Rickenbacker Guitars ??

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 15 Dec 2001 2:56 pm

Hi Gang,

I'd like to know if all Rickys are great sounding guitars, even the ones from the '60's?:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1495918274

Seems they all have the famous horseshoe pickup?

I'd love to pick up a nice sounding 6 string without having to pay frying pan prices, or is the frying pan and bakelite ones the only ones that have *that* sound? (For Hawaiian)

thx

bob

<h6>Brad edited the URL so the discussion would fit on the page correctly.</h6><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 20 December 2001 at 04:45 PM.]</p></FONT>

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 15 Dec 2001 5:12 pm

Hi there! Rickenbachers have been talked to death here on the Forum.....and on a current thread about "Hawaiian TONE"...the subject is approached once again. Lot's of great, worthwhile facts have been contibuted and shared here, by any number of knowledgeable Forumites.

IMHO...each of my FIVE, only recently acquired (pre-war) Bakelite Ricks has "THAT SPECIAL SOUND".....that I believe you're asking about. There is a very definite "moan" that can be detected on these pre-war Ricks. Of course, they have to be undamaged, pickups must be working, neck must be true and all that kinda stuff.

I have a double-8 on wood chassis, that is about a 1965 model Rick; similar to the one you posted from eBay. It has the smaller post-war pickup and wooden body. The tone is cyrstal clear but lacks that "Special Sound"...most Bakelites are noted for.

Hopefully I've provided you with some worthwhile insite that is but one guy's opinion.

Alan Michael · Post by **Alan Michael** » 15 Dec 2001 8:43 pm

Geez Ray...don't hog all the bakelites. You could sell me one if you run out of storage space.

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 15 Dec 2001 10:31 pm

Okay Alan, I'll certainly keep that in mind.
THANK YOU for the offer.... They are a real joy to play. My most difficult time is when I have to decide which one I'll play next.

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 15 Dec 2001 10:49 pm

bakelites have a wonderful tone all their own, but I got rid of mine because it was too unstable in live situations for me...I'm partial to Fender Stringmasters as working guitars....but that's just me...(altho, JB doesn't use a bakelite live anymore either!)
Mike

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 16 Dec 2001 6:08 am

I'm sure that all the good things being said about the lap Rickys are true. My only experience was with one of their "pedal" steels when they were experimenting with them.....it was a disaster mechanically...I had to return it.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 16 December 2001 at 06:09 AM.]</p></FONT>

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 16 Dec 2001 12:41 pm

I would say that not all Rickenbacker lap steels are as great sounding as the Bakelite guitars. I've owned one of those Model 105s (as pictured but in red instead of gray) and found it very thin sounding compared to a B6 or even a metal body NS.
Just my opinion, of course. That may be a wonderful guitar, but I think it's reaching the top of its real value in that auction.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Dec 2001 1:04 pm

Brad,

What is a metal body "NS"?

thx

bob

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 16 Dec 2001 1:25 pm

The NS, or "New Style" lap steel had a stamped hollow metal body. You usually find these stuffed with newspapers for some reason. Here's a picture.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 16 Dec 2001 2:56 pm

Thx, Brad

Would it be fair to say, in order of best sound:

1 frying pan, 2 bakelite, 3 NS?

thx

bob

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 16 Dec 2001 4:45 pm

I'd put the Bakelite guitars above the frypans but your mileage may differ.

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 17 Dec 2001 7:39 pm

What are Bakelites going for these days?

I found a real nice black and white bakelite one on ebay.

Is the black and white one as desireable as the all black ones?

thx

bob

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 17 Dec 2001 10:26 pm

with bakelite either panda(B&W) or Black and Chrome...most desireable are 1 1/2" magnet but 1 1/4" seems fine BUT...YOU MUST MAKE SURE IT IS A STRING THROUGH BODY MODEL....some have a tailpiece attachment for strings..IMHO the tone is NOT in those models..and it's tough to tell in some photos...always ask...
Mike

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 19 Dec 2001 2:02 pm

Mikey.....is the Rick "PANDA" black/white lap steel, with the 1 1/2" pickup, strings thro' the body, and all of the details....
a GOOD SOUNDING INSTRUMENT? I mean, it is exactly like the "primo" Ricks, correct? The only change being 5-metal covers changed to 5-Bakelite white cover plates? Yes? No?

