I own an early Waterford Rivendell in very very good condition. These photos tell me that this is one of them. Mine is also 753 tubing used on the earlier models and yes it has the Waterford decal on the left chainstay.
The 753 tubing was kind of special and my concerns would be for the amount of rust you see on the seat tube. I wonder if the structural integrity of that tube has already been compromised. So far the price is pretty decent. I would like to hear from some 753 aficionados on the list to either add to or detract from my assertion.
In other words, is 753 thinner or maybe prone to corrosion more than lets say 531?
A side note, my Riv like many of my bikes uses the crossed cables under the downtube for the derailleurs. Under certain situations when I hit a bump the cable strikes the dowtube and make a ring that is both beautiful and sweet. It is right on pitch and for that reason I have not tried to dampen it. They must use 753 when making chimes.
Ray Homiski
Elizabeth, NJ USA