History of the LightShow?

[kiramdear]

I think they're Rickenbacker's kinkiest, most fantastic guitars, but they're not discussed a lot lately. Can someone illuminate me on their background trivia?

[collin]

Have you tried the search engine yet? There's Tons o info on the site about these.

What do you want to know though? There's two types- earlier (1970, early 1971) hand-wired, bulbs in a row, and the second variety (much cooler IMO) with lights scattered across circuit boards.

Paul and others have extensive knowledge of the circuitry, but it was basically all analog point-to-point stuff. It's an electronic color organ bolted into a guitar, to put it simply. Thicker body than a 330, unique early Hi Gain pickups...I could go on....anybody who owns one (ahem...Graham!) want to chime in?

Cheers,
-Collin

[kiramdear]

Thanks, I've been poking around a bit as you said, and one of the nicest set of photos was of this 1971 burgundyglo example. The lights look a little dorky, don't they? The pickup has threaded rods for pole pieces?

[beatlefreak]

The lights look a little dorky, don't they?

You've got to remember when these were made. Electronics in the early seventies was not anything like it is today. Back then, they didn't have cool little super bright LEDs, and had to resort to using incadescent bulbs to get the brightness needed.

[collin]

Thanks, I've been poking around a bit as you said, and one of the nicest set of photos was of this 1971 burgundyglo example. The lights look a little dorky, don't they? The pickup has threaded rods for pole pieces?

here's some more photos:


http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~miyata-kobo ... -E-42.html
download/file.php?id=4677&mode=view
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/40U-3453.htm (one that was sold stupid cheap at Elderly years ago...)
http://www.jayrosen.com/catalog/index.p ... 821dea0d9d


Plus check out Graham's site- http://www.rickenbacker.me.uk , and [url[www.Rickbeat.com[/url]- Models- 331LS for more good Lightshow pictures.

Cheers,
-Collin

[kiramdear]

Cool photos, Colin, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'm off to Graeme's site.

$6500 for a light show does sound stupid cheap... any idea how many lightshows they made total?

[jingle_jangle]

No idea of total production. RIC has a MID-blue one in their collection--only one of these I've seen; it's a series 2. Series 1s seem to be much rarer. I'm just putting together two Series 2s that I got working again, with the help of a great color organ guy in Oakland who used to do the Family Dog shows...we're also finishing up a series 2 schematic that should be very helpful as reference to folks restoring these. For all I know, the series 1s were the same schematically and just different structurally???

Those Hi-Gain polepieces are typical of the early Hi-Gains, which were used on the LSs and 381s back then.

Here are some shots of a LS 12-string bass that I built a few months back for Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick:

[kiramdear]

Paul, I hope you haven't used up all the swirly plexi yet. Can you reserve me a couple of pieces just a little smaller than normal, till next summer?

(what does she mean by that?)

[collin]

Series 1s seem to be much rarer.

Really? I'm surprised, because in all my online "travels" I've only ever come across series 1's for sale...the one on ebay last week, the one at guitar center, the one at Jay Rosen, etc etc....were all BG Series 1's.

Series 1's also go for much less money than 2's apparently (makes sense, seeing as the light display is much cooler on a series 2).

Cheers,
-Collin

[kiramdear]

I've seen more ones than twos, also. The bulb array is much better in the twos, the ones look like they're from the "Forbidden Planet" school of design.

[jingle_jangle]

Paul, I hope you haven't used up all the swirly plexi yet. Can you reserve me a couple of pieces just a little smaller than normal, till next summer?

(what does she mean by that?)

The plexi is the cover; the swirly stuff is a thin lenticular sheet underneath. I've got about, I dunno, 25 yards of the swirly stuff, and several hundred pounds of clear plexi...so I guess you're covered, Your Majesty.

[jps]

Paul, I hope you haven't used up all the swirly plexi yet. Can you reserve me a couple of pieces just a little smaller than normal, till next summer?

(what does she mean by that?)

Are you going to have the first 5002LS?

[jingle_jangle]

Nope. Second...

[kiramdear]

Nothing definite yet, but I'm toying with an idea for a 320LS. Maybe I'll come to my senses but the image in my head looks awfully cute. Let's fire up Photoshop and see!

[chucksimms]

Paul, I am so impressed that you did Tom's 12ver as a lightshow. Huge fan of CT, and even had a Hamer B12S for a while. That is too cool... Hope I see him playing it!