Johnny Smith copy on Ebay... Should I...

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Author Message   Cmangeot Username: Cmangeot Registered: 4-2005 Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 3:02 pm:    Hello all. I am certain that everyone is tired of hearing my cry about wanting a big jazz box. The question I have is, is $1600 too much for a 2461NT in good shape w/hsc? Does it sound better/worse than the gb20?   Wildfield Username: Wildfield Registered: 5-2005 Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 4:09 pm:    Wow, that's a nice one. Don't know what it is worth but she is a beauty. I had an Ibanez ES-175 copy in 1986 that was manufactured in 1977 or 78. It played and sounded great although it was a bit on the heavy side. I bought it used for $325 in 1986 and sold it for $500 in 1997. Thought I did pretty well, but now I see models similar to mine that sell for double that on e-Bay. I guess it is supply, demand and whatever the market will bear. It's hard to tell from photos the exact condition, but it does appear to be in pretty good shape. Good luck making your decision.   Sabeking Username: Sabeking Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 8:23 pm:    Yes! Or you can buy buy the FA700 on ebay right now Ebay Item #180115048581 Stacey   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 10:34 pm:    Serial no. K775573 November 1977. Unbelieveable that the owner doesn't know that! Stacey, if the top is indeed a solid carved one, the FA700 is acoustically better, because the 2461NT does NOT have a solid top and certainly not a carved one. I think the built-in normal humbuckers make the FA700 more suitable for bebop than the Johnny Smith floating ones. But it STARTS at $2,200.- and there's no BIN. The owner writes: "It has a non-original (but original appearing) pick guard which has a small crack in it and there is some green tarnishing/corrosion on one of the pickups." I'd ask for some detailed pics of these issues. The corrosion was probably caused by the gassing original pickguard. How bad is that "small crack"? Is $1600.- too much for a 2461NT? My friend's 2461BS, which he traded in some package deal for a Gibson ES-175, is still at the dealer's for MUCH more. But I must say his prices are (almost) always pretty high, at least I think 3,500 euros is more than a bit on the high side. But if you keep young cheese on the shelves long enough, you can sell it as old cheese and ask twice as much for it. Ginger   Sabeking Username: Sabeking Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 7:20 am:    My recently purchased FA510 is not a carved top and I think it does fine acoustically. I do agree Ginger, that a carved top would sound better, however, through an amp, these things sing... If you want a big jazz box, I say, jump on one soon. I believe the prices on these things are only going up, kind of like cheese... Stacey   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 8:26 am:    They are both interesting guitars. Only thing with the FA700 is: you don't know at what price it will END. Only thing you know is: it will be more than $2200.- On the 2461 there's a BIN of $1800.- That is an advantage for the buyer. Ginger   Cmangeot Username: Cmangeot Registered: 4-2005 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 9:38 am:    I definitely would rather the floating pickup, simply due to my propensity towards my 79 GB10. That is why the Johnny Smith excites me. I had a line on an FA800BS yesterday, and the guy said no to $2500. He was kind of a jerk too. So is the concensus that 1600.00 is a good price??   Cmangeot Username: Cmangeot Registered: 4-2005 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 9:50 am:    Oh, BTW Stacey, Your most recent purchase has me VERY jealous. That 510 is amazing!   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 2:22 pm:    The OLD data from Russellw's database: Model No. Description Year Price Condition 2461 L5 Copy (2 Hums) 19xx 1000 9 2461 L5 Copy (2 Hums) 197x 1300 9 2461 L5 Copy (2 Hums) 1977 1455 9 2461 Johnny Smith L5 Copy (2 Hums) 197x 1499 8 2461 L5 Copy (2 Hums) 1976 1695 9 (L-5 is actually inadequate) Add 20% inflation correction. BTW, I noticed that he raised the starting bid and the BIN 50 dollars. So now it's suddenly $1650-1850. I don't get it. What does he want? Ginger   Sabeking Username: Sabeking Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 4:09 pm:    I paid $1600 for my FA510. I would put it in the excellent, not new category. It is a signed guitar. The thing I think is interesting is the pick guard. This one is wood. Is that normal? BTW, Cmangeot, don't be jealous, just buy one... Stacey   Sabeking Username: Sabeking Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 4:18 pm:    Cmangeot, here is another picture... I hope the quality of the picture is good. Stacey   Cmangeot Username: Cmangeot Registered: 4-2005 Posted on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - 6:41 pm:    Hey Stacey, When I find one, I will buy it!!!! Chris   Pgrey Username: Pgrey Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 1:18 am:    Ha! That's my old FA700. The guy didn't even change the wording of my ad! I sold it a week or two ago. If anyone wants info on it, I can give them specifics. The FA700 is twice the guitar that a JS copy is, and I've owned a number of Johnny Smiths. The FA is not a great guitar acoustically (although better than a JS), but I had flats on it. It sounded amazing through the right amp though. What a slimeball. Peter   Jazzzbo Username: Jazzzbo Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 1:57 am:    HOW does the fa700 sound compared to a 2355 es 175 copy type? jazzz   Pgrey Username: Pgrey Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 11:02 am:    Well, I overreacted; it was late and I had someone buy an amp from me the other day after giving me a song and dance about how he'd always been looking for one, blah, blah, blah, and the next morning it was on e-bay. I apologize - the buyer's not a slimeball. Mea Culpa and all that. The guitar is amazing though. Peter

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