80's Ibanez Roadstar II- value?

[CrackityJones]

Hi.
I'm trying to find out value of an 80's sunburst Ibanez Roadstar II as I need to finance an amp and cab I've seen. A friend said he saw one similar on ebay which went for around £450 a couple of years back. Does that sound close? Serial no is B844062 and it's in good condition. Pictures to follow...


Thanks.

Edited February 27, 2010 by CrackityJones

[geoffbyrne]

I might be totally wrong here, but sounds about £200 high to me....

No doubt Jon will correct me almost instantly!!

G.

[Grand Wazoo]

I've seen one in good nick going for £400 on the bay

[Musky]

[quote name='bass5' post='757674' date='Feb 25 2010, 10:30 PM']I've seen one in good nick going for £400 on the bay[/quote]

Someone [i]asking[/i] for £400 or [i]selling[/i] for £400?

To the OP - I think the Roadstars came in a variety of incarnations, which I should have thought would affect the selling price.

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='Musky' post='757691' date='Feb 25 2010, 10:55 PM']Someone [i]asking[/i] for £400 or [i]selling[/i] for £400?

To the OP - I think the Roadstars came in a variety of incarnations, which I should have thought would affect the selling price.[/quote]

I was watching one on ebay and I wanted to put a bid in but it sold for £400 +£15 postage, some bloke in Shropshire.

[Bassassin]

Pics please - there was more than one sort of Roadstar and there were changes over the life of the model. All I know with any certainty about yours is the age - it was made in February 1984.

This is a vintage Japanese bass & values equate very specifically to what any one individual is willing to pay at a given time - but having said that, £450 seems a tad on the wildly optimistic side.

So let's see it, eh?

Jon.

[Musky]

[quote name='bass5' post='757787' date='Feb 26 2010, 01:31 AM']I was watching one on ebay and I wanted to put a bid in but it sold for £400 +£15 postage, some bloke in Shropshire.[/quote]

Blimey.

Though like Jon suggests, prices fetched on ebay can vary wildly. And that one leaves be slightly baffled. :

[nick]

Whatever it's worth, it's still a nice, quality bass you've got there.
It is model RB924CS - big brother of my RB920BS.

I remember Will Sinnott of The Shamen & Chris Layhe of Icicle Works using them back in the day.

[Bassassin]

That's a lovely bass. Hard to be specific about price but there's an '84 RB750 - which is essentially the same bass only black with red binding & 21 frets - up for £175 on my local ScumTree & not shifting. I think things might be a bit different on Ebay, which is full of JapCrap hounds, but I haven't seen an Ibby of this spec/era on there for a while, so I couldn't really guess what it might do.

FWIW I hope someone buys that RB750 soon - before I start to convince myself I can afford / justify it...

J.

[Guest MoJo]

Crap....crap....and triple crap.....I want this so much but don't have any spare cash. I had a marine blue burst RB950 and seriously wish I'd never sold it. Someone on BC has it at the moment.....I sold it for a little over £200 a couple of years ago. It looks as though yours has the same pick-up/control arrangement with a push pot to change between single coil and humbucker on each pick-up. There was hardly a bass tone that you couldn't get out of it.....why oh why did I sell it????

[Guest MoJo]

Here she is weep weep....sob sob....

[attachment=43660:Ibanez_001.jpg]

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='758973' date='Feb 27 2010, 11:34 AM']That's a lovely bass. Hard to be specific about price but there's an '84 RB750 - which is essentially the same bass only black with red binding & 21 frets - up for £175 on my [b][color="#FF0000"][size=4][i]local ScumTree[/i][/size][/color][/b] & not shifting. I think things might be a bit different on Ebay, which is full of JapCrap hounds, but I haven't seen an Ibby of this spec/era on there for a while, so I couldn't really guess what it might do.

FWIW I hope someone buys that RB750 soon - before I start to convince myself I can afford / justify it...

J.[/quote]


Which City is this?

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bassman2790' post='759016' date='Feb 27 2010, 12:12 PM']Which City is this? [/quote]

Edinburgh. I could possibly check it out for you, but the problem is I'm away for a week, starting next week, so there's not much of a chance right now!

If it's still there when I come back I could drop the guy a note, if you're interested.

J.

[Guest MoJo]

I've had a quick squint and it doesn't look half bad.....why is everything I want in Scotland? .... lol

Yeah, I'd appreciate that mate. Thanks for the (unitentional) heads-up

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bassman2790' post='759108' date='Feb 27 2010, 02:03 PM']I've had a quick squint and it doesn't look half bad.....why is everything I want in Scotland? .... lol

Yeah, I'd appreciate that mate. Thanks for the (unitentional) heads-up[/quote]
I'm guessing what you want isn't a decent 300w+ light-ish rig / 2x10 combo for sensible money then - they're all in Bristol!

If it's still up when I'm back we can sort summat out - I'm quite keen to get a (guilt-free) look at it anyway.

J.

[CrackityJones]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='757977' date='Feb 26 2010, 10:55 AM']Pics please - there was more than one sort of Roadstar and there were changes over the life of the model. All I know with any certainty about yours is the age - it was made in February 1984.

This is a vintage Japanese bass & values equate very specifically to what any one individual is willing to pay at a given time - but having said that, £450 seems a tad on the wildly optimistic side.

So let's see it, eh?

