Got a Frankenbacker!

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:37 am

Nick wrote:What year was the cutoff? Now I really want to try a thin neck Ric.

Not sure there is a specific year cutoff. I'm joining Ric forums just to get some more info on this. Will post all findings here!

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:39 am

30 year old handle... drooool....

such a sucker for old fucked up gear!

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:09 am

singlepickup24 wrote:
Nick wrote:What year was the cutoff? Now I really want to try a thin neck Ric.
Not sure there is a specific year cutoff. I'm joining Ric forums just to get some more info on this. Will post all findings here!

While cruising Ric forums, I'm seeing mid/late 90s as a cutoff for thin necks. Apparently they're making both thick and thin necks now, just depends on what you can find.

kapepepper · Post by **kapepepper** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:19 pm

nice guitar, i really dig this one and for sure zould buy something similar if the price is right even if it is modded like this
although the mods would bug me and little by little i would restore it
but neverthless beuatifull guitar!!

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:01 pm

in this instance i'd leave it as is, but that's just me.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:50 pm

stewart wrote:in this instance i'd leave it as is, but that's just me.

Thanks! Yeah,I will keep it as.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:45 pm

Or, if you strip out the mods you could probably recoup the cost of restoring it... Shame about the holes for that trem, but you could maybe bluff them over. Just thinking about inevitable resale value, you could maybe make a nice wee profit on it.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:46 am

stewart wrote:Or, if you strip out the mods you could probably recoup the cost of restoring it... Shame about the holes for that trem, but you could maybe bluff them over. Just thinking about inevitable resale value, you could maybe make a nice wee profit on it.

Thanks for the idea. for now I am just leaving it as is. It plays pretty good but I am going to have my friend cut some new grooves in the bridge saddles. That is pretty much all it needs to make it into a great player. The T-back and Super Distortion pickups make a good pair and The Gibson tulip machines work great.

All I need now is Doraemon Sticker!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 4:48 am

Don't know if it's just more broken in or not but I really prefer that Ibanez/Greco/whatever it is sunburst to the real Rickenbacker, that is a gorgeous guitar (not that yours isn't a beauty either, and by the looks of it has a far better looking fretboard)

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 5:08 am

Nick wrote:Don't know if it's just more broken in or not but I really prefer that Ibanez/Greco/whatever it is sunburst to the real Rickenbacker, that is a gorgeous guitar (not that yours isn't a beauty either, and by the looks of it has a far better looking fretboard)

Yeah,those Ibanez copies are rarer than the originals!

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:49 pm

That's a great guitar. I wish the trem were silver, but it has a charm just the way it is. People made mods in the 70s and 80s, before we had the web to tell us what a bad idea it was. Still there are a few guitars in the same category, where you would never want to make those mods, but happy to find them already done, like a Johnny Ramone Mosrite, Neil Young Gibson, and others.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:00 am

Thanks...check it out:

Before

and after

Not a big change,just swapped out the tunomatic for a Schaller roller bridge and put a coil tap on the bridge pickup.

cur · Post by **cur** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:11 am

That's a rock and roll machine.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 7:41 am

cur wrote:That's a rock and roll machine.

Thanks man! My friend Ted did a great job setting it up. The Bowen Handle works much better with the roller bridge.

Pacafeliz · Post by **Pacafeliz** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 5:37 pm

oh shit now with THIS ONE you just HAVE to swear that you put me on top of the list if ever selling it!!!

wonderful!!!

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:45 pm

Pacafeliz wrote:oh shit now with THIS ONE you just HAVE to swear that you put me on top of the list if ever selling it!!!
wonderful!!!

Thanks Pat! I will remember to let you know if I ever sell it BUT...

If I did sell it I would have a problem because in this case:

The whole is worth less than the the sum of its parts

If I sold this guitar on Ebay I would expect to get somewhere between $700-$1000

However. If I took it apart it and sold the pieces I think I could get $1400-$1600

Stuff like that makes my brain hurt so I think it is easier just to keep it.

Oh,and look...I still have my Swinger after nearly 2 months...that is almost a record!

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:24 pm

Should I change the knobs? I like the Les Paul knobs but I found a set of Rickenbacker knobs I could use. Like these.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:03 pm

The knobs on it now look out of place; change them.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:15 pm

If it were my guitar I would get new knobs and keep an eye out for a chrome trem to replace that gold thing. I would probably also get a replacement pickup and pickguard for the neck and do a mini hum type with a chrome ring in the bridge. Keep with the frankenbacker theme but make it less of an eyesore

But that's just me. I guess what I'm saying is I'd either play it as is, or if I starting thinking about knobs I'd want to make it more attractive all around.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:33 pm

Thanks guys. I bought a set of Rickenbacker knobs for $10. That is really the only change I am going to make.