Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Has anyone seen this:

http://www.voxtalks.com/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=VT18&Post=37&Idle=0&Sort=0&Order=Descend&Page=0&Session=

Scroll down to the bottom to see it finished!!

That is an extraordinary piece of work. There's something slightly askew with the neck/bridge/tailpiece alignment, probably as a result of the surgery required on the neck, but overall the craftsmanship appears excellent.

However, this raises a bigger question. Is it analogous to being able to make a copy of something for your own use (like a VHS tape of a TV show), or does it violate the staunchly defended Rickenbacker copyrights?

Despite looking "like" a Rickenbacker and consisting of a large percentage of RIC parts (including all original hardware and the whole neck) it really isn't a RIC is it?

How would you write eBay copy for it? "RIC neck, hardware on home made body..."

I don't think the guy who did the work is planning to sell it, but what happens in 20 years? or whenever?

If I had that much skill, I think I'd derive 1000x more satisfaction from creating something original. This is the woodworking equivalent of a covers band - competant and looks the part, but no imagination.

Also, I though he used an existing neck, but perhaps what he ended up doing was building one as I thought all their necks were multi-piece (but I am no expert).

Unless I'm misinterpreting what he wrote, he used a neck off a fake 330, cutting it down from 24 to 21 frets and reworking the heel.

I quickly lose interest in the details of these things because like Rob (Blur) I'm of the opinion that the time would be better spent building something original. I admit to not reading the blow-by-blow. I just thought the resulting guitar looked pretty good and assumed that the thicknesses he used were no longer being built and possibly hard to find in the used marketplace.

maybe he's auditioning for a job at Ric

Granted it would be nice if we could all come up with original ideas, but sometimes it's easier to take the skills we have and apply them to something we know works already...how many of us here have written a song using G C and D and thought 'wow, that's neat!'...

On the whole I'm with Gary and Rob on this one - I'd rather create something original. But if I wasn't gifted with the creativity to do so I reckon I'd be banging out that G C and D and feeling pretty pleased with myself...and rightly so.

I am wondering where he hid the output jack.....

Good catch Dan - I didn't notice that either. I guess I'm just like a crow: sucker for those shiney things... and I miss details

output jack, he said:

"I haven't yet drilled that hole in the side, so the female jack was just put into the body for the pictures."

... that guitar is insanely awesome. even though it is just a copy, it's still amazing work. I bet the construction is 10x better than most "rickenfakers" out there.

Sure it is - but personally I still can't get my head aorund wanting to do this. Still, I guess people put pretend Porsche bodys on top of old Volkswagen chassis and seem to derive pleasure from driving a pretend Porsche. I just couldn't hold a pretend Rickenbacker infront of people without feeling a complete tool. With such talents, as I said before, the pathway to making an original instrument would be heaps more appealing!

Well, very often one copies something, to find out how it is built, and to learn how to make something original.

Not very different than music really.

I think it looks pretty amazing.

The person who made that should apply at RIC if they need a luthier/builder. He seems pretty talented to me.