RCA bass!!!

[bassduke49]

I've written to the seller, but it appears he is a newbie. RIC made (?) basses along with guitars for RCA who have them out to platinum recording artists in the early '90s. I've seen only one photo with partial coverage of an RCA bass (basically a 4004C) before, plus the special doubleneck leftie instrument made for the RCA Nashville president at the time. John Hall mentioned his name as "Rocky Ryan," but I've not found ANY information on this man or the gifted-instrument program. This seller is claiming the name "ryanbruce" so my antennas are fully extended.

Just got a handful of pics of the bass from the seller, and it is a righty (ebay pic must be flopped), but no info yet.

http://cgi.ebay.com/92-RCA-RICKENBACKER ... 500wt_1156

[cjj]

Of course, "ryanbruce" says, "The bass was made in December of 1992, but I'm unsure which platinum recording artist that the bass was awarded to."

It would be nice to see a few more pics...

[ajish4]

Of course, "ryanbruce" says, "The bass was made in December of 1992, but I'm unsure which platinum recording artist that the bass was awarded to."

It would be nice to see a few more pics...

Here, here!

[cassius987]

I'm not even a lefty and I want that... what the hell...

[bassduke49]

Ryan got back to me with info, only that he got it from a friend, but I'm asking him for better photos that I might be able to use in the book. The photos he sent were taken with an iPhone. If his friend can tell how he got it, I might be on the trail of who the RCA artist was who first got the bass. And maybe from there, I can find out how many were made and who got them, etc.

If anybody tells you that doing research for a book is easy, send 'em over to me for a good flogging!

[bassduke49]

The one thing about doing research through the Internet is that the dead-ends come up quick. Ryan tells of his friend: "I seriously doubt that he has any back story. He owns a storage facility and it was left there."

Can you imagine abandoning stuff like a maybe-one-of-ten bass guitar in a storage facility?

Maybe he has a name that belonged to the renter. Hmm.

[krick]

I recall one of these RCA-SPC basses being listed on eBay about ten years ago.

I believe the listing stated that it had been presented to Shenandoah, a country band.

[byu]

I own one of the 12 Strings that went to the band Shenandoah. I believe there were 12 of them made.




The following are quotes from John Hall about the RCA instruments taken from the RickResource Forum:

1. The RCA guitars were essentially the prototypes of the 380L, made as
Christmas awards to be given by RCA Nashville to their artists that went
platinum during the year.

The RCA guitars were made some years before the Laguna was finalized and the
new style bridge hadn't even been conceived of at the time they were produced.

Since these were specially produced for RCA, it certainly was their choice to
put their logo on it. Besides, there's a great story about their dog and Glenn
Frey too . . .

2. ...This was the earliest incarnation of the 4004. We built several special
runs of guitars (ala 380L) and basses for RCA Records Nashville. Each December
they then presented them to their artists that had gone gold (or platinum, I
forget) during the previous year.

The most famous instrument of this series went to Rocky Ryan, their president,
who has a doubleneck 4004-650 left handed.

[marc61]

Interesting....Just wondering why RCA didn't have the artists name engraved on the guard and/or had a separate little plaque made and attached.

Seems like that would have made sense.

[cheyenne]

I remember seeing a country video years ago with the bassist playing one of these, this bass also had "oven knobs".

I dont think it was shenendoa though.

[sloop_john_b]

Some info about Shenandoah here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_(band)

They have had two gold records but no platinum. They released their two albums for RCA, in 1992 and '93.

[robj]

Wish I had some extra cash...

[Grey]

Wish I had some extra cash...

If you're gonna wish, might as well do it for alot of extra cash.

[jps]

Some info about Shenandoah here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_(band)

They have had two gold records but no platinum. They released their two albums for RCA, in 1992 and '93.

Interesting! While I was in my first top 40/disco band in the mid '70s we "stole" a female singer/keyboardist from a band called Shenandoah, who were playing in a club across the street from the club we were playing in Marietta, Ohio; her last name was Thorn, same as the keyboardist in the Shenandoah out of Muscle Shoals. She was from Parkersburg, W. Va. Hmm................

[robj]

Wish I had some extra cash...

If you're gonna wish, might as well do it for alot of extra cash.

That goes without saying..