Price of Franklin

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

You know what I love all steel guitars and Paul Sr is certainly the man for steel guitars but $10,000 and anything more is just way out of line for a working musician. Mind all of you here about ten years ago I passed up a black D-10 Franklin 8/4 simply cause I bought a lot more guitar for a lot less money. The Franklin is a fine guitar but for a working musician I don't know how they could afford it. Love to you all and I hope it sells for your price! I can tell you honestly I wouldn't ask that kind of price simply cause I'm just not made that way and I'd never be a salesman no matter how much I needed the money.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Wow. Frank, I'm just curious what you would consider a fair price for this incredibly rare, highly-desired, collector tier near pristine handmade guitar.

Please let me know the next time you decide to sell a clean Franklin for the price of a "working man's" axe.

Best of luck with the sale, Ricky, that's a rare gem. Wow.
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Geoff Cline · From: Southwest France

This guitar is the pedal steel guitar equivalent of the '59 Les Paul. Given the amount of work that goes into building a fine steel (mechanics, pickups, wood and metal work) and the undisputed pedigree, tone and "mystique" of a Paul Sr. Franklin, this guitar is a relative bargain. What price do you put on pure unobtanium?!?!

Jason Duguay · From: Massachusetts, USA

Although there is nothing wrong with being a salesman and charging a fair price, this made me laugh. Of all the God given and earned talents Ricky has, unfortunately being a salesman is not one of them. In my experience he has been overly generous, kind and honest.
I have made my living and supported my family with music for the last 15 years. I would say 99% of the people I work with are regulars who become great friends and the new ones heard about me from the older ones. I imagine this is the same for most of the professionals. The successful people I see around me are kind and fair. Ricky is one the best out there.
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Ralph. Mooney.

Wally Moyers · From: Lubbock, Texas

As in anything, it's only worth what someone will pay for it.. I see rare Strat's, Tele's, Les Paul's sell for more than this.. I think the Zum Hybrid will be another guitar that will eventually bring these prices… Frank I think your right that it would be hard for most working musicians to afford a guitar at this price. There are musicians that can and will pay the price for a rare guitar like this… I'v seen it happen many times here on the forum.. I think it's a great investment that you can enjoy while owning it… oops, I need to be careful or I'll talk myself into buying it..

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

This is in line with other Franklins in excellent condition. I have an 81 S/N 65, the same as this one except for the Lawrence pickups, its not for sale but if it was this is the same area I would be asking.

Jim Park · From: Carson City, Nv

This same argument has been applied to Stradivarius violins and they continue to escalate in value..... Even modern reproductions in the 30 to 50K range sound better to blind testers, and in the last test the only a few were able to tell a real Strad from a reproduction. I'm glad I'm a steel player not a concert violinist LOL

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

All guitars are indeed only worth what a buyer will pay. I suppose that could be confusing to newbies to the steel world, for instance there's currently a clean JCH on offer for less than half what the Franklin is priced atâ€¦ is the JCH less than half the guitar tonally or playing wise? I would say certainly not, but there are many other factors driving the price points for anything desirable.

I drove by a RR Silver Ghost yesterday, I used to have a friend who owned one and I'd love to have one to tool around in, but it's just simply not in my budget for hauling gear to gigs and going to the grocery store.

Some of the comments about high-priced guitars seem to be based in resentment that they're not somehow made more affordable "so everyone can have one" or something. I just don't understand the resentment. I have a fairly healthy stable of various instruments for playing live and for use by my studio clients, but I've had to forgo a lot of other stuff to be able to swing that. Hence no Silver Ghost...
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
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Mark Carlisle · From: Springville CA

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

I honestly don't think true collectibles should be regularly gigged with... and the price of this guitar will help ensure that it isn't....eg... its not a working musicians instrument. ..I am doubtful whether even a new steel guitar of any brand would qualify. At a point is more about what you can get by with rather than what a person would like to have. ..I face that every day in farm equipment purchase decisions. I run good older used equipment for the most part that has been discounted due to superficial factors.

I think the underlying fact of life is that the wealthy buy appreciating assets and for the most part. .. the rest of society has to make due with depreciating ones. Over a lifetime. .. it adds up to great disparities in wealth. That said. ..I would doubt that steel guitar is viewed by many as a growth industry on the verge of hitting mainstream...

Jack Devereux · From: Brooklyn NY

This is interesting to me. In the bluegrass world, its not uncommon at all to see working mandolin players pay $15k-20k for a Gilchrist or Dudenbostel. The modern violin world is the same. I am a violin maker, fairly early in my career (I'm in my mid 20s), and my basic price is $7500. My clients are split between the bluegrass/new acoustic and classical worlds, and those people don't bat an eye at paying that. There are plenty of violin guys consistently selling instruments in the $30k-40k range.

I would honestly say most steel guitars are vastly underpriced. Just based on the amount of metal fabrication tooling needed, the overhead is quite high, and once you factor in the amount of skill involved, none of these guys are making anything close to what they deserve. Maybe it's due to the relatively small market for pedals steels, but I've always been kind of amazed at how little people are charging. That isn't to say plunking down $5000 for a new guitar is an insignificant thing, or that that's not a big ol' chunk of money, but I do feel like relative to the price of most other handmade, custom instruments, and to the amount of work and skill that goes into building one of these things, they're crazy cheap.

Mark Carlisle · From: Springville CA

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

an instrument that can't be played (regularly) is worth nothing to a real musician.

you can quote me!

edited so someone can understand me better

Tom Quinn · Posted 28 Jun 2015 11:07 am

Some guitars -- like anything else of value -- have a mystique that drives up the price. They are worth what folks will pay for them.

