My Rickenbacker Project completed - scroll down

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 31 Jan 2014 7:15 pm

I started on this today and will post photos as I go. My wife wants me to paint it pink when I'm done fixing it but I'd rather stick to some original factory color. What colors did they make these things?

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 18 Feb 2014 7:54 am

After removing all of the old finish I discovered the wood had not split at the end. The body was made from two pieces of wood that came apart at the glue joint. This made it a little simpler to reglue. Just a matter of cleaning out the old glue, add glue and clamp. I still had the chip of wood that fell out and that went neatly back into place.

The body was in rough shape with numerous scratches, dings, dents, and splits. My goal was to sand off as little wood as possible so it meant regluing and then using lots of wood filler. After sanding to 600 grit, I sprayed three coats of Hi-Build sandable primer, sanding with 600 grit between each coat and again after the final coat.

Next step will be to spray a smooth primer, sand to 1200 grit and then spray the color. Haven't decided on the color yet.

Lots of work still ahead cleaning up the metal parts.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 18 Feb 2014 1:58 pm

The Rickenbacker 100 series of lap steels were offered in a speckled black and white finish, a light silver or gray finish, a Fireglo red finish, and a natural finish.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 18 Feb 2014 2:11 pm

At this point this leaves me with the choice of either silver gray or Fireglo Red if I want it to look original. If I'm keeping it for my own use, I don't suppose the color matters. My wife showed me a color patch of "Purple Passion" and said that's what she wants it painted. Now I must decide if an original color Rickenbacker is worth more than a happy wife.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 18 Feb 2014 2:49 pm

No color in the world is worth more than a happy wife....just sayin'

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 18 Feb 2014 3:52 pm

Rick Barnhart wrote:No color in the world is worth more than a happy wife....just sayin'

LoL ... now there is a smart man

Do you have a sample of the purple? I could see a deep and dark purple looking sharp.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 18 Feb 2014 7:13 pm

If you're gonna go purple & pink, it would be downrat criminal to forget the electric lime-green "accents." And sprinkles! Sparkly sprinkles!

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 18 Feb 2014 8:08 pm

Here it is, fast and easy, I won't even have to clean my sprayer after I'm done. Color of cap is color of paint. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/shw-da1688/overview/

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 27 Dec 2015 6:23 pm

Things have been slow in the shop this week so I finally finished up the Rick project. Paid $100 for the lap steel and put $85 more into it. Installed new Kluson tuners and a new acrylic fretboard from Grorgeboards. Replaced the pots and the jack. Now I have something for learning C6th without having to tie up the lap steels I normally use. Regarding the non-standard color, my wife said if I'd paint it "Purple Passion" she wouldn't object to the money I'm spending on building my D-8.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Dec 2015 6:42 pm

Purple Passion! I love it.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 27 Dec 2015 6:45 pm

Duplicolor, available at your favorite auto store. I was surprised it buffed out as well as it did.

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 27 Dec 2015 9:48 pm

Looks good! I'm glad you got a new steel and a happy wife! I had one of those for a little while that was fireglo. I think the purple passion looks better.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 27 Dec 2015 10:54 pm

Looks great! Here's mine in the original red finish:

I love the tone of this model.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 28 Dec 2015 6:52 am

Unfortunately the sound of my Rick is somewhat disappointing. It's more of a conversation piece than an instrument.

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 28 Dec 2015 7:16 am

What's wrong with it? Does it sound OK acoustically? If so, it might need a pickup rewind.

As for the colour, you had to re-finish it anyway and there are plenty of original colour Ricks out there.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Dec 2015 7:38 am

This model doesn't have the great tone and sustain of the earlier Rickenbachers, unfortunately. It's a nice looking lap steel though.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 28 Dec 2015 7:51 am

Yes, it does need a rewind. I may have it done someday after I finish building my new D-8. I have a Dobro and 2 other lap steels so the Rick isn't anything that I have an immediate need for. The short scale is not for me so it's doubtful I'll ever use it on a regular basis.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 28 Dec 2015 9:20 am

We'll have to agree to disagree on that, Doug. The short scale and strings-through-the-body design give my Rickenbacker plenty of sustain. The pickup has a beautiful high end presence to it. I've never owned an earlier model, but I'm quite happy with the sound of this one.

Robert, the scale length and string spacing are perfect for bar slants, even at the lower frets. Aren't lap steels supposed to have a short scale length?

Does anyone know what kind of wood was used?

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 28 Dec 2015 10:16 am

The wood is soft, looks like basswood.
I grew up playing slants and played mostly dobro for more than 50 years so I don't have a problem with slants on a longer scale length.
This lap steel has very little sustain on the 1st and 2nd strings. The EMG pickups on my other two 6-string lap steels are much better than this pickup. I'll do some experimenting today with string gauges but I don't think it'll make a difference. However, as Doug said, it's pretty to look at.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 28 Dec 2015 1:15 pm

These comments make me wonder if the gray ones were a different wood from the red ones.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 28 Dec 2015 1:54 pm

There seems to be a couple of differences. The knobs on mine are not the same as yours and also yours appears to have a jackplate with 4 screws. The jack on mine is mounted to the bottom metal plate and exits the body at an angle. In the photo of the bottom plate the jack is mounted beneath the slot at the upper right hand corner of the plate.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 28 Dec 2015 2:32 pm

I hadn't noticed that. There are major differences. Mine doesn't have the access plate, and the string ends have direct contact with the body.

Robert Allen · Post by **Robert Allen** » 28 Dec 2015 3:28 pm

The ID plate is different, too. Obviously they are two different models. My lap steel appears to be the budget model.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 28 Dec 2015 7:48 pm

With all the dings etc that you fixed, it must have been "previously enjoyed"

Looks fine in that color !

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 29 Dec 2015 6:46 am

I wonder if some of this particular models issues are in part due to what I'd consider excessive wood removal for the pickup, output jack, and control route. We have a fairly thin body to start with and by the time all that material is removed, there is not a lot of solid material left to couple the string end points, nut / bridge, together.

In contrast, bOb's steel is definitely different and I'd be curious if the routing was as over zealous as Robert's.

As you can see, you do not need to remove near as much wood to install a horseshoe.

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