What About These Rickys?

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 26 Sep 2010 6:49 am

Rickenbacker S100 100 102?

The history page:

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/rick.html#ricklaps

doesn't even mention them.

I found one wit the "H" in Rickenbacher.

Do they have "that" sound?

thx

bob

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 27 Sep 2010 2:09 am

Bob, Yes they sound great.

Here's a video of me playing mine. I'm explaining a tuning to a friend. The guitar is plugged into a small Gibson Les Paul Goldtone amp and any distortion is from the cheap camera. If you ever come this way, stop by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM0Skxk-FM8

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 5:54 am

Danny Bates wrote:Bob, Yes they sound great.

Here's a video of me playing mine. I'm explaining a tuning to a friend. The guitar is plugged into a small Gibson Les Paul Goldtone amp and any distortion is from the cheap camera. If you ever come this way, stop by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM0Skxk-FM8

Thanks, Danny

That's a nice video! What tuning?

Yours is like this one?:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

Do they sound at all like the Bakelite ones? Pickup being the same, etc?

thx

bob

PS: I'd like to hear a non-distorted clip

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 27 Sep 2010 6:59 am

Bob, I guess mine's a Model 105. It has beveled sides and originally came with an amp as a student set.

Here's the thread where I bought it from Fred Shannon..

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

Here's the thread where I talk about the tuning...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

BTW Bob, If you stop by, you can compare it to my '35 and '60 Bakelites.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 7:14 am

Thanks, Danny

Still trying to find where these "planks" fit into the Ricky history. Looks like a reasonable way to get that sound w/o going all out for a Bakelite or Silver Hawaiian?

thx

bob

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 27 Sep 2010 7:23 am

That one "fits in" the late 50's...

It will sound great but it looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick.

If your looking for a more wooden sound with less sustain (like every other wooden steel guitar on the planet) then it's better than the Bakelite. Sometimes less sustain is your friend.

The reason I say this is because the horseshoe pickup is pretty dang hard to beat.

Personally, I feel Bakelite is the best "tone wood" for lap steel.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 7:43 am

What, you don't like the Granite look? I thought Granite was "in"

bob

Danny Bates wrote:That one "fits in" the late 50's...

It will sound great but it looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick.

If your looking for a more wooden sound with less sustain (like every other wooden steel guitar on the planet) then it's better than the Bakelite. Sometimes less sustain is your friend.

The reason I say this is because the horseshoe pickup is pretty dang hard to beat.

Personally, I feel Bakelite is the best "tone wood" for lap steel.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 27 Sep 2010 7:49 am

Yes Bob, Granite keeps you "in" .... Folsom Prison!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 27 Sep 2010 9:05 am

According to Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, the 100 series of lap steels was introduced starting in 1955 and discontinued in 1971.

The Model 105 I owned had a good sound, but it was nowhere near the sound of the Bakelite Rickenbackers.

Later models did not have the horseshoe pickup. I haven't played one of those models, so I can't say how they sound.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 10:45 am

Brad Bechtel wrote:According to Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, the 100 series of lap steels was introduced starting in 1955 and discontinued in 1971.

The Model 105 I owned had a good sound, but it was near the sound of the Bakelite RIckenbackers.

Later models did not have the horseshoe pickup. I haven't played one of those models, so I can't say how they sound.

Brad,

Did you mean *not* near the Bakelite sound?

thx

bob

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 27 Sep 2010 1:50 pm

Yeah, I meant "nowhere near the sound". Edited the above to make it say what I was thinking.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 2:44 pm

Brad Bechtel wrote:Yeah, I meant "nowhere near the sound". Edited the above to make it say what I was thinking.

Better than my Magnatone (hidden pickup model) that I own? Or just different?

I actually think the Maggy sounds pretty darn cool!

bob

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 27 Sep 2010 7:08 pm

Thing is, there is just nothing like a bakelite!!

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 27 Sep 2010 8:35 pm

Bill Creller wrote:Thing is, there is just nothing like a bakelite!!

I guess I better just wait, then

bob

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 27 Sep 2010 9:28 pm

Bob, I have a 1935 buttery toned Bakelite which I love dearly, but if you are serious about aquiring one of these guitars there is one negative. They are prone to go out of tune with changes in temperature, so you have to check your tuning between numbers. I suppose we should do that Ric or not. Although they are all great guitars, in hind-sight I would hold out for a seven string, two controls on the audience side; not a six or an eight string. No one will contest the tone of those old 1 and 1/2 inch PUs in a Bakelite body, but as history shows most of the famous players moved away from them for one reason or another. Try to play a couple before you buy.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 28 Sep 2010 1:43 am

The advent of early television, and the heat from the lights they used back then, would heat up a bakelite enough change pitch. That would seem to make folks get different guitars back then.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 28 Sep 2010 5:38 am

The Bakelites weigh a ton too.... but worth every gram.

I love it when friends come over and I sit them down to listen to my '35 Bakelite. It's loud, clean and in stereo with swirling stereo echo and chorus. The full frequency range and dynamics of that instrument is really second to none. I play a few chords and watch their jaws drop.

I'm in the middle of a ton of musical projects right now, but I will capture the next available subjects on video.

Didn't Jimi Hendrix say "Have you ever been experienced?"... Well I have

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 28 Sep 2010 5:58 am

Danny

since you have a bakelite and the model I posted about, what is your comparison? Does the plank even sound like a Ricky at all after hearing the bakelite?

thx

bob

ps: make a u tube a/b

Danny Bates wrote:The Bakelites weigh a ton too.... but worth every gram.

I love it when friends come over and I sit them down to listen to my '35 Bakelite. It's loud, clean and in stereo with swirling stereo echo and chorus. The full frequency range and dynamics of that instrument is really second to none. I play a few chords and watch their jaws drop.

I'm in the middle of a ton of musical projects right now, but I will capture the next available subjects on video.

Didn't Jimi Hendrix say "Have you ever been experienced?"... Well I have

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 28 Sep 2010 6:13 am

Yes Bob, they have that Ric growl. You will never believe it was ever a "student guitar"... If you get a granite one, just strip it before anybody sees it...

I will make you a comparison video... just give me a few (or more) days.

Robbie Daniels · Post by **Robbie Daniels** » 28 Sep 2010 9:38 am

Rickenbacher or Rickenbacker are great steels.
I have a 1939 Silver Hawaiian Rickenbacher that I love. The tone is superb and so easy to play. I am taking it to Joliet next week for the HSGA Convention and will be playing it on stage Friday afternoon.

Kevin Brown · Post by **Kevin Brown** » 28 Sep 2010 9:50 am

Hi Danny, just have to say they are some darn cool notes your playing there buddy, big fat juicy ones too, boy I wish you lived closer, Id be hammering on your door for sure.
Will be checking up on you from here on, made my musical day, many thanks.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 7 Oct 2010 2:30 pm

Sorry it took so long Bob. I just posted a short clip of me playing my Bakelite and my wood Ric into a Gibson Goldtone amp which has no tone controls and the volume set vey low. Hopefully you can hear the difference clearly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ZGfunotN8

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 7 Oct 2010 6:25 pm

Danny Bates wrote:Sorry it took so long Bob. I just posted a short clip of me playing my Bakelite and my wood Ric into a Gibson Goldtone amp which has no tone controls and the volume set vey low. Hopefully you can hear the difference clearly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ZGfunotN8

Thanks, Danny!

I'll be waiting for a Bakelite

Nice playing, too.

thx

bob