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 19 Dec 2001 3:41 pm

yes...chrome plates only had vol. knob. "Pandas" had tone+Vol control(I think that's the only difference)and the string through body is the main thing...same guitars, basically...but that's the one, like Dave Lindley, My teacher had a "panda"..I had a Chrome covered...same great tone...who uses tone controls anyway

Mike

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 19 Dec 2001 4:22 pm

Thanx Mikey! Now, my first Rick, has the old, flat octagone shaped volume knob on the far side of the guitar. Two others I have, have both a volume knob (inside) and tone knob (outside). While, my third one has both a volume and tone on the outside/far side......like the Panda to which you refer.
The Black knob is volume; the white knob is the tone control.
Jerry Byrd uses the tone control frequently; like in Byrd's Boogie, Tag-a-long, Steelin' the Blues, etc.. (Ooooooops! Sorry about that, that was in the olden days! I'm still stuck in a time warp.) Speedy West used(s) his tone knob frequently as did/does Ray Montee.

Jim Landers · Post by **Jim Landers** » 19 Dec 2001 4:31 pm

I have 2 of the Bakelites, one is a 1935 with chrome plates, and the other is a 1937 with chrome plates.

The 1935 model is by far the best sounding of the two IMHO, and it has only the one volume control knob.

The 1937 has a volume control and a tone control, and it is a great sounding guitar too, but the '35 has "that" sound.

I believe that the 2 control knobs ( volume and tone ) showed up in late '37 but I'm not positive about that. I am positive that some of the guitars with chrome plates had both tone and volume controls though, because I have one of them.

Jim

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 19 Dec 2001 5:49 pm

This, I think, is the definitive forum thread on Bakelite Models:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/002123.html

What happened to JD and Carl Dixon? They both offered so much good info so generously. You guys still lurking out there?

Bob Snelgrove · Post by **Bob Snelgrove** » 19 Dec 2001 6:20 pm

Here is a pretty good Ricky site:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/1375/rick.html

Bob

Zayit · Post by **Zayit** » 20 Dec 2001 4:20 pm

With all due respect to Ray & Brad, who said basically all there needs to be said on this topic, I recently bought a similar "Later-model" Rick with the 1 1/4" horseshoe pickup on E-bay & took it to a jam session of folk-rock & blues tunes last night. I really like the slightly wider spacing it has than my National & the pickup really honks! It may not have THE moan, but it certainly growls REAL nice and cost ALOT less than yer bakelites. Of course, if I hit the lottery, I'll buy a bakelight Rick 1st thing!
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1484734454

Charles Beshears · Post by **Charles Beshears** » 29 Dec 2001 8:11 pm

Hi all rickenbacker pickers
i still have my DW double neck 8
bought in 1951 age 14. the guitar is
50 yrs old! one pickup has been replaced
but sounds great..all wood.
Charles Beshears

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Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 30 Dec 2001 7:58 am

Remember that there were some Ricks with prewar bakelite bodies that were used with the non string through design in 1946.These have the moan that everyone wants.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 30 Dec 2001 11:32 am

i have a 37ish B6 with chrome plates. mine has volume on the outside and tone on the inside. 1 1/2 inch magnet and a great sound.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 4 Jan 2002 4:19 am

Thanks for the nice comments, Andy.
I can´t speak for my dear Friend Carl, but he´s always been a very busy man, so...

As for me, I moved to Spain in mid August last year. The house we moved in turned out to be too small and we´re still living out´a boxes ´til we find something better. We also don´t seem able to get "Telefonica" to install our phoneline... so, No Internet yet. I´ve got to go to an Internet Cafe every now and then and check on y´all from there and you seem to be doing fine without me so far

...
Thanks... J-D