Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I dig the black. It basically mimics the look of the removed cover but is a lot less, I don't know, distracting or odd-looking than just removing the cover.

Howabout a black one with a slightly raised chrome inner ring so it matched the neck pup - the Deluxe Plus!

sunsetjunk wrote:Hhmmm...
Bezesl in walnut or maybe maple.....Sounds interesting... I could probably make that happen.

Now there's an idea I could get behind! Wanlut, bubinga (to match the fretboard), maple, or other woods. Then again, you could do different color plastics to match pickguards, etc.

Chrome would be cool too, but plating plastic is a whole 'nother subject. Much easier to plate metal. But there, you have other issues such as machinability (of course, whatever you use could be capable of that as well) and possibly weight...

cjj wrote:Much easier to plate metal. But there, you have other issues such as machinability (of course, whatever you use could be capable of that as well) and possibly weight...

CNC is your friend, and either alumin(i)um or titanium could save the weight. Can titanium be plated?

jps wrote:

cjj wrote:Much easier to plate metal. But there, you have other issues such as machinability (of course, whatever you use could be capable of that as well) and possibly weight...

CNC is your friend, and either alumin(i)um or titanium could save the weight. Can titanium be plated?

Yes, but it does depend on the machine as to how it will handle different materials.

As for plating titanium, yes, it can be plated though not in an aqueous electroplating process. Titanium is far to reactive and will essentially separate the hydrogen and oxygen in the water before it will ionize and accept the plating. Generally organic electroless processes must be used, which are (of course) more expensive.

For weight, titanium is roughly twice the weight (per volume) as aluminum, but quite a bit less than zinc. Now, for really light weight, magnesium is a big winner, but there again you've got machining issues and plating problems too...

petersland wrote:He made me a custom for my S5 - awesome

What's custom? I bought one for my S5 and it fit fine.

cjj wrote:.....magnesium ....

We can start a fire with it, too.

Wow, I noticed Pick of the Ricks and some British dealers have picked the bezel up for sale. Nice. Frank's gotta be pretty pleased with himself.

Tarrbot wrote:

petersland wrote:He made me a custom for my S5 - awesome

What's custom? I bought one for my S5 and it fit fine.

Well when I asked about an s5, Frank said he'd never made one before and asked me to send him the sizes.
He then said he would customise a c64 bezel.
Fitted perfectly.
Maybe you were lucky?

sunsetjunk wrote:Hhmmm...
Bezesl in walnut or maybe maple.....Sounds interesting... I could probably make that happen.

Make them in bubinga, to match the fretboard.

Hey Josh
Yeah, I'm pretty happy about hooking up with RIckySounds in England and Pick Of The Ricks in New Jersey. POTR is the only authorized exclusive North American dealer. RickySounds UK is the only Authorized exclusive European dealer. I was tipped off last May that there was a British Rickenbacker dealer (not sure that I should mention they're name) that had taken the bezel idea and was making cheap copies and selling them on ebay for more money. They are unpainted and flat, meaning they do not follow the chrome surround geometry so they dont fit anywhere near as well as The Treble Bezel. This is probably why there are no close up shots of it installed on the ebay ads.
Now I know what John Hall must feel like when a Rickenbacker copy shows up for sale on the net. Anyways, just a heads up that they're are cheap(as in quality) fake bezels out there now and for the same price. I really don't want anyone to get ripped off buying one of those and thinking they got the real thing because they are a world apart as far as quality an fit.
I hope I didn't break any forum rules with this post but I really don't want any Ric owners getting ripped of or short changed. This Treble Bezel solution has been a long time coming and you guys deserve the best installed in your bass.
Thanks for all the support and positive comments.

sunsetjunk wrote:Hey Josh
Yeah, I'm pretty happy about hooking up with RIckySounds in England and Pick Of The Ricks in New Jersey. POTR is the only authorized exclusive North American dealer. RickySounds UK is the only Authorized exclusive European dealer. I was tipped off last May that there was a British Rickenbacker dealer (not sure that I should mention they're name) that had taken the bezel idea and was making cheap copies and selling them on ebay for more money. They are unpainted and flat, meaning they do not follow the chrome surround geometry so they dont fit anywhere near as well as The Treble Bezel. This is probably why there are no close up shots of it installed on the ebay ads.
Now I know what John Hall must feel like when a Rickenbacker copy shows up for sale on the net. Anyways, just a heads up that they're are cheap(as in quality) fake bezels out there now and for the same price. I really don't want anyone to get ripped off buying one of those and thinking they got the real thing because they are a world apart as far as quality an fit.
I hope I didn't break any forum rules with this post but I really don't want any Ric owners getting ripped of or short changed. This Treble Bezel solution has been a long time coming and you guys deserve the best installed in your bass.
Thanks for all the support and positive comments.

Well said Frank and again, thanks for the perrrrfect bezel.
Pete

Frank, thanks for your posts. I have 2 of your 4003 bezels and love them! Keep up the good work!

Does anyone here have the thumb rest model that they would like to trade for a non-thumb rest 4003 model (notched surround)? I'm asking for a friend of mine, he tried the thumb-rest bezel on my son's bass and now wants one too.

sunsetjunk wrote:Hey Josh
Yeah, I'm pretty happy about hooking up with RIckySounds in England and Pick Of The Ricks in New Jersey. POTR is the only authorized exclusive North American dealer. RickySounds UK is the only Authorized exclusive European dealer. I was tipped off last May that there was a British Rickenbacker dealer (not sure that I should mention they're name) that had taken the bezel idea and was making cheap copies and selling them on ebay for more money. They are unpainted and flat, meaning they do not follow the chrome surround geometry so they dont fit anywhere near as well as The Treble Bezel. This is probably why there are no close up shots of it installed on the ebay ads.
Now I know what John Hall must feel like when a Rickenbacker copy shows up for sale on the net. Anyways, just a heads up that they're are cheap(as in quality) fake bezels out there now and for the same price. I really don't want anyone to get ripped off buying one of those and thinking they got the real thing because they are a world apart as far as quality an fit.
I hope I didn't break any forum rules with this post but I really don't want any Ric owners getting ripped of or short changed. This Treble Bezel solution has been a long time coming and you guys deserve the best installed in your bass.
Thanks for all the support and positive comments.

Frank, I love your product (thumb rest model) and I hope that this thing really takes off for you. It sounds like it's starting to!

Keep up the good work!