Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thats my old bass in the back parlour at my mums house in 1981.It was previously owned by John Lodge of the Moody Blues back in the 60s.
The bass had a new fretboard because ( I assume) of a bad neck warp all done prior to my time with it.
I had recently sold the RM that Wints now owns and wanted to get my hands on another and when this showed up I bought it on impulse.
I dont know who did the fret board but the fireglo didnt match and the finish was in poor shape so I had a friend do a Macca re-fin job on it.
These days I wouldnt have done it but I wanted it to look good on stage so it seemed like a good idea.
Shortly after buying it the neck started to bend badly at the headstock and I spotted another FG 1999 in Rock Island in Oldham. This one was ex-Greg Lake again in its original FG and I wanted it really badly but my then manager wouldnt help me get the cash together to buy it and it went elsewhere.
I sold the MG re-finished RM to a collector via Guitar Player in Rochdale.

Man Pete,

You've had some cool basses! Three 1999's?

Pete was definitely ahead of the curve!

I wonder where the Lodge bass is today...

The bass mentioned by Pete, ...was that DA 24 ?

SixtyFour wrote:The bass mentioned by Pete, ...was that DA 24 ?

Pete owned DA24, and that was always FG. Where is that today?!

He also owned the Lodge bass, DD458, and DH163, my white RM1999. The Greg Lake bass is yet another RM bass...

Wish we could all go back 25+ years....

wints wrote:

Wish we could all go back 25+ years....

+1 thanks Wints

Pete was the only non-Japanese person whose name I kept hearing during my earlier RM quest. There was also a guy named Bob Guida from Queens New York that owned a 64 mapleglow 4001 and a few other 1960’s basses. Before the net it was uncommon to have friends or contacts that cared about 60’s Rickenbacker basses and seeing one in person was a rare sighting. Over the years Guitar Trader sold a few dandies to Japanese collectors.

Meeting Andy Winter here was a real Treat for me as he pays close attention to details and is fun to talk with. I once drove 400 miles out of my way to visit with Andy in FL and had a very good time with him and enjoyed his white RM very much. I would also like to meet Gerry Fergusson one day as he has had a good bit of RM contact and is a very colorful person.

A 60’s Rickenbacker bass convention would be my dream. Id rent the space and I promise not to beg anyone to sell (fingers crossed)

By the way I do own a 1967 RM1999 in original maple-glow

vincent_gallo wrote: A 60’s Rickenbacker bass convention would be my dream. Id rent the space and I promise not to beg anyone to sell (fingers crossed)

Are 60's 4005 owners invited?

vincent_gallo wrote:
A 60’s Rickenbacker bass convention would be my dream. Id rent the space and I promise not to beg anyone to sell

>>> If you do it ...they will arrive <<<

Vince,can I come along as an example of what NOT to sell when it comes to RMs or "always have a couple of hundred in your back pocket when walking into a guitar shop"?
I would have treasured the Greg Lake Bass.
It was all original with the case too. The ebony nut had some wear on the A string that would have taken five minutes to remedy and it had a neck identical in feel to DH163 which was why I so desperately wanted it.
Around 1985 this RM (see pic) cropped up in a free music magazine I picked up in a guitar shop in Manchester.
It was in the questions page and the guy who owned it was asking about the horse shoe pick up and didnt seem to know much about the 60s Ricks.
Note the ivory nut...could this have been the Greg Lake bass some years later with a replacement nut?
Needles to say I immediately wrote to the magazine to urge the owner to contact me!
I didnt get any reply unfortunately.
I suppose I ought to include this in the register.Sorry the picture isnt that great but it was from a cheap free magazine.

Needles?
NEEDLESS!
Oh yeah the serial number was included in the text from the owner as #DC291.
Luckily I wrote the SN on the photo otherwise I would have been kicking myself for loosing it.

I nearly forgot.
A couple of days ago I was watching a re-run of a programme over here called Top Of The Pops 2.
Its basically a compilation of old and recent clips with a voiceover from BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright.
You can find it on a digital channel called Dave.
Lo and behold there is King Crimson with Greg Lake on guitar and (I cant remember the guys name) at the back the bass player is holding a FG RM which I assume is the same one that Greg owned.
Maybe the programme will be repeated in which case I can get a recording of it.

Found this pic on Greg Lake website.
Apparently its his final appearance with Crimson on Top Of The Pops 1970.

When it comes to RM knowledge, Its obvious that a few forum members are really on top of the game. I am humbled, and have to admit, I never even new what a Rose-Morris was until I found this forum.

I really appreciate these few for sharing their knowledge and past experiences for what is turning out to be possibly the most interesting forum thread to date.


I just felt the need to put my 2 cents in...

Yes 60's 4005 owners would be more than welcome and so would 50's 4000 owners. They would have their own old timers section.