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Trade Rick for G&L?

#21
I own both a Rickenbacker (actually 3) & a G&L ASAT. I love them all & say this with all due respect to all the parties involved:

You could sell the Rick outright & have enough bread for two used G&L's.

Unfortunately G&L resale prices are really low, & Ricks command a premium.
It doesn't make it right....it just is.

Just my two cents...
Good luck to all involved.
 
#22
Maybe I'm poor at Math but I don't really understand the advice all of you seem to be giving. So, help me out here a little bit.

I am finding A LOT of 4003's out there on CL all over the U.S. (unfortunately none in my area currently).

Here are a few:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for $1425

and

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for $1700

and

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for $1550

and

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for $1250

and

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for $1600

Average these out, and you get $1505. Note that almost every one of these claims to be mint, and most of them are newer than the one under consideration for trade. Perhaps I didn't make it clear before, but I plan to gig the hell out of this instrument, just like my '76 P. I don't want a museum piece and don't feel like I should pay for a museum piece. Axtman's Rickenbacker is, by his own admission, not as nice as his other Ric, and has a fair amount of finish peeling/flaking of the finish around the neck joint. I have yet to see it in person, and am eager to do so, but my understanding is, it is less than pristine, which for me is preferable. My G&L IS more or less pristine, with under 20 hours playing time on it in the last 9yrs, fresh strings and a nice setup.

So if we assume that the mid-90's Ric in question is worth more towards the 1250 end of that $1500 average, then we end up with a $100-300 gap to make up between the perceived value of the RIC vs the G&L. G&L hasn't changed the L-2500 in any appreciable way in the last 9 years and certainly neither has Rickenbacker. So if you were to order a new G&L through someplace local like BassNW you'd pay at least $1400 for it, possibly more depending on your options. Add the 9.0% sales tax here and you're looking at ~$1525.
If I give him some cash on top with my bass, he gets a nicely optioned, beautiful bass, with cash in his pocket and doesn't lay out any additional cash for tax, and comes out with extra money. What does spending money on a newer G&L garner him?

I get the whole "maximizing your dollars selling the Ric" line of thinking, but this isn't a perfect 4003.

Am I asking something unfair here?
-Ross
 
#23
The Ric doesn't have to be " perfect". Unless it is destroyed it is worth much more than that G&L and unlike the G&L, the Ric will continue to appreciate in value.


Dude, if you want to know what your Ric is worth, go to the RRF and find out. I'm pretty sure whoever said you could buy 2 of those G&Ls for what you can sell that Ric for wasn't far off.
 
#24
HEy I am all about the touchy feely "whatever works best for you" answer, but lets be evil capitalists for a minute. DOn't rip yourself off. If you need a kazoo because it speaks to you on some spiritual level, fine, but trade a $15-$1800 bass for one. There is a prevailing opinion these days that economics are some dead language of a bygoen era, but money talks. For all the world i don't think anyone on here will come in tomorrow braggin about unloading a Fodera for MIM P bass just becasue they like the feel of it better.
 
#27
wyldryce,
Thats the beauty of the system. The terms need only be agreable to the parties involved. However, even a little road worn, a Ric generally is worth a bit more than a G&L. 500 on top does sound a bit much to me, but i could see 200 + or - depending on the damage (since relicing is seldom viewed as a value adding feature) from what you have described. Browsing for G&Ls as I was doing recently indicatedto me that 1150 was a little on the high side for a standard L 2500, but not completley out of line. Either way, as you were saying, we who posted are talking averages, not the specific basses in question. On the average, he'd be taking a hit to do a straight swap.
 
#29
No problem, I hate coming across as a jack off so I wanted to clarify my position and I think most of the others. I have done a lot of trading over the last few months and what I have come to realize is that you "pay" a premium in lost value over a sale, but I view that as compensation for not having ot turn around and search for the bass I want. And as always, the devil is always in the details on "value" anyway.
 
#30
And hey man, I bought my G&L brand new....love the bass, but do expect to take a hit if I ever sell it. I hope it didn't feel like any of us were 'piling on'. I think we were all just trying to explain the economics of the situation - or at least our perception.

A wiser man than me once said, "a bass is worth whatever the other guy is willing to pay for it."
 

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