Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So,

I found, locally, an older Tulip 1000 last week and having my local shop giving it the standard setup. Realized the strap design was quite unique for this model (maybe others). There's the one little opening within the backplate of the body with the latch/hook connection. Then there's no evidence of any tail area strap peg. Can I assume Ric devised a strap similar to a saxophone where one would hang the guitar around the neck?

If so, suggestions on a proper strap? I will follow up with photos once restoration/setup is complete.

Chris E.

My understanding is that the idea was to use an actual saxophone strap - I don't think there was a special strap made by Rickenbacker for this purpose. I also have heard that the concept didn't work very well, since most sax straps are skinny and uncomfortable when supporting the weight of a guitar.

Most old Combos that I've seen or owned have been fitted with standard strap pegs over the years. They're not particularly heavy, but do slide around quite a bit with only one point to hang from.

Seriously, though, a 57-foot Combo? Lemme guess--Hard Rock Cafe?

You're correct. That's just too much weight to carry.

NeoTech makes some good thickly padded sax straps. Dont go drilling new holes!!!

jdogric12 wrote:NeoTech makes some good thickly padded sax straps. Dont go drilling new holes!!!

...this from a guy who put a comb on a C63 12er...

jingle_jangle wrote:
Seriously, though, a 57-foot Combo? Lemme guess--Hard Rock Cafe?

I suppose I set myself up for that!

But purely in the interest of discussion, I think a '57 that's miraculously intact (meaning undrilled for guitar-style strap buttons) is much rarer than a common '98 reissue.

Dawg, this is a full-tulip 1000, not one of the reissue 425s...I do agree that it should be kept intact, but if it's gonna be a frequent stand-up player, it will be a handful.

Guys, this is not a heavy guitar. It's one of Rick's lighter solidbodies...

This reminds me I need to get a sax strap for the 56 400 I just got... I will report on how well it works (or doesn't) once I've done that! Although I expect it to work well, judging from Toots Thielmans using one in a commonly posted photo of him.

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, I can see the arguments for preserving all of the "vintage" aspects of the instrument. On the other hand, there seems to be a general consensus that the saxophone strap concept didn't really work all that well and that conventional strap pins are really a superior design. If this is a guitar you intend to play, I think I'd be inclined to drill the holes and just play it. Rickenbackers were built to be played, not just admired, so a mod that improves playability seems to me to be a good thing even if it isn't period-perfect, particularly if the guitar isn't in mint condition as it is.

But there are plenty of vintage guitars of "player" quality that have guitar-style strap buttons. I even owned a '58 Combo 400 that already had them drilled and installed by a previous owner. Do what you like, it's yours, but be prepared to take a big hit for the non-original factor. I didn't mind paying a premium for an undrilled '56 that even has its side brads intact. Otherwise I wouldn't have hit that BIN.

Realistically speaking, I don't see the difference in value as huge. But in terms of originality, there is a philosophical chasm IMO.

I think had my '56 Combo 400 not been drilled already for pegs, I probably would have kept it with the sax strap only, since none of my guitars is really a daily player.

jingle_jangle wrote:Realistically speaking, I don't see the difference in value as huge. But in terms of originality, there is a philosophical chasm IMO.

Agreed, and couldn't have put it better myself. I think if that was the only thing making the difference between ~95% original and 100% original, though, it would be interesting to see how it affects the price.

If I were to put a number on it, I'd say in most cases, minus $100-200 if the pins were done properly.

But quite a bit of difference in the case of a mint, one-owner, museum, or celebrity guitar. In this case, it would depend upon the individual sale and also the individual philosophical chasm...