Rickenbacker Electric 12 Book - Has Anyone Seen It?

[fireglo67]

Maybe someday, a diehard Rick fan will take up the cause and write a definitive book on Rickenbacker.

He did. His name is Richard Smith.

In fact, it would be just as cool if Mr. Smith would revise his outdated book----same text (maybe a tad more info) but with all color pictures etc.

There's only SO much you can say about them, so i'm not surprised to hear of "re-hashing" with this book. Book's like Smiths really get to the details anyways.


I doubt we'll ever see anything for Rickenbackers with as much attention to detail as Jim Elyea's Vox book.

The actual info in Smiths book is OK, but I was shocked by the poor quality of the actual writing, layout, and print. It's like trying to read an essay by an 11 year old.
Rickenbacker themselves should comission a professional writer and publishing company to do a definitive version of their history to date.

[manta]

Give poor old Richard a break. It was done in like 1990 or earlier if I recall. I had two McGuinns back then and the TP had just come along the first time I saw that book. 20 years later we have all the slick free graphics and high powered layout programs. Back then it was cut and paste with an Exacto knife.

That was most certainly a book done on a tight budget with mostly black and white and a color center section. Times have changed in the layout and printing world. Now it cheaper to use good paper stock and do everything in color.

Smith's book is certainly due for a makeover and 20 years worth of new info to add as well.

Best,

Manta

[Trav]

I've got my copy from Amazon (other online retailers are available) very nice it is too, but I've not read it yet.

[collin]

Give poor old Richard a break. It was done in like 1990 or earlier if I recall. I had two McGuinns back then and the TP had just come along the first time I saw that book. 20 years later we have all the slick free graphics and high powered layout programs. Back then it was cut and paste with an Exacto knife.

That was most certainly a book done on a tight budget with mostly black and white and a color center section. Times have changed in the layout and printing world. Now it cheaper to use good paper stock and do everything in color.

Smith's book is certainly due for a makeover and 20 years worth of new info to add as well.

Best,

Manta

+1

Not only was Smith's book assembled the old (and difficult) way, but access to information back then wasn't nearly as efficient as today. I'd say, for the time period it was written in, Smith's book is very detailed. Just compare it to others around at the same time.

I do agree that he isn't the best writer though, and most of his photos are seemingly culled from Rickenbacker's archives, which is good...but not complete.

[fireglo67]

Give poor old Richard a break. It was done in like 1990 or earlier if I recall. I had two McGuinns back then and the TP had just come along the first time I saw that book. 20 years later we have all the slick free graphics and high powered layout programs. Back then it was cut and paste with an Exacto knife.

That was most certainly a book done on a tight budget with mostly black and white and a color center section. Times have changed in the layout and printing world. Now it cheaper to use good paper stock and do everything in color.

Smith's book is certainly due for a makeover and 20 years worth of new info to add as well.

Best,

Manta

My main gripe about the Smith book is that at a retail price of $35, I expected something of a far superior quality.
Fair enough if it was thrown together on the cheap (quite obvious once you've paid your money and got the thing home), but it's a complete con to charge that amount of money considering the poor product.
A realistic price would be something in the region of $4.99, with a warning sticker on the cover that the book is 20 years out of date.
Here's hoping he isn't tempted to do an 'update'.

[radioactive]

The Smith book was a good start and certainly limited by the technology available at the time. He's written some excellent books on other brands too. The "guitar book" benchmark these days are the recent efforts by folks like Ignacio Banos's "The Blackguard". or
Yasuhiko Iwanades's "Beauty of the Burst", even some of the lesser softcover books on the L-5 and ES-335 are far more Instrument
informative than this recent Rickenbacker release. There's also a wonderful book on Gibson Lapsteels that just came out.

I think that Tony Bacon could have racheted up his recent book if he was to comprehensively profile a dozen or more
Rickenbacker models with plenty of detail pictures, comments on the construction and features, similar to what Banos and Iwanade did in their books.

[libratune]

There is a statement on the back cover of the new Tony Bacon book, "Rickenbacker Electric 12 String" that pretty much sums it up:

"It is a completely rewritten update of "The Rickenbacker Book" [1994] and shows how generations of musicians, famous and unknown, have helped to spread the sound of the electric 12-string guitar."

Whew, that's a tall order, but it gives you a clue as to why it is such a disappointing book. It tries to tell (re-tell what's already known) the story of the Rickenbacker Co., provide some new non-Rick photos and commentary to illustrate the influence of various brands of electric 12-strings on popular music and folds in some new photos of Rickenbacker 12-strings with interviews of Rick-12 players. IMO, it's kind of a mish-mosh and nothing really new.

[fireglo67]

I'll tell you what Ron, with the knowledge and Rickenbacker collections of the various members of this forum, I would bet that a superb book could be collated by the people on here. It would obviously need a couple of people to co-ordinate the whole thing, but I'm sure it could be done.

[manta]

I suspect the book is $35 due to its scarcity. I have seen my own black and white with color insert Diving Guide to Guam and Micronesia for sale for $80 because it is out of print. This isn't Smith's fault. But even so, I doubt he was able to make a huge print run of such a specialized book. You don't even make any money until the second printing when you make a book. Then you have storage, paying a distributor, mailing and packing materials, advertising, etc. Its not just the cost of a book run, which back then may have been $10 a book or for a run of 2000. Add in the extra costs and your book is up to costing you $15-$18 before you even make a profit. And that profit goes to pay for the second printing, if there is one. So my guess is that Richard didn't see a penny to buy a burger with until three-four years later. $4.99 might get you some RIC post cards. It's not going to get you a specialized niche book.

Enjoy it. I doubt anyone is going to undertake something so expansive and specialized again, unless she/he's a glutton for punishment.

Best,

Timbo

[fireglo67]

We'll agree to disagree on this one I think.

Anyone want to buy a mint condition Rickenbacker book by Richard Smith?

[manta]

Hi Rob,

Agreed.

By the way, there are some of these print on demand operations now that can make books from threads and blogs. There's a start.

Timbo

[TheyMightBe]

Got this from my wife for my birthday (the 25th). Still no actual 330/12, though. Was hoping to get one for the big day, no such luck.

[modrock]

Finally received Tony Bacon's book, 'Rickenbacker Electric 12 String,' after having ordered it last October. I kept getting notices from amazon.com that they would cancel the order, but it arrived yesterday. Nice glossy photos and text, I must say Tony Bacon did a good job, but for us 'Rickophiles' it was pretty much the same re-hash of previous efforts.

Gary in Santa Rosa, CA

[stringsncords]

Here's a question for anyone who has the book:

On page 111, the John Lennon Limited Edition models are shown; other than the pickguard (obviously!) does anyone know the difference(s) between the 355JL (without vibrato) and the current 350V63?

Just curious....

Thanks, Bob

[modrock]

Hi Bob,

I have the long scale John Lennon Ltd. Edition 6 string with trapeze tail piece. I'm not sure whether my JL is called a
350/JL or 355/JL really, but I think the 12 string and 6 string long scale guitars are identical except of course the 12 string configuarion. I bought an Accent Vibrato years ago when they were not that scarce or expensive but never got round to installing it. The Accent now resides happily with a fellow RRF member in Canada.
I've often wondered what a 12 string 'short scale' model like the one RIC made for John Lennon would be to play. Tenuous at best I'd imagine.
I tend to play my 360/12V64 more than the 355/JL, I guess I'm hooked on 'jingle-jangle' ( speaking of which, maybe Paul W. can shed some light on the subject? ) I seem to remember him saying he had played the short scale 325/12 when we met several years ago.

Best Regards,
Gary in Santa Rosa, CA