I Put The Gold Plastic On The Blue Guitar

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:20 pm

I made the switch from white to gold today on my new Midnight Blue 330. The gold pickguards (and the oven knobs) were a gift so I had to make use of them. Honestly, I prefer the bright white on the blue, but this isn't bad at all. I'll keep it on for awhile.

Take a look at the gold. But really check out the wood grain on that fretboard. It's not way out there, but it is a bit more wild than most. I like it.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:22 pm

Cub Scout merit badge in Rickenbackers!

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:59 pm

I went to Sam Ash today to check out a new 4003, made the 45th week of 2011. The Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard looked amazing, and the neck dimensions were quite close to that on my April '98 4001V63, so this bodes very well for a 4004L in my future.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 11:01 pm

jps wrote:I went to Sam Ash today to check out a new 4003, made the 45th week of 2011. The Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard looked amazing

My 330 was made just two weeks before that and the wood on the fretboard really is nice. Good batch of Caribbean Rosewood going then, I suppose.

I noticed on the thread dealing with the Carib Rosewood that it was mentioned no one even noticed that Ric made the switch to this Caribbean Rosewood. Well, I have to tell you, it's hard not to notice. The pics above don't illustrate just how busy the wood is. Lots of waves, different hues, even a little knot is in my fretboard. It sure doesn't look like my older 360/12.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:54 am

When I saw the MID display instruments at NAMM last year (a MID Mandolin!!!) I flipped for the color, got home and soon ordered a MID 330 from Wildwood's stock.

It arrived in perfect shape, in tune, and set up 100% to my liking.

But the fretboard! It was prettier than any I've seen since my '99 1998 RI. I compared them, and then I went through my entire stock of figured bubinga looking for something similar. I wanted my FL Shadow to look that great. Nada.

My conclusion: "Wow! RIC sure scored a nice batch of bubinga!" Of course, I hadn't though that the wood species had changed. I don't understand the outrage of some members over this.

I'm looking for some Caribbean Rosewood...

BTW, the title of this thread gave me the inspiration for a white Rick with beautiful pearl light green guards and trim.

I'm gonna call it "Put De Lime on De Coconut".

Funky Chicken · Post by **Funky Chicken** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:29 am

Oooh. I like the gold on there. I wouldn't go back, but that's just me.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:05 pm

Funky Chicken wrote:Oooh. I like the gold on there. I wouldn't go back, but that's just me.

Thanks.
As I said I put the guard and the knobs on there because they were gifts. Looking at it now and getting a bit used to it, I'm starting to see it looks pretty good.

Many guitars I have I try my best to make look like other people's guitars. A Lennon Casino, a George Rocky, a Billy Duffy White Falcon... This blue Ric 330, well, it's kind of cool to make this guitar my own.

blueflamerick · Post by **blueflamerick** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:17 pm

I think it looks great!

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:43 pm

blueflamerick wrote:I think it looks great!

+1!

Rubsoul · Post by **Rubsoul** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:05 pm

Nice look... "Big Brother" to the MID 660!

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:48 pm

Nice.... I really like the gold guards on the midnight blue. Silver guards would also look great.

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:44 am

Congrats, looks gorgeous. I really want to do the same thing with my new 350.

If you change your mind, let me know, I wouldn't mind buying the gold plastic from ya!

Bill

PS, agree with you guys about the fretboard wood being used. My photo skills aren't that great, but the wood on my 350 is very attractive--and it seems the lacquer is thinner than I recall on my '05 350, and the '07 325c64 I used to own.

JakeK · Post by **JakeK** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:06 pm

Looks good, Tommy! Similar to Sascha Böhlken's 330 MID with gold plastic. It's a good look

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:28 pm

JakeK wrote:Looks good, Tommy! Similar to Sascha Böhlken's 330 MID with gold plastic. It's a good look

The intial plan was to jazz up the 330 a bit by just putting on the oven knobs. But the brown with the gold inserts knobs just didn't look good on the white guard. I saw photos of Sasha's blue 330 with the gold and it convinced me to go that way.

I still think the white on blue is a slightly better look. I'm a big New York Giants football fan and the white guard/Midnight Blue combination made the guitar look like a Giants football helmet! Plus, and this is weird and hard to explain, but the white on blue psychologically looks like a happier, brighter guitar than the gold on blue. Nonetheless, I am happy with the way the gold on blue came out. It adds a bit of class and definitely changes the plain 330 into something else. Whenever I open my case I still get a rush.

Hotzenplotz · Post by **Hotzenplotz** » Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:27 am

Congrats to Your incontrovertible good taste for this conversion!

Now we have a "higained" and a "toasterized" version in the forum.

Seen in nature this combination is just stunning, much more than any pic alredy can tell! - Right?

Enjoy it! What is Your serial no.? Mine is 1040438.

Here is mine (sorry, in springtime I have to take better pictures for sure):

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

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