Rarities #2 - Rickenbacker Mando

rickbeat · Post by **rickbeat** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:27 am

Hi,
here is another very (extremely) rare Rickenbacker (without the Rickenbacker logo on the headplate)! Mando Guitar by Ferrara. There may be three or four of these. Made in January 1971.

I don't know very much at all about this one. Anyone in this forum who knows the story about it? Would be very interesting to hear it!

Here is the headstock:

For more photos, click on the link below:

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/mando/mando.htm

Take care

Björn

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:18 am

Bjorn: I am the owner of the Mando Guitar you have pictured on your website. It can be seen on John Williams's website here:

http://www.homestead.com/aurs3/leftybass.html

I have made attempts to contact the man who had the instruments custom-ordered, Dr.Richard Ferrara, but I've been unsuccessful so far.

As far as I know, only three Rickenbacker Mando-Guitars were produced, two of them going to Dr. Ferrara and one as a 'spare', in case there were issues with the other two. My Mando-Guitar is the one mentioned in Richard Smith's book, and I am the only owner other than Dr. Ferrara.....I understand one exapmle is still owned by Dr.Ferrara, and it is Mapleglo. The whereabouts of the third 'spare' Mando-Guitar are unknown to me at present.

It is essentially a 6006 Banjoline with a different elongated headstock to accomodate 8 Kluson tuners.

Bjorn, I would have sent more pics to you, but the pics that Stan Werbin at Elderly Instruments took are so good I knew I couldn't do better!!! LOL

As far has the "sound" of this instrument, just picture in your mind an octave mandolin with a Rickenbacker 12-string sound, and you've got it.

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:35 am

Lefty: What a wonderful collection!

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:50 am

Thanks Peter..I've got a couple more that aren't on the page as of yet, and the '72 4001LH has just been returned to original spec, other than what you see in the photo...

Of course there is always room for more...LOL

rickbeat · Post by **rickbeat** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 8:32 am

John,

I remember when Stan Werbin had this Mando Guitar for sale. He contacted me just before selling it to you (of course without telling me your name).

I checked in my mail archive from August 2002 and I found out that are obviously four of these instruments made.

I know the serial# of your instrument. There are three Mando Guitars listed in RIC's serial number log.

The strange thing about these three is that none of them have "your" serial # . Yours is a few numbers later in the sequence.

Now, I can't say for sure that your Mando (the fourth) isn't listed in RIC's log but the info I received from them contained only three listed instruments.

They are all made in January 1971 and the serial number sequence shows that your Mando Guitar must be number four out of four made. Hopefully we will soon find out.

Thank you for the description of the sound of the Mando Guitar. I think I understand it pretty well but it would be really nice if you could record a sound sample for us as a reference. Is it possible?

Take care

Björn

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:30 pm

The serial # of my Mando-Guitar is KA 016. I am aware of the discrepency, and so is John Hall.

Last year we had a conversation via e-mail about this;(BTW, thanks JH for the assistance!!) KA 016 is actually listed as a 4001!! LOL

What this amounts to is more than likely an error in the records or the wrong plate was put on the instrument during assembly. The other Mando-Guitar numbers are with 10 numbers of the # on my jackplate, so it doesn't concern me.

I am unaware of a fourth Mandolin Guitar, all of the info I have points to only three at this point...

As far as a sound sample, I'll try!! It may take a bit, but I'll be in touch with you soon about it...

rickbeat · Post by **rickbeat** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 2:24 am

John,
this sounds absolutely correct to me! The serial number mixup explains it all! Thanks for reminding me! I must have forgotten....sorry!

I'm looking forward to hear the sound sample!

Take care and Merry Christmas!

Björn

Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 7:25 am

John,
WOW! What a great collection of guitars and basses! I was wondering, it looks like the guitars are set up righty and your basses are lefty, do you play both ways or did you not want to mess with the obvious vintage perfection of those guitars?
Thanks for sharing your collection with us!

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 8:57 am

Steve, I am a left-handed bass player and a 'ham and eggs' guitar player.. LOL

My musical jobs usually deal with bass playing and vocal work, 'cause there are always better guitar players around than me. You don't have to look hard for that!!

I have many Rickenbackers 'cause I love studying them and their history; there is a story to tell with EVERY instrument. They are my fave.

tblair · Post by **tblair** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 4:04 pm

I tracked down Dr. Ferrara and this Mando Guitar early last year after a tip from a guy at Elderly who recently did some set up work on it (who's name & contact info I've lost and would like to get back, as he has a VERY cool '64 365 with bound violin f-hole).

Dr. Ferrara said that he had two, and that he held the patent for the instrument- and offered me the fireglow one (that John picked up) for $6000.00. Dr. Ferrara was a student of Eddie Peabody ages ago- and you can see him on the Biography channel's episode on... Don Knotts.

I said 'no thanks' to the sale offer, then saw it again when it was up for sale at Elderly. I would have happily snapped it up- but I was in the middle of moving & buying a house, so...

It's better off in John's hands though- I had a Banjoline for a couple of years, and could never do much more than 'Deliverance' with it.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 4:28 pm

"he has a VERY cool '64 365 with bound violin f-hole."

Ahh, yes. Thats the one that I want to know more about! Looks surprisingly similar to my '64 365 except for that wild bound F-hole.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 4:41 am

Tony Blair wrote:

"It's better off in John's hands though- I had a Banjoline for a couple of years, and could never do much more than 'Deliverance' with it. ..."

LOLOLOL Can you imagine what the porch scene on 'Deliverance' would have beeen like if the kid had a Banjoline???? LOLOLOLOL

David McLaughlin (Combo 850) can play a mean 'Kentucky Waltz' on the Mando Guitar.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 8:07 am

Gotta love Eddie Peabody!

tblair · Post by **tblair** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 8:49 am

Here's a pic of the '64 365 mentioned earlier:

tblair · Post by **tblair** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 8:51 am

Ooops, sorry for goofing up the screen width with the erroneous double-posting of the pic.