Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, here is an interesting exercise: find another guitar that incorporates Rickenbacker design elements - no Fakenbackers. I'll start. Compare the cutaways, body bevels, and small pickguard on the Washburn Idol series to the Rickenbacker Combo 600 & 800 (If only Rickenbacker had wired the two coils in series rather than parallel....):

The Charvel Surfcaster: a bizarre mix of Rickenbacker, Fender and Danelectro features.

The Chandler 555 is not a Fakenbacker, because Paul Chandler asked Mr. JH about selling guitars with a 325 design. Mr. JH agreed, and the back of the headstock says, "Authorized by Rickenbacker Int'l. Corp." I almost bought one in the early 90's, but I couldn't justify it since I already had a Les Paul and a 320.

IIRC, there were two variations of the Surfcaster. They were/are great looking guitars.

The inlays are more Jackson than Rick, however.

jps wrote:IIRC, there were two variations of the Surfcaster. They were/are great looking guitars.

The inlays are more Jackson than Rick, however.

I would venture a guess that the Jackson inlays were originally influenced by Rickenbacker (reinforced by the fact that Grover Jackson later worked at RIC). Plus the combination of that headstock shape, soundhole and inlays are pretty obvious about their influence!

How about the Nelson Coquette? Would that be considered a copy or "incorporating?"

https://www.nelsoninstruments.com/instr ... -coquette/

There is a bass as well.

collin wrote:The Charvel Surfcaster: a bizarre mix of Rickenbacker, Fender and Danelectro features.

I always wanted one of those...and of course the 12-string Surfcaster also had the Rickenbacker-style alternating tuner headstock arrangement, speaking of design steals.

collin wrote:...Grover Jackson later worked at RIC).

IIRC, Grover was instrumental (no pun) in the resurrection of FWI.

iiipopes wrote:OK, here is an interesting exercise: find another guitar that incorporates Rickenbacker design elements - no Fakenbackers. I'll start. Compare the cutaways, body bevels, and small pickguard on the Washburn Idol series to the Rickenbacker Combo 600 & 800 (If only Rickenbacker had wired the two coils in series rather than parallel....):

The attachment WI64_VintBlnd.jpg is no longer available

The attachment tf3yypuf4bgjxkxz4jzm.jpg is no longer available

Dominic Piscopo here on the RRF once took a Hannah Montana edition Washburn and converted it into vaguely a Combo 800 replica. Pretty funny stuff



Follow the conversion here: http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtop ... 8f36d069b5

Original thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=415380

I remember when Grover worked for us we asked him about the Surfcaster. He threw his hands up and swore he had nothing to do with it because he sold Jackson/Charvel before it came out. Obviously, he DID have something to do with the inlay shape though.

Jeff, you are correct... Grover had a laser at his workshop in Lake Forest and we decided to move to full-width inlays cut from acrylic sheets as opposed to the poured resin material. We decided it is far more efficient and looks better. We got our own laser and have been doing it in-house since 2008.

^^

Nice, yep there you have it! Figured the Jackson inlay shape came directly from Rickenbacker's influence (though, clearly that's about where the influence stopped as far as Jackson guitars go!).

Always curious how you guys viewed the Surfcaster thing, since it's so blatant in these details. Personally that design never worked for me, it borrows a lot of various design details that work well on other guitars like the Rick, Jazzmaster and Danelectro but look oddly forced together in the Surfcaster. Less than the sum of its parts, etc..

The other guitar that is said to be Rickenbacker-influenced is the Fender Squier Venus model (which was actually designed by a company called Mercury guitars, with zero involvement from Ms. Courtney Love). The Mercury had a few nods to Rickenbacker, sort of. But I don't see much of it in the Squier.

Story here: https://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vi ... uier+venus

The Duesenberg Double Cat also takes its inspiration from Rickenbacker, down to their red sunburst finish, which Duesenberg call "Fire-Burst"

Thanks, Ben. It was great to see a major signature of Rickenbacker return.

collin wrote:The other guitar that is said to be Rickenbacker-influenced is the Fender Squier Venus model (which was actually designed by a company called Mercury guitars, with zero involvement from Ms. Courtney Love). The Mercury had a few nods to Rickenbacker, sort of. But I don't see much of it in the Squier.

Story here: https://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vi ... uier+venus

I absolutely love Venuses, especially the black XII I still have. You're right about the design. I've read a little bit on that story and it's a shame how she stole credit for that.