Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I don't doubt that this is very well-built, with lotsa love having gone into it, BUT...

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-16555.htm

Hmm, what am I missing? Looks like a National-esque thing, except built for speed.

If you're missing it, you're missing it, JB...

Guess so.

I just sent this link over to Grover Jackson. It'll be interesting to hear what his take is.

Maybe he could tell us a bit about the design of the Surfcaster-- Wayne Charvel's? I keep forgetting to ask him.

It's as brilliant as this thing is derivative and just plain ugly.

Reminds me a bit of a Hagstrom....

While I'm sure it is a well built instrument with quality parts, it is still just that, a parts guitar. There is a saying in the retail musical instrument sales industry about being "married to it if you buy it", and this is a prime example. No store in the world would buy this thing, or give you much of anything in trade for it because it would 99% sure hang on the wall untill the store closed it's doors! This is why things like this are only taken on consignment.
You would absolutely have to be in serious love with this guitar to not mind never being able to get your 2,100+ back out of it, except in the rarist of circumstances.
Elderly might want to contact Jack White and see if he might want it, since it is probably much better than the Airliners he's used to playing. If he was to get it, record with it, and then get rid of it, it could well fetch the 2,100+ the owner is asking for it.

jingle_jangle wrote:Maybe he could tell us a bit about the design of the Surfcaster-- Wayne Charvel's? I keep forgetting to ask him.

It's as brilliant as this thing is derivative and just plain ugly.

Grover says that back in the day he permitted the employees to make one guitar per year on their own. As a result, he said he saw some pretty oddball guitars and this was one of them. He did confirm that his fellow worked for him.

Regarding the Surfcaster, he said this was done after he sold the company to IMC. The plan and design for this were the brainchild of Steve Kaufman, formerly of DiMarzio Pickups. Grover's comment was something close to "I wouldn't have stooped so low . . ."

To each his own, I guess...

whojamfan wrote: Elderly might want to contact Jack White and see if he might want it, since it is probably much better than the Airliners he's used to playing.

Maybe except, Jack seems to get a thrill out of guitars that need some work...He also likes used guitars because he feels they have soul. Just in appearance, this axe doesn't have that. In my opinion anyway

whojamfan wrote:While I'm sure it is a well built instrument with quality parts, it is still just that, a parts guitar. There is a saying in the retail musical instrument sales industry about being "married to it if you buy it", and this is a prime example. No store in the world would buy this thing, or give you much of anything in trade for it because it would 99% sure hang on the wall untill the store closed it's doors! This is why things like this are only taken on consignment.
You would absolutely have to be in serious love with this guitar to not mind never being able to get your 2,100+ back out of it, except in the rarist of circumstances.
Elderly might want to contact Jack White and see if he might want it, since it is probably much better than the Airliners he's used to playing. If he was to get it, record with it, and then get rid of it, it could well fetch the 2,100+ the owner is asking for it.

Agreed.

I think he's selling the quality of the build, and probably over-valuing its uniqueness. "One of a kind" does not translate directly into monetary value. It's obviously a National knock-off, with a bit of LP Jr./Melody Maker vibe, too. But it's a $600 guitar.

We did have a saying when I was in Marketing, though: "You can sell one of anything". Doesn't mention price, does it?

On another, related, topic, when I tore down my own MIJ Surfcaster 12, I found that the original "lipstick" pickups were supplied by Kent Armstrong. Since it was a basket case when I got it, I never heard it play. This should be interesting to contemplate...

Following a drift slightly off-topic, here are a few photos of a Greenburst Charvel Surfcaster currently (Oct. 20, 2010) listed on ebay:
Many design features are clearly "inspired" by/copied from other pre-existing designs near and dear to the hearts of forum members, not to mention the original guitar manufacturers; nevertheless, it does have a cool retro vibe. The quilting, burst-finish and pearlescent pickguard on this one give it a bit of a Light Show feel, too.

Copies of the Surfcaster are now being made as the GRB Kokocaster; would they be tributes to "tributes"?

My fave stock Surfcaster color scheme.

Mine was (formerly)Jetgloblack. When it was stripped, I discovered that even the black ones were top-quality wood (poplar with maple caps both sides). The woodwork on both guitar and neck are superb.

The Jetglo black finish was another story, however. The guitar had been dipped in a Fullerplast-like polyester goop and then bead-blasted before receiving its Jetglo black nitro topcoats. The black looked really nice: shiny, no trace of cracking or spiderwebbing, a few chips. Still, I wanted a burst finish on it, so the black had to come off...

...and did, very easy, with a razor blade! The nitro did not stick to the bead-blasted polyester very well. It took only an hour to get the Jetglo black off. Sandpaper was only necessary on a couple of edges. Then I discovered that the polyester was lifting from the poplar as well. Eek...more work with the razor blade and the body came up as fresh as a daisy.

Since then I've been dreaming up color schemes...

Sounds like you had a run of luck on that refin, Paul.