Lap Steel on EBay at $3500 and climbing!

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

What's up with this?
It's a Weissenborn Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar from the 50's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1424085905

I admit to not knowing much about the non-pedal world, but is this reasonable?

-j0e-

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Well,thanks to many prominent players playing the Weissenborn that`s what they go for now,a 1996 Elderly catalogue listed one for 1100 dollars...few years before that they could be found for under 500.Prices of Nationals rose overnight in the late 70´s because of the Dire Straits exposure etc...
So,check out who is going to be the next big thing,find out what obscure instrument he/she plays and buy by the truckload!!
BTW,Weissenborns were made in the 20`s.
------------------
Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland

[This message was edited by Olli Haavisto on 21 April 2001 at 10:12 AM.]

Sage · From: Boulder, Colorado

If any instrument deserves the price escalation granted to "desired" guitars, the Weissenborn deserves it. I played one yesterday and they are the sweetest accoustic steel I've ever heard. The tone just rules. This is also one of the fancier models with extra binding, and is in very nice condition. Even though it is not in MY price range, for someone who can afford it it is well justified, IMHO. I have heard that there are some great Weissenborn style instruments being made today, and I'd like to play one to hear what they are like. One of the reproductions could probably be had for much less. Only time will tell if they season into the sound that the W's from the 20's had.

------------------
T. Sage Harmos
Musical Instruments

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

The old Weissenborns sound so good for several reasons ...
1)They were made out of Koa, a superior
tone wood found only in the Hawaiian
islands and a favorite of modern luthiers.
2)The design of the instruments was classic
and helped produce a tone that many found
and still find ideal for the type of music
generally played on them.
3)The original Weissenborns have been well
dried out and played for 60+ years which
really helps develop the tone of solid-wood
acoustic guitars.

While they were brilliantly imagined design-wise, in execution they were generally poorly constructed. I have a Bear Creek Weissenborn-style guitar and I think it's superior in every way to the originals. The originals have perhaps a "sweeter", more plaintive sound while the Bear Creek is "throatier" with significantly more volume. I've played 3 Weissenborns and 1 Hilo so that's the experience I have to go on in comparing my BC.

At 3500.00 bucks, I'd get a new Bear Creek before I'd buy a Weissenborn over the net. Just my two cents.

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 21 April 2001 at 03:01 PM.]

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 21 April 2001 at 05:01 PM.]

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