Frying pan on Reverb...?

[Mark Helm]

Folks:

A Rick Frying Pan just appeared on Reverb and there's something that, I dunno, seems off to me given the high pricetag:

https://reverb.com/item/10265852-ricken ... toric-rare

Thoughts?

[Andy DePaule]

Thats an awful high price for one in such poor condition.
Would take a master with metal skills to get that in shape.
My guess is better to better one at a good price.
Put some cash aside that you'd be willing to pay for one and wait and watch.
I think they made quite a few* so they do pop up now and then.
*I'm no expert on the number made, but have seen them a few time for sale.
I think when we pay too high a price it just causes these to get out of reach to many people who would love to have one.
That be my 2¢ worth and you got it free!

[Bill Groner]

What you are looking at is a 50'er. It looks great from 50 feet away. That is a BIG chunk of money and will be a ton of darn near impossible work.

[Noah Miller]

That's not a '50s but a pre-War body. It's cut to hold a 1.5" pickup and does not have a bakelite back.

[Bill Groner]

That's not a '50s but a pre-War body. It's cut to hold a 1.5" pickup and does not have a bakelite back.

OK......I'll post it this way. What you are looking at is a 50 footer. That was an apostrophe for the symbol foot, not the year.

[Andy DePaule]

That's not a '50s but a pre-War body. It's cut to hold a 1.5" pickup and does not have a bakelite back.

OK......I'll post it this way. What you are looking at is a 50 footer. That was an apostrophe for the symbol foot, not the year.

I understood right away, 50'....
Yes a pre war Ricky. was a great steel at one time. Maybe even sounds good still, but in a heck of a bad condition. Not worth that much of my hard earned $$$$

[Jon Light]

Looks like someone tried to spiffy it up with some #4 steel wool & elbow grease.

[Cartwright Thompson]

Our Luther did a setup...”
What does that entail, dressing the frets, adjusting the truss rod, intonating the bridge?
Also, why was is necessary to add another jack in order to use a volume pedal?
I’ve never seen fret markers like that. It looks like the originals were drilled out and plugs were installed. Not to mention the extra hole in the top...
It probably sounds great but it sure has been boogered

[Former Member]

Jeez,
Looks like they scraped off the gold paint.
Stole the cool nameplate, looks like rivets put in for the clay colored dots...
Poor thing’s been beat up. Not worth it

[Jack Hanson]

As previously noted, it's a cosmetic mess. And it's priced too high for its condition. But it still probably sounds better than dang near anything else out there.

[Bill Creller]

I have refurbished 8 frypans. A recent one was for Alan Akaka. I did 4 for Bobby Ingano. Some were easy enough, and a couple needed holes welded up, cracks welded etc. Thing is they are all worth the effort, to keep them looking good and playable. Hard to put a price tag on them though..

And that add sez rare.....they are NOT rare, but not just common..

[Andy DePaule]

As previously noted, it's a cosmetic mess. And it's priced too high for its condition. But it still probably sounds better than dang near anything else out there.

True for sure if the pickup and the rest of it is in working condition, but if they are anything like the visual outside, forget that too.
Even if in perfect working order IMHO, priced far to high for the condition.
Sad to see any instrument treated that way, but specially such a great one.

[Bill Sinclair]

Look what just showed up on ebay. No Reserve. Hopefully the seller won't pull it at the last minute.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1930s- ... Sw2BxafgO0

[Marc Bell]

Look what just showed up on ebay. No Reserve. Hopefully the seller won't pull it at the last minute.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1930s- ... Sw2BxafgO0

Well yes he did, its been pulled already and I guess all those bids had to be cancelled. Seeing as it is no longer for sale there I will voice my concern over this guitar. Why/how does it look like the spacing between the 7th fret and 8th fret is wider than the spacing between the 8th and 9th?
Condition issues aside the fret spacing should be perfect if it is real.

[Mark Helm]

https://reverb.com/item/10265852-ricken ... toric-rare

Can't believe someone paid that for it.

[Bill McCloskey]

Someone might not have. If you negotiate a deal behind the scenes, and the seller accepts your offer, they leave the listing price up, not the actual sold price.

[Andy DePaule]

I have refurbished 8 frypans. A recent one was for Alan Akaka. I did 4 for Bobby Ingano. Some were easy enough, and a couple needed holes welded up, cracks welded etc. Thing is they are all worth the effort, to keep them looking good and playable. Hard to put a price tag on them though..

And that add sez rare.....they are NOT rare, but not just common..

