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Author
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Topic: 1934 Rickenbacker Frypan
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Derrick Mau
Member From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 04:33 AM
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Whew! The prices of these frypans are really soaring. Just not too long ago, they had just passed the $2,000 mark.
Here's one on E-bay going for just over $2,700 with a day left in the bidding.
Auction on eBay. [This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 03 June 2006 at 09:36 AM.] |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 03 June 2006 05:22 AM
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Hmmm, no MRI? Think I'll pass.... |
Jeff Watson
Member From: Palos Verdes, CA, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 09:52 AM
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The last one that sold on eBay a few months ago went for over $3,700 and wasn't near as nice as this one. $5,000 is the eBay record for a Frypan as far as I know....skies the limit here. These guitars WILL be selling for 5 figures in the not too distant future. |
Harry Sheppard
Member From: Kalispell, MT USA
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posted 03 June 2006 10:02 AM
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It is very unfortunate but the last few frypans listed on Ebay have been bought by high price vintage guitar dealers and then placed on their websites with a $5000.00 price tag. This one will end up the with the same fate. The sad part is even with the inflated prices, someone still pays it. This guitar is clean and 100% original. It will end up on a dealer's website or a collectors wall  |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 03 June 2006 01:39 PM
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I can recall the days when a guitar like that sold for $75.00 new, usually included the amplifier! When you consider what is actually in these things, (a p/u, control, and not much else), $250.00 would be seem to be reasonable. But then the "vintage" factor comes into consideration. My frypan has a brown plastic round backing with a screw holding it in place in the center. It has the narrow horseshoe magnet, (presumedly post-war ?) and has the gold "RICKENBACHER electro" label on the head. Originally only the volume control, but later someone added a tone control on the opposite side. I'm wondering what year this critter was made ? Great sounding instrument even though it looks as though someone used it as an outrigger paddle. (Kinda ugly in it's sweet charming way). I found this frypan in Hawaii quite a few years ago.
http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/ |
Ron Whitfield
Member From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 03:27 PM
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Keoki, I'd say it's more of an greed/idiot factor. |
Scott Thomas
Member From: Oregon, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 03:53 PM
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I probably shouldn't post this after what Ron said, because I paid $2700 for one about a year ago. The fact of my having been an idiot for doing has crossed my mind since. I'm not rich, or a collector, I just wanted one in the worst way and they come up for sale so rarely. (especially in excellent condition)
I reasoned that,even though I was paying top dollar, in the coming years it would come to look increasingly like a bargain. If I wanted to sell it later down the road, I would recoup my money (and then some) and meantime will have had the rare pleasure of playing and owning such an instrument. So, I feel vindicated (if selfishly so)that the sharply rising prices have made all this to be true. I say selfishly, because I also know that the recent escalating prices puts them out of the reach of most players. |
Ron Whitfield
Member From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 04:26 PM
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Don't listen to me Scott.
I know how you felt when not having one, me too.
I was lucky to get mine off the bay 5 years ago for $800 and sold it a year later to a friend for the same (but kept the badge...) who sed it was the loudest Rick PU he'd ever heard and he's had a bunch of them and owns a truly magical example.Glad you are happy and I hope you at least double your investment if you ever sell, as I'm no longer in the market for one. |
Scott Thomas
Member From: Oregon, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 04:52 PM
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George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 03 June 2006 05:59 PM
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Well guys, I don't feel too badly in regards to my ugly duckling, and it is ugly! (It has something called "character"). I picked it up for only $125.00 about 10 years ago. I have been tempted to get it refinished, but why bother ? It won't sound any better. I am happy with the old beast. Still trying to figure out when it was made.
http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/ |
Andy Sandoval
Member From: Bakersfield, California, USA
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posted 03 June 2006 08:43 PM
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Scott, I agree with you. I might add I don't like the idea of instruments bein bought by collectors for outrageous amounts just to make a profit at a later date. There's plenty of musicians out there that will probably never know the pleasure of playin a rare instrument much less be able to afford a classic instrument at these prices. I wanted a Stringmaster awhile back really bad and wound up payin way more than I planned on but it was in perfect shape and someone else would have wound up payin the high price anyway and as the prices continue to rise the high amount I paid is startin to look like a good deal now.[This message was edited by Andy Sandoval on 03 June 2006 at 08:46 PM.] |
Bill Creller
Member From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
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posted 04 June 2006 12:20 AM
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Bobby likes the post-war solid neck like yours George. He says it has more sustain than the hollow neck. Derrick has a long-scale solid neck. I had a local aluminum foundry look at mine (hollow neck) a few years ago, and they were amazed with how the thing was cast in the early 30s. It's not my favorite guitar to play, seems harder to get along with than a bakelite.[This message was edited by Bill Creller on 04 June 2006 at 12:30 AM.] |
Richard Shatz
Member From: Quincy, IL, United States
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posted 04 June 2006 12:07 PM
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1932 A25 SN 28 prototype pickup $325
1933-34 A22 SN 67 7-String $1500
1933-34 A22 SN 85 $950Playing any one of them----priceless.[This message was edited by Richard Shatz on 05 June 2006 at 11:57 AM.] |
Richard Shatz
Member From: Quincy, IL, United States
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posted 04 June 2006 03:55 PM
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Holy s---. $4695 for a 6-string A22.
