Waddo Soqable

At the top end.. I mentioned on Bassassin's build thread that I'd like to chop the head as short as poss, rather than have a weird lump, now luckily having tried the string clamp block thing for size, I can snug it right up against the nut and still get to the truss rod via the groove underneath, so will be able to slice the headstock off up to the metal string block. I'll take a view as to whether i'll need to make a metal plate on the back for reinforcement and bolt thru, or just screw it down to the wood. I'll prob need to file the nut slots to a more acute angle too, to ensure the strings break over right on the edge. Somewhere I've got a zero fret thing, which may be called for if it all wants to play awkwardly. The block here is again just roughly laid on the neck to verify the above and by no means aligned !

Next I pull off all the gubbins so I've got a bare body, I rather like it all black after seeing it stripped so may make a black scratcnplate for it. I've just v. roughly placed the bridge units to see what they'll look like and how far the knobs would hang over the edge. obviously they'll be measured and set in a symetrical fashion when fixed down ( again hopefully ) I'm quite happy with how they protrude, which will give good access for twiddling them !

First up I thought intonate the thing might be a plan so I've a basis to work from, it was miles out and needed the saddles moving back a fair bit, I then marked on tape approx where the breakover points would be and took measurements for each string, at least this gives me a start point and shouldn't need too much adjustment later ( he hopes)

As Inspired by @Bassassin in his excellent thread recently-ish , may I humbly present my attempt, no doubt in numerous instalments as we go. The Victim, a Rocktile Ricken kinda-copy with another Fugly shaped leaning back headstock. now this could be carved into the Rick hook shape and look a bit more like the prototype, plus various things done to the whole bass to bring it closer to a 4003 appearance, but I fancied doing the headless thing anyway, and have scoped out a few pics of self build headless Rick shape projects that people have done (mainly in the US) before, the RB body shape in my opinion suits the headless malarkey very well. Here's the basic "donor" plus I've also acquired from AliExpress the Guyker headless bridge x4 units and the head-end string clamp, as used in the above mentioned build.

I'm fairly sure folk have bought just the bare wooden body/neck husk (with no elecs or hardware etc) of these from China to do their own projects, I assume from Ali Express sellers and the like. The "rickenfakers" group on Facebook is by all accounts a good place to get info and indeed buy and sell freely without all the usual bullsht.. I don't /won't do Facebook so going on popular heresay on this.

I'll hold me breath if I melt the poly off with a heat gun then....

Yep that's the one.... You couldn't make it up could you 😁

Just looked back thru this, outstanding!.. If only I still had my old Wem Copycat..

A cheapo Squier I picked up recently still had the tags in the bag with it, inc. a very strange one that had dire warnings implying that the instrument threatened "carcinogenic" and "birth defect" hazard!..... definitely a WTF job...

Those Music Man people have got a lot to answer for...

That's brilliant, takes me back to being about 13.. great stuff👍

I'd say the slightly more obscure bands stuff is more time travel material, in that it's not popular nostalgia music that gets churned out on radio still today.. 23 Skiddoo, A Certain Ratio or Swamp Children always take me back to living in the Hulme crescents circa 1981.. Likewise Batsong and Darkboy by Longpig (not the later American band BTW) remind me of the old flat in Elephant & Castle a couple of years later.. Of course if I really could physically time travel back to the 80s, like a shot I'd do a bunk and stay there.. 😁

^ like the man said, black machine heads.. (and the neck plate on the back)

I just keep thinking of Jimi Hendrix now... (seriously the Jazz looks v. cool!)

Nah he was more the Lionel Hampton of his day..

Don't be daft, in the 22nd century they'll look like this....

Cool... You, err, couldn't blag a few Mics for us could you?...

^ that Salvador Dali's a geezer isn't he.....

Nicked it from the PA at some gig...

^ now that's a bass after my own heart, black emulsion and bits of tape.. Top stuff👍

I tend to remove (rip 'extraneous' stuff off) rather than add things tbh...

I think we all know him, or his sister...

I'd agree 100% with @fleabag about the need to set the thing up to your own reqs. I'm also a fan of cheapo basses, much can be done to make these very usable at low or no cost. I've got a basic Squier PJ that sounds and plays great for what I want from it. The ones I didn't like were not set up issues, more along the lines of.. I thought they just sounded rubbish for what they were and /or I really didn't like the whole dimensions of the neck, fretboard schtick , so playing it wasn't an enjoyable experience. Some basses you just pick up and think "nah.." sometimes you come to that conclusion a little after you've acquired the damm thing..

I guess some would buy there rather than take a risk with getting one from AE with some uncertainty and a long lead time etc.. maybe, anything rik shape seems to be stupid money now, the old 70sjap made copies I've seen advertised for more than I've paid for a real Rick in the past. Surprised these don't get pulled off ebay by order of that rather vindictive old geezer 😉

People don't seem to like Ricks, I've had a couple of 70s ones (many years ago before they went stupid prices) I have to say I liked them and wish I'd kept the last one Sticking in my mind as a bass I hated was the Yamaha BB something or other, a thru neck thing ( I believe the same as Peter Hook used) I was fortunate to do a straight swap with someone my Yamaha for their Stingray, which was a great result! Another that I had briefly, hated and dumped ASAP was a Wal, again no idea of the model but would've been no doubt their cheapest bass, shiny black body 2 PUs. Horrible thing IMHO