Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

jps wrote:Cool. They look like they're, what, 1980s era?

Yep, early-to-mid. Analog and awesome.

scott_s wrote:Bumping an old thread to comment on the idea of a Peter Buck signature 360...

I think, cosmetics aside, there are some features of PB's guitar that might make for an appealling model:

1) Jumbo frets
2) Unfinished fretboard
3) Aftermarket brass bridge (does anyone know if PB did this for sustain or less string breakage?)
4) Bass-cut cap (I can't prove this, but I think I'm hearing one on the recordings. Hell, make it switchable like the current 4003 )

Maybe a "sticker kit" could be an option, so you could dress it up like whatever era you want.

I guess if an official signature model never happens, then these are some more ideas for those who want to turn their guitars into "tribute" models...

- Scott

I am looking at getting a new bridge (or actually, two bridges). Does anyone know what brand of aftermarket brass bridge PB is/was using? Can't seem to find anything similar. If I can't find out, I may get the Mastery.

Thanks.

kennyhowes wrote:

VA Pilot wrote:The bridge and pickups on his guitars appear to be custom. Any idea what kind of bridge that is what kind of pickups?

Pickups are stock Hi-Gains. The bridges are brass, and I can’t remember who makes them, but they resemble the “Stars” (“Starz?”) aftermarket stuff from back in the day.

As most folks know, Peter’s Ricks have a .013 gauge set on the six strings, and play like acoustic guitars with small necks!

Just saw your response. Whoever makes them does not have them on the internet that I could find. I'll keep digging around.

I do play with .013's. It has been tough, but the sound is great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU4mP7F6rjA

Peter Buck's brass nuts and bridges are STARZ parts from the 1970s. Whenever they find some, they convert another of his Rickies. Source of this: Dewitt Burton while showing me Peter's burgundy 330 which has one of these brass bridges. They're not being produced since the 70s either.

electrofaro wrote:Peter Buck's brass nuts and bridges are STARZ parts from the 1970s. Whenever they find some, they convert another of his Rickies. Source of this: Dewitt Burton while showing me Peter's burgundy 330 which has one of these brass bridges. They're not being produced since the 70s either.

Thanks for the info!!

The best part about the entirety of this Peter Buck and "gear" topic is that like all albums recorded, musicians use whatever gear is available to get whatever sounds/tones that satisfy their "ears on that day."

Then gear nuts like us, years later, question and dissect, than salivate through "oohs and aahs" hoping to replicate in amazement. It's fun.

Should any one of us in 2019 or beyond become famous for music, a bunch of gear-heads will dissect what we were using on said recordings.

Good luck to us all. Getting famous for playing music, getting "paid," and turning the love for gear and music into a feasible career is a huge mountain to climb.

My mountain has lots of rocks, boulders and valleys along the way! IN65

Addendum: Peter Buck and Johnny Marr are my two favorite guitar players of all-time. It took a big feat to topple Ace Frehley and Mick Ronson to do it, but it was done. Fun stuff!

...wisdom

'81, and a blonde 360.

...wisdom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w24VhMok-EE

Cool...thanks Joe. Looks like a '60s mapleglo 375. Hadn't seen him play that one before!

I'm not sure if very many people are following this thread anymore, but I noticed something interesting recently: it looks like the Star Wars sticker was inside Peter Buck's #1 360 as early as 1983: https://joncrispinposts.com/tag/peter-buck/ (Star Wars was still pretty current at the time, come to think of it.)

That makes it a pretty good indicator whether you're looking at Peter's #1 or a backup, if you have a clear view of the soundhole. Example from Getty Images: https://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/nieuw ... /115331301

The bare wood inside #1 has also darkened considerably over time, making me wonder if the one pictured on RickBeat is in fact one of the duplicates: http://www.rickbeat.com/gallery/peterbuck/peterbuck.htm (I was already a little suspicious of this due to the "Made in America" sticker on the pickguard.)

P.S. Re-watching some of their early performances (1983-1984 timeframe), the #1 clearly had a finished fretboard early on. Up-thread, we discussed the 360 having an unfinished fretboard and possibly jumbo frets (I could swear I read that somewhere but I do not have a source to cite!) Inwardly, I wondered if it might have come to him that way and influenced his preferences. Clearly, that wasn't the case!

I recently found a seller on eBay that machines brass Starz style bridges (https://www.ebay.com/usr/mrmachinst1), like the one on Peter's 360.
I used a Winfield Vintage Tune-O-Matic base and had to shorten the studs, then I used brass washers and brass acorn nuts to lock it down. I think that Peter's bridge is tapped for the 4 standard small Ric bridge screws, but I figured that using the M4 stud plate would allow me to lock the bridge in place like a Mastery bridge.
I mounted it all on my '82 360 and it does sound great.

82360 wrote:I recently found a seller on eBay that machines brass Starz style bridges (https://www.ebay.com/usr/mrmachinst1), like the one on Peter's 360.
I used a Winfield Vintage Tune-O-Matic base and had to shorten the studs, then I used brass washers and brass acorn nuts to lock it down. I think that Peter's bridge is tapped for the 4 standard small Ric bridge screws, but I figured that using the M4 stud plate would allow me to lock the bridge in place like a Mastery bridge.
I mounted it all on my '82 360 and it does sound great.

65006865092--2D37ECED-890F-4E1E-81AB-9CE56E4803EE.jpeg

IMG-5714.jpeg

Looks amazing! I have ordered and will get help from someone to install it - where did you get the brass washers and nuts?

Can't wait to hear it!

I have also ordered a STARZ brass bridge and am looking to figure out how to mount it.