Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I posted some pics of my Rickys on post within the Rickenbacker Guitars section, here are some pics of the other guitars I own:

Early 1990s Charvel Strat

Quite a versatile guitar but it doesn't sound like a real strat!

Early 1990s Charvel Surfcaster

Great looking guitar (not the Ric shaped soundhole) although the lipstick pickups are quite thin sounding - it doesn't do heavy!

Fender Japan 1962 Reissue Telecaster

Great sounding guitar - the Texas Special pickups are really hot, I need to turn the guitar volume down to make it sound like a Tele! This guitar does do heavy!

Wow, post-lawsuit Charvel strat headstock. Don't see too many of them around.

that charvel is marvelous! ummm,did they make a bass version.......?

sorry 2 charvels,i meant the 2nd,hollowbody one........

Woody, they didn't make a bass version, but the 12er is very nice; I've got one that I'm restoring.

It's called the Surfcaster. A wonderful and lively pastiche of design cues, and yes, the Rick type headstock.

Just been googling these beasts, came across this;

Charvel made three versions of the Surfcaster, a 6 string, a 12 string and a bass. The 6 string would appear to be the most common, they come up for sale more frequently than the 12 string or the bass version.

I've seen the later Jackson 6 string versions come up for sale quite often, but it is the original Charvel ones that remain the most desirable.

I stand corrected..never saw a bass...cool for sure!

Next time I'll try Googling.

I have 2 of the Charvel Surfcaster basses, one just like the bass pictured above, and one acoustic. Techincally, the acoustic bass is model 425 SL, but it looks just like an acoustic version of the Surfcaster, sans pickguard.

Great basses, by the way.

I love those double bound Teles

jingle_jangle wrote:I stand corrected..never saw a bass...cool for sure!

There's one for sale here

Razor wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:I stand corrected..never saw a bass...cool for sure!

There's one for sale here

I thought that looked like a deal until I realised the starting price was sterling, not greenbacks. Darn!

It is a good price..BIN "or offer". Biggest issue is the "won't ship" thing.

The Surfcaster 12ers (when you can find 'em) are over a grand in good condition; basses are much rarer judging from my never seeing one on Ebay. This one is extra nice, judging from the photos, original and a desirable color.

jingle_jangle wrote:It is a good price..BIN "or offer". Biggest issue is the "won't ship" thing.

The Surfcaster 12ers (when you can find 'em) are over a grand in good condition; basses are much rarer judging from my never seeing one on Ebay. This one is extra nice, judging from the photos, original and a desirable color.

I've been keeping my eye on these, and the 12s and 6s with vibrato are the most expensive. For some reason the basses have traded down around $700-$800. There have been about 6 go through over the last two years or so, so they're not going to crop up on your radar unless you're really looking.

I was bitten by the surfcaster bug when I lived in Tokyo, but foolishly didn't pick one up at the time. They are very fine guitars, and a bit out of the ordinary.

Thanks for the comments, Evan...you're obviously more in touch with the market on these than I am...I do have "Surfcaster" on my Ebay want list, so I do see 'em come up, but for some reason didn't read correctly or didn't notice basses.

This is getting me all fired up about finishing my own original Surfcaster 12 stringer, which right now needs a fretboard and a complete refin. It's JG now but I'm not sure what it's going to end up as...

Are you aware that the Surfcaster six-stringers have been "re-issued" (there's a company that's having them made in the Far East...) and they're going for around $600.00. Not quite exactly the same, but you have to admire the style--it's brilliant, IMO.