Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ruby's a tough one, all right...I own two Rubys (a 360WB/6 and a 360WB/12, made 6 1/2 years apart) and have had a few others in for repairs or refinishing, and I've yet to see two that match each other exactly, either. Because Ruby was a multi-coat "kandy" (transparent toner over reflective basecoat) finish, the number of coats of red toner determined the intensity of the final color, and apparently no color standard was ever sprayed and posted, which would have kept things in the same ballpark.

I've come up with a single-coat Ruby that's a really true intense reflective red, so all the Ruby refinishes that I do will match each other and be kissing cousins to the range of Ruby instruments painted by the factory during Ruby's long run as a custom color.

Gorgeous finish Paul! I always loved Ruby...

So, with these "kandy" types of coatings, ruby being red over a reflective (metal flake?) layer, I assume it would be possible to do other colors as well, like emerald (green), sapphire (blue), etc., right? Have you done any other colors?

On the subject of blue, is this how the current midnight blue is done, with a reflective layer, or is the reflective stuff mixed in?

"Kandy" (so named by George Barris, the King of the Kustomizers, who had a "K" year in 1961) can go over any sort of undercoat, whether it be a solid color, a pearl or mica, a simple metallic, or a flake.



Rick's Ruby (and early versions of MID) were painted over a high-reflectivity silver basecoat. So is Fender's Candy Apple Red, although It's over gold.

The current MID blue has a synthetic pearl essence mixed in with the blue and violet toners.

WOW! Now, that's a gorgeous finish, and I really dig the checkerboard binding, as well as the toaster pickup. Very cool, indeed!

jingle_jangle wrote:...pearl essence ...

Is that like a reverse con traction?

doctorwho wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:...pearl essence ...

Is that like a reverse con traction?

Nope. It could also be said as, "essence of pearl". "Pearl essence" is a shorter form, leaving out the preposition. For brevity. Or so I thought...

Superb job Paul! ...I've always loved RED with trim!

Another Corker, Paul.

Let me jump on the "me too" bandwagon - very nice! Red, ehhh; Ruby, Yeah!!