What is this?

[ilan]

A luthier friend has sent me this pic of a bass that was brought in for repair. It's a Jetglo 2030 Hamburg missing its front pickup. But the fretboard has no binding and is enameled in black with white microdot markers, Blackstar-style, like a 2030 Glen Frey. The TRC is black. My best guess was a Hamburg with a GF neck... but I'm not sure. What is it? And where can he find a 2000 Series pickup (I assume they were the same unit for bass and guitar)? Are they similar to 3000 Series pickups?

[RickyBubba]

I can't shed any light on it, but it would be hard to believe there were many GF necks floating around to transplant. Maybe a custom order?

Is the circuit board in good shape minus the front pickup? Would a Cheyenne pickup fit?

[bassduke49]

Understand that the 2030GF was the first of the 2000 series that received the new electronics arrangement in 1992. It is the reason that it holds the old model designation, 2030, and not 2020 which it most resembles. RIC decided to change the model number sometime after it had announced and advertised the GF series. Also note that the Glenn Frey Limited Edition certificates never state a model number, and the 1,000-run statement likely covers both the 230 guitar and the 2030 bass. My guess is that there were perhaps 100 GF basses. Since the necks were "bolt on" and probably made in a run separate from the bodies, there were probably more necks finished than would be taken up with orders. I'll bet that some customer or employee wanted to have a leftover 2030 body with an extra GF black-painted fingerboard. That could be done quickly and simply. Remember, there are no absolutes when it comes to Rickenbacker instruments, and some of these oddball mashups got out of the factory and eventually into the secondary market. It's not the first or last.

[ilan]

Thanks for the wealth of knowledge, Paul. I will forward this to the luthier and the owner.