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I was in luthier Martin Sims' place last week to pick up my F****r after a set-up.

Martin's a real pro, and has worked on my other Rics in the past, so I always like to see what he's working on (recent basses for Leo Lyons and Norman Watt-Roy amongst others).

I was about to leave when I saw this - he had just finished this recreation for a new Beatles musical, just opened in London. He has also made the 'George' as well, a modded Strat.

Work took around 6/7 weeks. He said the worst part was trying to make it look hand-modded, like the original. Martin recreated it from a photograph! Even the 'hand-smudging' looks real! I'm no Macca expert, but I was informed it was a bass he only played for a very brief period in the 60's.

Martin kindly held it for a picture.

I don't believe that it belongs to anyone here on RR - I have posted as I believe it to be of serious interest to RR readers!

Enjoy!

It looks like Martin used a photo of Ronn's bass for the colors.

jps wrote:It looks like Martin used a photo of Ronn's bass for the colors.

Wouldn't be the first time! Or the second.
I've told the story about the painting on ebay a few years back of "Paul's MMT Rick", which the artist used a pic of my bass to paint from. After telling her of her mistake she sold the painting to me cheap!
And then last month, looking thru the listings of cheapo Chinese knockoff basses, I found a "Beatles Tribute Bass" that was clearly based on mine. I'm thinking about getting one for gigs we fly to, so I don't have to put the Ric in the baggage handlers' hands.

Paint job looks good but it all just looks so wrong on a deluxe. I'm sure the audience won't know the difference, etc.

sloop_john_b wrote:Paint job looks good but it all just looks so wrong on a deluxe. I'm sure the audience won't know the difference, etc.

They won't, they'll only know that the bass player's not left-handed.

My only problem with this bass is.........It's NOT left handed
It's NOT an "S"
and It's NOT Ronn's

HIS bass is better!!!!!!!!!!!


Lefty4003s8





Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

Lefty4003S8 wrote:My only problem with this bass is.........It's NOT left handed
It's NOT an "S"
and It's NOT Ronn's

HIS bass is better!!!!!!!!!!!


Lefty4003s8

LOL
Mine is all 3 of those things! Thing that gets me is: "Work took around 6/7 weeks.". Dang! I doubt mine took 7 hours from disassembly to reassembly. Still looks great after 12 years of steady gigging.

I know it's just a prop but it would have been so much better to at least start with a C64 for the illusion of being lefthanded and more period representative. Probably cost prohibitive.

The guy in the local Beatles tribute band ("The Britins") painted the psychedelic scheme on a mid '73 Azureglo 4001 (checker binding)! That was years ago before it would have had any collector value. Hindsight is 20/20.

bassduke49 wrote:The guy in the local Beatles tribute band ("The Britins") painted the psychedelic scheme on a mid '73 Azureglo 4001 (checker binding)! That was years ago before it would have had any collector value. Hindsight is 20/20.

Ugggh!!

bassduke49 wrote:The guy in the local Beatles tribute band ("The Britins") painted the psychedelic scheme on a mid '73 Azureglo 4001 (checker binding)! That was years ago before it would have had any collector value. Hindsight is 20/20.

AAAArrrrrggghhh!

Here is mine. Paul W did the work for me. Its not quite the same as Paul's. I didn't want overspray, or a chipped pickguard. Paul refinished the back AFG instead of white like Macca's.

iamthebassman wrote:

sloop_john_b wrote:Paint job looks good but it all just looks so wrong on a deluxe. I'm sure the audience won't know the difference, etc.

They won't, they'll only know that the bass player's not left-handed.

This is awesome, when I get a C64, I will have in MMT-ised as soon as it would be possible.

spongebob wrote:He has also made the 'George' as well, a modded Strat.

That would be "Rocky," as George called his day-glo painted Strat.