Vintage reissue nameplates on genuine '60s Ricks

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 6:49 am

You guys are wrong about the use of Forstner bits.

We used to used trained termites and all they knew how to do was circles; you know, their brains weren't big enough for anything more sophisticated. We found we could use local termites for counter-clockwise cuts but had to import Australian termites for clockwise routing.

It was hell when they got mixed together.

There's still a sign hanging on the wood shop door left over from the old days that says "No Black Flag beyond this point".

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 7:37 am

I bet they got pretty fat boring the channel for the truss rod.....'Good for only one pass...' LOL

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:02 am

Wow, yet another interesting tidbit from the archives of Rickenbacker!!!! But John, my '71 Rickenbacker has trapezoidal shaped cutouts under the nameplate. Would that mean that my bass was worked on by some exotic breed of termite, and hence, more valuable, rare, or collectable???

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 9:59 am

I guess those termites had pretty boring jobs...

trick_knee · Post by **trick_knee** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:21 am

Did they train termites to carve out the 4004LK's

RutleDirk · Post by **RutleDirk** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:15 pm

I dunno, Den. That's some pretty intricate carving for termites.

It's more likely that they used NANITES on the Lemmys.

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:07 pm

The real reason the control cavity in my 360 is red is not because it was refinished to MG, it's because the termite that gnawed out the cavity ate so much maple that it exploded and it's guts stained the wood.
All the RIC new hires in the wood room have to under go a dental exam to ensure precision gnawing.
Word out is that the turnover at RIC of sharp-toothed, dark-eyed employees is rapid.
I know this is absolutely true because I have lived close to RIC for a very long time and I still hear voodoo drums regularly from their Santa Ana location.

trick_knee · Post by **trick_knee** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:22 pm

I was hoping I could buy a jar of those little buggers from Mr. Hall and let them loose on my Cheyenne one...ala bootleg half fast Lemmy!!!

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:07 pm

"No Black Flag beyond this point"

Unfortunate, since Black Flag's bassist Kira played a RIC ...

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 6:35 am

Not to exterminate any discussion of termites here, but I really liked those pics of 360Dave's guitar, and couldn't help noticing that it bears a pretty close resemblence to the 375 pictured on page 105 of the Richard Smith book. Not the same guitar, but probably rolled out of the factory at approximately the same time. Beautiful Guitar!

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 6:56 am

When I first saw that photo of Dave's guitar the first thing I did was look up that photo in Smith's book! Veeeeerrrrrry similar.

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:34 am

I have a bunch more pix of that same 60' MG 360 so if anybody wants to further their research on this model please send an email direct to
K6XYZ[at]comcast[dot]net
Please specify what area(s) you would like to view and I will respond.
Please put your email address in the body of the message so I can cut and past into Photoshop Album.
There is a question in my mind regarding the serial number of this instrument (2T052)
It may be an earlier model guitar than 1960 and refinished from FG to MG at Radio-Tel after I placed the order for it. See the red paint in the control cavity and red paint under the neck plate.

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 7:45 am

Dave,
I thought that a serial # of 2T052 would be pre-60, wouldn't it? I'm unfortunately far too ignorant of pre-60 Rickenbackers, although I'm looking for that elusive 4000 model from that time period. It is a beauty of a guitar-- did I understand correctly that you are the original owner?

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 8:18 am

Gene....I believe too that the s/n is pre-60' and it may have been a show model Capri.
Yes, I am the original owner.