Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - dminer

Pages: 1 [2]
16
Gibson Basses / Re: 60's Black EB-2?
« on: November 29, 2009, 08:32:54 PM »
The serial number puts it as a 66 or 68, and the tuners and especially the bridge are 66. I believe there was a different bridge by 68. And yes, black was never offered on the eb2's. I suppose it could have been a custom order but I imagine that the model # writing right above the serial # on the orange label would tell the whole story. Interesting that the label picture doesn't include that! Mine is labeled as eb2c (cherry.) And, as Dave pointed out, the stamped serial # on the back of the headstock is missing. Almost certainly a re-finish but a good looking bass none the less!

17
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Some Ric Porn for you: 4003S/5 and 4003S/8
« on: September 25, 2009, 05:17:57 PM »
Thanks for all of the info from everyone...I bought 2 - 3/16" solid steel rods from lowes today and I'll proceed with my experiment...I'll still have to do the threads and find an appropriate nut that will fit in the headstock truss rod groove with a little room to spare for the nut driver. Would it be practical to try and thread the rods to rick nut specs or would that make the end of the rod too weak and prone to snapping? Just thinking out loud...any ideas on a source for the correct style but bigger rick style nuts? Thanks to all and wish me luck. David

18
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Some Ric Porn for you: 4003S/5 and 4003S/8
« on: September 22, 2009, 10:43:06 PM »
Dave, thanks for the info. Our Lowes and Depot both have solid steel rods in varying diameters. I know for a fact because I just used 12 of them on some leaded glass windows that I made and installed...the homeowners wanted the "old" method of rebars on their reproduction windows which involves soldering 4" pieces of copper wire to the intersecting lead joints and then twisting the copper wire around the solid rebar to give the windows extra strength and stability. and yea, I always get tap and die mixed up. Modern rick rods are solid and round. Thanks and I'll see what diameters are available tomorrow. dm

19
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Some Ric Porn for you: 4003S/5 and 4003S/8
« on: September 22, 2009, 06:06:27 PM »
Thanks guys!
    So, it does sound like there's a chance that thicker rods might do the trick...I'm wondering if I could just grab some rods at the big box store (lowes/depot) and tap the ends. I know they sell different diameter steel rods at about 36" but I'm not really sure as to the variety of thickness...I might check it out tomorrow.
   Is there any reason that a steel rod from depot wouldn't work (except that the diameter might be too big/small?) Also, as I stated earlier the Rick rods were pretty hard to get out and re-install, any ideas as to why that might be? They didn't appear to be badly bent if my memory serves me correct (it's been a couple of years since I pulled the rods.)

20
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Some Ric Porn for you: 4003S/5 and 4003S/8
« on: September 21, 2009, 04:14:54 PM »
Uwe...thanks for your speedy reply. Yes, I've heard of at least a few of us 8 stringers with this problem, and after re-reading your post it's clear that the fretboard was removed, so, as Dave pointed out, there's a good chance that your new rods are a larger diameter size. If that's the case I'm not really sure what I can do short of major luthier surgery. Anyway, let me know what your bass doctor says. Thanks, David

21
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Some Ric Porn for you: 4003S/5 and 4003S/8
« on: September 20, 2009, 09:04:12 PM »
Hello Uwe,
   I'm mainly a lurker but your Rick s8 neck solution prompted me to post and ask a few questions. I also have a Fireglow 4003s8...mine is from 1987 and nearly mint... and I've had similar problems with there being too much tension on the neck for it to play comfortably! When I string it as a 4 banger the neck is straight and true and the action low...with 8 strings the action is pretty high and you can see a visible bow in the neck. I have used the lowest tension strings that I could find (TI's for the 4 main strings and some low tension piccolo strings for the octaves (I can't remember the brand but I got them from just strings.)
  When I bought the bass years ago I knew little about ricks and didn't realise at the time that someone had already very skillfully lowered the entire bridge by routing the body out in the same fashion as your luthier has done. I have removed the truss rods (they we're very hard to get out and I really had to kind of tap them out very slowly...they were a little easier to re-install but still pretty hard compared to other rick rods that I've pulled and re-installed and the action remained the same.
   Your luthier's use of 2 stronger Ibanez rods has me wondering if this solution might get my bass back to playable status. Do you have any info on where your luthier got the rods or which style of Ibanez bass they came from? And, of course if any one else reading this post has any suggestion I'm all ears. I have thought of just plugging the peg holes in the headstock and reshaping it into a 4003s but, that would be a last resort...I'd probably sell it first.
 Thanks, David

22
Rickenbacker Basses / Re: Two Ricky 4005s in Germany.
« on: May 15, 2008, 09:13:32 PM »
   Well, I finially secured a 4005 a few years ago and at first I was sorely dissapointed with the sound...mainly a plink-plunk noise instead of the deep bass tones I was used to in my Gibsons and Fenders.
   Certainly part of the problem was the pup placement. A former owner had even added Bill Lawrence pups to try and get a better sound and the guy I bought it from had re-installed some toasters. The action was high but I was able to get the neck nice and straight again and the action is low and smooth now.  The main culprit for the weak and sterile sound was the .0047 cap...when I removed that, the sound vastly improved...still, not as ballsy as my Gibsons and Fenders but quite a big improvement over the former capped version.
   If it was ever re-issued (not gonna happen) with a better bridge, high gain adjustable pups with better spacing and maybe even higher value pots you might have a pretty nice bass. Do I want to sell mine? NO!! The neck is thin and great and it is one of the coolest bass designs ever and going up in value every year.  When I grab a bass for playing around on, just sitting on the couch and working out parts, without having to plug in, it's always the one that I reach for!

23
Gibson Basses / Re: Question for the Old-school country buffs...
« on: March 22, 2008, 11:43:36 PM »
Johnny Cash's bassist played an Epiphone (Embassy, Newport?) and even though it's not total country I saw a clip of Jerry Lee Lewis and his bass player had a Green ampeg devil bass!!, and of course Jim Reeves band played Rickenbackers as did Roy Orbison's bass player. I know you asked exclusively about Gibson but the epiphone connection was as close as I could come. But it is interesting to see everything from Ricks to the Devil bass played (at least on tv ) by those guys...probably a few Fender coronados as well..dm

24
Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs / Re: New victim! 66 EB-2
« on: March 01, 2008, 11:55:53 PM »
Great looking bass and I noticed that on ebay as well..... my first thought when I saw it was to finish it natural with checkered binding? nice catch!

25
Gibson Basses / Les Paul triumph? on atl cl
« on: March 01, 2008, 11:52:30 PM »
I'm not affiliated in any way but I thought that this looked pretty cool...   http://atlanta.craigslist.org/msg/592703424.html
re-finished in black (could it be hiding a neck repair? anyway i thought that some of you hobbit lovers might be interested...dm

Pages: 1 [2]