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Topic: Help dating Rickenbacher B6 Lap Steel |
Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 9 Jul 2018 6:49 pm |
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Hi, I traded a bass for a Rickenbacher B6 Lap Steel and I'm having a hard time dating it. It's going to be a rebuild because it's missing parts and I might have to rewind the pickup etc. What's got me stumped is the fact that all the pics I've seen with a T-logo on a Panda Lap Steel have what appears to be some kind of harness around the Horse shoe PUP and it looks like the harness has screws that screw into the body of the steel. Same goes for the pics of the "External String Tailpiece end Clamp" which is on the outside according to the pics and is also screwed into the body. The body I have has no screw holes what so ever for any additional outside pup harness or external tailpiece for the strings nor did it have any of the hardware for that. Mine looks like it has the strings through the body type besides no screw holes. I know the T-logo was made between 1946 to 1949. Any help dating and explaining the lack of screw holes for external hardware for my steel would be appreciated. Here are some pics of the lap steel to look at. Maybe it was a replacement neck on an earlier body? Thanks
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 9 Jul 2018 11:19 pm
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What makes it B6?
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 5:33 am
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| I think B6 stands for "bake light 6 strings"? I've never seen an actual "1946 through to 1949 modal", so I was hoping someone who has one could verify for me that the outside pickup harness I've seen in pictures does indeed have screw holes above the pickup cavity etc. |
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Jerry Wagner
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 6:47 am
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| It's been reported previously on the Forum that Rick Bakelites, especially around the WWII era, sometimes have pre-WWII parts combined with post WWII parts. And it's usually a pre-WWII body & pickup combined with a post WWII T-Logo neck. The basic body part is the same, except that post-WWII it was altered after molding to install the 1-1/4" pickup with the surrounding mounting bracket/ tailpiece and separate Bakelite bridge. They ground the integral bridge off the molded body part to do that. The Bakelite formulation & neck design changed after WWII, probably because of too many brittle early necks snapping off at the body. Your Ric is the highly desirable combination of a pre-WWII string-thru body & bigger 1-1/2" pickup combined with the stronger, post-WWII T-Logo neck. And you have unbreakable metal plates. |
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Todd Clinesmith
From:
Lone Rock Free State Oregon
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 6:47 am
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Jesse,
I think the pickup surround ( harness) you are referring to is on later models with the 1.25 horseshoe pickup. Yours is the earlier 1.5 wide shoe. Yours is stock and correct. Those tabs on either side of the pickup are used to mount the pickup to the body of the guitar. I think the screws ( two each tab) should be 6-32 or possibly 5-40 or 4-40 round heads. Do not force a screw in the holes, as if the threads do not line up the bakelite is brittle and can break the threads or even crack the guitar. Someone on here may know the exact screw size, but 6-32 bay 1/4 long is my best guess.
Your guitar also has no tailpiece and is the more sought after string through the body instrument
The pickup mount should have long screw ( 1 3/8 or so) with a spring riding on it. that comes up through the center hole of the pickup mount. This should have a thumb wheel nut.on the upper side. If you do some google searches for bakelite Ricky's or even horseshoe pickups you will see this mounting system on all of the earlier bakelite, steel body and frypan guitars.
B I think is just the model designation letter they gave there second model, which is the Bakelite guitar. There first guitar, the model A, is the Frypan.
I hope this helps.
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Jesse Pearson
From:
San Diego , CA
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 8:24 am
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| Great info. So the molded bridge would have been grounded off if the steel was supposed to have the tailpiece attachment. I only have one of the original pots, it's wasted looking. Does anyone know what replacement pots would be best and what value of caps and or resistors would give that famous Ric moan on a rebuild. Thanks... |
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Jerry Wagner
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 8:54 am
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| The bridge was ground off the T-Logo Rick I have. They may have changed the mold later to eliminate it, but I don't know about that. Forum members with all the skinny on the horse shoe pickups & electronics would be Todd Clinesmith, Rick Aielo, Bill Creller, and Jason Lollar. |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 10 Jul 2018 10:01 am
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| Ian Rae wrote: |
| What makes it B6? |
The original Rickenbacker Hawaiian model - the so-called "frying pan" - was just called the Hawaiian Guitar. After it was supplemented by the Bakelite model about 1935, the aluminum model became the "A" and the newcomer became the "B" just to distinguish them. These letters didn't actually appear in catalogues until the 1940s, though, since the B was initially intended to replace the A as the Hawaiian Guitar.
The number just refers to the strings. |
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