Vintage Iceman - Any thoughts?

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Author Message   B5erik Username: B5erik Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 10:00 pm:    I've pretty much decided that I'm going to collect vintage (1970's & early 80's) Ibanez guitars, and one of my favorite models is the Iceman. I've got a mid 90's IC300 - and it just isn't what I want. I like the balance and feel of the Iceman, but the bridge isn't very good and I want a set neck & the "antique violin" brownburst finish. (Of course, I'd love a PS10 - but that's probably a bit out of my price range, unless someone is willing to look at me as a charity case and sell one to me for less than they could get on the open market...) I kind of like the old style tailpiece on the 2663 - I'd love to get one of those. What are the thoughts about classic Iceman models among the Ibanez enthusiasts here?   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 10:09 pm:    B5erik: You should contact Mark Hartman. He has an Iceman-centric website. http://vintageibanez.tripod.com/main.html   Flatbag Username: Flatbag Registered: 09-2004 Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 4:59 am:    My 78 IC400 is definitely my current favourite, with competition from 2345 (SG Custom), 2387DX (Flying V) and a real nice Profile LP Custom. The Super 80s are better to my ears than Super 70s, just seem to saturate better while keeping character in the tone. I've just bought a hand built amp (keep an eye out for Ledford all you Aussies), which has quite high gain, the Super 80s in the Iceman clean up the nicest when rolling back the guitar volume.   Skybone Username: Skybone Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 11:01 am:    B5erik, Like you, I had a mid 90's IC300 Iceman as well, but lusted after a set neck 70's model. Anyway, I managed to find a set neck '78 IC200 on eBay, with the original case, but without the original pickups and nut (someone had done the "period upgrade" to DiMarzio's and had a brass nut fitted) as well as a lot of "playing wear", and a surprisingly thin neck, sort of like a "thin taper". It balances really well (unlike the 90's IC300's!), and plays great too. I've put some modern "vintage" flavoured pickups in because I hated the DiMarzio's, but the brass nut's staying. Great guitars! FWIW, I've just picked up a 2005 IC400BK, and basically it is a pretty accurate replica of the late 70's IC200 (except the finish). Mark's site is a must   B5erik Username: B5erik Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 11:55 pm:    Yeah, I've checked Mark's website out several times. It is a great site. I both love it and hate it - I love it because it's got almost all the info I could want about the Iceman, including a lot of great photos - but I hate it because it just makes me want a 70's model all that much more! I'm just going to have to keep looking for one. Right now I've got 2 guitars I'm looking for, but only enough money for one of them - a 2619, and the 70's Iceman like I detailed above. Whichever I find first in good condition finds a new home with me.   Skybone Username: Skybone Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 10:28 am:    Good luck in your search! I'd love a 70's IC400 with the maple cap, but the only one I've seen is in a shop and they're asking far too much for it (and have been for the last 6 years!). They do come up for sale, just have to keep your eyes open and let everyone here know!   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 8:37 am:    This IC400 has a lot of bids, but I don't see the more faimiliar ICW usernames. Anybody see it? http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI .dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7406066016   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 8:26 pm:    John, Bit pricey eh ? I have a '79 I think I paid less than $700 for not to long ago.....   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 9:05 pm:    DAve: Pricey? I agree, it bidding reached $2,025.00 and it still didn't meet the reserve. If it were mine, I'd have sold it for a lot less than that! Somedays the prices just don't make sense.   B5erik Username: B5erik Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 10:47 pm:    I wanted to bid on the one last week that went for $750 - but I was at work when it ended and I couldn't get ahold of anyone to bid for me. Bummer. As far as the one that ended today, the seller is aiming a bit too high. I think he was basing his price/reserve off the PS10's that have been selling for $2000 - $3000 lately. The standard IC400's, etc, have been going for far less (although this one clearly went for more - and still didn't meet the reserve). With so many classic Ibanez models that I'm looking for it may take a year or three for me to be able to pick up a 70's AV Iceman - but it will be worth the wait!   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 8:33 am:    The question I have is why would Jesusinaballcap (interesting username for a KISS fan) and Slatlaw154 fight it out from $1065.00 to $2025.00 for a guitar that most would value at half that. Both appear to be legitimate buyers (Slatslaw154 recently bought a 2004 Gibby Firebird for $1400.00). And why would the seller not be happy with that? What am I missing here?   Bobzilla Username: Bobzilla Registered: 02-2005 Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 2:37 pm:    GREED?   Strings Username: Strings Registered: 01-2005 Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 6:29 pm:    Email him and ask...then you can judge him if you really feel it is necessary.   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 12:01 am:    Strings: Are you saying that my questioning the results of the auction is judging the seller?   