Research for book

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:04 am

I'm in the process of writing a reference book on Rickenbacker basses for Hal Leonard Publishing, and I may need your help. To help document the progression of the bass guitar designs and their availability, I want to study Rickenbacker catalogs (recently, these are posters). RIC is not able to assist beyond what the company has on its website, so I need to look at (not purchase) company catalogs from the following years:

1959
1960 through 1967
1969
1970 through 1974
1976 through 1979
1980
1982
1983
1987
1988
1989
1990
1993
1994
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2003
2004
2005

This will only be a small part of the research to help with production timelines. Yes, I know this information also exists elsewhere on the Rick Resource website, but the catalogs will help confirm what is on the site (journalists like to get at least a second source, more than two, even better!). If anyone has catalogs from which I can glean information, please get in touch. I don't need to have physically have them in hand.

Thanks, folks.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:26 am

Paul, My .02: One thing to consider is that RIC may not have issued literature for every year of production, or at least it doesn't appear to be the case.... Mainly what you see floating around are full-line catalogs from 1958-60, the Rose-Morris pamphlet from ca.1964, the 1968 full-line catalog, the 1975(?) catalog with the AG 360 on the cover and various fold-out poster/catalogs beyond that....not to mention leaflets for new products like the 366/12, slanted frets, the Bantar and Banjoline etc....

Price lists may have been an annual occurance...

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:39 am

I know that when I wrote to Rickenbacker in 1980 or 1981, regarding replacement parts, they sent a catalog from 1975. And this catalog pictured a 1960's 325 model guitar with toasters as a current model. Even the factory literature can't be believed...

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:40 am

Thanks John and Randy. Those are likely scenarios. A lot of holes to fill. John, the list you give reflects what is on the RIC literature page on the website. It might be all there is to be had anyway!

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:48 am

Well, that's not to say there isn't more out there--but what RIC has listed seems to be what pops up as being available to snap up on ebay, etc...There have been lots of single sheet promos on many things.

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:23 pm

"I don't need to have physically have them in hand"

How will that work? I do have a few catalogs.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:30 pm

I'm guessing that Paul has a set of specific questions in mind, and that the owner of the documentation will be able to look at the literature in hand and answer said questions.

That, or Paul has psychic [I said psychic, not psycho!] abilities that he has not revealed to us yet ...

BTW Paul, I have a 1988 models poster/catalog as well as the "newsletter" (I can't remember its name off the top of my head right now) of the same vintage; the latter discusses the Redneck basses, so it may be of use.

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 6:48 pm

Absolutely, Gary!