Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Rampant Rickenbuggery!


Bassassin
 Share

Recommended Posts

I'll start - this is the original Rickenbugger, queen of all the Fakers:





It's a Kasuga, made in Japan probably early/mid 70s, exact model & age uncertain. It's a bolt-neck, and is incredibly heavy - which I haven't helped by putting a brass Hipshot on it. Additionally I've made a custom trc (the original was sadly long-gone) and Pickguardian - style pickup surround, and replaced the plain white scratchplate with the pearl.

It may be a cheap Jap copy - but I think it's the most gorgeous & unique Rick-shaped thing I've yet to lay eyes on... :)

Who's next?

Jon.

Edited by Bassassin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Bassassin' post='220913' date='Jun 17 2008, 08:20 PM']I'll start - this is the original Rickenbugger, queen of all the Fakers:
It's a Kasuga, made in Japan probably early/mid 70s, exact model & age uncertain. It's a bolt-neck, and is incredibly heavy - which I haven't helped by putting a brass Hipshot on it. Additionally I've made a custom trc (the original was sadly long-gone) and Pickguardian - style pickup surround, and replaced the plain white scratchplate with the pearl.

It may be a cheap Jap copy - but I think it's the most gorgeous & unique Rick-shaped thing I've yet to lay eyes on... :)

Who's next?

Jon.[/quote]

That's gorgeous! Never heard of that make before...

Well, here's my £82.00 Hondo II Ricky copy, bought from Kays catalogues in 1977! Couple of mods; new tuners, nut etc but it's still basically the same cheap old plywood Hondo!

TBH, it doesn't play well and it doesn't sound great either but it's been with me for 31 years and it'll probably still be here in another 30! I did all my first gigs as a musician with this bass in all the Punk venues across london, venues like the Marquee in Wardour St, the Rock Garden, The Hope & Anchor etc, etc. So it's just got too much sentimental value to ever part with..

[attachment=9741:1977_Hon...y_edited.jpg]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='221093' date='Jun 18 2008, 08:28 AM']That's gorgeous! Never heard of that make before...

Well, here's my £82.00 Hondo II Ricky copy, bought from Kays catalogues in 1977! Couple of mods; new tuners, nut etc but it's still basically the same cheap old plywood Hondo!

TBH, it doesn't play well and it doesn't sound great either but it's been with me for 31 years and it'll probably still be here in another 30! I did all my first gigs as a musician with this bass in all the Punk venues across london, venues like the Marquee in Wardour St, the Rock Garden, The Hope & Anchor etc, etc. So it's just got too much sentimental value to ever part with..

[attachment=9741:1977_Hon...y_edited.jpg][/quote]

Peter Hook used a Hondo Rick Copy for a large part of his time in Joy Division (78-80)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='cris the man' post='221948' date='Jun 19 2008, 10:11 AM']im confused , it seems more people are using rickenbaker copies than using the real thing
that design is gorgeous however...

its a shame how the most popular colour is fireglow , midnight blue is far nicer[/quote]
I think that's deceptive - there are a lot more real Ricks about than the copies - but they're a lot more expensive! The old Japanese (and Korean & Brazilian :)) ones from the 70s are getting pretty collectable these days, like all the old copy-era guitars, so I think they exercise a degree of fascination for certain people... :ph34r:

I've never seen a copy in Midnight Blue - in fact pretty much all of them were Fireglo, Mapleglo or Jetglo - with FG being far & away the most common. Some of the later Japan-market Grecos turn up in more unusual colours - and there's the occasional Aria/Matsumoku in a transparent greenburst - which is odd, but very nice...

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='222102' date='Jun 19 2008, 01:14 PM']You didn't sell that on ebay didja? it looks disturbingly like my Rackenbicker that I bought about 6 months ago....![/quote]
I think it did end up on Ebay, but I thought Andy had sold it to someone on here. It turned up on the Bay with a fake Rick trc instead of the original Giannini one. I'll have a dig through the Rickencopy Spotting thread when I get a minute.

