Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is it my eyes or does this bass have laminated binding? It appears to be a black on white laminate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=7309679469&rd=1

looks like it.

I agree. Or could it be painted?

No, I don't think that is paint. It is evenly black and white on the top surface. Your could mask to get that effect but it would suck, a lot.

...and look at how those strings are wound on the tuner posts. That drives me nuts!!

Wow, that's weird. It does look laminated. Also the certificate says BT, but the hardware is chrome. The same seller had the Shadow prototype (with triangular inlays) on eBay not long ago. What's going on there?

The card that says BT is actually the warranty card / hang tag from the era. I have one similar to it around here somewhere. I think they used ones like it through the 80's and maybe into the 90's

Actually I meant the outside of the white binding could be painted and just the top surface scrapped clean.

I think it is evident from one of the rear photos that there is no white on the sides.

Yes, that is the way laminated binding looks. It could be one color on the outside and another on the inside. Here are some examples.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bindings,_trim/Plastic_binding,_purfling:_White,_black.html

I know, my Larrivee has 5 layers from the top and 4 from the sides. I was just trying to think of a way one could easily modify an existing instrument's appearance without removing, possibly routering, and replacing the stock binding.

It' just double-bound, first with white and then black. No special binding material involved. We've done that quite often in the past, usually involving black and white instrument/trim combinations.

I've even seen triple-bound- black, checked, then black. That's really nice but gilding the lily perhaps.

Well that sure settles it. Thanks John.

My 4002 is triple bound. It has checkerboard then a thin white layer followed by black. My '63 is also triple bound with a thin black layer then checkerboard followed by white. Sometimes the binding is glued together before it is applied but now that I think about it, that might be hard on a Rick with those tight corners.

This is kind of cool. Mr. Hall points out they have done this quite often in the past eh? Although it's easy to understand what it is, and other manufacturers multi-bind, I personally haven't seen any other Ricks this way. As an altrnative to checkered, this looks pretty nice. I wonder what he wants for this otherwise plain '79 4001JG?

Maybe this is how the BT option showed up on a black bass in the day?