Experience with stripped guitars

Setup, repair and restoration of Rickenbacker Instruments

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thevince
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Experience with stripped guitars

Post by thevince »

Sometimes I come across a stripped guitar that's been parted out for sale. I've been considering getting one as a hobby re-build project. Not sure if I'd rebuild as close to the original as possible or use it as an opportunity to experiment.

Curious to hear any stories from people who have done this. Was it worth the experience? Did you end up spending more than it would have cost to buy a new guitar? How did you handle difficult to replace parts (jack plate, truss rod cover, tailpiece, etc.)? Any tips to consider before purchasing a stripped guitar?
blueflamerick
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by blueflamerick »

Unless you're able to score a great deal on a body and already have at least a few spare parts sitting around, you can expect to spend more on getting all the necessary items to restore the guitar than you would on a decent used (or even new) one.

That said, if you enjoy the thrill of the hunt for finding parts and putting guitars together, then that experience is invaluable.

I got a 450 from the early 60's that was just the body, tuners, and truss rod cover for a really good price. It had been routed for humbuckers, so the pickguard was trash. I bought 2 new toasters, a new bass wiring assembly, pickguard from Pickguardian, and found a used bridge for an acceptable price. That worked out pretty well.

I also found a 320 that was just a body and had an F hole routed into it for a decent price. It thankfully came with the jack plate. I bought some used tuners, made my own wiring harness from spare parts I had acquired over the years, along with some extra pickups I had laying around. Found a truss rod cover that didn't break the bank, and bought a new accent tailpiece fore it.

Both builds were fun, and ended up costing less that the purchase of the same complete guitars only because both bodies were modified and therefore unattractive to many collectors, and I already had a lot of the parts.
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teb
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by teb »

I've been doing that sort of thing on and off for the last 50 years. My main motivation has always been because the instrument that I wanted simply didn't exist. Secondly, I enjoy the work and thirdly, these days, I can do the work myself. It started with my walnut-bodied, stereo-wired, fretless Les Paul bass, which was built from an old used EB-0 by my local luthier about 1971. I scarfed in a new headstock on a banjo once and turned it into a 9-string, which was "interesting". In Rickenbackers, I made a new body for my used 2030 bass, and one for a rather hacked-up 430. The old 430 body was reshaped, refinished and eventually sold off.

It's fun when I have the time and some cash to spend on the donor guitars, but I can't say that I'm really saving any money compared to just buying something that's ready to play as is.
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collin
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by collin »

It all depends on the model.

As Erik pointed out, for the vast majority of models, you won't be able to put one together from parts for less money than just buying a used example. Rickenbacker parts are generally specific to Ricks, and what little "aftermarket" parts are on the market are of terrible quality and in many cases don't fit or look like the original part.

Sometimes you can score a vintage husk at a reasonable price and build it back stock, or use it as the basis for a custom project. But most of the time, it's just a better idea to buy a complete guitar, ready to go.
thevince
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by thevince »

Erik - Well said. I'm interested in the thrill of the hunt for parts and restoring a guitar back to playing. Sounds like you got a couple cool guitars doing this process!

Todd - Your guitars are next level. Absolutely stunning! Especially the 2030 Bass.

Collin - Good points about part scarcity. I haven't seen a lot of options for Rickenbacker parts and stock is sold out on some key new parts.

Any experience with parts from All Parts or Winfield Vintage? I was looking for bridge and tailpiece pricing.

This thread may have motivated me to move forward with buying a stripped guitar... :D
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Ontario_RIC_fan
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by Ontario_RIC_fan »

Vince:

I think that we tend to use the terms "Butchered" or "parted out" to describe these kinds of projects.

In my mind "stripped" means that someone stripped the finish off. Often down to the bare wood, like Macca's 4001S

I have succesfully done two of these projects now, a 1967 FG 625, and a 2002 BG 620VB.

I will echo what Collin has written, it often costs just as much, if not more, to rebuild the guitar correctly as what it would have cost to buy the whole guitar in one piece, before it was butchered.

One of the main sources for these husks and authentic parts is a notorious eBay seller, that we have dubbed the "NJ Butcher". Both of my projects were rescues after he parted them out on eBay.

In both cases I was able to purchase half of the original parts, including the all important to me, jackplate with the original serial number.

The only advantage to buying the guitar in pieces, was that it allowed me to spread the cost of the restoration over a full year, so that it became possible to afford the guitar.

A few folks have created custom one of a kind projects, using the carcasses of butchered instruments. Most of us though, I believe, just want the guitar back to stock. Which once the guitar has been parted out, in can never be all original again.

With my 1967 625, as an example, the original toasters were expensive and sold off. I used a pair from a butchered 2004 660. So it looks original, but it isn't.

Good luck getting all the items you need.
Brian Morton
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
=========================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
blueflamerick
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by blueflamerick »

I have a Winfield trapeze tailpiece. I find it to be of good quality.

One of my basses came with an All Parts tailpiece that was a replacement for a Badass bridge that replaced the original tailpiece. It was a piece of trash. I replaced it with an original tailpiece.

Good luck and happy hunting!
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collin
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by collin »

Winfield parts are ok, in many cases you have no other option (i.e. he'll offer stuff that even RIC doesn't make).

But Allparts... you get what you pay for there. The Allparts Rick type bridge is ok, but the saddles are chromed steel and terrible. These bridges are useable if you strip them down and replace the saddles with aluminum, replace all the screws etc. By that point, what's your time worth? Just buy the bridge from RIC for $75 and it's ready to go.

Allparts also has knobs, but they're kind of flimsy and lack the set screw, again I'd just buy the real stuff from RIC.
thevince
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by thevince »

Brian - I was wondering how to best describe this when I started the thread. Agreed that "butchered" and "parted out" are better than "stripped" in this case. The jack plate is definitely a key piece in this type of re-build!

Erik, Collin - Thank you for the input on Winfield. I'll probably order from there. I see the official Rickenbacker store is out of 6-string bridges. Are these pretty difficult to get? If there's a long wait, I might have to find something else.

I ended up getting a butchered guitar. :D I'll post some details (and a ton of questions!) perhaps in another dedicated thread later, to keep this topic open to general re-build discussion.
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collin
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by collin »

For the most part, when the RIC boutique is out of stock, just keep checking daily and it’ll usually go back in stock soon. From what I understand, parts are used for assembling guitars first and foremost, and then the surplus stock is put into the boutique. So there isn’t (for example) usually hundreds of bridges sitting in parts stock for the boutique, just a small quantity that are replenished as guitars are assembled.

The longer wait is usually for stuff like toaster pickups, but even then a piece or two will pop up fairly soon if you keep looking. Just buy when they’re available.
blueflamerick
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by blueflamerick »

There are a few Rickenbacker bridges on Reverb right now, some authentic, some "Rickenbacker-style".
thevince
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Re: Experience with stripped guitars

Post by thevince »

Thanks for the tips! I was able to find most parts.

This 310C64 originally had Ric-Tite tuners, I think. I've never bought tuners. What do I need to know about replacing these? I'm looking at Gotoh SEP770 tuners as a possible replacement. Is there anything special to know about bushings, such as size?
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