$1k Mavericks?

Nick Anderson · Post by **Nick Anderson** » 16 Mar 2018 6:23 pm

Are the prices I'm seeing on eBay and Reverb for real? I've been out of the steel guitar for about 5 years. They were like $400-700 at that time.

Am I missing something?

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 16 Mar 2018 7:27 pm

You think that's bad, check out the asking prices for Gibson Skylark 6-string lap steels. Student models that command asking prices of double (or more) Gibson's top-of-the-line instruments.

Doubtful there's that many Mavericks or Skylarks that actually sell for $1K, however.

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 17 Mar 2018 5:58 am

I haven't seen any bargains of any kind on Reverb. It looks like the rule of thumb is; post your item at an inflated price and see if anyone out there is stupid enough to pay it.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Mar 2018 8:12 am

Most of the ads on Reverb say: "Make an offer".

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 17 Mar 2018 8:13 am

Bill Miller wrote:I haven't seen any bargains of any kind on Reverb. It looks like the rule of thumb is; post your item at an inflated price and see if anyone out there is stupid enough to pay it.

Correct-a-mundo. I have a Hall of Fame reverb pedal I want to sell. It's a great match for that $1000 Maverick. First $750 plus 225 shipping takes it.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Mar 2018 8:15 am

I had a $5,000 dog for sale.
I traded it for two $2,500 cats!

Nick Anderson · Post by **Nick Anderson** » 17 Mar 2018 9:43 am

Thought I missed something.

I guess they're throwing it on at a high price trying to find a sucker to buy.

The sellers are probably looking at what the pro models are going for, then pricing from there.

Or they know, and are greedy.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 17 Mar 2018 10:41 am

$1K doesn't seem like an unusual amount for a serviceable Maverick these days. Prices for everything have gone up in 5 years. Yes, even Mavs. It's just whatever the market will bear.

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 17 Mar 2018 11:35 am

I think $1k for a Maverick is crazy, when right beneath your post in my listing of the moment is a Linkon D10 for $1600, and elsewhere I see 5x5 GFI Keyless Ultra that just sold at $1700, a late-model Marlen SD-10, 4x5, shipped for $1725, an MSA D-10 for $1500, a VERY PRETTY LDG being sold by Mickey Adams (so you know it works right) - it's "make an offer", but any fair price on that is better than a Maverick for $1K IMO. There have also been a few Stage Ones for just over $1k - or I think if you contact Doug Earnest, he will now add you to the list - and his instruments are worth DOUBLE that of a Maverick, but only cost about 20% more. Just my opinion!

Tom Beck · Post by **Tom Beck** » 17 Mar 2018 1:16 pm

Mr. Schuch, I'm surprised your Linkon lasted an hour on here. You even offered to split the shipping. That was a lot of steel for sixteen hundred bucks!

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 17 Mar 2018 1:40 pm

Tom Beck wrote:Mr. Schuch, I'm surprised your Linkon lasted an hour on here. You even offered to split the shipping. That was a lot of steel for sixteen hundred bucks!

That Linkon is a gorgeous steel, they as well built as any pedal steel ever made... bob

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 17 Mar 2018 1:55 pm

I still see them here and there sub $500, but they are getting tough to find at realistic prices these days.
I would NEVER pay anywhere near 1 K for a Mav, and those that do are delusional.. Problem is, that big SHOBUD logo on the front, makes novices think they are getting a "real" shobud pedal steel.. i like mavericks, I really do, but a grand??.. never... bob

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 17 Mar 2018 2:49 pm

I've seen a few posted here for 800, 900 so 1000 shipped doesn't really seem out of line for a nice one comparatively.

Just for fun, I looked at the auction sites...I see one on Reverb for 1400 and one on eBay for 1600. Don't see any other Maverick listings.

My advice is if the price seems out of line, just don't buy it.

Seems pointless to carp about what someone else is posting as a sale price anyway. Completely out of anyone else' control, so what's to gain? Just trying to warn people?

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 17 Mar 2018 3:30 pm

Tom Beck - the Linkon is not mine - I was just saying that, in my listing of new posts, it was right below the thread authors. My point was that there are some very good quality (although less-well-known) steel guitars for only a little more than the Maverick. What does a Maverick have - one knee lever? My advice - pay 50% more and buy a real steel! Or find a Stage One for about the same price.

Tom Beck · Post by **Tom Beck** » 17 Mar 2018 3:43 pm

I see I misread your post Douglas, and totally agree with your statement. There are certainly better deals out there

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 18 Mar 2018 6:16 am

$1000 at the music store in Woodstock. Seems to be the going rate currently.
Maybe crazy is the new normal.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 18 Mar 2018 2:14 pm

Ignore listing prices on eBay when researching selling prices. Those are meaningless.

