The $2000 lap steel on eBay

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 28 Oct 1999 9:31 am

Now I know the prewar Rickenbacher B6 is highly sought after, but THIS is ridiculous!
The sad thing about this is that others will think that they can get $2000 for their lap steels, too!

In fairness, from the photos it appears as if this is not really a lap steel, but the far rarer Spanish style guitar. Still the price seems pretty high.

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

Steve England · Post by **Steve England** » 28 Oct 1999 10:40 am

And the auction doesn't end till monday, the price could get very silly by then. Who the heck is paying these silly prices anyway?

People with a whole lot more money than sense I guess.

The Forumite Formerly Known as Steve E

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 28 Oct 1999 11:24 am

It's not just pre-war lap steels,
it all lap steels.

This past weekend I was talking to a
friend of mine who works at Elderly
Instruments in Lansing, MI. We were
discussing the escalation of steel guitar
prices. His opinion, and I tend to
agree with him, was that in the vintage
guitar world, steel guitars are one
of the last instruments you can buy
with a 'Gibson', 'Fender' or 'Rickenbacker' logo for
less than $1000. He's talked to these buyers and the vast majority of them
do not play steel nor do they plan to
learn. They are seeing these instruments
as down payments on their ocean-front
condos when they retire. [This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 10-28-99][This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 10-28-99]

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Oct 1999 1:01 pm

I've heard of "shill bidding" on ebay. Could this be happening here?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Oct 1999 4:06 pm

Brad,
What do you mean it's the "Spanish style" guitar?

btw, it comes with an original amp, so it should be worth a bit more than just the steel alone, but this is outtasight.
50 bids from just about 8 bidders is wierd!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Oct 1999 6:35 pm

Brad,

I've been watching ebay lap steels closely all week, as I am selling my National Triplex there. I've been dumbfounded by the crazy bidding on the Rickenbacher. I tend to agree with Gerald... most of the buyers of rare instruments today are investors, not necessarily musicians.

Lap steel has always been an affordable "entry level" instrument for someone who wants to learn to play, but can't afford a pedal steel, or someone who wants to just try the steel without taking the big financial plunge. I hope it stays that way. (After the bidders bid mine up through the roof, of course!)

dougb

www.dougbsteel.com

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 28 Oct 1999 8:34 pm

Although you don't see many of these guitars, the Rickenbacker in question (upon further examination) is almost certainly a standard Spanish-style guitar. This means it's a far rarer guitar than the price would indicate. The seller has described the guitar as a Spanish lap steel, but what it really is is a regular guitar - one of the very first electric guitars.
This price might not be too far out of line, given that it is this particular instrument. If, however, it is just a lap steel and not a regular guitar, then $2000 is way overpriced.

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

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 28 Oct 1999 8:38 pm

There are good deals on the lesser name instruments for entry level or anyone who wants a less expensive steel.I bought a Guya Tone double 8 with two pickups on one neck and one on the other for a little over $200.00.[This message was edited by HowardR on 10-28-99][This message was edited by HowardR on 10-28-99]

g montgomery · Post by **g montgomery** » 29 Oct 1999 1:00 am

I've got a six foot long piece of baling wire nailed to the side of my barn, with a steel coffee can under it so I can tune the thing - cost $NADA.

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 29 Oct 1999 7:23 am

Yes, but is it a vintage coffee can?

g montgomery · Post by **g montgomery** » 29 Oct 1999 8:14 am

The can is vintage. I found it alongside the road. One question about the Rick - if it is a regular guitar, rather than lap, and assuming it has been played over the 60+ years, what do you do about fret wear, since the original frets are molded bakelite? And I don't see anything about an amp in the offering. (Brad, I am beginning to think you are an alarmist)

bill johnson · Post by **bill johnson** » 29 Oct 1999 12:19 pm

Brad
I'm so confussed!
But just from looking at the pix it appears to have an unpadded back and a stepped (accoustic style)round neck.Plus stap buttons. It may just be me but it looks larger (neck to body to strings etc.)than a lap steel.
BTW, it just says "original amp cord", not amp.
Still too many $$$$$$$
bill johnson

John Egenes · Post by **John Egenes** » 29 Oct 1999 2:42 pm

Strings anchor through body. original amp cord and case.

I think that means "original AMP CORD", which would mean the cord that plugs into the amp. I don't think the amp comes with it. If so, you'd think there'd be a picture of it, no?

Pretty ridiculous pricing, IMO.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 29 Oct 1999 6:17 pm

You guys are right: I misread it; it only claims to have an "amp cord", not an "amp, cord,..." (Shoulda paid more attention to punctuation in school!)

