Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's juvenile indeed for a guy in his fifties to be down on the floor playing with three new Tonka trucks in the same sandbox in one day, but that's how I feel right now. I could care less about cold-hearted mercenaries in little London guitar shops, or an inept UPS driver back in December right now.

I've got my screwdriver out right now taking off pickguards and poking around inside, tracking down rattley bits, popping the four tabs back on each pot, taking off the back, using a Q-tip to clean the pot wiper surface with solvent, lubing the shaft with tiny bits of silicone and putting them back together, cleaning things with lighter fluid, restringing strings found too high up on the post causing open string buzz, changing strings to gauges that actually fit the nut, putting together an order for Tony at Pickguardian, and figuring out this butchered bridge on the 68. This 71 from Russ Rubman is really nice, it has the best fretboard of any of them.

My wife and kids are just walking around the periphery of the action, all wondering if I have lost my mind....

Wow, 3 Ricks in one day, congrats Elys!! Which one do you play first?!? The last time I got a delivery of a few Ricks one the same day was when I had my music store in the Bronx.

Congrats to you also Dane!

You guys better start posting pics soon.

Playing with three new Tonka trucks in the sand box...perfect analogy Elys. Girls are just different, but no matter how old men get, they're still boys when they get new toys. I was down on the floor with my 4004 polishing it and restringing it with RIC rounds and then spent another hour or two setting it up exactly the way I like it. Flat neck, low action and intonation set with the string fretted at the 12th fret, not open harmonics.
Ron, unfortunately, since I have no extra truss rod covers, this one will be off to RIC for an exchange.

Elys, A couple of years back I had stockpiled seven vintage Rickenbacker guitars and basses at my buddy's house in New Jersey. I flew from Australia to the States on vacation with my son, who was eight at the time, to collect them and bring them home.

The frenzy in which I opened those boxes must have looked like a great white shark tearing into a school of tuna. I can clearly remember how good each instrument looked...much better in the flesh even with lots of digital photos beforehand.

Like you, I had the screwdriver out making adjustments everywhere. I had a '59 450MG which had it's pickguard crudely painted black by a former owner. Using paint stripper in my buddy's kitchen sink revealed the original gold anodised guard complete with silver wear marks from years of strumming.

I was so excited that day I was trembling. The only time I have trembled more was on the return journey as I (successfully) attempted to clear customs with seven guitars and two suitcases.

Elys, I hope the lost bass situation works out OK. When I got the RM3261 from Ken S., FedEx delivered it to the wrong address, making for about one harrowing hour while I tried to get FedEx to locate where it went ... fortunately, I caught the FedEx driver next door (making a pick-up) and he remembered exactly where he left it, so he retrieved it and brought it to me. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Elys, I think you've handled this remarkably well. If someone lost my basses, I'd have blown a gasket by now, in a big way. It'd be funny farm time for me. I certainly hope everything works out for you!

I had it happen once with that '91 V63 I got off US e-bay which never arrived. I tell you, I was a mess for months, and it took me a year to get a refund. Not fun.

In my case it's not Tonka trucks, hut Hornby HO/00 scale engines which I've been messing around with since I was about 5, this is one of my favourites, twin tendered LNER Apple Green Pacific Class, Flying Scotsman.



My other love in the world of trains, are the Gresley A4's, the fastest steam trains ever built, as well as the nicest. These are either Hornby or Bachman models, and I've almost got one of each production A4 ever built. This picture (sorry for the quialty) shows the various colours the A4's ran in over the years, from the original Sliver from the early 30's, BR Green, LNER Blue, and Black which was used during the 2 WW.

Elys, did you ever receive the '72? (In case you haven't noticed, I have a personal interest in keeping tabs on these particular models!)

I've never seen steam engines like those Jim.They look kinda futuristic..like bullit trains. How fast did they go?

Hi Shaun! Not so far. I have received no response to any of my pleas and entreaties for them to send me the bass. Someone in London still has it in their possession, yet I paid in full for it way back in January 2007. Won't be long before I start writing letters to the Yard...

Hi Dane,
They were designed and built by Sir Nigle Gresley for in the early 30's, they ran in the UK till the late 60's,



One of them, which is still running today,The Mallard still holds the world speed record from a steam driven train of 126 Mph set in July 1938.



It was not uncommon for them to run at 100mph+ during regular passenger service in the UK.

Now THAT'S what Doc Brown should have used for his time machine in Back To the Future III. He certainly wouldn't have had any trouble getting it up to 88 mph.

I was going to say, Did you have a model of the Mallard?

the Most graceful looking Pacifics out there, except maybe for the Pennsy K4s 4-6-2's.

The boiler jacketing is so nice on Gresley's locos- smooth and streamlined. Even the motion is rather neat. Not like Baker valve gear or Walchaerts.

What kind of T/E did the Flying Scotsman have?

Talk about off topic!

Think of this- The Mallard was going down a .6% grade with 6 cars in tow, maybe 500 tons total with the locomotive, if I remember right, when it hit 126 mph. To do that would require about .
4,000 HP. !!!!

Jim,

Great looking trains!

I have a SLIGHT infatuation with Lionel Pre & Post War "O" Gauge trains myself.

Mine only come out at Christmas time. ONE of these days, I'd like to set them up year round.

Here is the train that started it all for me. I played on this old girl for most of my childhood.

This exact train has been under restoration for the last 15 years. MTH made a limited edition locomotive and I've been looking for it for MANY YEARS!
http://home.att.net/~Berliner-Ultrasonics/lirr-etc.html#Loco35