Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

While picking up some kit at a different music store than I usually frequent, I chanced into the guitar case area.

They had SKB molded cases and a cheap Fender Tweed Replica type, at pretty reasonable prices. Since I need a cheap but sturdy case for two of my Fenders, I pulled out a few and checked them over.

The tweed replicas are Chinese junk. They had eight in stock and four had broken locks.

I moved on and pulled out an SKB and opened it up.

Ah!!! That Rickenbacker smell!!!

The case was empty.

Now, it must be that a Rickenbacker once lived (or maybe died) there, right?

I mean it couldn't be that "THAT SMELL" is from the case???

Nah, couldn't be just the case. Now that you mention it, all my Ricks have had that "unique smell". None of my other guitars have had anything close to it. Just adds to the unique Rick mystique, don't ya think?

Man when you get a new one its wonderful.

OK, guys, do you live near a large music store? Go in and sniff some SKBs. Then tell me. And, you're right--it is wonderful, wherever it comes from.

You might want to do all that sniffing in a private area, you know. The sales drones don't even do that!!!

I have noticed the unique smell of the RIC case as well. Could it come from the cleaning cloth that is packed in the case -- or does the cloth pick up the smell from the bass finish outgassing?

If only Rics came packed with an open "Sharpie" marker in the sealed case....now that combined with the new Ric smell would be heavenly!

I have another idea of heavenly smells!

The staff at GC sniffs something else in the back.

Sharpies use toluene and butyl cellosolve. Both are carcinogens and also destroy brain cells. (Same solvents as the old, outlawed hobby glue!)

It is not the cleaning cloth--that's odorless. I think it's from the padding and the glue. I do NOT think as I did up until yesterday, that it's the finish on the guitars.

All I know mine is 25 years old and it still has that smell.

When I leave it out of the case for awhile it tends to go away from the guitar itself but the smell is still there inside of it. But if I put it in the case for a day or so it gets that smell back.

It is the glue from the skb cases.........i wish i could buy that glue privetley and use it for everything

Hey Paul W.....

How about some RIC fresh-scent "trees", you know, the kind you buy at the convenience store and hang from your rear-view mirror? ....

...maybe CafePress ???

Hey Ben, how about we throw some coconuts into the finish and change the smell?

Wow--a Rickenbacker that smells like ZYMOL!!!

And the cases would still be the same smell. So we'd have some choice of two different limbic stimuli!

OOOOOh that smell, can't you smell that smell?

I wonder if that was written with a Ric?