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2004 Lehmann Eclipse - Price Check and Upcoming Sale
This Lehmann Eclipse has been my only guitar for nearly two decades, but I’m preparing to sell it and would appreciate the forum’s help determining a fair price. Interested buyers are also welcome to contact me.
The reason for selling is primarily pickup compatibility. The DeArmond pickup I have used with it appears to have developed a wiring problem and needs to be repaired or replaced. I have removed it from the guitar, and it will be included loose and as-is. I’m not certain of the exact DeArmond model.
My intended replacement was a Pêche à la Mouche pickup, but this guitar does not provide enough string-to-fingerboard clearance near the end of the fingerboard. That compatibility issue - not a problem with the guitar’s sound - is what ultimately prompted the sale.
The guitar was recently serviced by a professional luthier, who performed several minor repairs and completed a full setup. The following measurements reflect the guitar after that work:
- Fret height: approximately .035" across most of the fingerboard, with some minor variation
- Low-E action at the 12th fret: approximately 2.78 mm (7/64")
- High-E action at the 12th fret: approximately 2.58 mm (just under 7/64")
There is a professionally repaired crack in the back. The repair has remained stable and, to the best of my knowledge, has caused no functional or playability issues. The original brass tailpiece broke and was replaced with a tin tailpiece by Bernie Lehmann himself.
Lehmann’s current Model Eclipse specifications can be found here: https://www.lehmannstrings.com/gypsy-models The current Eclipse has a base price of $5,550. This guitar was built in 2004, however, and I don’t know precisely how its construction or specifications differ from the current model. I therefore don’t want to imply that all of the current specifications necessarily apply to this instrument.
I bought the guitar used in 2008 for $2,400 - roughly $3,700 in 2026 dollars. I mention that only as historical context, rather than as a claim about its present market value. Because there are so few used Lehmann Eclipses available for comparison, I’d be grateful for opinions about a fair present-day asking price, taking into account the pickup’s condition, repairs, and replacement tailpiece.
[Location: DC Area]
[Includes a lightweight molded hard case; exact shell material unknown.]
[I will be adding photographs shortly]
I’m happy to provide additional measurements, detailed photographs, or a playing sample.
Comments
Just my opinion: it's pretty hard to sell GJ guitars right now, even by some of the more predominant makers. And hard as well to put a value on them. If you look around a lot of luthier made guitars are going for not too much money.
Getting it into people's hands helps, I think, and you're near to a lot of great players.
Personally when I don't know the value of something, I do a slow reverse auction, pricing something relatively but reasonably high and dropping the price slowly. But that can also lead to "why hasn't anyone bought this" syndrome where having something sitting for sale online leads people to believe there's something wrong with it.
Without excessive knowledge, I don't think $2400 is an insane price to try for, either too high or too low but I could be entirely wrong.
Just my opinion.
It's a nice sounding guitar. As one guy told me once, something is worth as much as the market is willing to pay. My approach usually asking myself what is my absolute bottom line. When I was selling my old car a friend suggested to start with the dream price and lower every so often until I start getting offers. Once the pickup is repaired, fiingers crossed, it will be an appealing guitar: nice sound, comfortable, versatile and gig ready.