Hi Bill,
Glad you posted in with real world hands on experience.
I'm sure your right that this would be well worth the massive effort to repair the damage and bring it back to as original as possible.
My point was you first have to acquire it at a reasonable price to make the effort worth the $$$$ spent.

Reading the posted information from the seller I get the feeling they are either ignorant of the value or they are not trust worthy. Certainly they have priced it too high.
I don't know enough to know how many were made and how many may still be around, but they do pop up for sale from time to time. Depending on how badly a guy wants one it may be worth that much if in mint condition, but IMHO not even close in that condition.
Heck, we'd all love to own one, but if people over pay for these they will become out of reach to the players and only stashed away in collections.

If you have knowledge about how many of these were made, how many 6, 7 and 8 strings and any other useful information... Well I bet I'm not the only one who would like to get an education?
Thanks again for that post.

[Bill Creller]

Hi Andy
I'm no expert on how many were built etc, but I've heard from many sources the the serial numbers don't mean much on frypans. Some folks figure a batch of the castings had their own numbers etc. No one really knows it seems... I'm not sure about an 8 string, but Bobby Ingano sent me a pick of an 8 string.. Not sure if it's original, or a modded one. I modded a couple for Bobby, 6 to 7 string....Lollar pickup coils etc..

[Andy DePaule]

Thanks Bill,
Well now I know a little more.
Totally a guess on my part, but I have the feeling all were built as 6 strings and some converted later.
A fellow real good at welding and machining could pull that off.
Really though going to 8 strings would cram them up quite a bit.

I've heard that the Jason Lollar pickups are very good copies.
Was going to attend his lecture at the luthiers convention last July, but like a class A idiot I got my days mixed up and missed it.

I did find a copy of his book on Amazon and bought it. Expensive, but I'm starting to experiment with making pickups so with that in mind a good value.

There was also a good interview with him in the Luthiers Guild magazine a few months ago. Read it a few times and will read it a few more until it all sinks in.
Best wishes,
Andy

[Noah Miller]

Totally a guess on my part, but I have the feeling all were built as 6 strings and some converted later.

Some originals were definitely built as 7-strings. These were offered right from the beginning for an extra $10, and even pictured in ads:



However, at no point did Rickenbacker offer an 8-string frying pan.

[Andy DePaule]

Thanks Noah,
Thats a heck of a good deal for just $10.00 extra.
I'll send you the $135.00 right away, but be sure to remember to include the speaker in the package!
I think I want that one with the "Fairy voice", but I don't need the rainbow flag.

Thanks for posting. I'm getting a good education on these now.

Actually that was quite a chunk of money in 1935. Just looked it up in my inflation calculator; "What cost $135.00 in 1935 would cost $2,452.82 in 2017" and for the $10.00 extra; "What cost $10.00 in 1935 would cost $181.69 in 2017"....
Considering that it was in the middle of the great depression it's no wonder sales were slow. If you even had a job back then $53.00 a week would have been very good pay.

[Bill Creller]

The 7 string has a wider neck. I have one, short scale of course. They apparently didn't make a long scale 7 string. I converted one to a 7 for Bobby Ingano. It's been done before I did one. It requires TIG welding the head stock outboard center tuner hole shut, and the string through holes behind the bridge welded shut, to be able to drill the 7 string holes in there. Not a 10 minute job !

[Jack Hanson]

If that guitar was purchased by a Forum member, I would expect you will be getting a call before too long, Bill.

[Hideki Hattori]

If anybody might not believe that, I bought this one. The guitar is on the way to me now.
The seller reduced the price. Bobby Ingano gave me a suggestion as $2000+ is a good price for any prewar Frypan. He said a lot of old timers in Hawaii put the tone control next to the volume. I decided as he encouraged me. I must restore as the guitar comes to life. So, let me have tips please, Bill!

[Andy DePaule]

The 7 string has a wider neck. I have one, short scale of course. They apparently didn't make a long scale 7 string. I converted one to a 7 for Bobby Ingano. It's been done before I did one. It requires TIG welding the head stock outboard center tuner hole shut, and the string through holes behind the bridge welded shut, to be able to drill the 7 string holes in there. Not a 10 minute job !

Hi Bill,
Yes I've done some aluminum welding in the past so could imagine the kind and amount of work required to bring that back to life.
Even after the welding, all that sanding and polishing....
Looking at the price along with the inflation calculator I think the Clinesmith is quite a bargain.
The aluminum steels do have that incredible sustain.
Glad for this thread as I'm getting so much better educated, but still think that price was too high for the condition.
Best wishes,
Andy