Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A good question...I've used ABS for many projects (non-guitar) in the past, and don't really have anything against it, but the extruded **** that StewMac and other suppliers peddle just doesn't look properly white, and its edges are rounded a bit, not square (cut) like the edges on genuine celluloid. Celluloid is twice the price or more, but goes on beautifully, is super-clean looking, and simply looks better to my eye. And at a few bucks extra per restoration, it's worth it, IMO.

I noticed that on the RIC forum discussion (about this restoration) it was mentioned that the 360Fs had ply front & back. Was curious about this. The ones I have are flamed and/or tigered. Granted, I don't know anything about wood, but is it possible to have a flamed piece of plywood?

jsm610 wrote:I noticed that on the RIC forum discussion (about this restoration) it was mentioned that the 360Fs had ply front & back. Was curious about this. The ones I have are flamed and/or tigered. Granted, I don't know anything about wood, but is it possible to have a flamed piece of plywood?

yes it is, when a thin layer of wood is added for it's decorative purposes (say like on a telecaster) it's called a veneer. basically a very thin sheet of wood. as long as the outermost layer is flamed... it will be flamed!

tennis_nick wrote:

jsm610 wrote:I noticed that on the RIC forum discussion (about this restoration) it was mentioned that the 360Fs had ply front & back. Was curious about this. The ones I have are flamed and/or tigered. Granted, I don't know anything about wood, but is it possible to have a flamed piece of plywood?

yes it is, when a thin layer of wood is added for it's decorative purposes (say like on a telecaster) it's called a veneer. basically a very thin sheet of wood. as long as the outermost layer is flamed... it will be flamed!

Not in this case. I think I could add to JH's post: There are both plywood and solid topped (and backed) ones, and some that are mixed solid and plywood. Every one I've seen that had any flame, was solid species. Plywood ones were straighter grain, in my observation.

This is what got me banned from the RIC Forum...for asking a simple question why you chose plywood instead of solid maple like the original was..which you could tell by your photos with the seam down the middle of the 2 piece back and the cracks that appear on solid wood are unlike the cracks that appear on plywood. The 2 F models I owned in the 70s were made in the 60s, both had solid tops and backs, but according to John Hall they all had plywood tops and backs. I've seen ones from the 50s and 60s with plywood tops, sides, and backs, but I'm still wondering why you used plywood instead of solid wood?

dale_fortune wrote:but I'm still wondering why you used plywood instead of solid wood?

You can use 2 explanations Dale! Either strength, or cost!

After all, a Gibson 335 without the ply construction... not the same!

dale_fortune wrote:This is what got me banned from the RIC Forum...

Dale, anyone reading that particular thread would also see that I answered you courteously. Then JH also answered you, expanding upon my reply.

Without getting into this topic in a public forum, I believe that there is more to this tale than you are admitting to, that made such a drastic step necessary.

I have just removed a post that moved away from the discussion of Rickenbackers or guitars and fell within the realm of interpersonal differences.

Before we get into a situation in which comments are made back and forth about the Rickenbacker Forum, I would ask that matters of that nature be handled there.

Another option is to use the PM option should you wish to continue the discussion privately.

Paul,Just out of curiously after the damaged back has been removed.Do you discard the damaged ,cracked wood or does it return to the customer?In the way that mechanics annoying do when you replace lets say a part from a car!I know that if i was a customer i wouldn't want the parts back but i imagine some guitar fanatics wanting the damaged parts for some sort of sentimental reason.Maybe not though. I was wondering how this aspect affects your business in respect of people being possessive of their instruments.
Scott

Whaaaa bye bye

Fenders fotoflame finished guitars in the 90s took the whole veneer thing one step further by using a picture of wood instead of a veneer of it. I think epiphone did the same thing for a little bit, but once people realised they were buying a "picture" of wood, the instruments popularity went right down the drain. I worked in a shop that was a G&L dealer, and we had a few Fenders we didn't sell to compare the quality of the 2 guitars to prospective buyers. At that time, you could get a nice G&L for well under a grand, and at that time, were only made in the USA.

Sorry to get off topic, but so many of these highly figured cheapo giutars these days aren't even veneered, just a nice picture of pretty wood. Yet another reason to buy a Rick.

Mike: I did not know about the "picture of flame." Can you post a photo or link to an example of this?

scotty wrote:Paul,Just out of curiously after the damaged back has been removed.Do you discard the damaged ,cracked wood or does it return to the customer?In the way that mechanics annoying do when you replace lets say a part from a car!I know that if i was a customer i wouldn't want the parts back but i imagine some guitar fanatics wanting the damaged parts for some sort of sentimental reason.Maybe not though. I was wondering how this aspect affects your business in respect of people being possessive of their instruments.
Scott

Scotty, this is probably the sixth or seventh geetar that I've peeled the back off of. Nobody's been enough of a fanatic to ask for the wood back--yet. And I think Graham would rather bin it than frame it. But I'll hang onto it until he says otherwise.

People are amazingly generous with their instruments...they send them in, wait a long time, and really participate to some degree, so that when they get them back, they are excited and happy. Even my most finicky customers are a pleasure to deal with. What a great business...

I had a Fender Jagmaster a couple of years back...had it been a single-coil guitar, I'd have kept it. The photoflame burst was convincing--from 6 feet.

admin wrote:Mike: I did not know about the "picture of flame." Can you post a photo or link to an example of this?

Here's an example on a Squire for ya. To make it even more obvious, they call it a foto flame.