| Author |
Topic: Rickenbacker 10-string Bakelite |
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 1:55 am |
|
I'm visiting the folks in the heartland and made a find. It's done and bought and is probably a keeper. My question is what do these go for these days--not what do eBay dreamers or overreaching dealers ask? I'm not pimping this for a flip, just trying to gauge how well I did.
Details: Rickenbacker (assume "k" spelling but most of headstock decal is missing) bakelite 10-string, 1-1/2" pickup; single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners* likely original, 10-pole pickup, metal neck, one black flying saucer knob, one non-original knob, bottom white plates are flat. No serial number. Pat. # 2089171. Seems a mix of pre- and post war features.
*--EDIT/UPDATE: After a little deeper study, it seems there were two eras of Kluson single-line tuners. The first--as seen on this beast--don't have the shaft coming through the opposite side of the housing. These were used appx. 1947-52.
_________________
"Gopher, Everett?"
Last edited by Ben Elder on 4 Jan 2009 2:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
 |
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 8:52 am
|
|
| Does that guitar have a metal neck? |
|
|
|
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 8:55 am
|
|
Yes.
_________________
"Gopher, Everett?" |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 9:20 am
|
|
I had one of those a few years ago and ultimately sold it for about $1200. Mine had chrome plates and was either a late 30s or early 40s. Very cool instrument. I bought it from Guitar Center for $800 with a dead pickup.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 11:08 am
|
|
They probably still have one at a local store here, going for around 2K, and looks like yours, Ben.
The neck is aluminum.
I've heard mostly pro's about these, and have always lusted after them. Had a shot at one for dirt cheap once, but lost the phone #...
Now tell us, whadja pay? |
|
|
|
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 12:52 pm
|
|
Ron--is that Island Music? I thought maybe I'd seen one on their website in months past and sure enough: $2200-something.
My tab was just under half that. I didn't even stop to haggle. (I was more overwhelmed by the mere fact of seeing a 10-string than the price--I really thought they'd be asking $2500.) Here in the middle of the continent, lap steels don't move--at least at this one store--and the manager has said as much. A few years back I got a pre-war B-7 for something like $500 out the door at the same place and realized I could have negotiated better. Similarly, I bought a pair of Bronson Singing Hawaiians they'd had for years, sold off one of the two as well as a mint one I'd had and wound up with a nice-enough Bronson for a net investment of about $100.
_________________
"Gopher, Everett?" |
|
|
|
Jon Nygren
From:
Wisconsin, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 1:02 pm
|
|
| Ben Elder wrote: |
| Here in the middle of the continent, lap steels don't move. |
Wish that was the case where i'm at!!  I'm late alot of the time.
Nice score BTW, don't see those often. How is the volume of the two outside strings compared to the inside ones? |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 31 Dec 2008 5:26 pm Yep, Island...
|
|
You've made some sweet scores, Ben! Good taste in steels as well.
Enjoy that 10er. |
|
|
|
David Pinkston
From:
Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 1 Jan 2009 1:40 am Rickenbacker
|
|
| There's a 6 string in good shape at Guitar Center in Atlanta. They've had about 1100 on it but it hasn't moved in 6 months. Bet they'd take 1000.00. |
|
|
|
Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
|
Posted 6 Jan 2009 2:34 pm
|
|
Updated info in first post about Klusons and dating.
I'm back in LA waiting for RicX to catch up with me (Wed. or Thurs.) but darn! just before I left the heartland I found a place where the two of us might have gotten hired to be the house entertainment:
_________________
"Gopher, Everett?" |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 6 Jan 2009 2:58 pm
|
|
| That is just too cool! Great find! |
|
|
|
Jerry Wagner
From:
California, USA
|
|
|
|
Hugh Roche
From:
Florida, USA
|
Posted 6 Sep 2017 12:59 pm ricky
|
|
| hard one to find! |
|
|
|
Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
|
Posted 6 Sep 2017 2:04 pm
|
|
I purchased #21 many years ago, with a 1.5" pickup. I suspect the neck is cast iron, rather than aluminum. It weighs a ton.
Ron |
|
|
|
Jack Aldrich
From:
Washington, USA
|
Posted 7 Sep 2017 3:10 pm
|
|
I have one. I thought I was buying a B8, didn't look carefully enough. I play it once in a while. Metal neck. The Rickenbacker book says they issued it just before WWII for Eddie Alkyre, put a metal neck on it because of the string pressure.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8 |
|
|
|