Look up the "sold" (not just "closed auction") prices. Those are actual selling prices. Sellers sometimes just put stuff on eBay hoping for a sucker, or without knowing anything.

One sold for $995 - probably to a newbie. Most are in the $500-750 range.

Which is about $200 more than the things are worth IMO.

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 18 Mar 2018 2:53 pm

there is no reason to get upset about prices , if someone thinks asking price is too high just don't buy it .... if you think Maverick is not worth $1000 you can always build one yourself , right? ... cheers

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 18 Mar 2018 3:47 pm

Jim is correct - look at the "Sold" listings for a reasonable idea what they're actually selling for. Askin' ain't gettin'.

I confess I'm not a fan of Mavericks, especially the wallpaper ones. The earlier curly/birdseye maple ones are kind of interesting, and I think they are going for a bit more money. If they aren't too expensive, those are a reasonable candidate for upgrading mechanics or even using primarily as a nonpedal steel. So the tradeoff is whether it's cheap enough to reasonably upgrade, or just get a 6139 or higher-grade Sho Bud that is already well set up. But as of 2018, I think there are much better options at that type of price point.

Now, as far as prices go - even at $1000 - Mavericks are a relative bargain, in comparison to 45 years ago. The new Mavericks I saw in 1973/74, when I was looking at them, were $450 (in Dayton, Ohio). Considering that the consumer price index (CPI) factor between Feb, 1973 and Feb, 2018 is about 5.8, that $450 Maverick in 1973 is equivalent to about $2600 in 2018 dollars. Surely people would be getting plenty steamed up about that! (As if that matters - it doesn't.)

Another take - I decided pedal steels were overpriced in '73/74 (not to mention the fact that I was a poor student). But what did it buy me? I didn't start playing pedal steel for another 25+ years. So you pays your money and takes your choice.

Luckily, right now, pedal steels have never been so affordable, when you consider the inflation-adjusted prices. You can buy a good, modern starter steel like the Zum Stage One or an older, less-in-favor pro model steel like a BMI, MSA, Dekley, or other fine guitar, along with a cheap loud-clean solid-state amp in the $1000-1500 range if you're patient. Add the plethora of free and paid online teaching materials, I conclude that times have never been so good to start on pedal steel.

Tom Beck · Post by **Tom Beck** » 19 Mar 2018 1:45 pm

The first steel I tried to learn on was a Gibson Multiharp. In all fairness, a Maverick would have been a major upgrade!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Mar 2018 1:35 am

Tom Beck wrote:The first steel I tried to learn on was a Gibson Multiharp. In all fairness, a Maverick would have been a major upgrade!

What Tom Beck said...

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 20 Mar 2018 2:26 am

it's very common for a seller to start with a high asking price because we can't raise the price once the item is offered for sale !

Buyers start just the opposite, with a lower offer.

How many times have we heard or said, wow, it was listed too low , no wonder it sold in 10 minutes ! ...." I would have bought it at that price "

it's how the world works !

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 20 Mar 2018 2:29 am

Sorry, $1000 is a joke for a Maverick, you don't have to build one as there are many
brands which are used and available and of better quality. Stevet

J R Rose · Post by **J R Rose** » 20 Mar 2018 7:22 am

My thought is that good quality guitars have not gone up in price compared to other consumer goods. I don't know how today's builders are keeping on. Ten or fifteen years ago guitars were about the price they are today. Someone said if you can't pay the price build you one. Well, I did just that about fifty years ago
and only took me a year and a half and when the cost was added up I could have brought a brand new factory one for the same money. Their is a lot of long and hard work in building and putting together a guitar. And if their was any good profit to be made someone would of brought Emmons or Sho-Bud or ZB and kept them alive. Their is no money to be made in building a Pedal Steel Guitar. MSA is perhaps the longest lived builder but they were owned by a corporation for many years with a lot of backing. My long time friend used to say back in the seventy's you pay as much for a steel guitar as you do for a new VW Beetle and how does that add up. Not that way today, car prices have gone up, pickups have gone up, homes have gone up, home furnishings have gone up but not pedal steel guitars. Just my thoughts, J.R. Rose

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 20 Mar 2018 8:14 am

Damir said:

there is no reason to get upset about prices , if someone thinks asking price is too high just don't buy it .... if you think Maverick is not worth $1000 you can always build one yourself , right? ... cheers

It's certainly not worth losing any sleep over but when I see Mavericks or any other instruments listed at ridiculous prices I see it as predatory behavior. Basically what is at play is deception. The seller is trying to profit from someone else's lack of knowledge. Sure it's legal but it sure as hell doesn't exemplify honesty and good will.