My first and last Rick?
Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:40 am
After a long, time consuming but fun search, I finally hunted down a 1979 450-12, thanks to Dusan (cheers for the pointer!), and it has arrived. It's now officially registered and I'm a proud owner of a Rickenbacker guitar!
It has certainly been around the block, with a enormous amount of weather-checking on the body and neck (no through finish to the wood dings, though) and the unusual butterscotch finish (with black p/guard and trc) has faded unevenly (but I think most attractively) to somewhere between butter and cream . Otherwise neck straight as a die, good frets and electronics and all orginal, bar the case. Solid little fella - reminds me a bit of a Tele in that regard, or my kids! $650 US was an exceptionally fine price, especially from a guitar shop, for a vintage Rickenbacker 12 string, even if it is an unfashionable model and colour. Thanks Barking Dog guitars, CT, for the consignment sale.
Sounds completely brilliant too, but...intonation is horrible, unplayable to my ear beyond the third position, with the exception of the high E strings. I've bought an adjustable 12 string Rick bridge from another member, which will hopefully solve this problem.
But is this intonation issue soluble, given the current original bridge? How do you tweak the bridge? There's a couple of threaded bolts poking out on each side of the top of the bridge, but i'm not sure how to turn these, there being no nut that I can see.
My last Rick? Well, my wife has just instituted a new, fiscally neutral, one-in-one-out policy, with an additional five year moratorium on my guitar buying. So I have plenty of time to consider the next guitar purchase (360WB?) - and decide which one of my others will leave home permanently without me.
It has certainly been around the block, with a enormous amount of weather-checking on the body and neck (no through finish to the wood dings, though) and the unusual butterscotch finish (with black p/guard and trc) has faded unevenly (but I think most attractively) to somewhere between butter and cream . Otherwise neck straight as a die, good frets and electronics and all orginal, bar the case. Solid little fella - reminds me a bit of a Tele in that regard, or my kids! $650 US was an exceptionally fine price, especially from a guitar shop, for a vintage Rickenbacker 12 string, even if it is an unfashionable model and colour. Thanks Barking Dog guitars, CT, for the consignment sale.
Sounds completely brilliant too, but...intonation is horrible, unplayable to my ear beyond the third position, with the exception of the high E strings. I've bought an adjustable 12 string Rick bridge from another member, which will hopefully solve this problem.
But is this intonation issue soluble, given the current original bridge? How do you tweak the bridge? There's a couple of threaded bolts poking out on each side of the top of the bridge, but i'm not sure how to turn these, there being no nut that I can see.
My last Rick? Well, my wife has just instituted a new, fiscally neutral, one-in-one-out policy, with an additional five year moratorium on my guitar buying. So I have plenty of time to consider the next guitar purchase (360WB?) - and decide which one of my others will leave home permanently without me.
