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Topic: Frying pan? |
Max Laine
From:
Pori, Finland
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jun 2002 3:11 pm |
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| I suspect YOU are correct and that the advertiser is grossly in error. Many of the Rick ads are misleading and incorrect. BUyer beware! |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 25 Jun 2002 3:41 pm
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| That looks like an old Ric Student model. It is not what I would call a FryPan. I sure learn something new everytime I'm on the Forum! "Built in 1922"...long before electric guitars were even thought of....or do I stand to be corrected ? |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2002 5:01 pm
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George, I don't think you stand to be corrected ... even if that eBayer does.
Understanding that this may start a lengthy thread about the advent of the electric guitar, I'll pass along this quote from the Experience Music Project in Seattle. (They have an impressive vintage guitar collection, including several historic lap steels. Check it out when you're up our way.) According to their historians, much of the credit should go to the Audiovox Manufacturing Company (of Seattle, no less!):
"The Audiovox guitar might look a lot like the Rickenbacker "Frying Pan," an early model of electric guitar, but only the shape followed Rickenbacker's lead. In 1931 inventor and manufacturer Paul Tutmarc co-invented a successful electric pickup with inventor Arthur Stimson. When they tried to get a patent on the pickup, their application was rejected because the patent office felt that the design too closely resembled that of a telephone receiver. This rejection put Tutmarc's plans to make an electric guitar on a back burner, but Stimson sold the design to Dobro, who in turn built the successful All-Electric guitar based on the Tutmarc-Stimson pickup design in about 1932.
"Rickenbacker built its Frying Pan model to compete with Dobro's All-Electric. Only after Tutmarc saw that Rickenbacker enjoyed commercial success without a patent did he then begin producing his Audiovox line in earnest. Audiovoxes proved to be quality guitars in their time, but they were sold primarily to Tutmarc's students. Few of them exist today."
(Actually, I saw a battered Audiovox in a shop recently. If you're interested, send me an e-mail and I'll let you know where to look.)
[This message was edited by Russ Young on 26 June 2002 at 06:03 PM.] |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 27 Jun 2002 6:47 am
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| That desription is so incorrect in so many ways it's hard to believe it's not intentional. But I once ran across a guy selling an old National single cone. He listed it as a '24. When I asked him if it was a misprint in the paper he said, "No, 1924." I informend him that there were no Nationals made before 1926, and no single cones before '29, and that I had book with the entire National history etc. It didn't matter, he was right, I was wrong. he also wanted $2500.00 for a poor condition re-fined Duolian too so there ya go. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 27 Jun 2002 8:23 am
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| Bud Tutmarc has always taken great pride in his father's inventions, not the least of which is his claim for inventing the very first electric bass. I would love to see that display in Seattle, but that will probably never happen. |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 27 Jun 2002 11:58 am
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Where does Lloyd Loar and the Vivi-Tone fit in to the electric guitar development history? I thought that he was in there pretty early as well.
T. Sage Harmos |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2002 6:06 pm
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Although Vivi-Tone wasn't founded until 1933, I've read that Lloyd Loar first installed a coil-wound pickup in a solid-body viola that he built "10 years before the introduction of solidbody electric guitars."
But I sure have read a lot of different versions of when the solidbody electric guitar was introduced ...
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2002 7:50 am
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I decided to send an e-mail note -- along with some of Brad's Rickenbacker-related links -- to the sellers of the supposed "Frying Pan."
Here's their response: "Thank you Russ for being so very nice. We are seniors 84 and 78. We know NOTHING about guitars as you surmised.
"Our son bought it at an auction for our grandson who is taking guitar lessons. Ryan has no interest in Hawaiian guitars. Our son said, "How about putting it on eBay?" He did take it to a local music store and they gave him a printout. This is how we made such a terrible mistake.
"Believe us Russ our intent was never or will never be to scam or cheat anyone. It is nice to hear from decent people like yourself and you made our day. Thank you for the time and effort. It is greatly apreciated. "
At the risk of patting myself on the back, it was a good reminder to me of how simple it can be to mistakenly assume that someone is dishonest ... and how simple it is to try to determine if that's really the case.
Now I just hope they'll follow my suggestion and amend their ad!
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 28 Jun 2002 12:23 pm
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| Russ, go ahead, pat yourself on the back....you deserve it. Those folks sound like decent people who made an honest error. |
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Mike D
From:
Phx, Az
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Posted 28 Jun 2002 1:36 pm
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I emailed them yesterday with much the same info. I recieved a 'Thank You' as a reply but still haven't see any change in the info.
They have a heck of a lot of eBay feedback for octogenarians  |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 28 Jun 2002 5:49 pm
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| Solid Russ ! |
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Max Laine
From:
Pori, Finland
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Posted 2 Jul 2002 2:02 pm
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| Well they never changed the description, and the reserve was not met. Seems like the bidders knew what it was all about. Let's see how it will be relisted! |
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Russ Young
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Jul 2002 4:42 pm
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I suspect you're right, Max.
I sent them a note with the true identity -- a 1937 Model 59 -- which is exactly what you said in your original posting. I hope they'll try again ... I imagine that a lot of knowledgeable bidders got turned off right away. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 4 Jul 2002 8:50 pm
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| At least, I now know what model my old frypan is. Mine's identical to that one with the exception mine appears as though it were used as an outrigger paddle! Finish is all gone...but not the tone! Whoever the previous owner was, installed a tone control on the opposite side to the volume control. |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2002 9:04 pm
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| The Fry Pan that Basil is refering to appears to be the reissue that Rickenbacker produced in the 50's (note the "housing" around the 1 1/4" pickup). |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 5 Jul 2002 1:20 am
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That's what it is.
Baz[This message was edited by basilh on 05 July 2002 at 12:54 PM.] |
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