Found this...

[fireglo67]

Not sure if the link has been posted before, and I'm sorry if it has, but I found it quite interesting.

http://www.yourmovetheband.com/Rickenba ... leneck.htm

[kiramdear]

What a coincidence. I just discovered that very page last night.
Does that hump get any smaller when it gets thirsty?

[cjj]

Yeah, with that much re-work, you'd think adding a bit of wood to fill it out wouldn't be a huge deal.

[jingle_jangle]

Once again, we're in that grey (primer) area where a bit of design sensitivity would've helped the project. I suspect the guy was in a hurry, or money-challenged, because he picked two basically incompatible instruments. My own approach would have been to keep the necks from the 600 series and the 4000 series bass, and scratchbuild a body which utilized them, which would have replicated Rutherford's. Much more faithful to the whole concept and only slightly more difficult.

Now he's got a doubleneck with a bad goiter. Maybe he should paint it with iodine...

[cjj]

Or maybe glue on yet another guitar or two coming out that side so he can play it left handed as well...

[tennis_nick]

Huh, It actually looks pretty cool between the bridge pickups and the headstock, I wonder if that bottom bit is salvagable....

[jingle_jangle]

Anything is salvageable. But the instrument is done, and he's using it already. Time to move on.

I do like CJ's idea, though.

[tennis_nick]

Anything is salvageable. But the instrument is done, and he's using it already. Time to move on.

I do like CJ's idea, though.

I guess it's one of those times where functionality was more important than aesthetics. Can really fault the guy for that.

[jingle_jangle]

Agreed. Consider, however:

A bit of thinking early on in a project--sometimes just a thoughtful lunch break, sometimes sleeping on it for a day or two, often unlocks the lateral thinking part of the brain, and leads to solutions to problems that don't occur at first blush.

The luthier in this case, had all the tough-to-fabricate or locate parts (necks and hardware) that he needed to make a fairly accurate replica of Rutherford's instrument. Instead, he created a mini-monster...

One more point: that primer slathered on the completed body probably covers some filler and old paint. Not a good way to finish something made of wood. All of the filler and glue seams will begin to show on a job like this, in short order, especially in a black final color. The English climate will also cause lots of checking because of the thickness of paint.

However, this seems to be primarily a stage guitar, so it'll serve its purpose admirably, I would think.

[kiramdear]

A piece of veneer on the face and back would keep any shifty filler under wraps.

But it would still be a sow's ear.

[jingle_jangle]

This is what happens sometimes...bodge "A" fixes kluge "A", then something must be done to hide bodge "A", and then that is bodged over, and in the end, you've got...

[kiramdear]

... the government?

[jimk]

No...a bodgekluge, silly!

JimK

[kiramdear]

I'd feel funny calling those a rick.

[cjj]

I'd feel funny calling those a rick.

Yeah, it's more of a "hack".
Hmm, Hackenbacker... has kind of a ring to it, huh?