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's my old Maya. She's in immaculate condition, not a scratch or ding. :)

Using it a lot more at the moment. Even been complimented by a couple Rickenbacker owners after trying it. Punchy!

I've added a screw cap for a thumb rest by bridge pickup, has a phase switch which puts both pickups in & out of humbucking mode when together & I've done bridge pickup cap bypass mod with push-pull tone pot.

[attachment=9829:018.JPG]

[attachment=9828:019.JPG]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='nick' post='222411' date='Jun 19 2008, 07:10 PM']Here's my old Maya. She's in immaculate condition, not a scratch or ding. :)

Using it a lot more at the moment. Even been complimented by a couple Rickenbacker owners after trying it. Punchy!

I've added a screw cap for a thumb rest by bridge pickup, has a phase switch which puts both pickups in & out of humbucking mode when together & I've done bridge pickup cap bypass mod with push-pull tone pot.[/quote]
That looks really good and the mods you've done are very interesting! Do they change the sound a lot?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='222570' date='Jun 19 2008, 11:35 PM']That looks really good and the mods you've done are very interesting! Do they change the sound a lot?[/quote]

Cheers.
Yes they do.

I inherited the humbucker/phase switch mod when I bought the the bass. For a while didn't notice it, as I was going through the usual phase of trying to make it as 'clanky' as possible on the bridge pickup, but after using both pickups; realised it's a nice mod - bit subtle though when live.

Cap bypass mod, I would recommend anyone to do, who has got an old copy or even original. With cap, very nice retro trebly tone albeit bit lower output than usual. Bypass, more full tone lot higher output.
[url="http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Rick%20maint.htm#cmod"]http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Rick%20maint.htm#cmod[/url]
Personally, I prefer the tone with the cap, thought it's good to have the option of either. :)

Screw cap mod here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2229&hl=screw+cap"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;hl=screw+cap[/url]
Though as I'm playing nearer the neck these days for some reason (fashion eh!), may take it off.

Edited by nick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They say that imitation is the sincereist form of flattery but for some reason some Ric owners can get really arsey about fakes... which are really "copies" and not fakes... But then fakes are okay too as long as they are declared as such. I've always wanted a 4005 but they are so expensive (a lot of that due to collectors buying them up instead of player playing them - but that's a whole other discussion) and a few years back I started to build one from scratch using as many genuine parts as possible. Unfortunately, things ground to a halt and the half prepared maple body is sat languishing on a stand next to my other less expnsive Rics. I would love to find a good 4005 copy as I think they are such a beautiful bass... genuine or not...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh, some lovely basses in this thread. Would absolutely love to have a Rickie or a copy, but it's just not that high on the priority list. There is a lovely blue Rick fretless in one of the Bass shops round the corner on Denmark St. They want £1450 for it though IIRC, so I'll be (ricken)buggered if I'm gonna buy it :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='The Legoheads' post='222668' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:31 AM']I would love to find a good 4005 copy as I think they are such a beautiful bass... genuine or not...[/quote]
I've never seen a manufactured 4005 copy - although that doesn't mean they don't exist! I've seen a couple of homebrew ones - in fact there was a guy who posted on the old BW board who made one, if I remember, he built the body himself & used a bolt-on copy neck & Rick hardware. He posted it on one of the Rick forums too, thinking he'd get some appreciation - but they promptly tore him a new tradesmen's entrance, and told him to burn it. :)

About the closest thing I've seen in vintage copies is this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ250260523648"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Gui...emZ250260523648[/url]

Which is odd, but hardly a 4005.

