Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi folks,

I have a Ricky Rose Morris 1998 (3 pickup) model from August 1964 and am desperately looking to get a matching case for it. It should be silver on the exterior, blue on the interior and have the badge logo near the carry handle. Can anyone help me source one of these from the 1964-66 era? I really want to get the guitar fixed up and running as a complete package again.....Any help appreciated. Many thanks

Glyn Thomas

That’s a tough one, Glyn. I’ve been looking for one myself since 2008!

Hope you can find one, otherwise best solution would be buying a vintage Deluxe case (with internal pocket) and add one of the badges. Not original though.

Hi Colin, thanks for the reply....yes I fear it may be a long wait to find the right one. Which is a shame, because I know many of the guitars got damaged beyond repair with broken necks etc so their should be some cases left knocking about in the UK.


I guess I'm not the only person looking for one!

As you said perhaps finding the American version and putting a badge on would be the best 'near' solution.

Glyn

Yeah I never brought myself to actually doing though (even though I have 60s cases and a spare "Rickenbacker" metal tag, which is quite hard to find) simply because I know it wouldn't be original.

Might as well put the guitar in a modern case for the time being, as it will be safer.

So did 60's US cases have no badge, but 60's UK Rose MOrris cases did have a badge?

jdogric12 wrote:So did 60's US cases have no badge, but 60's UK Rose MOrris cases did have a badge?

In general, exactly!

There's probably a little more nuance to it which Collin will provide shortly.

Nah, that's pretty much exactly it.

I'm sure only Martin Kelly knows exactly why Rose Morris specified a badge on the case (since most of RM's other specifications were about saving costs!), but in general any instrument shipped to Rose Morris should have this badge mounted on the original case. Not sure when that dropped off though, likely after 1966.

It seems to be a mix, some of the 1997/1998/1993 models received the "deluxe" case (with the storage pocket and thicker latches), and others received a standard case, often with brass latches on the '64s. My original '65 RM1993 has a deluxe case with red interior!

collin wrote:I'm sure only Martin Kelly knows exactly why Rose Morris specified a badge on the case (since most of RM's other specifications were about saving costs!)

WIld guess - could have been to make it easy to spot certain brands in their warehouse, since they would be tossing around cases from many different manufacturers.

Not quite sure, but I doubt they had a warehouse! I've been to Rose Morris' original location on Demark St. and it's a small place.

It's likely just a matter of tradition. Most guitars in the UK back then had badges on their cases, even if the badge didn't represent the guitar (for example, most Fender guitars sold in the UK were in Selmer brand cases, with badges). I believe the other specs requested were based on tradition as well, including F-soundhole, dot inlays and vibratos.

collin wrote: My original '65 RM1993 has a deluxe case with red interior!

Huh, that's a rare transitional case Collin, but I've never seen one with a '65 guitar.

Does it have a badge? Do you think it's original to the guitar?

I think it was in 1962 they phased out the gray "elephant skin" cases with red lining,

and the first generation of silver tolex cases retained the red lining.

Soon after, the blue became standard.

Can you post some pics?

I love those silver/red cases!

You don't see many.

opticnerve wrote:

collin wrote: My original '65 RM1993 has a deluxe case with red interior!

Huh, that's a rare transitional case Collin, but I've never seen one with a '65 guitar.

Does it have a badge? Do you think it's original to the guitar?

I think it was in 1962 they phased out the gray "elephant skin" cases with red lining,

and the first generation of silver tolex cases retained the red lining.

Soon after, the blue became standard.

Can you post some pics?

I love those silver/red cases!

You don't see many.

I know, it surprised me too but there was apparently a small batch of Rose Morris 1993s shipped to Australia that all had the normal silver deluxe case (with RM type Rick badge), but with a red interior.

I have found other guitars from the same batch (EB XXX) that have the same exact case. It's not the earlier grey elephant case, definitely a 60s silver RM case.

Pics -- my 1993 (Feb '65): A similar guitar, less than 10 digits away from the same batch: Oddly, not all the 1993 from this same third batch ("EB") share the same case, Tony as you're well aware! Yours went to Australia as well.

Thanks Collin for the posts and from everyone else too. My guitar collector friend does indeed say that the imported Rose Morris cases did indeed have a silver case with a blue interior and a badge. Exactly the same as the US cases but with the added badge.

Anyone got some good ideas where I could source either a UK case, or failing that a US one from the mid 60s?

Many thanks

Glyn

Glyn Thomas wrote:Thanks Collin for the posts and from everyone else too. My guitar collector friend does indeed say that the imported Rose Morris cases did indeed have a silver case with a blue interior and a badge. Exactly the same as the US cases but with the added badge.

Anyone got some good ideas where I could source either a UK case, or failing that a US one from the mid 60s?

Many thanks

Glyn

As pointed out above, not all the imported Rose Morris guitars had a blue interior, but the vast majority did.

Good luck in your search - as mentioned I've been looking for one since 2008 and still empty-handed.

Next closest thing would be keeping an eye out on eBay or Reverb for a U.S. market case from the same era. Either way, it's not going to be a quick search.

I know, it surprised me too but there was apparently a small batch of Rose Morris 1993s shipped to Australia that all had the normal silver deluxe case (with RM type Rick badge), but with a red interior.

I have found other guitars from the same batch (EB XXX) that have the same exact case. It's not the earlier grey elephant case, definitely a 60s silver RM case.

Oddly, not all the 1993 from this same third batch ("EB") share the same case, Tony as you're well aware! Yours went to Australia as well.

WOW, fantastic info Collin!!! This is a new one on me!

Thanks for posting the pics.

Have you ever seen a red lined 1999 bass case?

Oy, and I had to end up with a blue one!!! I want a red, whaaaaaa!

3 years late to this one but I can confirm that my January '64 RM 1998 originally had a silver/blue case. It is probably around somewhere. It was stolen at a gig back in '77 - my back up was in it at the time (a Shaftesbury) as was, unfortunately, the original term arm. The Ricky was stopped to me on stage at the time. It's lived in a vintage reissue case for many years now - I can live without the badge!