For everyone's convenience, here's the photo. I see there is a raised bridge before the pickup; that must be what makes it a "spanish" style guitar, right?

[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 10-29-99]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Oct 1999 6:33 pm

Sorry Guys...this IS a lap steel! The giveaways (If you've never played one) are the short, wide neck, and the fact that this is a "Bakelite" (solid & heavy!) guitar. The "solid-body" spanish guitar, credited to Leo Fender was still over 15 years away. My uncle had, and played one just like this, except the chrome on this one was ivory (bakelite?) on his. These guitars probably will appreciate in years to come, IF they are "MINT". This one appears to be in only "Good" condition. Twenty years ago, they were a $50-$75 pawn shop item. Twenty years from now...who knows? But, I agree, two grand is stretching it!

Lastly, most people who collect guitars, and pay BIG MONEY for them don't buy them to play, they buy them for investment purposes only.

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 29 Oct 1999 7:45 pm

Here's George Gruhn's article on the Rickenbacher Spanish Bakelite Guitar[This message was edited by b0b on 10-30-99]

John Tipka · Post by **John Tipka** » 30 Oct 1999 5:48 am

I think you'll find that this is a Model B Electro Spanish Guitar made about 1935-1937 (because of single octagonal volume knob) with the characteristic black Bakelite body, and adjustable horseshoe pickup. It has a hollowed out body underneath the five decorative chrome plates. The neck is detachable but I bet the frets on it are all worn down if the guitar was played for any length of time because they were molded into the neck. The strings go through the body and over a high raised bridge. The front bout is smaller than that on a Model B Lap steel and the profile of the rear bout is different (larger) than the rear bout on a Model B lap steel. The neck of the guitar is also narrower and tapers faster (more) than that of a Model B lap steel. Plus, when was the last time you saw a lap steel with a strap button (unless it was a TIFKAD or Dobro). This is the Model B Spanish guitar not to be confused with Rickenbacher's Vibrola Spanish guitar to come later. Check Richard R. Smith's "The History of Rickenbacker Guitars" Anaheim Hills CA Centerstream Publishing 1987.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 30 Oct 1999 7:22 am

Some awfully strange goings on in your postings, Greg. Let's see if this works?
<a href = http://www.gruhn.com/articles/rickelectro.html>try this</a> [This message was edited by Jon Light on 10-30-99]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 30 Oct 1999 8:01 am

I fixed Greg's post (gotta remember those closing quotes, Greg!).

Anyway, this doesn't look like a lap steel to me. The neck is too long and not wide enough. The seller has posted that it's a model "B 609", which I've never heard of.

The bidding seems to have peaked at $2000. It does look like it's in good condition.

I don't mind if the price of vintage steel guitars goes through the roof, as long as good new instruments are still being made. For a while there it looked like the lap steel was going to disappear, but today there are fine lap steels being made by companies like Smith Melobar and Sierra.

I'm astonished whenever I see a 30's Rick sell for under $1000. These are the most visible collectibles in the steel guitar world. It's obvious to me that someday they'll be worth a LOT of money.

------------------
Bobby Lee

www.b0b.com/products
Sierra S-12 E9th 5p+6k, Fender Stringmaster D-8, Sierra S-8 Lap

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 30 Oct 1999 11:37 am

Sorry Donny,
It ain't a Lap Steel, It's a Spanish Bakelite...Rare Bird at that, I can see your confusion,
Aloha,
Mike

g montgomery · Post by **g montgomery** » 30 Oct 1999 12:55 pm

"isn't"

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Oct 1999 2:26 pm

Final Bid: $2750.00

HELP!... the world's gone mad.

To verify the final bid... click on the word THIS in Brad's initial post above.

Meanwhile... I'll look around here for stuff to auction off at ebay... hmmmmmm... rummaging through the back room...

dougb

www.dougbsteel.com

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 31 Oct 1999 3:52 pm

this is a guitar....i didn't know there was a model before the vibrola version...that would make this model the first production line manufactured electric guitar ever made! i would say it's extremely valuable as a rare collector......what are you guys whining about?

g montgomery · Post by **g montgomery** » 31 Oct 1999 3:59 pm

cuz they can't get that coffee can out of their a**.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Oct 1999 4:15 pm

I emailed the seller and two of the highest bidders to see why this instrument was considered so valuable. Here are the replies I received so far:

From the seller:

It was a combination of the year (1934), the spanish style and the fact that very few '34s were made spanish style

From one bidder:

The others are lapsteels and this is a very, very rare Spanish model to which someone has attached a removable nut-extender. This guitar is historically significant because it is one of the first electric guitars ever made. The same flatneck-roundneck distinction is found in National Tricone guitars. The former range from 2-6000, the latter 8-25,000.