Bassic Colors No. 12 – There's red, and then there is RED!

[bassduke49]

When it comes to red Ricks, RED is the color. Not a metallic, not a translucent, not a burst, but a solid fire-engine red. According to the Rick Page/Rittor color chart, Red was available from 1985 to 1999. Red came standard with black trim, including binding, plastic, and hardware. Once in a while, you see the "reverse trim" option (extra cost) on Red with white/chrome details, but it's pretty rare. I recall seeing a 2030 in red, and Brian Crisman had (has) a 4004 Laredo in Red (which he had strung with "piccolo" strings, the octave strings from an 8-string set). But most are the 4003 basses, with a few 4003S out there, too. But the be-all, end-all Red bass is the 4003SPC "Redneck" basses. These were made in 1988 and featured an all-red paint scheme with black plastic and hardware. The maple fretboard was red, too, with tiny black "microdot" position markers. Of the three SPC basses (to include the Blackstar and Tuxedo), only the Redneck saw regular (if scant) production as an eight-string. Find below a couple of shots of Ted Staberow's amazingly mint four-string Redneck, his 4003, and Brian's 4004L. Also, a classic publicity shot from RIC of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell with four- and eight-string Rednecks.

So let's discuss and post pix of really, really Red Ricks!

[bassduke49]

And here is John Minutaglio's eight-string Redneck, shot at this year's SERF.

[johnallg]

My first Rick could have been a 4003S Red bass but it really didn't do anything for me; the bridge pup had been replaced by a Bartolini, the neck was bowed (I was green with Ricks or that wouldn't have mattered), and GC wanted too much. I did know the previous owner - the sales manager. It finally sold about 15 months later for $150 less.

[bassduke49]

As if on cue, there's a Red 4003 for sale in Italy on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1990-Rickenbacker-4 ... 576wt_1041

[cjj]

Interesting, in the ebay listing, the color is referred to as "Milanglo". Is this an official name for this color? Something the European distributor thought up? Something the seller invented???

[rickaddict]

Or is it a re-fin?

That's the guy that bought a ton of Rick parts and instruments off ebay over the past few years.

Looks like the tail piece could have used the extra two screws.

[Tarrbot]

MilanGlo would likely be a play on the Italian Red racing colors that are prevalent in old school European racing. Green for Britain, Silver for Germany and Red for Italy.

In the lighting that it's taken in, it very much looks like Italian Red but that could just be the original color with the lighting showing that way.

[rickaddict]

MilanGlo would likely be a play on the Italian Red racing colors that are prevalent in old school European racing. Green for Britain, Silver for Germany and Red for Italy.

Good point, Scott!

[bassduke49]

The official RIC name for red is "Red," so "Milanglo" is strictly his description. He could have said "Ferrari" red, too, and we all would know what he was referring to.

[jps]

...looks like Italian Red ...

Now, here is Italian Red

[jps]

Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread!

[Tarrbot]

Not so fast there, jps.

You barely even showed the Italian Red and when you did you showed an inferior mark of it. I'm not suggesting that some tractor manufacturer (you know the one, the one with the bull logo) should represent the Italian Red but it's definitely the wrong car you chose.

Real Red... Head.

I will accept another alternative in a 288 GTO as a representative of this fabulous color of red.

And I honestly hate red as a color but on a Ric and these cars, I'm a big fan. Very colorful and sexy.

[jps]

Will this suffice, Scott?

[Tarrbot]

Yes indeed. A Ferrari is always a good choice, even if it has 4 doors and is slow as a mule in winter.

I'm just giving you a hard time, though.

Kind of how you give Marc a hard time about his lighting.

[johnallg]

Ahem, SPEAKING of red Rickenbackers......

http://theredrickenbacker.com/