Sixvsix Username: Sixvsix Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 5:44 am:    I'm with John. Look, take a peek at the response notes left by him at the bottom of the auction. If he was hoping to get over $2000 for a $700 guitar you'ld think he would have been a bit more talkative and would have given some decent answere's to the questions. six   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 9:14 am:    Guys: I want to take a second here to make sure that my questioning the results of the auction are not construed as negatively "judging" the seller. Maybe it was Bob's response that makes my question appear to have another motive? But please read my message over. I was careful to state that the bidders appeared to be legitimate, not shill bidders. And I respect that a seller has the absolute right to sell (or not) his merchandise for whatever he wants. I'm not trying to police other people's auctions, just understand what the "market" is doing. What I was hoping to get was some reason why this guitar was worth so much more than the consensus of this forum, which is usually very close on value guesstimates. Another Iceman fan was willing to pay $1400 as a BIN. This is considerably more than $700.00. Even so, the real bidding war started at $1600.00 and escalated to $2025.00. Yet this still didn't make the seller happy. Is the fact that you are getting an extra pickup and all the original tags worth the extra hundreds? Is this guitar that rare?   Flatbag Username: Flatbag Registered: 09-2004 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 10:35 am:    I'm not sure I would call it a bidding war that started at $1600, most of those bids were done in a short timespan by jesus, obviously hoping to break the reserve. As for price, I can't say I've seen more than two 70's IC400s in the last 12 months (including this one), I check in for completed worldwide listings every month or so. Seen a few of the lower models go for around the $700, but the only other IC400 I've seen finished at around $1800 (aussie). Having said all of that, I don't think the seller will get the amount he's aiming for (he had it BIN $3400 previously), but at the same time I have an identical guitar to it which I would not part with at any realistic price - even though I practically stole it at $350   Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 12:17 pm:    Flatbag: Thanks for the thoughts. I'm still mystified by ebay's reporting system. True, JIABC was banging away for a few days (and then the last few minutes, with apparently no increase in his bid????). But here's what I thought was the last meaningful exchange of bidding: jesusinaballcap $2,025.00 Apr-19-06 07:35:08 PDT slatlaw154 $2,000.00 Apr-19-06 05:26:37 PDT Regarding a previous IC400 auction, it looks like $1800 AUD is about $1350.00 USD. That's consistent with the person who suggested a BIN of $1400.00. So, $700.00 isn't a realistic "market price" for this model/year in this condition. I didn't know that the seller had a BIN of $3400.00. Was that a previous auction?   Jeffsailor Username: Jeffsailor Registered: 01-2004 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 1:30 pm:    Johns, JIABC was probing for the reserve. You can increase your maximum bid without having the current bid price go up as long as two things are true: 1) you are the high bidder 2) The current bid price is at least the defined bid increment higher than the next highest bidder's bid. For example, If the bid increment is $10 and the current bid price is $101 with the next highest bidder at $100, then increasing your maximum bid (to say $150) will actually bump the bid price up to $110. js   Flatbag Username: Flatbag Registered: 09-2004 Posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 - 8:21 pm:    Previous listing with $3400 BIN: http://www.qksrv.net/click-1802666-10381315?loc=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI .dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D7406060835 (item number 7406060835 for those who can't use the ICW link) Regarding the final bids (above $2025) by JIABC, I hadn't noticed that the amounts weren't shown - in Australia we can't put reserves on anything but cars, so I haven't really taken notice how the bid reporting works in this circumstance. Wonder how high he went - based on his bid history he probed at $25 and $50 increments, based on that I guess he went somewhere between $2150 and $2300. Still wouldn't sell mine even at that price   Strings Username: Strings Registered: 01-2005 Posted on Sunday, April 23, 2006 - 5:26 pm:    Sorry John...out for the weekend...no, not at all. I just think that throwing the word "greed" around (Bob) in the same breath as wondering about the price is uncalled for...don't want it for that price...don't buy it. No one calls you CHEAP? for not buyin' it...know what I mean? Sorry for the confusion...   Flatbag Username: Flatbag Registered: 09-2004 Posted on Monday, April 24, 2006 - 5:39 am:    Johns:"If it were mine, I'd have sold it for a lot less than that!" Don't want to come across as attacking in any way here, and I apologise if that's how this comes across. But have you ever owned or played a 78 IC400? As I said above, I wouldn't sell mine for US$2025. Wouldn't consider it except in dire circumstances. And I believe with good reason; I'd be hard pressed to find a replacement guitar at that price which matches the IC400 in terms of feel, sound and - to what is less important to me - looks. *Puts on flame-retardant jacket* I personally hate KISS and bought my Iceman because it was cheap and thought I could turn a modest profit. Then I played it and changed my mind (about onselling). It was after this that I did some research and saw how rare this particular model was (as per ebay listing, 117 made in '78), and saw the other one go for AUD$1800. That didn't change my mind. Neither did this most recent one at US$2025. This is the one guitar that would definitely accompany me from a burning house at risk of personal injury. US$3400? Maybe I'd consider. But I'd be closer to "probably not" than "maybe". Not greedy (and I know that's not your word), just worth more to me than that. As I said at the top though, don't want this to seem abrasive or arrogant, just my point of view, which is obviously similar to the seller on ebay's.

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