Has anyone seen this?

chris · Post by **chris** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 12:49 pm

Just spied this on ebay. Anyone care to comment???

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41439&item=3781500201&rd=1

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 1:09 pm

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this one.

To me, it looks legit, but I'm fairly new to this game. The only thing in question would be whether or not the paint is original, because that is the key to its ultimate intrinsic monetary value. I see gray primer under black in one picture.

I'm not familiar with how the factory finished the "tulip" models back then. Any experts out there caring to comment?

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 1:52 pm

All shots I found in the Smith book all have the bridge cover on. It looks odd though.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:09 pm

Looks odd to me as well...it may be the headstock that is throwing me off. But it could be very ligit.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:55 pm

I've had one before. This one looks legit to me. And yep, they did use a gray primer on these.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:09 pm

John: Does the bridge look stock to you?

seth_lorinczi · Post by **seth_lorinczi** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:38 pm

I have a '56 Combo 400 that's pretty similar, though most of the finish (black) on mine is gone. On the back of mine is an unusual grey textured flocking-type material. Go figure.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:34 pm

Yep, even the bridge is correct. The early Combo 1000 model had a slab of something (hard rubber or nut material) inthe place of individual saddles. Hard to intonate. Even those screws on the bridge are correct.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:36 pm

A link to pics of my '57 Combo 1000.
http://www.homestead.com/aurs/571000.html

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:53 pm

Very sweet, John!

Now that I've seen yours, I'm tempted to bid on this one...Rick fever is heating up again...uh oh...

The bridge cover looks like a simple bent sheet metal piece. Is this true?

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:00 pm

The covers were all the same back then on the Combos, and at some point were nickel or chrome plated, at least by 1961. The covers that Rickenbacker has for the 5002V58 mandolin will work, but they are gold anodized.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:40 pm

Anodized implies aluminum. I would guess that the original bridge covers on the Combos, if they were chrome plated or nickel-plated, would have been sheet brass, brake-bent rather than stamped.

Anybody want to verify this? Because while this eBay Combo is probably genuine, the bridge cover will be impossible to find and will possibly have to be re-made. Anybody got one to measure the thickness with a mike or caliper?

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 4:14 am

Yes, they are a bit flimsy from those days, aluminum may be the metal... The one on my Rickenbacker Tenor Guitar (1961) is plated steel, not much bend in it at all, and the '61 450 I had was the same way. There is a guy on Bjorn's site that has a Combo 900 that had a missing cover, and the mandolin cover popped right in. As far as making one, I doubt if it would be very difficult.

scoobster28 · Post by **scoobster28** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:25 am

What, may I ask, is a tenor guitar? And does it look differently from a regular guitar. Please post pictures!

xcoyle · Post by **xcoyle** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:30 am

Paul they were just sheet aluminum in the 50's. In 1960ish, they switched to a harder metal and chrome plated it. I have one of each. The aluminum is much more functional becuase they are more flexible. These cover are held in place by pressure of the cover on the pickguard. The chrome ones are hard to take off, and it is very easy to crack the pickguard when removing. If you are handy with cutting and bending aluminum they would be easy and cheap to make.