Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

....and so it is time to bid a fond Happy Birthday to my good friend:



I inherited this guitar from my cousin who was killed in Germany in 1968 while serving in the military. He purchased it brand new along with a Rickenbacker b16a supersonic amplifier (4x10 Jensens, combo unit). It resided with my aunt until 1995, when she graciously allowed me to bring it home. I've been it's caregiver since the passing of my cousin, and am truly blessed in being selected as the guitar's care taker.....It will always stay in the family!

It is 100% original, plays awesome and sounds fantastic through any of the amps I choose to play it through.

I pay homage to the guitar that started everything for me: playing, collecting and keeping the proverbial music torch lit in my family!

Here's a small pic of the face plate of the amp.....

I have major Amp Envy, fricken...

Dang!!!

What a great story Mark im sure your cousin would be proud that your the keeper as im sure you are.I like a happy ending

Wow! What an amazing guitar! That looks to be a Rose-Morris import model. Can you tell us 6-string novices what the year & model number are on that guitar?

Amazing story, too. Thanks for sharing it on this thread, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the feed back guys!!!

It is indeed a Rose Morris 1997....I am fortunate to be able to truthfully say that guitars of this era have so much mojo and are such a joy to play....

Pete Townshend could have played this and it wouldn't have any more mojo than it does now. My cousin was in a few bands back in the day, and was not only a huge Beatles fan, but a huge music fan....his tastes in music were eclectic. When this guitar came back from overseas, there was sheet music in the case from Gerry & the Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five, and Simon & Garfunkel. He also purchased a Framus 12 string while in Germany (Circa 67(?)) that I also am the keeper of. I've modded that instrument a little, but here is a couple of pics:




Here's a pic of the input jack:



The amp is based on a Fender layout, and actually sounds great! Very nice, warm tremelo channel.

Scotty: I am sure my cousin would be proud-it is in the same condition now as when he played it. But I digress, as I am honored to be the one who takes care of it at this time......

It was a year ago that I first saw this picture. It was delivered on 04/20/07.



Thanks Paul!

April 1964. Beautiful guitar and amp! You are indeed lucky to hold the family jewels.

Ahh, April of 1964...I've owned three Rickenbackers from that month/year. Two RM 1998s and a 365.

Great guitar and story Mark. You'll treasure that instrument for ever...

Here's my April contribution. Likewise, never going anywhere.

wints wrote:Here's my April contribution. Likewise, never going anywhere.

Andy,

That is a stunning fretless.

Wow, April huh....

My CS is an April 1995 baby!

Time for your May birthdays.



I'll start with my 1979 4001V63 JG. The bass started out as a straight 4001, but has been drastically modified over the years.

In 1983, I had the bass refretted with jumbo-size frets that to this day have YET to show any significant signs of wear; this bass was my main player for a good 20 years.

In 1984, I had a custom chrome TRC made for it to match the chrome Schecter pickguard it came with.



1990 - I replaced the stock pickups with the V63 reissue toaster & horseshoe.

1995 - I had a new chrome pickguard built with the correct pre-1975 toaster spacing for a V63 bass.

1998 - I found a set of old Grover Titans to replace the stock keywinds.

2006 - I had the bass custom wired for series/parrallel, phase normal/reverse, and .0047 cap in/out.
I FINALLY replaced the Star Parts bridge with a stock Rick tailpiece & bridge which DRASTICALLY improve the sustain.
I should have done it two decades earlier!
I also strung the bass as the lower register of a 5-string (B-E-A-D) and intonated it accordingly.

This was my first "real bass," and first Rick. I bought it when I was 16 for $450 with money I had saved from a dish-washing job. I saw it at Portland Music in 1982. It was the only black Rick there, and had the chrome pickguard on it. Then you're a 16 year-old guy, black + chrome = cool. Because of this, I paid no mind to the huge patch of bare wood on the back from the previous owner's belt buckle, and the badly eaten frets. INCREDIBLY worn for a three year old bass. I took it to The Twelfth Fret in Portland for the refret job, and their head-luthier Chris did an amazing, flawless job. He was still doing work there when I took my bass in again in 2002 for a slight bridge ajdustment.

The bass really is an amazing work-horse. I've played the hell out if it for years, and it's had no neck issues or shown any signs of losing it's physical or electrical integrity. It's also the loudest bass I own with the horseshoe weighing in at 14k, and the toaster at 12k. Here's a sample of the great distortion this bass gets when you hit a tube amp nice & hard:

Mazzy Star's 'Be My Angel'

Interesting changes there Mark. Very much a Chrysalis bass....

Here's my old May baby...



New photo's coming this summer!

Looking forward to the new pics! That green RM has the sweetest neck wood I think I've ever seen. Love the bird's eye. My RM actually has a touch of the bird's eye to the body. Kind of odd since most RM's from '64 have flame wood for the body.