Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I got all the parts together or on the way. Scored three brand new toasters, 5 control knobs, pickguards, 5 way wiring harness, Ric bridge, tuners, Bigsby B5 (sorry I just can't get excited over the Ric Tremolo system) all I need is the truss rod cover. How am I ever going to get a truss rod cover since Ric won't sell me one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-Wh ... 51a0c89d33

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1979-Ri ... 2a21e6c826

Ebay is where i have bought them... Or ask in the marketplace here...

It should be noted that the numbers in a control cutout usually meant what the instrument's POTENTIAL might be. If it was a 330 and you saw "345" in there meant that it had the "POTENTIAL" to be that. :-0 It doesn't mean thats what it came out of the factory as. And this MAINLY concerns instruments from the 1960s! My '65 4005 had 4001 written in the control cavity, lol! Seriously! It was one of the first ones made, no doubt!

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-Wh ... 51a0c89d33

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1979-Ri ... 2a21e6c826

Ebay is where i have bought them... Or ask in the marketplace here...

Note that if you want the vintage style you can trade in the current style (if you land one of these) with a fee at Ric.

rcboals wrote:I got all the parts together or on the way. Scored three brand new toasters, 5 control knobs, pickguards, 5 way wiring harness, Ric bridge, tuners, Bigsby B5 (sorry I just can't get excited over the Ric Tremolo system) all I need is the truss rod cover. How am I ever going to get a truss rod cover since Ric won't sell me one?

I'm putting a B5 on a 480 that a friend and I are patching up so I'm going to put on a Ric style roller bridge.

Moving along waiting for the toaster and the bigsby. I got a great buy on some Tonepro slotted Kluson 3X3 that Mosrite used they have the exact footprint as the originals.

It's already looking great! Gorgeous wood grain on the top...

stsang wrote:It's already looking great! Gorgeous wood grain on the top...

Agreed, Such a shame it got hacked up. Maybe a reverse burst would work? Going solid in the middle and light to the outside? I saw a Schecter like that. But solid is safer. Was just thinking of a way to show that wonderful grain.

rcboals wrote:I got a great buy on some Tonepro slotted Kluson 3X3 that Mosrite used they have the exact footprint as the originals.

+1 on the TonePros. Not as well known as they need to be. Expensive. But the best Kluson replica out there, and in several models, including a screw-bushing variant so they can be retrofitted to guitars with butchered headstocks without doing any more damage.

IHeartRics wrote:

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-Wh ... 51a0c89d33

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1979-Ri ... 2a21e6c826

Ebay is where i have bought them... Or ask in the marketplace here...

Note that if you want the vintage style you can trade in the current style (if you land one of these) with a fee at Ric.

Not true, to my knowledge.

Last time I heard the policy it was "same-for-same," as they are intended as replacement parts, not custom items.

collin wrote:

IHeartRics wrote:

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-Wh ... 51a0c89d33

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1979-Ri ... 2a21e6c826

Ebay is where i have bought them... Or ask in the marketplace here...

Note that if you want the vintage style you can trade in the current style (if you land one of these) with a fee at Ric.

Not true, to my knowledge.

Last time I heard the policy it was "same-for-same," as they are intended as replacement parts, not custom items.

I called them and they won't sell you one period even if it is for a genuine real Ric. Notice my paper cut out swoosh copy? That took me 10 minutes to do. Hope nobody mistakes it for a real vintage truss rod cover. This has to be one of the easiest parts of a Ric to duplicate. You can buy quality laser cut decals water slide decals in Ric script all day long no problem. Ric could make reproductions and simply mold the word reproduction in the back of the swoosh so it would be obvious it wasn't from a production guitar but is an aftermarket part. It will be a cold day at the equator before I would pay over $100.00+ for something that can be easily had for well under $30.00.

When I was cleaning up my e-mail in-box recently, I came across this picture (from an Internet ad, apparently):
Even though that's a 360, it should help you get an idea of how it will look.

collin wrote:

IHeartRics wrote:

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-Wh ... 51a0c89d33

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1979-Ri ... 2a21e6c826

Ebay is where i have bought them... Or ask in the marketplace here...

Note that if you want the vintage style you can trade in the current style (if you land one of these) with a fee at Ric.

Not true, to my knowledge.

Last time I heard the policy it was "same-for-same," as they are intended as replacement parts, not custom items.

Interesting. I think it was about a year ago (maybe longer?) I called Ric to look into replacing the current style TRC for a vintage style TRC on my 620 and they said I could, and if I recall correctly there was an added charge. I opted not to do it as they said the screw holes would not line up exactly the same at the point which meant drilling another hole, and I decided to part with the 620 and wanted to leave it as is. But the policy may have changed since my inquiry.

IHeartRics wrote: Interesting. I think it was about a year ago (maybe longer?) I called Ric to look into replacing the current style TRC for a vintage style TRC on my 620 and they said I could, and if I recall correctly there was an added charge. I opted not to do it as they said the screw holes would not line up exactly the same at the point which meant drilling another hole, and I decided to part with the 620 and wanted to leave it as is. But the policy may have changed since my inquiry.

Eh, I could be wrong. I've not tried this recently, and they could have changed it.

rcboals wrote:]
I called them and they won't sell you one period even if it is for a genuine real Ric. Notice my paper cut out swoosh copy? That took me 10 minutes to do. Hope nobody mistakes it for a real vintage truss rod cover. This has to be one of the easiest parts of a Ric to duplicate. You can buy quality laser cut decals water slide decals in Ric script all day long no problem. Ric could make reproductions and simply mold the word reproduction in the back of the swoosh so it would be obvious it wasn't from a production guitar but is an aftermarket part. It will be a cold day at the equator before I would pay over $100.00+ for something that can be easily had for well under $30.00.

It's been decades since these were available over-the-counter, so nothing new here...but there is a reason (authenticity!) that people pay a premium for the real McCoy.

RIC stopped suppying these because people were mounting them on fakes, and I think their plan worked. When the laws of supply/demand for authentic parts raises a piece of plastic to $100+, suddenly they aren't an appealing item to bolt onto a $400 Chinese copy.

You want to make counterfeit parts, knock yourself out, just make sure they never go into circulation.