1957 Combo 450 Tulip Project

[krishna]

Ok, so yes .. I'm still working on the basket case 1960's 4005, but I now have another Rick project as well, a 50's Combo.

I have posted some pictures in my Yahoo briefcase - I believe these are viewable by all though yahoo has been changing things fast lately:

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/valakrishna

folder is "rick combo 450 project" or something along those lines ...

Its pretty beat ... and needs some series refurbishment .. maybe a refret too .. tons of fret grooving on this baby.

On the body .. the rear "saxophone mount'" is plugged up. I'm not sure the routing is correct, any interior views or input on the proper routing would be appreciated.

As for hardware, I have a set of openback Grovers that appear correct (from a 60's Guild) .. I have two reissue long magnet toasters that need repair and I may have rewound with shorter magnets ... I have a the appropriate three way toggle from a random Gibson .. I have a 60's 450 ( I think) bridge plate .. no serial # on it .. the pickguard appears original but with a gold lacquer and primer refin.

So mostly what I need is a good closeup of a bridge so I can make one .. a backplate for the sax mount ... and some of those little black flying saucer knobs.

Questions I have for Mark are :

- would the backplate have been white painted Masonite or white polystyrene plastic ??

- bridge fabrication .. HELP !

- routings - what should they look like .. should both pickup wells be even sized ?

- most important, is there a paint code for the Turquoise color that was used on Combo's .. I assume it was probably a 1950's car color, like all the Fender and Gibson colors ... any ideas ?? is it an actual metallic color or a turquoise candy apple ??

Thanks !!

krishna jain
somerville, MA
[email protected]

[tblair]

I have this model:

http://www.tblair.com/Combo450.htm

...so I'd be happy to send you some photos of whatever you want- though I won't really have a chance until Saturday evening or Sunday.

I've never seen a tulip 450 with flying saucer knobs. They usually had the standard black ones that you can still get a reissue of. I've seen them with oven knobs too, and there's a photo of one at a trade show in the 50s with some oddball knobs with a little arrow in them.

The bridge would be pretty much like the current Ric bridges- but unplated with 50's type screws and nuts. Unfortunately modern rick bridges don't quite fit into the grooves of the 50s & 60s plates. You can also order a gold mandolin bridge cover, which is the same as the old 400 series covers- except the gold is a little different.

[jwilli]

The routings look correct tom me. Some 450 from this era had a white guard on the back of the body. They rarely last in good shape. It is some sort of a hard plastic that does not age well. Can't help you with a Turquoise finish. Although I'm sure that a number were finished like that, the majority were Black, Montezuma Gold or Cloverfield Green.

[krishna]

Tony .. if you say the standard black knobs look right, I'll take that as an expert opinion and go with it.

The bridge plate I have is not original ..it looks like it is meant for the typical Rick bridge .. I just thought I had seen pictures of some sort of one piece aluminum bridge on some Combos (sorta like a Bigsby bridge).

Pictures that would help me the most are:

back strap mount (inside too if you can remove it, since I have to unplug this area.

bridge/plate assembly with cover off

Thanks,
Krishna

[krishna]

John ... I will make the backplate from a white plastic I have .. probably was originaly white bakelite, like fender used on the first strats.

The color I'm looking for I believe is the Cloverfield Green.

Anyone have specs or official codes (automotive) for that color ? Does Rickenbacker still use it ? Is that the color that the "Atlantis 650" guitars were ??

Thanks,
Krishna Jain

[tblair]

I've placed a page up of some detailed pix here:

http://www.tblair.com/450_details.htm

The backs usually had a spray applied flocking, but I also have pix up of a particle board back that I had on a Combo 900, and a plastic back (that was just a 900 series scratch plate) from a 50's 425.

[tblair]

...and the one piece bridge you've seen would be from a 'Cresting Wave' type 425 or 450 from 1962 onward. Some of the earliest 425s also had a one-piece plastic bridge (actually the same bridge assembly except for a plastic chunk to act as the six saddles).

[krishna]

Tony,
Thanks ! .. great detail photos !

I have seen a white painted Masonite/hardboard back on a Combo 1000 (the short scale super symmetric model), but it wasn't clear if that was a homemade replacement for a destroyed plastic piece or original.

So "spray-applied flocking" .. you mean that fake felt stuff ?? on top of the finish on the back ? and what color ? ..

I am planning on doing the Clover-whatever Green finish, with a backplate of some sort ... the screw holes for the backplate are there, and in exactly the same position as a Combo in the Gruhn/Carter guitar book.

Thanks,

Krishna

[krishna]

Oh yes .. on the Combo pickguard - I applied some "citra-strip" to it last night and removed the gold lacquer and grey primer to get down to bare metal.

The guard appears to be made out of aluminum, with two layers of plating .. one appears to be nickel .. or tin .. dull silver color, and then a gold colored plating (looks more like brass than actual gold to me).

So are these guards actually anodized or electro-plated ??

I some places (probably where sweat and acid from fingers built up), the aluminum is actually a little oxidized and pitted.

if I can find a place to either plate or anodize it .. I will probably sand it down to bare aluminum on the front. The back is clean.

Krishna