Mine are going in the vault. |
Mark Durante
Member From: Illinois
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posted 04 June 2006 04:06 PM
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The historical value alone of these guitars has been very underestimated,it seems to me.
So, does anyone know for sure which serial numbers came first, 0, 00, or A?[This message was edited by Mark Durante on 04 June 2006 at 05:35 PM.] |
Doug Beaumier
Member From: Northampton, MA
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posted 04 June 2006 04:45 PM
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Condition is Everything. This one is very clean and that adds a premium. Not all Model A-22s will sell for this kind of money. A beat up one with missing parts or changed parts would probably sell for half of this amount... which is still quite a bit! |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 04 June 2006 07:20 PM
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Doug...that's exactly where mine fits in. It has new gears and the tone control was added. It appears to me it might have had a gold finish to it at one time which has all been worn off from extensive use, (or probably as an outrigger canoe paddle!) Nowhere can I find a serial number which makes me wonder again, when was this old critter made ?
http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/ |
Jeff Watson
Member From: Palos Verdes, CA, USA
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posted 04 June 2006 08:16 PM
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George the reissue Frypan was built from '54 to '58. Mark I think the conventional wisdom is the numbers run in the order that you listed them in...0, 00, A, & B. [This message was edited by Jeff Watson on 04 June 2006 at 08:27 PM.] |
Doug Beaumier
Member From: Northampton, MA
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posted 04 June 2006 08:20 PM
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I don't know much about early Rick serial numbers, except that they are "unreliable", according to George Gruhn. |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 04 June 2006 10:45 PM
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Does the name CHOY ring a bell with anyone ? Seems I once heard that some frypans were being made by someone named "CHOY"...I haven't a clue.
http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/ |
Cartwright Thompson
Member From: Portland, Maine, USA
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posted 05 June 2006 10:15 AM
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I'm just glad that I like the sound of a pre-war bakelite better, I can afford those. |
Richard Shatz
Member From: Quincy, IL, United States
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posted 05 June 2006 12:15 PM
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George,
The 1954-58 frypans are in my experience are less common than the prewar models. The only one of these I have ever seen had no serial number, but the pots dated to 1957. In the postwar era to my knowledge and experience Rick didn't start numbering their insstruments until at least 1954, and I don't think they started numbering lap steels until the 100 series, which debuted in 1955 and I have seen at least one of these without a serial number.Mark and Jeff,
I agree. The historical value of these instruments is just beginning to be appreciated. While they might not be the best sounding or playing instruments available today, they really are spectacular.
Look at the price of the first Fender and Bixby guitars and they are not as historically important in my opinion. As for prewar serial numbers:
So far I have been able to document the following serial number configurations.
Frypans:
##
0##
###
A###
B###
Model B:
C#
C##
C###
####
Silver Hawaiian:
D#
D##
D###
Model 59:
E#
E#
E##
E###
E#### While these numbers do not date the instruments precicely, I think they help clarify the chronology. My 3 frypans have two digit serial numbers. (See my post above). The earliest is an A25 (s/n 28) with "Electro" engraved in the headstock. It is identical to Scotty's A25 (s/n 26). They both have the prototype pickup with very thick magnets. The two digit serial numbers must therefore be the earliest range.
It follows logically that the three digit numbers followed that. The frypans I've seen that begin with A or B are the latest prewar models, and some of these had crinkle black or ivory finishes. I think Rick Aiello has a crinkle finish A25 with an A or B serial number. Hopefully he will verify or refute this. He knows a lot about these fine instruments. |
Ron Whitfield
Member From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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posted 05 June 2006 01:38 PM
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Keoki, after lunch I'll post up about my long deceased friend Richard Choy 'The Banjo King' per your inquiery.
Cool guy (to me anyway...) |
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