Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Okay, yesterday I was flipping through some old music mags when I saw something on the 70'th aniversary of Rickenbacker and it showed a couple of prototypes and weird one-offs. One of them was the missing link between Rickenbacker and a Musicman Stingray.

The article said that it was Forest White's working prototype for a bass with active electronics and a 3+1 headstock. As we all know, after leavig Rickenbacker Forest White Hooked up with Leo Fender again to form Musicman and much of the ideas tried on the Rick prototype was put in production on the Stingray bass.

But the picture was small and very grainy so I couldn't make out much of the details of the bass. Mr. Hall could you please tell more about this cool one-off Rick bass or perhaps post a picture?

Wouter, I have a high-resolution photo of the bass you are referring to. I'm having trouble resizing it to post here. Shoot me an email at the address in my profile and I'll send you the image.

I want to see it, too!!!

It looks like a cross between a "Tele" "Les Paul" and a "Strat" I owned the Bass for a while in the early 80's before it was stolen, just like it was stolen from the Rick Showroom, but this one came back to it's rightful owner. I found out years later that an ex-employee stole this and other instruments in what is called a smash and dash/grab and run late night theft. I have pictures of it, I will locate some and post them.

But it's back in the hands of its rightful owner(s), then?

Wouter, are you refering to this prototype?

Sorry about my head being in the shot!

This place is amazing.

You mention something obscure, and POOF, there it is!

...and not once, but twice!

And, comparing the two photos. you can see why it's not a good idea to make any sort of color judgement from photographs...

The redder one is closer to real life, BTW.

I adjusted mine to see the detail better.

ooo I see the dumpster bass in that photo ...

This one?

Yes, this one!!