John Hall, what kind of Rick bass did I see?

blazer · Post by **blazer** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 1:58 pm

Okay, yesterday I was flipping through some old music mags when I saw something on the 70'th aniversary of Rickenbacker and it showed a couple of prototypes and weird one-offs. One of them was the missing link between Rickenbacker and a Musicman Stingray.

The article said that it was Forest White's working prototype for a bass with active electronics and a 3+1 headstock. As we all know, after leavig Rickenbacker Forest White Hooked up with Leo Fender again to form Musicman and much of the ideas tried on the Rick prototype was put in production on the Stingray bass.

But the picture was small and very grainy so I couldn't make out much of the details of the bass. Mr. Hall could you please tell more about this cool one-off Rick bass or perhaps post a picture?

rick_ovic · Post by **rick_ovic** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:32 pm

Wouter, I have a high-resolution photo of the bass you are referring to. I'm having trouble resizing it to post here. Shoot me an email at the address in my profile and I'll send you the image.

gray · Post by **gray** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:10 pm

I want to see it, too!!!

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:18 pm

It looks like a cross between a "Tele" "Les Paul" and a "Strat" I owned the Bass for a while in the early 80's before it was stolen, just like it was stolen from the Rick Showroom, but this one came back to it's rightful owner. I found out years later that an ex-employee stole this and other instruments in what is called a smash and dash/grab and run late night theft. I have pictures of it, I will locate some and post them.

gray · Post by **gray** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:21 pm

But it's back in the hands of its rightful owner(s), then?

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:28 pm

Wouter, are you refering to this prototype?

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:29 pm

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:30 pm

Sorry about my head being in the shot!

ajish4 · Post by **ajish4** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:34 pm

This place is amazing.

You mention something obscure, and POOF, there it is!

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:35 pm

...and not once, but twice!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:29 pm

And, comparing the two photos. you can see why it's not a good idea to make any sort of color judgement from photographs...

The redder one is closer to real life, BTW.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:33 pm

I adjusted mine to see the detail better.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:34 pm

ooo I see the dumpster bass in that photo ...

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:56 pm

This one?

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:03 pm

Yes, this one!!