Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi everybody,

this heavily-modified Rose-Morris Rickenbacker, serial number "EJ 915", and described by the seller as being in 'relic condition' (...) was sold on eBay Germany yesterday for Euro 928,- (ca. US $ 1138,-) :

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7324840402&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I was tempted to bid on it, but eventually decided not to do so, however I am still very curious what exact model this might have originally been : if the binding on the body is (factory) original, then it must be a (very rare) example of a mapleglo model '1997'?
To the best of my knowledge only the '1993'-models featured binding, but these were 12-string guitars, and this one is definitely a 6-string example...

Does anybody here have an idea what's the scoop on this guitar? Could this simply have been a '1997', and one of its previous owners
decided to change virtually everything on the guitar, including the added binding? Can somebody track down the origins of this guitar via its (current) serial number?

Thanks in advance for your replies/help, best regards,

Stefan

That guitar is either fake or heavily modified or both.

It has an "Andy's" sticker on the back of the headstock. For those who don't know, Andy's is a well known guitar shop in Denmark Street in London. However, I wouldn't touch this guitar with a 10ft barge pole!

Hi Marc,

that this particular guitar has been (heavily) modified goes without saying...however I don't think that it's a Rickenbacker-copy - judging from the available pics which show e.g. the shape of the neck-heel, I have every reason to believe that this guitar is a genuine Rickenbacker from the mid-60's, however it would be interesting for me (and possibly a few others here) to find out if this guitar originally left the factory at that time with (double) binding, as that would make this example quite special in my opinion.

Stefan

I would say it was a standard Rose Morris 1997. This did not have binding on it originally, and the current binding is probably paint and not actual binding. 900 Euros seems high for this thing. The only original parts are the bridge pickup, jack input and the name plate, back strap button, half a vibrato, bridge plate and hopefully, maybe the electronics). The tuner holes have been drilled larger to fit the Schallers. Paint jobs are usually done to cover up a repair as well.

To my way of thinking, this is almost a textbook case on what not to do in the modification of a fine instrument.