Anyone check the Elderly site on a regular basis? (S/8 thread)

[chromium]

I obviously don't, and I'm just curious if any of you might have noticed what they were asking for this bass?

http://www.elderly.com/items/55U-2570.htm




It's at a pawn shop nearby me, and before I go check it out I'm just trying to strategize as to what might be a fair offer?  This will be a longshot given what they are asking on Ebay, but ya never know.

[Paul Boyer]

That looks like the old "Ruby" color rather than "Red." An 8-string in great condition should fetch $1800-$2400 I should think. But if it is at a pawn shop, you may be able to negotiate some.

[Bert]

I do look at the elderly page somewhat regularly (I even bought my 4004 BBR there last year). But apparently not regular enough to have noticed this. ;-)

I agree with Paul. I paid 2000 euro myself for my 2000 4003s/8 last year (got it via RRF). Usually what we pay in Euro's you pay in dollars. (2000 here=2000 there)

[gearHed289]

That looks like the old "Ruby" color rather than "Red." An 8-string in great condition should fetch $1800-$2400 I should think. But if it is at a pawn shop, you may be able to negotiate some.

That sounds about right to me on the price. I paid $2225 for my gorgeous FireGlo 4003S/8 about 4 years ago.

Gotta disagree on the color though. Looks way more red than ruby on my monitor.

[Paul Boyer]

The current reintroduced "Ruby" is much darker than some of the earlier version of "Ruby" (available from 1981 to '89). The original color was a clear red over metallic silver, the "candy color" method of producing the deep specular reflections you would see on custom cars. But the real clue is the pairing of the color with the trim. "Red" (which was a solid, non-metallic, fire-engine red) came standard with black trim and hardware. Ruby came standard with white trim and chrome hardware. That said, there are examples of "reverse trim" found for each of those colors: Ruby with black, and Red with white/chrome. But they are rare. RIC charged extra for doing a reverse trim on an order, so not many buyers ordered it. Anyway, these photos (to my eye, anyway) suggest the early version of Ruby – there's a slightly cool, pinkish cast – while Red had a slightly orangey cast. Could be the photos or my monitor. If anyone can examine this example, look for those deep metallic reflections. If you see 'em, say hello to "Ruby"!

[hieronymous]

Interesting to note that the string courses have been reversed - this is the way I prefer and had my S/8 done this way too. Hope you snag it!

[chromium]

Thanks everyone!

I went and checked it out today.  It's definitely a red (opaque red, not a metallic-base-candy-type red).  Its in beautiful shape, but the setup on it was horrendous.  The stings were ~5/8" off the board in the middle register!  I know some folks like high action, but this thing was setup for bow hunting!  

This concerns me knowing that some s8s have neck issues, and this one seems to have changed hands a couple of times.  Without spending some time with the setup, I don't know the extent of what I'd be up against.  You'd figure an almost 20-year-old bass would have its setup reasonably dialed in, and so I took it as a warning sign and left.  I got the feeling I could get the bass in the lower 2k range, but not sure I want to risk it...

Did you folks have any issues getting your s8s setup?  Am I being too paranoid?

[Bert]

I had string order reversed by a luthier ( http://www.guncustoms.nl ) on mine . He also did the setup and I have not had a problem since.

I can not give you advice on the bass you saw. Bad setups can have many reasons including human error, but also neck problems. Can't you tell it has a bad setup to the shop owner and ask if you are allowed to do it right?

[ilan]

I have read many times about bowed necks and maxed out truss rods on S/8s, even with ultra-light strings. In some cases it was repairable, in others - not. You are definitely not paranoid.

[gearHed289]

My S/8 has never had any setup issues whatsoever. I do know of at least one person on the forum who had major issues with theirs though. I'd want to see it set up properly before buying.

[Dave W]

You must be talking about Uwe's. After reading his experiences, there's no way I would even consider one without a thorough checkup. Not that I'd be looking for an 8 anyway.

[dadagoboi]

This it?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170925538270&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

Says there's a 14 day return window.  Maybe he'll do the same for you and you can take it to someone to check out.

[chromium]

Good point, Carlo.  Given how far off the setup is, I don't think this is an adjustment that could be accomplished easily in the store prior to purchase (had a couple basses arrive like this, and it took days of incremental adjustment to dial in). 

They might just be stating that 14-day return window in the auction knowing that they'll have no choice but to take it back in an Ebay sale  .  Trust me, whomever snags this via Ebay will be pissed.  It is nearly unplayable, and there is no mention of that in the auction.

I knew there was a thread somewhere about similar problems!  Found it:
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=2845.msg41415#msg41415

That sounds exactly like this bass - the massive bow in the neck seems to be what is causing the problems.

Part of me wants to give it a go, which might end with me attempting to swap the rods as described there.  The other part of me isn't looking for another project. 

[uwe]

As long as you are ready to swap the truss rods twice, reverse the reg string/octave string sequence, have the neck honed, the fretboard removed and replaced by a thicker one plus have the bridge countersunk into the body - little things really -, these basses are geared to give you a lifetime of reliable, troublefree enjoyment whenever you have half a day to do the necessary small adjustments after not having played them for, say, a week (AND having made the above alterations, of course). That makes playing an 8-string Ric such a special event in any bassist's life, far removed from banal utilitarian routine. Which is why the Ric 8ies have been a consistent seller in Ric's catalogue and immediately seen a replacement model charge new sales peaks after the original one was honorably retired for its continuous, undiluted success.



When it comes to mulit-string basses, one can rely on the fact that the good people of Ric always come up with the optimized solution in the end - after having duly exhausted all other available options in extensive field studies with their customers of course, but then that is an Amercian tradition!  

[eb2]

Cool!  I am always looking for something to do! But I want it to be black.  I mean Jet Glo.