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Bassassin' post='222865' date='Jun 20 2008, 01:05 PM']I've never seen a manufactured 4005 copy - although that doesn't mean they don't exist! I've seen a couple of homebrew ones - in fact there was a guy who posted on the old BW board who made one, if I remember, he built the body himself & used a bolt-on copy neck & Rick hardware. He posted it on one of the Rick forums too, thinking he'd get some appreciation - but they promptly tore him a new tradesmen's entrance, and told him to burn it. :)[/quote]

Why does that not surprise me....They're a bunch of fanatical rednecks that lot, aren't they? :wacko:
Can't bear to see their sacred design plagarised, but forget that many credible players such as Bruce Foxton,Barry Adamson,Hooky... who along with many others, did something to to popularise this bass, actually also played copies. :huh:

[quote name='Bassassin' post='222865' date='Jun 20 2008, 01:05 PM']About the closest thing I've seen in vintage copies is this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Guitar_W0QQitemZ250260523648"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shaftesbury-Bass-Gui...emZ250260523648[/url]

Which is odd, but hardly a 4005.

J.[/quote]

Buggar - I was after that myself!
Still can't complain just [i](finally)[/i] bagged an SBV500 in a fetching yellow :huh:

Edited by nick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='beerdragon' post='221452' date='Jun 18 2008, 03:36 PM']This is one i had a few months ago. i sold to fellow Basschatter craigjf1969. i will have it back if he wants to sell it. :)

[url="http://imageshack.us"][/url]
[URL=http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=146&i=p1010062jf6.jpg][IMG]http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/2[/quote]


Hey beerdragon,i must admit, when i got home(after buying this from you),it felt like a bloody cricket bat in my hands(the neck that is),but i havent put it down since...my fender VMJ is now redundant in its case.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Bassassin' post='222224' date='Jun 19 2008, 03:21 PM']I think it did end up on Ebay, but I thought Andy had sold it to someone on here. It turned up on the Bay with a fake Rick trc instead of the original Giannini one. I'll have a dig through the Rickencopy Spotting thread when I get a minute.

J.[/quote]

Ahh, mine was sold with a paper Rick trc logo mounted behind an appropriate shaped bit of clear plastic, so it could just be a look-alike!

I'm trying to find someone to do me a faux Rackenbicker/Blackendecker/Replicabacker trc, I don't suppose anyone here's handy with graphic design software and plastic molding? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='224780' date='Jun 23 2008, 10:11 AM']Ahh, mine was sold with a paper Rick trc logo mounted behind an appropriate shaped bit of clear plastic, so it could just be a look-alike!

I'm trying to find someone to do me a faux Rackenbicker/Blackendecker/Replicabacker trc, I don't suppose anyone here's handy with graphic design software and plastic molding? :huh:[/quote]

I can do the graphic design bit, but I'm a bit stumped with the injection-moulding hardware! I'm trying to do waterslide transfers applied to the backs of perspex trcs, to emulate the screened 60s & early 70s trcs, but not having any luck with the decal printing so far.

This is my latest effort with a paper insert, for my Matsubugger restoration:

[attachment=9940:trc_with_insert.jpg]

The idea's to apply the image, reversed-out, to the back of the cover, & then spray white over the back to seal the transfer & give a white background. So far my crap laser printer just keeps melting the paper, regardless of settings. Bit of a pain at a quid a sheet.

Theoretically I should be able to do any design in Rickenbacker stylee - apart from ones that say "Rickenbacker". I do have to point out that fake Rick trcs on copies is frowned upon & will result in immediate & permanent expulsion from the Guild Of Rickenbuggery. :) :huh:

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='craigjf1969' post='224652' date='Jun 23 2008, 12:31 AM']Hey beerdragon,i must admit, when i got home(after buying this from you),it felt like a bloody cricket bat in my hands(the neck that is),but i havent put it down since...my fender VMJ is now redundant in its case.....[/quote]

Glad you are getting on with it craigjf1969. :)

Nice fish tank by the way. we have just bought a Juwel a few weeks back. cycled it and bought some Tetras. and now the b....y thing has decided to leak!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...