Jon.[/quote]

Thanks for all input. Have uploaded some more pics. If I can get £350, I can go for amp and cab I've seen. Need to keep me flight case, so what's best way of sending a beast like this across the water? (I'm in Northern Ireland).

Cheers.

Sean.

[Musky]

See if you can pick up some boxes from your local music shop. Ideally you'll want a large rectangular one and one of the triangular ones to fit inside. Sometimes they're happy to let you have them but some do seem to get a bit funny about the idea of people using their boxes to trade on ebay. In which case check out their rubbish collection day and get there after they've put their stuff out for collection.

Removing the neck prior to shipping opens up your options for packaging considerably though. And bear in mind that some couriers won't insure if it isn't in a hard case, so check their T&C's.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='Musky' post='759783' date='Feb 28 2010, 02:28 PM']Removing the neck prior to shipping opens up your options for packaging considerably though. And bear in mind that some couriers won't insure if it isn't in a hard case, so check their T&C's.[/quote]
I'd always recommend neck-off if it's a bolt-on. Much less to get smashed.

Which raises an interesting question regarding couriers & insurance. ParcelFarce, for example, won't insure instruments over £150, and then it has to be in a hard case - which the insurance doesn't cover. So if you take off the neck, strings, neckplate, screws - it's a box of parts, not an instrument. Loophole?

When I post a bass or guitar I go to my local Lidl & blag a bunch of those heavy-duty fruit box/tray things. When I get 'em home I modify them to make parts of one big box & stick them together with a hot glue gun. The instrument's thoroughly bubblewrapped & packed into the box with newspaper/expanded polystyrene/whatever so it can't shift, & the box is sealed up around it then gaffertaped to buggery.

I've posted about 40 guitars & basses packed like this & it seems pretty much indestructible. Touch wood.

J.

[Chris2112]

Those old Ibanez basses are very cool, very much underrated IMO...but £450 is very, very optimistic. Given that I recall a Warwick Thumb selling on her for £500 recently, you see what £500 can get you now!

[Malc62]

Ah, the RB924! This is the bass I regret selling, but I'd be surprised if you got anywhere near £450 for it, even for one in as good nick as yours. I understand they're collectable, so I'm sure you'll get a buyer. Could well have been me if it wasn't for dental bills.

[Lorne]

[quote name='Malc62' post='761159' date='Mar 1 2010, 08:37 PM']Ah, the RB924! This is the bass I regret selling, but I'd be surprised if you got anywhere near £450 for it, even for one in as good nick as yours. I understand they're collectable, so I'm sure you'll get a buyer. Could well have been me if it wasn't for dental bills.[/quote]


Same here,except I cannot remember selling mine,Identical to the OP's bass,If I didn't have to pay for my Widow bass' refurb and Ironbird's custom hardcase,I would be after this one,alas money fails to appear

[CrackityJones]

[quote name='Musky' post='759783' date='Feb 28 2010, 02:28 PM']See if you can pick up some boxes from your local music shop. Ideally you'll want a large rectangular one and one of the triangular ones to fit inside. Sometimes they're happy to let you have them but some do seem to get a bit funny about the idea of people using their boxes to trade on ebay. In which case check out their rubbish collection day and get there after they've put their stuff out for collection.

Removing the neck prior to shipping opens up your options for packaging considerably though. And bear in mind that some couriers won't insure if it isn't in a hard case, so check their T&C's.[/quote]

Well being newish to the bass game, I'd never have thought of removing the neck. But it makes a lot of sense I suppose, as long as I don't damage the poor bugger in the process...

I'm a drummer by profession who set up his own Motown band to play bass after hearing "For once in my life", and being completely blown away by Jamersons beautiful and melodic bass lines. Plus, growing up listening to Willy Weeks playing on Donny Hathaway Live made me realise that I should really follow my heart and be a bass man! I am now addicted to moving air, although getting gigs in Northern Ireland is hard work if Chasing cars and Whiskey in the jar ain't in your set! Playing a MIJ Precision at the mo (50th anniversary model, so made in 2001??), and although I love the Ibanez, can't afford to upgrade from my Warwick CL combo otherwise. Oh well...

Sean

Edited March 2, 2010 by CrackityJones

[Bbell]

I wonder when did Ibanez change the truss rod adjustment hole of this model from heel to nut (or vice versa)? In all catalogue pictures I have found it is near the heel.

[Steve_nottm]

[quote name='bassman2790' post='758998' date='Feb 27 2010, 12:02 PM']Crap....crap....and triple crap.....I want this so much but don't have any spare cash. I had a marine blue burst RB950 and seriously wish I'd never sold it. Someone on BC has it at the moment.....I sold it for a little over £200 a couple of years ago. It looks as though yours has the same pick-up/control arrangement with a push pot to change between single coil and humbucker on each pick-up. There was hardly a bass tone that you couldn't get out of it.....why oh why did I sell it????[/quote]

just to let you know that she's fine. Gigged with me a few times and always sounded great. Got some good comments on the look as well. Very nice bass , and I'm looking after her well.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='Steve_nottm' post='779046' date='Mar 18 2010, 07:43 PM']just to let you know that she's fine. Gigged with me a few times and always sounded great. Got some good comments on the look as well. Very nice bass , and I'm looking after her well.[/quote]

That's good to know....thank you

(Was really hoping you'd said.....Can't get on with it, do you want to buy it back?)

Edited March 18, 2010 by bassman2790