. The dude never batted an eye.

I wouldn't trade my SuperSlide for a dozen of them.

Amen, John.

There's no doubting the special vibe and sound of the old Rick's - but I'm just not all that interested in the vintage guitar thing and paying too much money for them.

I'm getting to the end of my turn here on the "extended test drive program" with one of Colin Alder's 8 string Cruz Tone steels, and along with the sound itself, Colin's workmanship and the quality of the machining and so forth - when it comes to the overall package - vintage lap steels can't touchthis thing!

And I think that's the key phrase: the overall package. No doubt about the great sound produced by a pre-war Rick pickup and the hollow body combination, but some of the modern lap steels like the Cruz Tone, or the Super Slide, are no muss no fuss, turn-on-the-ignition and go machines.