Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've had this guitar as my avatar for awhile. It is allegedly a factgory one-off Shaded Blue once owned by Mitch Easter and sold on eaby several years ago for a lot of money. It ended up at a music store who featured it in some magazine ads. Here's the real think with some extra photos from the ebay ad.
I figured I'd never come across this unique guitar again, so I took a perfectly fine 36V64 MG and had it sprayed Shaded Blue and changed out the TP to an Accent.

What do you think?

More:

Thanks for the photos, Ron. An interesting idea. To my eye there is a rather abrupt change from the solid to the natural wood grain. Having said that, I think that your replica bears a close resemblance to the Easter guitar at least in the photos shown here. In some of the photos this may be as close to a "Rickenbacker relic" as I have seen.

For me there is a bit too much natural grain showing on the V64. And the transition from the blue to the natural colour looks much better on the original too.
The blue colour is actually really nice, and personally I'd prefer the whole of the guitar to be that colour, but hey, what do I know!
An interesting project Ron, thanks for sharing.

8 out of 10.
See me after class.

Let me say that I never owned that guitar! It belonged to my ex-wife, and i used it a fair bit on some records, but it went with her and she sold it. i never would have parted with that one (the guitar, that is)! It was the best old Rickenbacker i ever played- great sound, a guitar that lived up to all the "old guitar" expectations!

I would say that the replica is in general a bit more vivid that the original, and I recall a fair bit of blue right into the center. I think the color was just a bit greyer, or softer, or maybe it just just aged into something like that.

Very nice replica, Ron! Gotta love when a guitar in your avatar has a replica made from it.

I agree, the fade is a bit abrupt. Then again, it's pretty hard to photograph a burst, so maybe it's more forgiving in real life.

I'd buy it though! Wish I had thought of it. I really should get a 360V64 someday.

I'd buy it, too! This is a color/finishing scheme they should do.
Another thing I remembered about that guitar is that the wood had lots of tiny bird's eyes. Just a special instrument!

blue330 wrote:Let me say that I never owned that guitar! It belonged to my ex-wife, and i used it a fair bit on some records, but it went with her and she sold it. i never would have parted with that one (the guitar, that is)! It was the best old Rickenbacker i ever played- great sound, a guitar that lived up to all the "old guitar" expectations!

I would say that the replica is in general a bit more vivid that the original, and I recall a fair bit of blue right into the center. I think the color was just a bit greyer, or softer, or maybe it just just aged into something like that.

I think Mitch nailed my first impressions exactly. Blue a bit too intense and turquoisey (was it custom-mixed or a standard shade, Ron?), not enough blue in the center, transition too abrupt (though that could be the camera, too).

It was a custom-mixed shade to match the photos I gave to shop that refinished it. They said it was very close to Fender Daphne Blue. If it appears slightly turquoise in the photos, it is not in person. Also the burst transition is not as abrupt in person as the photos show. I think after 40 years of aging, this will look closer to the 1967 original -- but I probably won't be around to see that so I'll be content with what I have.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Mitch, thank you in particular for chiming in. I knew you had played this guitar, but I had forgotten the association with your ex-wife.

Thanks for the clarification, Ron. I suspected that the digital camera is the culprit on both color and transition...

My SONYs are fabulous cameras, but they have lots of trouble with blues and greens, especially the more subtle shades.

Remember Ektachrome??? <<sigh...>>

jingle_jangle wrote:Thanks for the clarification, Ron. I suspected that the digital camera is the culprit on both color and transition...

My SONYs are fabulous cameras, but they have lots of trouble with blues and greens, especially the more subtle shades.

Remember Ektachrome??? <<sigh...>>

I was just thinking as I read this post, Long Live Film!

libratune wrote:I've had this guitar as my avatar for awhile. It is allegedly a factgory one-off Shaded Blue once owned by Mitch Easter and sold on eaby several years ago for a lot of money. It ended up at a music store who featured it in some magazine ads. Here's the real think with some extra photos from the ebay ad.

67rick365blue_edited-1.jpg

a819_12.jpg

b8a3_12.jpg

This particular Shaded-Blue Rickenbacker is the only one I've seen finished blue in this particular way---meaning the shading is only slightly transparent, if at all. To my eye, it is a solid color of light blue.

The other Shaded Blue guitars I know of (made around 1969-70) are more of a glow-style, closer to the modern Blue-Burst COY Rickenbacker instruments. IIRC, there were at least 3 of these, and one of them was a 381....John Williams may know for sure. Pics exist.

jps wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:Thanks for the clarification, Ron. I suspected that the digital camera is the culprit on both color and transition...

My SONYs are fabulous cameras, but they have lots of trouble with blues and greens, especially the more subtle shades.

Remember Ektachrome??? <<sigh...>>

I was just thinking as I read this post, Long Live Film!

Ektachrome was good with blues and greens although overall I always prefered Kodachrome 25. Kodachrome has wonderful color but a more complex process. Now extinct for about 12 years.

libratune wrote:It was a custom-mixed shade to match the photos I gave to shop that refinished it. They said it was very close to Fender Daphne Blue. If it appears slightly turquoise in the photos, it is not in person. Also the burst transition is not as abrupt in person as the photos show. I think after 40 years of aging, this will look closer to the 1967 original -- but I probably won't be around to see that so I'll be content with what I have.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Mitch, thank you in particular for chiming in. I knew you had played this guitar, but I had forgotten the association with your ex-wife.

All things said these are stunning guitars that I'm sure any of us here would love to have, and the Mitch Easter connection just adds even more kudos and coolness.
Would you say that these are your favourite Rics from your collection Ron?