Rickenbacker gtr help needed

  • Thread starter Thread starter mixmkr
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mixmkr

mixmkr

we don't need rest!!
I found a guitar that looks JUST like this, less the whammy for $500. I nabbed these pics off Ebay, just for the pics.. But is this a deal, or is there a low end/priced, Ric guitar I don't know about or should stay away from? I'm not really familiar with this model unlike the 360 series.

I'll nab it pronto if there seems to be a positive concensus to it, as I've always wanted a decent Ric 6 string, and this seems nice at first. Just don't need to pay more than it's worth, but this one on Ebay and others like it seem to get $2k or more.
 

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As a guy who has had to try and fix the fuckers, all I can say is all ricks are crap. Every single one.


Which is not to say that they are not cool, useful, or fun, just that they suck donkey balls. Bad design from the ground up.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
the pickups look like ones I had on an old Gretch duojet a looong time ago. Those pickups didn't even compare to the Gibson's of the day. I have some old Guild pickups on a Starfire III, vintage late 60's...they're are pretty bad too. But both where nice guitars (I still have the Guild). I suppose these electronics are in this ball park ??? My Ric 4001, early 80's seems like a nice guitar. I like it a lot.
 
I would be very leary of that neck's stability-there looks to be very little wood there with the neck pickup so close to the neck joint area-it appears it could snap easily.:eek: Not much adjustment for the bridge either.:(
 
Anfontan; I would be very leary of that neck's stability-there looks to be very little wood there with the neck pickup so close to the neck joint area-it appears it could snap easily.:eek: Not much adjustment for the bridge either.

I'm not big into lutherie but I have to agree about the bridge. The only adjustment option is height and that's not going to solve any intonation problems.
 
Light said:
As a guy who has had to try and fix the fuckers, all I can say is all ricks are crap. Every single one.


Which is not to say that they are not cool, useful, or fun, just that they suck donkey balls. Bad design from the ground up.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...

If they're cool, useful and fun then wouldn't that sort of place them squarely in the "not crap" category? Have you worked on many great useless guitars? :confused:
 
Light said:
As a guy who has had to try and fix the fuckers, all I can say is all ricks are crap. Every single one.


Which is not to say that they are not cool, useful, or fun, just that they suck donkey balls. Bad design from the ground up.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...

C'mon Light, how about being more specific............what, as you see it, are the problems with Ricks...........enquiring minds would like to know ;).

I've loved something about Ricks for about four decades but only ever owned one for some years during the '90s........it was faultless in it's finish and playability and was only sold to finance a special purchase.

:cool:
 
ausrock said:
C'mon Light, how about being more specific............what, as you see it, are the problems with Ricks...........enquiring minds would like to know ;).
Click to expand...


Every single design decision they made was bad. In order to adjust the truss rod, you need to detune them to get the truss rod cover off. The nut is very poorly supported. The trems suck. The intonation is a giant pain. The fingerboards are finished, so fretwork is a pain. Every single thing on them is a pain in the ass. The truss rods suck. The electronics...well, they aren't nearly as bad as the rest, but still a pain in the ass.

Everything on them is a pain to work on. I can't get more specific than that. There is no single detail they got right, from the point of view of stability, ease of setup, and repairability. They have a sound you can't get from anything else, but they still take at least twice as long (which is to say, they cost at least twice as much) to do any work on. They are the only instrument that people in my shop will happily give to someone else to work on. The repair folks groan when they find one in their work pile. They are a nightmare.

In short, they suck.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Supercreep said:
If they're cool, useful and fun then wouldn't that sort of place them squarely in the "not crap" category? Have you worked on many great useless guitars? :confused:
Click to expand...

No, because even if they are cool, the design still sucks.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
What I do when a Ric comes in is to sit down and play it for quite a while and plug it into a few different amps. I then tell the customer I can't do it and recommend someone else I know who enjoys messing with fiddly guitars. This is especially true of the 12 stringers.

I do some for regular customers and they are a major pain. I always tell them they will have to wait for me to work on em because I am waiting for my new barge pole to arrive and can't start until it has.:D
 
muttley600 said:
This is especially true of the 12 stringers.
Click to expand...

OMG.......... used to have a Lawyer who would bring his Ric 12 in EVERY MONTH for a restring, and it was one of the vintage bridges where you had to put 2 separate balls on a single post. The first time I did it, I think I charged him $25, and by about 6 months down the road, I upped it to like $55, and unfortunately he didnt balk at the price and kept bringin the fooker in.

