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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:10 pm
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Hi there!

I´m new here on the forum... greetings to everyone.

I was recently able to buy a Fender Robben Ford Signature model (USA Custom Shop, Serial Nr. 018) on an auction.

It´s an amazing guitar, the shape it was in was so-so, but after it got refretted and got the electronics cleaned it works great and sounds and plays (!) amazing. The finish only has very few scratches and such. It came without case, and I don´t think the tone and volume knobs are original. One of them was missing anyway.
It looks a lot like the one alainlafrance got, just in a different colour.

Does anybody know what the market value of this guitar would be?

After playing it for awhile it turns out the sound of the solid mahogany body is maybe not exactly what I was looking for.
As I recently test-drove a Esprit Standard (with Alder body, I believe) I start to think that that sound is more what I´m after.
Unfortunately I didn´t win the following ebay bidding for the Esprit (as I´m still broke from buying the RF)... so on some point in the future maybe I need to sell the RF before buying an Esprit - if I find one, that is.

Anyway, any info is appreciated, and thanks so far for all the information, pictures, links and so on everybody is sharing here!

Greetings

Florian


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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:32 pm
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There's been one of these on my local craigslist for awhile, guy's asking a lot of money but I don't really know what they're worth.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/msg/1774532669.html


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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:06 am
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JasonSD wrote:
There's been one of these on my local craigslist for awhile, guy's asking a lot of money but I don't really know what they're worth.


http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/msg/1774532669.html


Prices have come down, but $1,200 OBO is not a bad price at all even given the well-played condition of the guitar. I saw one hanging on the wall at MAE in Ft. Lauderdale a few years back. They wanted $4,000 !


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:16 am
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Hi there,
I've got a '84 Esprit Standard, beautiful Autumn Burst finish, near mint condition. Yeah!
Image
Image
Image


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:27 am
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Very nice. I hope you enjoy it.

I've come to the realization that I'll probably never have one . . . unless Lotto kicks in.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:03 pm
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The guy still has the one near me on craigslist.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/msg/2149207329.html

It's been for sale for about 8 months. I don't know if his price is too high or maybe there's something wrong with it.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:55 pm
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The condition and the price don't match

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http://www.guitarmotel.com


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Post subject: Re:
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:36 pm
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stratmansteve wrote:
My eBay page is set up to look for the Fender Esprit, but every time something registers it's usually the Squier version. I don't check it so much any more.

How do you know the difference between the real thing and the squier version?

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:31 pm
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Very simply -- the name on the headstock !!


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:36 pm
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stratmansteve wrote:
Very simply -- the name on the headstock !!


Thanks! Simple enough! So the Squires say Squire on them and never say just Fender, I gather.

Why then is there such a big difference in price on the used market? I have seen some as low as 500, and some as high as 2,500?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:03 pm
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The Korean-built Squier version was introduced a few years ago at NAMM (2005?) where people were impressed by the build standard and tone of the new low-priced Squier. Unfortunately, those that went up for sale to the general public had . . . problems. I don't believe Fender ever gave this guitar series a real chance to show what it could do. The Fender version died with the original company. When Fender management bought out the company from CBS in the mid-'80s, the Esprit and the rest of its Master Series siblings were discontinued. The Squier version of a few years ago, suffered from an uneven build quality -- some were pretty good, others were just awful.

If you want to learn more about the original Fender Master Series guitars -- the Esprit, the Flame and the Robben Ford models -- check out this terrific website: http://www.masterseriesguitars.com/


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:08 pm
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stratmansteve wrote:
The Korean-built Squier version was introduced a few years ago at NAMM (2005?) where people were impressed by the build standard and tone of the new low-priced Squier. Unfortunately, those that went up for sale to the general public had . . . problems. I don't believe Fender ever gave this guitar series a real chance to show what it could do. The Fender version died with the original company. When Fender management bought out the company from CBS in the mid-'80s, the Esprit and the rest of its Master Series siblings were discontinued. The Squier version of a few years ago, suffered from an uneven build quality -- some were pretty good, others were just awful.

If you want to learn more about the original Fender Master Series guitars -- the Esprit, the Flame and the Robben Ford models -- check out this terrific website: http://www.masterseriesguitars.com/


But does anyone know why there are such differences in price on the Fender esprit on the used market (ebay, etc)?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:21 pm
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Not sure what you're asking. The Squier new was about $500 while the Fender started at about $2,000 in the mid-'80s. Today the Squiers run $200 to $500 depending upon condition. The Fenders have dropped in price like most vintage guitars have over the last couple of years. Today you would expect to pay $2000 - $3000. Of course, depending upon condition and the rarity of the year/model/color, you could expect to pay more or less than that range.

Does that help?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:28 pm
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Yes, but I have seen the Fender esprit (1985, etc) sell for as low as 700, and as high as 2,000 in the same month on ebay. Strange, right?

What explains that difference. In other words, is there a huge difference in quality from one year to the other, or in the different type of esprits?

I know when they were about done selling them, before the RF model, they sold for very little money.

Were they as much as 2k in the mid 1980s? Or did they run up in value after RF?


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Post subject: Re: Fender Esprit
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:04 pm
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I've never seen one under $1,200 in any condition or certainly I would have looked hard at it. The few listed on eBay at the moment are about where I would expect them to be priced ($2-$3K). The Robben Ford Ultras are the top of the line Master Series guitars and have more cosmetic options including the colors, one of which is the much sought after cherry sunburst.

There are two Fender Flames listed. One is stamped as a factory second in black (not a popular color choice) with dot markers (instead of the MOP block inlays) and requires a bit more work to the electronics to make it right. The finish has scratches, dents and chips. The $1,300 asking price seems reasonable to me. The other has a better finish (still black) and being a "Standard" model it still has dots instead of block markers. Comes with the OHSC, too. Once again, the $1,500 asking price is not out of line for what is being offered.

Model, condition, options determine the value.


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