Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It appears that Ed Roman is at it again:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2535647155&category=33035

History- info from Ed Roman (http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/bcrich/history_bcr.htm)

“BC Rich guitars are neck through body Not Set Neck, Not Bolt on...this makes a HUGE difference. Neck through the body means that the neck extends from the base of the guitar all the way to the top of the neck. There is only one other company today that still does that (Jackson). The pickups are mounted solidly into the neck which gives the player infinitely more sustain. Remember Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker etc. etc. were all mass produced machine made guitars so a comparison between the two just isn't logical. It would be like comparing a Ferrari or an Aston Martin to a Corvette. Yes, the Corvette is great but it just isn't in the same class as an Aston Martin. Just as the Fender is a great guitar but it just isn't in the same class as an original neck through body tone wood BC Rich.”


"... neck through body ... There is only one other company today that still does that (Jackson) ... Rickenbacker ... all mass produced machine made guitars ... "

John Hall, a rebuttal if you please!

How about ALEMBIC. They were probably the second company do do neck-through instruments after Rickenbacker and they haven't stopped yet!

I think the Gibson Firebird beat Alembic to the neck-through punch.

Les Paul beat them all

Les Paul is a neck through? I thought it was set-neck.

No, I meant the "log" that Les made in his workshop that generally is considered to be the "first" electric guitar as I understand it. Pictures I have seen depict the one piece neck from tail to head with pups bolted on. Upper and lower bouts were sawed off another guitar and fixed to the length of railroad track with frets. It was only a little better looking that the Frankenstein thingie that was on Ebay the other day.

Forgot to add text, that's Les kissing his Log.

There ya go! I was looking for that pix and you beat me to it!
Thats the man! Look at this.
http://www.wholenote.com/default.asp?iTarget=http%3A//www.wholenote.com/articles/item.asp%3Fi%3D127

Not to be an apologists for Ed Roman (my only vested interest is that I have a 4004CII on order through them) but I followed the link that appears in the ebay listing and it doesn't have the word Rickenbacker in it. Just "Fender, Gibson, Guild etc. etc. were all mass produced machine made guitars "

Makes it look like this seller knows more than he implies when he says he doesn't play but knows enough to diss. the major maker of neck through by altering someone elses prose.

I had seen a picture of Les' log without the enormous sides. Can't imagine how much that beast weighs in at.

And, of course, BC Rich *does* (or at least did) make bolt-on-neck guitars in addition to neck-through ones.

Too funny Mr. Westheimer...

I read in an article that the log was 20 pounds!!

Gordon posted:

'... I followed the link that appears in the ebay listing and it doesn't have the word Rickenbacker in it. Just "Fender, Gibson, Guild etc. etc. were all mass produced machine made guitars"...'

Here's the whole paaragraph in question from Ed Roman's page:

"Remember Fender, Gibson, Guild etc. etc. were all mass produced machine made guitars so a comparison between the two just isn't logical. It would be like comparing A Ferrari or an Aston Martin to a Corvette. Yes the Corvette is great but it just isn't in the same class as an Aston Martin. Just as the Fender is a great guitar but it just isn't in the same class as an original neck through body tone wood BC Rich."

As usual, I assume people are going to be honest, so when they quote someone, they don't MISquote him/her! My apologies to Ed Roman and all for not checking the source material, and many thanks to Gordon for pointing this out.

Doug's right about bolt-on B.C. Rich guitars:

I think Ed Roman changed it because I went there a few days ago and I could swear Rickenbacker was in there.