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RickenFakers

Happy Jack

By Happy Jack,
in Bass Guitars

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Annoying Twit Proficient

Annoying Twit

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[quote name='Bassassin' post='744200' date='Feb 13 2010, 06:30 PM']I've actually got one of those Wesleybacker things as an ongoing project - it's surprisingly well-made fro a Chinese cheapo.[/quote]

Not that I'm going to buy one - unless I stumbled across one and loved it (*) - but is it a real through neck? The listing describes it as a "set through neck" (?)

(*) having a variety of instruments already, in the future I only want to buy something interesting (e.g. Matsumoku), or significantly better than what I have. Doesn't stop me window shopping tho!

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='744256' date='Feb 13 2010, 07:28 PM']Not that I'm going to buy one - unless I stumbled across one and loved it (*) - but is it a real through neck? The listing describes it as a "set through neck" (?)[/quote]

It most certainly is:

[attachment=42543:stripped.jpg]

As you can see it's a 5-piece through-neck & solid timber wings with 2 additional stringers where wings meet centre section. The headstock's part of the same through-neck lamination, with no scarf joint.

The pics on the Ebay listing show you the top, which is a flamed maple veneer - real, not Fotoflame - with wooden edge binding. The main corner-cut with the manufacture of this thing is the neck/rear body finish, which was a single thin coat of matt black paint. I gigged with mine just once and found the "finish" rubbed off on my clothes, which made me decide to take it to bits & strip the paint.

The plan's to fill the grain & spray-lacquer the whole thing - in fact I have an Ibanez Blazer body & a 70s black block JapCrap jazz neck needing the same treatment, so I'll be spending an entire weekend off my tits on aerosol fumes soon.

J.

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Annoying Twit Proficient

Annoying Twit

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That looks, to my untrained eyes, like a pretty nice bit of wood. Is it common for the set neck to be routed out for the battery compartment? If there were one on my local gumtree for £70, I might go around and have a look at it.

Wesley guitars current bass range looks IMHO quite boring. Not even the see through perspex Jazz bass is listed any more.

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='744525' date='Feb 14 2010, 07:45 AM']That looks, to my untrained eyes, like a pretty nice bit of wood. Is it common for the set neck to be routed out for the battery compartment?[/quote]
Yep - these all have a 3-band active EQ. I was really impressed with what you get for the money - very nice fret job, quality hardware & a 2-way truss rod as well. These turn up from time to time under different names, often from German online music shops.

J.

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Happy Jack Grand Master

Happy Jack

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Chris Barber's very own Aria.

Allegedly.

From Germany. :)

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1975-ARIA-BASS-GUITAR-CHRIS-BARBER-JAZZ-BAND_W0QQitemZ160406631516QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2558faf45c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1975-ARIA-BASS-GUITA...=item2558faf45c[/url]

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='Happy Jack' post='751995' date='Feb 20 2010, 05:57 PM']Chris Barber's very own Aria.

Allegedly.

From Germany. :)

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1975-ARIA-BASS-GUITAR-CHRIS-BARBER-JAZZ-BAND_W0QQitemZ160406631516QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item2558faf45c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1975-ARIA-BASS-GUITA...=item2558faf45c[/url][/quote]
Stealth auction, presumably - can't see that getting only one bid & stalling at £100 & reserve not met otherwise. Not considering an [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-1974-Ibanez-2389B-NT-Ricky-4002-stereo-bass-MIJ_W0QQitemZ220555961681"]Ibanez 2388 sold for nearly £590[/url] this afternoon.

That aside - what a lovely bass. No interest in its provenance at all, but you don't see many Matsumoku Rick copies with natural boards, particularly not in that condition. Wonder what his reserve was?

J.

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='Happy Jack' post='752261' date='Feb 20 2010, 09:49 PM']That was a brand-new listing with nearly seven days to run, so it's been pulled.[/quote]
That makes sense - the listing doesn't suggest he knows the market for Rickenfakers.

I'm guessing someone made him an offer he didn't expect - and quite possibly ended up with a bargain.

J.

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karlfer Veteran

karlfer

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[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='759864' date='Feb 28 2010, 04:12 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SHAFTESBURY-BASS-GUITAR-60-S-VINTAGE_W0QQitemZ310203741929QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item48399576e9"]Not a 4000 series faker.[/url][/quote]


Them thar strings look like they are the originals!

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Annoying Twit Proficient

Annoying Twit

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At lunchtime I went for a wander around the shops including a local guitar shop. They had a Cimar Rickenfaker! It looks to be in reasonably good condition, except that the pickup cover and metal pickup surrounds are missing. (For whatever reason). They're asking £239 for it. Is this a reasonable price? Also, how does the Cimar compare to other Rickenfakers, e.g. the Anniversary ones. I realise that comparing new to 70s vintage is a bit apples and oranges. It has a through neck.

If it is a reasonable price, I'd go back and have a tryout. I'm not sure if a Rickenfaker is what I want, but this may be an opportunity to find out.

