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Topic: bakelites on ebay |
Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 26 Mar 2007 7:12 pm |
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I was just looking on ebay, and there are a lot of bakelites for sale. Some are very nice. One is in really bad shape from being butchered. One is a 30s string-thru, chrome plates etc, nice.
Anybody looking for one?  |
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Jamie O'Connell
From:
Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 8:14 am
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Here's one set to go off in a few hours. Seems very cheap (so far):
Auction on eBay.
--Jamie |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 9:15 am
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| Most have been going for around $750 on up. When you consider how well they play and sound, and the price of these old guitars, they are a real good investment. Few builders have replicated the sound and playability of the bakelite Ric. Probably because the investment for setting up for a well made guitar is so expensive these days and the volume of sales is so small. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 2:32 pm
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| That's why many companies moved their operations to Korea, China and now Viet Nam. Even surfboards are made in those locations. |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 5:35 pm
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| That's very interesting. I should have thought of that. So it's not all about cheap labor. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 6:06 pm
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Hopefully some plastic or other based material will come along to do the job in place of bakelite.
There may already be something out there that would work out that no one in our community knows about.
Maybe some industrial garu will become interested in a bakelite substitute. |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 6:57 pm
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I was wondering about milling a Frypan or Bakelite shape out of solid aluminum. They have those machines that can copy any item exactly. This would be easier than casting. And you may be able to use someone elses machine. Like rent it.
Has anyone thought of this? They make engine blocks and wheels, etc. this way out of solid stock. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 1 Apr 2007 8:25 pm
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I have access to that type equipment, and make my fretboards on a CNC mill.
My buddy, who owns the shop would write a program for anything I want, but the aluminum for a guitar may have to be cut from a rough casting instead of billet stock in order to have decent tone. Some aluminum alloys, like the soft variety would likely sound dull, and something harder like 7075 would maybe ring ??
Rick Aiello's sound good because they are cast and not billet.
just my 2bits |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 2 Apr 2007 5:44 am
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| What about Bell Brass? |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 2 Apr 2007 7:17 am
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| I don't know that it's illegal to make Bakelite here, just expensive because of the enviro regs and not nearly as usefull as other materials. Basically it's carbolic acid and formaldehyde and both of those things are available. |
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