Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi!

I have followed this forum with great interest for a long period of time. It's amazing to find so much knowledge and experience gathered in one place! When I browse through all the various topics and find new exiting information everywhere, it's almost impossible to stop reading!

Now it's time for me to write my first post to this forum, and I am very glad to be a part of this community. I have known Peter (admin) for several years and he has been a very inspiring contact.

I love all Rickenbacker guitars (and basses too, of course), that's for sure, but I have a special favourite and that's the Model 1993. If you ask me why, I am not sure I can tell you. Whatever reason, this delicate guitar with a slightly fragile look (the dotted fretboard with no bindings makes the neck look quite thin), was the true queen of the Brittish pop-scene during the sixties.

How many of these still excist today? We know that some was passed on to the woodshed by at least one famous musician. Who? I guess you know, so I don't need to say more.

On my site, Björn Eriksson's Rickenbacker Page, at http://www.rickbeat.com I have set up a section named "The 1993 Inventory". My ambition is to find as many of the Model 1993 (not reissues from 1987) as possible. It is the "original export model" I look for.

I have found 18 survivors this far. The latest one was recently found in Australia with serial# DK 619. Photos will come when I receive them.

Now, there must be more than 18 of these and I hope to find more. Is there anyone in this forum who knows about an unlisted Model 1993 I'd be very greatful if you let me know.

Welcome to visit The 1993 Inventory on www.rickbeat.com

Take care!

Bjorn,

Welcome to the Rickenbacker Forum. I think many of us (if not all of us) have visited your site many, many times and think of it as one of the best Rickenbacker sites on the internet, bar none.

I share your interest in the Rickenbacker 1993 12-string and can only hope that one will make it in my own collection one day!!!! All the best.

Welcome aboard, Björn.
I'm very glad that we now have one more true Rickenbacker lover such as you as a forum member.

Good luck finding more 1993's.
My best wishes for you and your 2 fabulous sites!

Great to have you here, Björn!

I can't tell you the number of lunch breaks I have spent at rickbeat.com. Thank you so much for that wonderful site!

I look forward to reading your posts here, and good luck on your 1993 search!

BTW - Peter, if you happen to read this, Thank you for this wonderful site. I have spent way too much time reading this board and going through this site also!

Hi Björn! Good to see you here!

Your name and websites are very well known by us RIC lovers.

Hi!

Thank you for this warm welcome!
It feels very good to see that I'm not the only one who loves the Model 1993.

I have some more 1993 related pages on my site. Here are two additional links:

http://www.rickbeat.com/photofeatures/pauldavid/pauldavid.htm
http://www.rickbeat.com/photofeatures/bobkat/bobkat2.htm

Take care

Björn


Björn Eriksson (painting #3) by Henry McGuinn

I love those guitars Bjorn, but I'd probably settle for a reissue, if the originals are anywhere near as rare as they sound. I love your site, but I can't condone putting a beautiful Ricky in the water like that!!! How many times has that guitar been refinished? ;~)

Hi Gene!
The refinishing is no problem. After a while in the water it turns Sea Green... The problem is the neck! It grows! Imagine a Model 360 with 36 frets! Hmmm...

OK, now I will return to the original thread!

Just a few reissues were made, both six- and twelve-strings, in 1987. Unverified information say that six of each version were made. I don't think there will be more reissues of that model, at least not that I have heard of. But why not? I think that there is an interest for it.

Thanks for the nice words about my site!

Take care

Björn


Here is a six-string reissue of the Model 1993

I am looking in one of my Rickenbacker books, the Smith book, and it lists a total of 100 Rose Morris Model 1993 guitars made for export, 25 in 1964 and 75 in 1965. Now I believe the production totals in this book are considered by most Rickenbacker experts to be incomplete, but do you think there were as few as 100 1993s made? I was going to check the production totals for the American equivalent, but what would it be called? A 330S? 360S? I wonder if there were any that were produced for any other market...
I agree that they are beautiful guitars, and I especially love the look of that old fireglo with the f soundhole and white binding.

Gene,
There were more 1993's made than Richard Smith says in his book. If I remember right, it was John Hall who said this once...wait...!

A few minutes later....

I found that very letter from John Hall! It was from May 10th, 2000. I asked John if the figures (25 + 75) in Smith's book were correct and received this answer:


"No, I saw many more of these when I was looking for your serial numbers. He just didn't have all the records.

This doesn't give away the true figures but it answers our question. There were more 1993's made than Smith knows about.

The model 1993 was 330S/12 in the USA.

Looks like this:


All of the 330S/12 I have seen have chrome-top knobs and all 1993's have the black plastic knobs. Maybe that was an intentional choice from the factory?

Take care & Merry Christmas!

Björn