Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

harrek wrote:

johnallg wrote:

paologregorio wrote:1K is a pretty nice price.

Some folks don't seem to like the reverse headstock, but recall that the bass was built to customer requested specs.

For a grand I'd happily have bought it....

Still needed to go in the 'right' direction though.....

Remember......"Left-Handed people, are in their 'Right' brain"


Lefty4003s8

Thanks for posting the pic...YES, I'd mortgage the farm for a righty one of those and I think everyone, even people not on this forum would be lining up for one...I'm past ready to flip out!!!

harrek wrote:

johnallg wrote:

paologregorio wrote:1K is a pretty nice price.

Some folks don't seem to like the reverse headstock, but recall that the bass was built to customer requested specs.

For a grand I'd happily have bought it....

Still needed to go in the 'right' direction though.....

Doh, forgot that.... Well, it could have been a good investment though.

Kind reminiscent of Howie Epstein's non-Rick he had custom made some years back. This came through a Milwaukee shop in the estate sale. This caused a bit of a kerfuffle as it is badged a Rick, and obviously has RIC trademark designs, but it ain't real.

This is an email i got from him regarding the time it took to build this bass body and complete the project. Dale also expressed that he could build a similar bass but with a body style different enough to avoid trademark problems. Here's the break down on the time to build this bass body. I hope this clears up any confussion.

James, thanks for the call and the interest. I've broken down the time taken in a simple chart for the various steps in putting the Bass Project together. Keep in mind that the neck is the most time consuming part of building an instrument. The neck for this was an original Rickenbacker neck that needed nothing more than lefty side dots and a lacquer finish. Here's the specs on building the simple solid body that the neck was fitted to. At 60 mins. per hour X 10 hrs. it comes out to 600 mins.
m = minutes.
Glue and clamp body 1/2s @ .10 m.
Unclamp and bandsaw body@ .10m
Trim and sand sides to final spec@ .20m
Layout, measure and mark body for neck pocket
bridge, pickups and control cavity@ .10m
Set up and cut dbl. binding slots and slash hole@ .15m
Install body and slash hole binding@ .35
Scrape and sand bindings@ .30m
Drill jack hole@ .05m
Route body cavities and drill misc. holes@ .35m
Sand body and neck: 100/150/220 grits@ .30m
Align and glue in neck@ .10m
Final sanding: 320 and 400 grits@ .20m
APPLY FINISH
2 coats of sealer@ .15m
Flat sand sealer@ .20m
2 coats of burgundy lacquer@ .15m
8 coats of clear lacquer@ .60m
1000 and 1500 grits final clear coat sanding@ .60m
Buff out and polish@ .60m
Assemble and set up Bass instrument@ .90m
Adding all this up it comes out to approximately 620 minutes, just a little over 10 hrs. give or take a few minutes here and there this is pretty close to what I said in our phone conversation the other day. I hope this helps you to resolve any questions on this matter. As for the Rickresource Forum, I am not allowed to post there so I can not help you with any question they may have regarding this Bass.
Thanks for your concern...Dale Fortune

Well look at that.................it's snowing in August.

Rockin' James wrote: Dale also expressed that he could build a similar bass but with a body style different enough to avoid trademark problems.

I usually don't make a big deal about stuff..but seriously? If one want's a Rickenbacker, then I suggest buying one.

BTW - I know guys in advertising that can write Beatles songs with just the right amount of different notes to avoid copyright infringement. Anyone want one of those tunes cheap?

James, please understand, I'm not trying to argue. I know a lot of people here have respect for Dale. He certainly does very nice work. It just doesn't make sense to me that someone would try to cheapen the name of something many of us here hold so dear.

marc61 wrote:I usually don't make a big deal about stuff..but seriously? If one want's a Rickenbacker, then I suggest buying one.

Sounds like James wants a "3301", not a Ric.

cassius987 wrote:

marc61 wrote:I usually don't make a big deal about stuff..but seriously? If one want's a Rickenbacker, then I suggest buying one.

Sounds like James wants a "3301", not a Ric.

Again, not trying to start an argument. My point was not regarding James wanting a particular bass but, Dale's efforts to avoid trademark infringement.

It just doesn't make sense to me that someone would try to cheapen the name of something many of us here hold so dear.

In what way has Dale cheapened something many of us hold so dear? One of our very own forum members has made a very similar body for his 2000 series bass neck and parts and I don't remember anyone having a problem with that.

Either way, I hope Rickenbacker are listening, there's a growing interest in a hollowbody Ric bass that is more elegant than the old tuna boat. The 4005 was based on the 360 guitar, and I think that many people would like to see a bass based on a 330 or 350 body style.

I took the liberty of revesing the picture to make it a right handed one.
It doesn't look bad, but I wouldn't flip out over it

Over this version a little bit of flipping out could be possible.

aceonbass wrote:
In what way has Dale cheapened something many of us hold so dear? One of our very own forum members has made a very similar body for his 2000 series bass neck and parts and I don't remember anyone having a problem with that.

Was the person trying to market and sell it? I probably shouldn't comment on this any more because I'm not looking to start a war. Leave it at this....I'd like to see someone as talented as Dale make his own design guitar, than to learn how close he can come to a Rickenbacker. Thus my original statement, You wanna Ric? buy a Ric.

(locks himself out of thread)