I have photos of it on my phone, but can't download them until I get home. It looks very similar to the Cimar pictured in this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58837"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58837[/url]

Edited by Annoying Twit
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2x18 Mentor

2x18

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Ricky project for somebody -- it has chequered binding from the looks of it! and its a through neck.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Custom-Made-Bass-Guitar-RARE-Looks-1950-60s_W0QQitemZ350325319182QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item519104260e"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Custom-Made-Bass-Gui...=item519104260e[/url]

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='Musky' post='768789' date='Mar 9 2010, 07:23 AM']Double hit with that last "Custom".

It doesn't seem remotely custom to me - more like one of the early Fuji-Gens. Full width sparkley inlays - check. Mudbucker - check. Humbucker type at the bridge - check.[/quote]

Certainly is. I am unhealthily interested in this one - been fancying a 2388B/DX for ages... :)

J.

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steviedee Mentor

steviedee

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Just some more info about my newly purchased Rickenfaker.

You might not be able to see the details from the pics, I'll post some more:

It's a neck through bass and has checkerboard binding with a gap at the bridge, full length sparkly inlays, there are holes where a thumbrest used to be, and stereo outs marked 'stereosound' and 'standard'.

The bloke I bought it from got it ten years ago and that owner had swapped the badge from ibanez to a real ric badge, I think they both worked in music shops at the time so getting ric spares was a possibility.

It's a good quality instrument and I believe seller certainly thinks its an ibby and wasn't try to pass it off as something it wasn't. Obviously I'd like it to be an ibanez cos they seem to be the most expensive :) .

I'm sure I'll totally love it and wont give a monkeys what make it is!

Any info appreciated though, Jon appears to have the knowledge!

Stevie

here is the original thread

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=80430&st=0&gopid=771304&#entry771304"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry771304[/url]

Edited by steviedee
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steviedee Mentor

steviedee

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[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='771786' date='Mar 11 2010, 04:32 PM']Congrats on your Ibby! Looks great.[/quote]

I'm dying to get up the road and have a wee blast of it thru my amp, the life of a wage slave and all that!

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

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[quote name='steviedee' post='771317' date='Mar 11 2010, 10:11 AM']Just some more info about my newly purchased Rickenfaker.

You might not be able to see the details from the pics, I'll post some more:

It's a neck through bass and has checkerboard binding with a gap at the bridge, full length sparkly inlays, there are holes where a thumbrest used to be, and stereo outs marked 'stereosound' and 'standard'.

The bloke I bought it from got it ten years ago and that owner had swapped the badge from ibanez to a real ric badge, I think they both worked in music shops at the time so getting ric spares was a possibility.

It's a good quality instrument and I believe seller certainly thinks its an ibby and wasn't try to pass it off as something it wasn't. Obviously I'd like it to be an ibanez cos they seem to be the most expensive :rolleyes: .

I'm sure I'll totally love it and wont give a monkeys what make it is!

Any info appreciated though, Jon appears to have the knowledge!

Stevie

here is the original thread

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=80430&st=0&gopid=771304&#entry771304"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry771304[/url][/quote]
Definitely an Ibby from that description Stevie - checked binding & full-width sparklies only appear on Ibanez & Greco (both made by Fujigen), and Grecos tend to stay in Japan.

Interesting that it's got "proper" Rick type pickups though, I've only ever seen Ibbys with the full width inlays and big Gibson-style mudbuckers, like this thing on Ebay now:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Custom-Made-Bass-Guitar-RARE-Looks-1950-60s_W0QQitemZ350325319182"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Custom-Made-Bass-Gui...emZ350325319182[/url]

Later Ibby Fakers (to give it it's proper name, it's an Ibanez 2388B/DX) had accurate pickups but they also did away with the FW sparklies at the same time. Pretty cool if this is some sort of hybrid/transitional with the best of both worlds.

If that's a real Rick TRC then you'd probably be able to get a good proportion of your money back by flogging it on. And you could probably find some twat to make you an Ibanez-logo replacement for a couple of quid... :)

BTW Stevie, do you guys ever play through in Edinburgh?

Jon.

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steviedee Mentor

steviedee

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Cheers Jon that's great thanks for the info mate, really useful to know a bit more about the bass. I had it on quite good authority before I went to see the bass that it was a great copy. I have to admit I know nothing about them and got most of the info from this thread and your posts, so cheers!

I'm pretty sure it's a real Ric TRC, do people buy them? I'd really like to get my hands on an Ibanez TRC.

As for playing in Edinburgh are you talking about Abel Ganz we don't do that many gigs but would love to play Edinburgh, our next gig is in Vilnius at the Baltic prog rock festival, though some of the lads are doing an acoustic set at the Ferry.

My rockabilly band The Chihuahuas are meant to be playing some new trad/roots music venue in Edinburgh though at some point though.

Edited by steviedee
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