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Topic: Fender Champions |
Richard Shatz
From:
St. Louis
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 11:03 am |
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| Am I missing something? Based on several recent and current (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7308972262&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT Ebay auctions the price of these things is going through the roof. I cant understand it. They aren't rare and are not particularly popular among players. Anyone out there have a clue. |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 11:31 am
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My theory is that it's the celebrity association with Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones. He was in a video last year or so where he played one of those.
I'm happy to have mine. I bought it in 82. It has loads of high end, not much bass.
I said to my wife when that video came out "Here it goes". I'm just surprised it took this long. |
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Paul Osbty
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 11:38 am
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I think a lot of it is simple ignorance (not the baggage-laden definition of the term!)
I almost bought one myself, but I always do a little research. I found out about the full line of Fender lap steels and then bought a Deluxe (single-neck Stringmaster).
Look at how many people buy Fender guitars made in Mexico, Japan, and Korea thinking they are getting a Fender. Look at how many people buy cheap copies of Les Paul's thinking they are getting a Les Paul.
I know a guitarist like this. He just doesn't do his homework. He needs a lap steel. I'll bet money he'll pay over-the-top dollar for a Champ. Or an Aria! |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 1:50 pm
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| There's one on ebay ending tonight that's up to $890!!!! |
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Andre Nizzari
From:
Bronx, NY
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 1:58 pm
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Wow,I had a 52' wired by Gloria all original and I sold it on ebay about 5 months ago for 425.00 and I though I got good money for it. I guess not.
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http://www.andreandthenighthounds.com/
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 2:01 pm
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Wow,
I paid less than that for a 52 Fender Custom triple 8 just a month ago. Now that I have my Bakelit rick, I think I'm done with the vintage market, especially at these prices. My money is going to support current builders for now. |
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Richard Shatz
From:
St. Louis
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 4:21 pm
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Ron
That's the one that got me interested in this topic. I have two champions, blue mots and yellow mots. I think they're both cool, but at these prices I almost feel stupid not to sell one of them. I should keep the blue one since they're so unusual. On Wall Street they say "Pigs get fat and hogs get slautered." What do you think? |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 4:28 pm
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Definitely keep the blue. I thought the broadcaster was the cat's meow until I got the BR-4 with it's P-90. When I finish the gibson, this will be one of my players and I will sell the champion. Rich, did you sell both gibsons?
Ron[This message was edited by Ron Victoria on 24 March 2005 at 04:39 PM.] |
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Keith Cordell
From:
San Diego
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 4:31 pm
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| I'd hit it while it's hot. The market on this stuff ebbs and flows, if it's not a strat or Les Paul. If I had a champion right now it'd be on Ebay already. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 6:25 pm
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Richard - keeping it would be the coolest thing to do. One of the reasons they are fetching such a high price is that the pickups and knobs are the same as Fender Broadcaster's and can be sold seperately for almost as much as the steel itself. So people rob them and replace the hardware with cheap imitations, then sell the bastardized steel on eBay to unsuspecting suckers who don't know the difference.
And that's just wrong.
Stop the carnage - hang on to it!
I'll never sell mine.[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 24 March 2005 at 06:25 PM.] |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 6:33 pm
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I was lucky enough to find an original 54' Champion after seein lots of "bastardized" ones on ebay. Even though I paid more than I had planned to, mine is all orginal cept for the tuner buttons which seem to go first on most old laps. I'm hangin on to mine too.
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55" Fender Stringmaster T8, 54" Fender Champion, Carter D-10, two Oahu laps, two National laps, and two Resonators
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Richard Shatz
From:
St. Louis
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 7:13 pm
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Ron,
I've never sold a Gibson lap steel. I'm still looking for an EH-275 to complete my Gibson collection. Fat chance. Anyway, I think I'll keep it. It's almost dead mint and I have the matching Champion 600 amp that was originally bought with it.
Rick,
Yeah, I know about the knobs and pickups. That's a good enough reason to keep them both no matter what.[This message was edited by Richard Shatz on 24 March 2005 at 07:16 PM.] |
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 9:33 pm
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| Dang..I sold my 50's something Champ in 1982 for $80 ..Kept my National Rocket One Ten because it sounded better..Oh well, doo doo happens.. |
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Paul Arntson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2005 9:36 pm
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Who can tell the future? I bought mine in 1982 for $95. Pretty high price back then.
The best thing about the things we have let go is that we got to play them once. I finally (after 40 years) got over the 59 tele I sold for $125. Thought I did OK I got my money back out of it in 1968. I wondered why it sold so fast at the music/furniture store in Moscow Idaho. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Mar 2005 6:20 am
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I saw two Fender laps on Ebay last evening, one was a champ and the other was the one with the drop-in tuner pan. The prices were quite reasonable I thought, but of course they could get wild in the last few minutes of the sale.
I wasn't interested for myself. Bobby Ingano loaned me a Champion when I was in Hawaii in 2001, and I was not impressed, even though he had used it on his CD album.
I'm probably spoiled from playing bakelites and frypans.
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 25 Mar 2005 11:35 am
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| Quote: |
| Yeah, I know about the knobs and pickups. That's a good enough reason to keep them both no matter what. |
Scruples - good. 
[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 25 March 2005 at 11:36 AM.] |
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