Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Tuck: I am interested if you have a copy of Rickenbacker: Pioneer Of The Electric Guitar [Japanese - Rittor, 1995], Naoki Ogane

We have poured over the great photos in this book but alas most of us cannot read it.

Can you comment on the popularity of this publication to Japanese Rickenbacker collectors or players.

Excellent question, Peter! Tuck, I'd like to know if people can still find the book in a bookstore or a 2nd-hand bookstore in Japan. If the answer is yes, then I will ask my friends in Japan to watch out for me.

I got mine on greedbay about three years ago, not cheap, but worth it.

I translated a couple of the captions under some of the more fascinating pictures, and unfortunately, they were completely unrelated! I don't have a copy of the book though, so I can't say that's the case for all the text.

I wonder why it has not been translated? I'm sure it would sell well here.

-Someone has already gone to the trouble of translating the cover, so...

It does sell well here. Usually well over $100.

People have looked into it, I believe. I think one of the biggest hurdles would be to get permission once again for use of some of the photos....if it can be done it will be an expensive proposition from what I have heard....

I think we can overcome that by just producing a text guide referring to pages without photos.

I'd love to have a copy.

The Rittor book without doubt is one of the most cherished books ever written on Rickenbacker guitars. Now out of print, it could easily fetch over $100 at auction sites. I see some copies up for sale at Yahoo Auction in Japan from time to time, currently there are 2 at:
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m55468820
and
http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w30348237

John Hall once posted at my old forum saying that he would be happy to write a very rough translation of the book himself but things just didn't seem that easy to get everything ready for an English edition. I've heard the biggest problem would not be the translation but the photos -- some of the owners of the Rickenabcker guitars pictured in the book say they don't like to expose their collection because they don't like see loads of email/letters from everywhere in the world asking them to sell their guitar(s). That happened when the book first came out.

I believe the original Japanese edition is 100% worth reading (or looking at) even though you don't read Japanese. The photos are so beautiful and inspiring.

beatlefreak wrote:I'd love to have a copy.

Watch ebay. I have one myself for some time now and recently bought another (for half what I paid) for forumite chris p. Both via Ebay.

Hi Tuck,
Nice to finally have you posting!

Please check your PM.

There is a copy of the book on eBay now bidding at US$20:50

J