Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I doubt if even Tony would turn his nose up at this one.

ozover50 wrote:

jwilli wrote:Love everything about the SH Ltd. Ed. ......except the fat headstock. Meh. It never stopped me from buying one though! I've had two of them and currently own a SH look-a-like. One of the overrun models.

Agree, John. I'm oh sooooo tempted to have mine shaved down.

Er... the headstock, that is!!

If I bought one that needed resto work I'd have the headstock shaved and slot-topped vintage tuners installed without thinking twice about it.

That's my preference, too. However, this owner wanted 100% originality.

I recently completed shaving (a headstock!) on a JG 360/12. My own double-bound Ruby 360 had the widest canoe paddle I'd ever seen. It was built during the '80s transition from Grovers to Schallers and back again. It had Grover Rotomatics--which have to be the world's ugliest darned tuners ever, plugged into holes drilled for longer-shafted Schallers, so the tuning keys barely cleared the headstock. Result was badly-chipped paint around each tuner, to match the badly-chipped paint everywhere else. Badly-chipped so-called "glamor" colors look worse than other colors...

When I refinned it, I retrofitted it with new vintage Klusons and shaved the headstock about 1/4" each side, and shortened the headstock 3/16" to keep the proportions palatable. It looks 100% better. The 360/6 received the same treatment.

Paul, pics !

Well, of course I've been busy with Rick work, and pictures are forthcoming, along with a surprise update on my YouTube channel.

However, I do occasionally spend some time on my own projects, and this is one of them--completed a couple of weeks ago after three years plus, and two paint jobs. First I refinished it in Aquaglo, but wasn't really happy with it, so...

It started out as a purchase from Proton (George B.) back when we were in NOM together. I paid less than $250 for it, in sorry shape, but I've always wanted one. The polyester black paint came off in sheets, revealing a poplar body with maple top cap. I gave it a three-tone burst, redid all the hardware and wiring, including new pickups (old ones were dead), and had to patch in the fretboard extension, as it was missing. A refret in smaller frets was done, the neck and headstock rebound, and the Charvel logo on the headstock was cut out of white sign vinyl from Illustrator artwork that I generated, on our CNC vinyl cutting machine. It was applied and covered with a half-dozen coats of conversion varnish. It's crisper than silkscreened! Last, I made a new pickguard in TORT to replace the shrunken and distorted MOTS original.

















These are just the coolest combination of Fender offset with Rick-ish details. Sound and playability are solid and excellent. Some folks complain about the neck, as it's kind of 660-ish, but it feels just fine to me.

Glad I got that itch scratched!

I think those Charvels look great; the pickguard shape, to me, is nicer than that on the Jackson equivalent. The saw add a very nice touch to that photo near the top.

Nice job Paul! That thing looks incredible! I have owned several different electric 12's over the years and currently have my FG 330, a MIJ Fender Strat XII, and a Dano 6/12 doubleneck. I've played a few of the Charvels and liked them. Just never came across one for the right price-like YOU did.
Congrats!

jps wrote:I think those Charvels look great; the pickguard shape, to me, is nicer than that on the Jackson equivalent. The saw add a very nice touch to that photo near the top.

It's a reminder that to sawdust they all return...

elreydlp wrote:Nice job Paul! That thing looks incredible! I have owned several different electric 12's over the years and currently have my FG 330, a MIJ Fender Strat XII, and a Dano 6/12 doubleneck. I've played a few of the Charvels and liked them. Just never came across one for the right price-like YOU did.
Congrats!

Yes, Skip--and George was also kind enough to bug the guy who sold it to him, for the neckplate, which was missing. The guy actually located it and sent it in...blew my mind!

Paul, a perfect surfcaster guitar. Great for your band. Beauty.

Best,

Looks nice!

WOW!

Posts are getting mighty short here - if I didn't know better I'd say some people were trying to reach their 30 posts so they can enter the trading section

I'm not that familiar with the Charvel models - did it originally have that soundhole?

Killer job! I've always thought it slightly odd that the top edge of the the p/g didn't follow the body contour on this model Charvel.

Yes, the soundhole is a standard feature.

I think the offbeat top pickguard line, along with the stiffened offset profile and slab body with no arm or tummy cut, are part of the design genius of this guitar. It's sort of "anti-Fender", and no doubt a conscious effort by whoever penned this classic. Brilliant, IMO.

jingle_jangle wrote:Yes, the soundhole is a standard feature.

What did you do with the powersaw in the picture then?