Ricks are cool guitars, but Every one that came through my hands was quickly sold off.
 
I agree with most everything you've said about them being a PITA. The most frustrating week I ever spent was setting up my 4003B. Adjust the trusses, then wait a day to let the neck settle in, then do it all again. And don't get me started on the bridge.... I eventually got it dialed in just so and it's held nicely for almost a year now.

But as for tone....you can tell a Ric from a mile away. And if you really want to do any work where the bassist knew how to leverage the unique tone of a Ric (like Yes) then nothing else will do.

For me, it's a love/hate thing. So, Mixmkr...if a Ric is something you have a purpose for, go for it. Just don't expect it to be all la-de-da!
 
Flamin Lip said:
OMG.......... used to have a Lawyer who would bring his Ric 12 in EVERY MONTH for a restring, and it was one of the vintage bridges where you had to put 2 separate balls on a single post.
Click to expand...
Blu-Tac is your friend..;)

Your right though I love em too. Cool sounding and looking just don't ask me to work on them anymore.
 
Anfontan said:
I would be very leary of that neck's stability-there looks to be very little wood there with the neck pickup so close to the neck joint area-it appears it could snap easily.:eek: Not much adjustment for the bridge either.:(
Click to expand...

I see what you're saying, but it appears that the pickups are surface mounted, which means that the tenon could extend for a long way into the body...maybe not, though.
 
you could sell it and make some money most likely. a friend has one on order and their 18 months back logged...and the prices are going up again on these things.

Beatles, Byrds, Who, Tom Petty...etc..etc.....damn so many pro's played them. I don't even know which one I played in the store once, it wasn't your solid body though, I didn' care for the neck it had like a laquer on it?
 
some helpfull replies for sure. I am going Monday to either buy or find out the mystery of the low price.

Off subject...regarding setup. On my 4001, it is a gem actually. And I've never really struggled with it. But then again, I am a guitar player. It IS a bright sounding bass for sure. Personally, I find the Ric-o-sound kinda useless.

But as far as adjusting intonation and the truss rod, I don't deal with that that often, and it appears it is kinda a non issue. The laquer'ed fretboards are ok...take 'em or leave them, but they do look nice.

My opinon as far as 'beasts' to work on. That's why there ARE good techs such as you guys. I feel that if it is a 'beast' to work on, then it shouldn't be out of reach for a good tech, but rather just reflected in the pricing. I imagine there are cars like that as there are other items too. Trouble to deal with, but there are solutions and you just pay the premium for it as an owner wanting service.

Again, mucho thanks for the replies and I'll report back with some updates soon. I've been playing quite awhile and am my own self serving hack-tech, so we'll see!

So...you guys work on banjos??:eek: How do they compare to a Ric?
 
plays41 said:
Anfontan; I would be very leary of that neck's stability-there looks to be very little wood there with the neck pickup so close to the neck joint area-it appears it could snap easily.:eek: Not much adjustment for the bridge either.

I'm not big into lutherie but I have to agree about the bridge. The only adjustment option is height and that's not going to solve any intonation problems.
Click to expand...

I'd grab it in a heartbeat!
You're looking at a modded 325 or 320....can't tell which one from the pic but what I can see is that it has a "bowtie bridge" ( which someone has put on there to emulate Lennons' first 325 ). The tremolo has been bent to emulate Lennons' second 325 (Miami). The p/ups are correct but not too sure about the pick guards...they should run all the way to where the neck p/up meets the edge of the guitar which is why I think it could be a 320.

Is there time to ask the seller for a serial number? Tell him to grab it and we can help you from there. Like I said, if it looks exactly like the pics minus the trem, I'd grab it.

ps, the neck shouldn't be an issue...if you already own a Ric then you know that they're a "neck thru body" design.
I'll NEVER sell mine! :D
 
I would suggest that you post your picture and comments on:

http://www.beatgearcavern.com/

These guys are very knowledgeable on Rics and can spot a fake right away.

I own 2 Rics, a 350v63 and a 370/12. I have no problem working on the 350 myself. I really like the jangle of that guitar, but for me it's really only a rhythm guitar.
The 370 12 string needed to have a 12 saddle bridge and nut put on to make it playable. As far as changing strings, I use Pyramid flats which happen to last a pretty long time. I will not attempt a string change since I have the "R" tail piece, it is a pain in the ass. I bring it to the shop.
 
My 360-12 plays like a dream. I'll never sell it.

Stringing it is definitely a PITA.
 
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