Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All,

Just trying to verify something that I heard the other day regarding replacement truss rod covers and the way Rickenbacker is handling or not handling the issue lately. I want to change the cover on my Ric 650C Colorado from that chrome or whatever color one wants to call it, and go with white. Also spoke with someone at Pickguardian about a white pick guard as well. I had heard recently somewhere, maybe a Facebook group but I forget now where. but I heard that it's not possible to trade in the truss rod cover any longer as Rickenbacker did for a while to fend off non legitimate copies of the TRC getting into the market place. I have left messages at Rickenbacker, yet to be returned and have tried asking others and no one seems to truly know how to get a replacement. I'd love to see white on my 650C pickguard and truss rod cover because I think it's going to look great against the Fireglo finish of the guitar which is a very deep fireglo and is just beautiful. So how do I do it and what's it cost? I got the cost tonight on the pickguard from Pickguardian but have no clue if it will even be possible to get a new truss rod cover? Sorry to be so long winded. Am enclosing pics of the guitar and my vintage fender pro reverb, got a Vox ac50 head and vintage speaker cab on the way soon too.

I forgot something, to upload a pic if it will allow me to of current guitar setup. It's soon to have a new toaster as replacement for neck humbucker and 500k pots which won't be visible but will change the sound nicely as well as the new to me Vox amp and speaker cab. Now just using a '79 Fender Pro Reverb.

Welcome to the RRF, Lyndon.

I would suggest offering to swap it for a white TRC in "The Marketplace" section of this forum.

Is your current TRC black with silver lettering?

RIC will replace a damaged TRC, for a fee, and then only with the same kind that you send to them. They used to, also for a fee, swap legitimate covers for any cover they stocked, but that was discontinued some years ago.

The only options for replacing a cover with a different style is to either find someone to swap with or try to find someone selling the type you want.

Yes the current one is black with the silver lettering .

Thanks for the replies and I'll look into the marketplace today. I do hope I can find a white one with black lettering, I just think it would look great against the fireglo of the body and head stock.

Thanks again for the info!

Lyndon

Customer service at its finest...

aceonbass wrote:Customer service at its finest...

Yeah, I don't get this at all.

Yes, I understand fully the idea of thwarting counterfeiters. I agree that the truss rod covers should not be readily available for sale to any Tom, Dick, or Harry. But what I don't get is why they are not made available for swaps to customers who already have purchased a Ric? Guitars that are registered for warranty should be allowed to swap out their trc for a replacement. If Ric wants to charge for that service, no problem; but to not offer the consumer the opportunity to customize or fix his own guitar is not right.

I know I'll never find out, but I'd like to know exactly why this policy was implemented. Not some vague reasons about preventing fake copies, but what actual things occurred to make them change the policy.

This is just another example of RICs lack of customer friendly policies.

This also happened to me within the last year when I cracked the TRS on my 330/12 - I had hoped to replace it with a vintage-style TRS, but was told that wasn't possible. Frustrated me to no end, and my reply to RIC customer service vented that. (Regrettably, but nevertheless sincerely.)

Luckily, they are out there, especially if you're looking for a white one. But still, it just oughtn't be this difficult. Piracy prevention - yes, I understand and support that. But this new policy is beyond that now, and makes no sense to me.

Guess you could try to make your own, long as it was for your own use.

I've always wondered what it would take to make plastic parts for a variety of items (guitars, pinballs, etc.)
Always wanted to try airbrushing.

kharri wrote:Guess you could try to make your own, long as it was for your own use.

I did just that. And it sure wasn't easy. Very, very difficult and time consuming. Wouldn't do it again.

Actually, you don't airbrush them, you silk screen them and can do it with no more than a good photocopied image and a basic StencilPro kit. I use one for making screens for the logos on some of the sails I make. You lay the black and white photocopy over the screen film, expose it to sunlight for about 30 seconds and then "develop" the screen by washing it, leaving open areas where the image was. I have made screens for use on fabric, wood and for Plexiglas and the process isn't really difficult. The detail in their high-resolution screen film is quite good, especially on a smooth, hard surface. Most people would actually have a lot more trouble working the plexi than with the printing, but it is certainly do-able. Whether you should do it or not is up to you, but with such a rigid and unhelpful policy for loyal customers, I certainly can see why people would be motivated to make their own.

http://www.cbridge.com/

Can you recommend a good stencil pro kit?
Sounds like it would be useful for several projects.

teb wrote:Actually, you don't airbrush them, you silk screen them and can do it with no more than a good photocopied image and a basic StencilPro kit.

Man, I literally hand-painted mine. Traced the RICKENBACKER onto a piece of thin cardboard, then actually cut out the letters using a razor blade to make a stencil. I then painted by hand using the stencil placed atop a piece of plexi. Scratching off the paint that bled under the stencil took hours. I do not recommend my way at all. Insanely tedious and difficult. Cursed myself every second I was doing it.

But end result came out pretty nice. I'm happy. Won't ever do it again, though.

The one I got was their basic starter kit.
http://www.craftyprinters.com/StencilPr ... _p_61.html

Now recommendations on where you can buy plastic and the cutters.
Amazon is always good if you have recommendations.

I'm interested in plastic parts in general for guitar picks, stands etc.

Thanks