Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I know that the majority of you hate how I restored this bass.

Nanananana - it is a thing of both sonic & visual beauty, especially when played through my Versatone.

You need to do some kind of painting on the headstock to finish it off.

Your designs make the too fat horns (to, me) more palatable.

I actually like it. agree with Jeff, headstock seems to be needing 'something'. Also the space between the tail piece and the pickguard (knob section) might have some small stars on a rainbow ribbon.... but that's just me. what strings are you running on your bass?

Thanks gents. Maybe a more colorful truss rod cover?

It is strung with the standard Rickenbacker brand strings.

Happyface wrote:Thanks gents. Maybe a more colorful truss rod cover?

I was thinking more along the lines of this:

I don't hate it! Well, not much... I can stand everything except the white fretboard.

I don't hate it, either. Part of owning an instrument is to have fun with it, right?

Bet there's room for another little shooting star on the end of the peghead, from the bottom to the curl of the "wave".

Loving that studio space, BTW. Those old plank walls...

I'll confess, I hate it... . But I love that it's unique, you've made it yours, and that you're super happy with it. Something for everyone, haters like me be damned!

I like it. There's room in the Rickenbacker universe for fun finishes like that.

If I could afford another or two, I wouldn't mind finishing one out of the norm.

Happyface wrote:I know that the majority of you hate how I restored this bass.

As has often happened in my life, I find myself in the minority. I love it! Agree it wants a star or two on the headstock, though.

Once I tore my eyes away from the bass, I noticed your Versatone. I bet the Tuxedo sounds awesome through that! (Mind if I drop by and try my Epiphone Jack Casady through it?) It looks like you might be using the Rick-O-Sound jack, if so, which pickup goes to the Versatone and what happens to the other one?

songdog wrote:It looks like you might be using the Rick-O-Sound jack, if so, which pickup goes to the Versatone and what happens to the other one?

IIRC, there is no ROS on a Tux given it is based on a S model that does not normally have ROS.

Happyface wrote:I know that the majority of you hate how I restored this bass.

Nanananana - it is a thing of both sonic & visual beauty, especially when played through my Versatone.

Nice work Derek!

Thanks everyone. Behind the makeup, it's a really nice playing bass. One of the best, for me.

Doc Scott is right - no RicoSound. Just as well for me because I get confuzzled enough with one cord.

Playing through the Versatone: I normally just use it with my Guild. In the past I just DI'd any Rick when at that studio. Before that, I loved to pair more "modern" amps with a Rick. My favorite was a Trace 350SMX.

But last Friday I had played a couple of songs that suited the Guild. But the last song was a hard rocker, but punky. Rick time. As I loaded it on, the engineer asked "why don't you play through the Versatone? It's already set up."

The tone matched the song really well. Better than from a more transparent amp. There was a really cool punchy drive to it when I dug in but just nice when I laid off.

I was surprised how good it sounded. well, to me, anyway.

Sorry for the thread resurrection. But I was looking for this photo after a PC change and knew it was here.

That's my sorta-rare two speaker version Versatone. Thus the two mics on the cab. It sounds amazing.

I leave it at a local recording studio for them to carefully use. Based on the notion that an amp as cool as that should be used by others besides me. The head engineer loves it and uses it a lot for both bass and guitar.