Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

collin wrote:

cjj wrote:Not the whole switch, just the little plastic tip...

Its not quite a true statement though. I have sold one of each of those items. A genuine gold 50's TRC is over $450, a gold Bakelite 50's LP switch tip is around $240 (that's what mine got), and PAF rings vary wildly.

Thats still quite wild!

IvanMunoz wrote:

collin wrote:

cjj wrote:Not the whole switch, just the little plastic tip...

Its not quite a true statement though. I have sold one of each of those items. A genuine gold 50's TRC is over $450, a gold Bakelite 50's LP switch tip is around $240 (that's what mine got), and PAF rings vary wildly.

Thats still quite wild!

Not proportionately.......a flamed 1959 Les Paul 'Burst can cost up to $450,000......so a $240 switch tip is a drop in the bucket, in those terms.

If you had a '59 LP missing the tip, you'd probably pay a lot more than that to make it complete.

Ps, ironically, the same exact switch tip on 50s LPs are also found in may Capri-era Rickenbackers (standard switchcraft part)

Thats what I like about Ricks...Vintage ones will cost MAX $30,000 (except for maybe a super rare bass or something)

IvanMunoz wrote:Thats what I like about Ricks...Vintage ones will cost MAX $30,000 (except for maybe a super rare bass or something)

Incorrect.

The most valuable (non-celebrity owned) Rickenbackers would probably be the late 50s 325 models, and the serial numbers closer to Lennon's have brought tens of thousands more than $30k in known sales.

collin wrote:

IvanMunoz wrote:Thats what I like about Ricks...Vintage ones will cost MAX $30,000 (except for maybe a super rare bass or something)

Incorrect.

The most valuable (non-celebrity owned) Rickenbackers would probably be the late 50s 325 models, and the serial numbers closer to Lennon's have brought tens of thousands more than $30k in known sales.

Oh!, Thats Crazy, V82, and V80 would be the most expensive then

It's really ironic and unfortunate that a TRC made with the vintage correct bronzing powder mixed in nitro is illegal, and the only legal new TRC is no where near correct for an old Capri.

It may be fruitless, but I would try to contact John Hall or RIC customer support. If you have an original Capri with it's jackplate, etc, maybe you could get a one-time permission for Paul to recreate a TRC for the guitar. I'd say this would be pretty unlikely, but worth a try. I believe there is some precedent for this, like when he made a new 4005 body to replace an original, which was then destroyed.

collin wrote:Ps, ironically, the same exact switch tip on 50s LPs are also found in may Capri-era Rickenbackers (standard switchcraft part)

Which is why a great many 50s Ricks (My old Combo 800 in another thread is an example...) are missing their "amber" switch tips and have black ones instead....

jingle_jangle wrote:You can buy a white TRC ... and swap it for a new gold one from a 660/6, with the factory.

I contacted Rickenbacker by email today enquiring about a TRC exchange. I received a very prompt and polite response from Richard Cannata, the Director of Customer Service. He stated that Rickenbacker is not taking TRC exchanges for gold TRCs at this time. Unfortunately, they do not produce enough of the product for it to be a possibility. He notes that it might be a possibility in the future.

Well, there you go....

The closest thing in "style" to a gold Capri TRC would be the TRC used on the 325C58 models, which have simply the "Rickenbacker" logo and no "made in USA" as do the 660 TRCs; however, the 660 is the only instrument in current RIC production with a gold TRC. As Paul noted, a because they were made differently, the color will vary.

Here are photos FYI of a "real" Capri TRC and a 325C58 TRC:
Although it is unlikely that the owner of a 325C58 would be selling the TRC from that guitar, it is not impossible.

I agree with the comments above about using caution regarding ebay TRC sales. If there is a gold TRC on ebay that the seller claims is from a Capri, close examination is warranted.