Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

xcoyle wrote:I hate that these perfectly fine Ric guitars and basses are being parted out. i won't but from them. That's for Fender folk!

I am another who frowns on parting out Rics, but just watched a parted out 4003 on ebay. The seller described it as having a "possible" neck problem, but still the body went for $670.00. He had everything from the TRC to the strap buttins listed separately and ended up with a total of $2504.00 for everything. (the jack plate went for $152.50)

So, I suppose that for the seller and buyers it was a win win situation. The seller got much more then he could have if he had sold the bass intact, and the buyers got parts that would otherwise be unavailable. BTW, all the hardware was black.

RIC_FACTORY wrote:We may switch serial # stickers on the production line for various reasons. The number written in marker was the original one marked in the mill, but it doesn't always end up as the final serial # in final assembly.

cjj wrote: I wonder if that bass has my serial number written inside it...

Well, I've been in touch with the owner of the bass with the jack plate that has the number that's inside mine. As luck would have it, that bass happens to have my jack plate number written inside it! So, I guess they swapped these two "on the production line". I wonder what sort of "various reasons" there would be to switch numbers? Ah well, just another little interesting mystery from the RIC factory...

No mystery here. When the bodies are milled, they are assigned a number based upon the production order at that time. This is for tracking purposes as the batch moves through the various sanding and finishing stages and into the Paint Department.

Occasionally, an instrument requires paint touch-up or another pass through the sanding or painting process before it's ready to assemble, so it will then hit final assembly out of sequence with its original mill-mates. However, the jackplates (one of the last parts installed before stringing, intoning and tuning) are pulled from stock in consecutive order and affixed to instruments in the order in which they make it to final assembly.

This doesn't really matter as long as each instrument is accounted for in the totals, but you can now see how a batch that received consecutive numbers in the mill, can end up mixed and receive a different set of consecutive numbers in the final assembly step.

These days RIC also affixes a bar-coded sticker inside the control cavity, which aids in tracking the guitar. Every one of these I've seen, matches the jackplate number, so I assume they are put onto the body in final assembly, just before the jackplate is installed and the cavity buttoned up with the installation of the lower guard assembly.

Thanks for clearing up that little mystery! For those of us who will likely never get a factory tour, most of what goes on at RIC is a little bit of a mystery. Hearing these little tidbits on the production process is always interesting!

I bought a long-hole 58ish Capri about 15-20 years ago, as a husk. I cursed and cursed the person who stripped it out. (I found out later it was to make a V59 more authentic, and this was when Capris could be had for less than a new Ric) I still haven't gotten all the parts right, but all these years later, I find myself thankful that stripped out parts come up for sale. I also believe that when someone ponies up the cash to buy a guitar, it is theirs to do with as they see fit. If that means parting it out, so be it. Now I KNOW that many one here hold Rickenbackers (and hopefully, other guitars) as sacred treasures, but at the end of the day, they are pieces of wood with bits of wire, and some plastic. I'd rather worry about my next guitar, than what some other knob is doing with his. My $.02.

I just tracked down and bought the original jackplate for the stripped out 4003 body I have. It was a little expensive, but I think it's important to keep the serial number with the original instrument. Without it, you have little provenance or history for your instrument, and the jackplate ends up on a different guitar, or worse, a fake.

Good for you Gareth!

I agree comepletely and would have done exactly the same. I don't care whether the wiring harness, pickguard or TRC are original to the guitar in the end, but the jackplate and its serial number is the instrument's identity.

Brian

I agree that stripping a Rick, or any other decent guitar, is shady. This is probably the fate of many of the stolen Ricks. Unless something seriously bad has happened, like the body was smashed up, then there is no reason to strip it unless you have something to hide. I know people do this for money, but maybe they bough the guitar in another shady deal.

Don't like it at all, poor things. It is cruelty!! I might have to found the RSPCR....Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Rickenbackers of course!!

Rickygirl wrote:Don't like it at all, poor things. It is cruelty!! I might have to found the RSPCR....Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Rickenbackers of course!!

I second that motion. Will the meeting come to order ... I'll bring the tea and biscuits

I'll bring the nigiri sushi.

Jaffa cakes for me please

Yeah, I like the Royal aspect of it all. It sounds so British

kiramdear wrote:Jaffa cakes for me please

Yeah, I like the Royal aspect of it all. It sounds so British

In that case, forget the sushi, I'll bring the bangers & mash.

And don't forget the Guinness on tap if we want Aitch aboard

Damn right, Kira!!

Bangers and mash with Guinness...... that's sorted tonight's dinner out!!

Glad we could help!