Immediately after I purchase the joker iIll need to buy the Ribbecke Four Elements Wind arch top for $999,033 and then the Ribbecke "The Tree" Electric at $999,998. The Joker is cheap compared to those.

Quote from: hammer on December 14, 2020, 06:12:50 PM
Immediately after I purchase the joker iIll need to buy the Ribbecke Four Elements Wind arch top for $999,033 and then the Ribbecke "The Tree" Electric at $999,998. The Joker is cheap compared to those.

I saw those. There are two others at the same price. I'm thinking that price has to be a placeholder.

I don't know about being placeholders. they are from THE TREE 🌲

price update:

888,938.88
+$350Shipping
Predicted to Sell Soon
Only 1 available and6 other people have this in their carts

if you'd jumped when it was first listed, you could've saved $50 USD, don'tcha know.

Well, I speak only for myself, but I am only interested in discussing the guitar... this world is full of strange folks. I know, because I'm one of 'em.

The guy has something very unusual, probably unique, and the price is just a number. I don't think he honestly expects to get it. Probably doesn't know what to realistically ask for the thing. I do think the instrument is FOR SALE. It would be more easily saleable if one knew what it was. Which is part of his problem... he doesn't know for sure. And nobody who wants that kind of guitar is going to shell out five figures (much less six) for a guitar they can't authenticate. I read the old posts and ads... he's talked everybody to hell and gone that should know, with the notable exception being Alembic, (and for all I know he may have talked to them too, still came up empty-handed) and posted their replies. They all shrugged and said something to the effect of; wudden me, go ask so-and-so. Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead connection, how? Other than obviously being built by someone well-schooled in California luthiery of the early 1970's. Tailpiece inscription says "Custom made for John Cale". If it was referring to the same person, that was Velvet Underground. Slightly different band. Unless I missed it, not even mentioned this time. Why?

Like I said - I'm only interested in learning about the guitar. I want to know more about it. It's like, the fourth or fifth time we've seen it here, and still it is a total mystery.

QuoteThe guy has something very unusual, probably unique, and the price is just a number. I don't think he honestly expects to get it. Probably doesn't know what to realistically ask for the thing

i'm with ya 100% on this one.  it's obviously a very unique piece and probably has many stories to tell.  what i object to is the hucksterism and name-dropping to make it larger than life in hopes of hooking a sucker. the $888K+ price is certainly eye-catching. over the last year, there's been a small parade of very questionable over-priced high-end instruments up for sale.  i didn't really pay too much attention to it until i was in the market earlier this year for an upgraded instrument and had to wade my way through pages of this kind of crap.  it was my contention then that if you really want to see what the market value of something is, put it up for sale in a no-reserve auction and let the masses decide.  that's how i sold my last bass and i did OK, but i was prepared to take my lumps.  apparently that mode of thinking has gone out of style.

so yeah, it's a really cool guitar (this coming from a bass guy).  but absent any verifiable provenance, maybe it's worth a couple of grand.  maybe it's time for the seller to face reality.  good luck with that.  otherwise it makes an entertaining target for the nattering nabobs of negativity (of which i'm a card-carrying member).

Hey, come on, this guitar has 'Providence' (not provenance). It would of course be very providential for the seller if it sold for the asking price. Personally I would love to find a guitar like this, at an estate sale, for a couple thousand bucks.

I imagine if the seller dropped the 2 left-most 8s, it'd sell in a heartbeat (drop all 3 that side of the comma & I'd buy it today, domestic tranquility be damned!)

Peter

Only updating to offer that this isn't a Brian Smith/Hyak so check that one off the list.

Thanks for the input, Mica. Those wood backplates and the general headstock shape made me wonder if it was an early evolution of his work. What an oddity.

well whatever happened, it's all moot now:

$945,000
+$600Shipping
Listing Suspended

first time i've seen an asking price go up over time, shipping as well.

So long Joker, whatever you are, whence-ever you came... see you again some other time. I reckon about 2023. 

There's a post from someone on the "Alembic Musical Instruments Fanpage" with lots of pictures, asking if anyone knows anything about it. Rick Turner responded, suggesting it may have been made by Alan Thompson, but only because he and a few other people have eliminated anyone else. Can't link to it and it's a closed group.

Turners reply was interesting including the information that said Mr. Thompson apparently has a reputation for "finding" parts with which to build his guitars from the companies for which he formally worked and that since he has passed away there really isn't going to be a definite answer to the question "did you build this and for whom" unless witchcraft is involved.

The modular pickup section is intriguing.