I went to Jeff Newman's school in 1977 -- drove a VW bus a week from Mendocino CA. While there, I went to the Sho-Bud factory and Duane Marrs put two more knee levers on my then 8X2 Professional. Mr. Franklin invited me to his house for lunch and a very young Paul joined us. Gangly kid played the holy snot out of the guitar in the front room. I could only stare.

There are a handful of guitars that will increase in value because of how they sound and play and also because they have "it." There are others that will be not worth much no matter what. Franklin guitars are very cool and I'm glad that I'm happy with my old Emmons; otherwise it would mean a big bank loan... -L-
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I need an Emmons!

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

R e post

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Back in the days I had a long time friend who told me when you pay as much for a D-10 Pedal Steel as you do for a Volkswagon Beetle something is not right. Well,
here we are 30 to 40 years later and we are only paying a small faction of the price of a new Beetle.
I do not know how todays steel builders do it. Their is endless hours involved to building a guitar The machining is outstanding to what it once was. I just do not see how they pay the overhead let alone make money to live on. Yes, As a working musician for years I could not afford the most basic steel and today I don't know how they do it. But a Classic Pedal Steel is worth what you can sell it for. I for one hope the value of all steels go up. They are way under priced
in todays world. Just my two-cents, J.R. Rose
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose

DG Whitley · Posted 28 Jun 2015 12:41 pm

J.R., understand that I respect your opinion and your right to it, but I take some issue with PSG prices going up. IMHO, if they go up much more than they are now, no one but the rich will be able to buy them.

If PSGs were in the range of $7,500 to $10,000, I seriously doubt you'd have many new players coming along. More than likely they would turn to keyboards, guitars, or what have you.

If you want this instrument to still be affordable to the common man/woman, prices need to remain level or small future increases.

But be that as it may, they can go to that level ($7500 - $10,000), and I'll be happy to sell mine as I can't afford this "hobby".

All the above in my humble opinion.

Billy McCombs · From: Bakersfield California, USA

Paul can make his Franklin sound wonderful and I'm sure any guitar that he plays would sound the same. That being said I would hate to spend $10,000 on a Franklin and have it sound no better than my Emmons PP. Why doesn't JD play a Franklin? Smile

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78 Emmons PP,Great tone.82 Emmons SKH #56

Tom Quinn · Posted 28 Jun 2015 1:16 pm

Because Billy, only a P/P gets that sound and that's the sound he and you and I hear in our heads when it comes to superior tone. We, the fortunate few... ;- )
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I need an Emmons!

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

It's like anything else--a "mystique" develops over a certain brand, and the prices skyrocket...Look at Harley-Davidson. There are some people, MYSELF INCLUDED, that would not ride anything else if a Harley wasn't doable.

Now; I have played a Franklin. Guy I usta know in Jersey had one. it sounded great,played great, but so do Zums,Emmons,Mullens,etc. Do I think Franklins are worth that much more than a comparable Zum,LeGrande,Mullen,etc? Well, I can't tell the difference. Maybe a little more "mystique" because of the Franklin nameplate, but what about the "Emmons" nameplate? Also seems to me Zums are starting the Franklin style climb into the sticker shock neighborhood. I remember a time when a Sierra or Sho-Bud was through the roof. Now you can hardly GIVE them away, and I believe it is because they have a different tone than a Zum,Franklin,Emmons,etc, and it is a tone that is not trendy among most steel that is recorded today. Franklin, Zum, Emmons & Mullen have that tone today's players are looking for. Buds & Sierras have a more traditional tone.

As far as price reflecting build quality,just about all the guitars being built nowadays are good,precision instruments. Except for student models, I don't think there's a bad one out there. I would think that price should be reflected mostly in tone quality. As good as a Franklin or Zum sounds, I guarantee you there isn't one that could compare to the sound of my D-10 MSA Classic Supersustain that I sold LIKE AN IDIOT a couple years ago, only because it was too heavy. My '72 blonde Strat will blow any 50s or 60s Strat out of the water tone wise,yet it is only worth a very small fraction of what a pre-CBS Strat is worth.

Franklins are fantastic guitars. And,based on tone quality,if a Franklin is worth 10 large, then any PP Emmons should be worth twice that. Because there is no better sound in the steel guitar world to date. I wish I had one (I had 2, an '80 & a '65, & yes; like an idiot I sold them, too!)
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Steve Spitz · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

Frank,
With all due respect, are you implying some sort of lack of integrity on Ricky's part, due to him asking whatever price he chooses to ask for the sale of HIS Franklin ?

The comment "I'm just not made that way " implies that you wouldn't do something, therefore, he's wrong to do so.

The owner of any commodity has the right to ask whatever price he chooses.

" I'd never be a salesman, no matter how much I needed the money" What exactly are you saying here ? Being a "salesman" is somehow wrong, something sleazy, and that's what Ricky is doing ?

If youre uncomfortable with the price someone asks for the sale of an item, don't buy it.

You'd have a hard time finding many players that have been as generous to the forum and the steel community than Ricky Davis.

I'll assume you meant no disrespect, and if my comments have offended you in any way, let me apologize sincerely.

Tom Quinn · Posted 28 Jun 2015 1:50 pm

I have dealt with Ricky and he is a five-star guy, top shelf all the way.
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I need an Emmons!

Wally Moyers · From: Lubbock, Texas

The bottom line is that these are very rare and sought after guitars. The past history proves that they sell for this price.. End of story.. That's the way everything is priced..

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