Jerome Rimson's Rickenbacker...or is it?

[Pekka]

Jerome Rimson played with Phil Lynott in the early eighties and mainly used this modified Ric:




Or is it Ric at all? Lemmy had a similar bass too or more likely used the very same instrument.


Looks like it has a third pickup at the bridge end.

[Alanko]

Jerome can be seen playing it here as well:



I'm sure I've seen a discussion about this bass somewhere before. I've seen the Lemmy picture before. Either way the bass looks massively reworked, be it a faker or an original. Looks like it gained a new headstock with a backward angle, and some luthier really wanted to show off their chops with the wooden pickguard. The other mods are very much of the era, with the Badass bridge and the Bartolini neck pickup.

[Chris P.]

The check bindings look very Rick and I think there isn't a third pickup but just a damper like on the original Rick bridge

[Alanko]

I'm not convinced it is the dampener for a couple of reasons. Firstly the height adjusters are removed, and the teeth are missing from the mute slot. It doesn't look like an original Rickenbacker bridge, just an approximation of the front of one made from brass to fit with the Badass bridge. Secondly, because the other pickups look like Bartolinis it is possible that the mute slot has a Bart in there as well, as they made a dedicated Rickenbacker mute pickup:

[66Atlas]

Woodgrain in the center of the pickguard looks identical.  Its either the same bass or the worlds first "photo-flame"

[gearHed289]

Back of the headstock is very Alembic-like. Body looks like a real Ric. Maybe a Ric that got a new fingerboard and headstock???

[Jerome Rimson]

Hello Friends, Jerome Rimson here!! Yes this is my bass! I bought it from Stars Guitars San Francisco in 1977. I had just moved back to America from london England after joining Automatic Man featuring Pat Thrall gtr. Micheal Shrieve Drums and Bayete' Todd Cochran Keyboards. The bass was customised by the guy's from Alembic guitars and featured Hi A Bartolini pickups wired to a 5pin cannon jack lead that could process each of the 3 pickups to separate amplifiers if you choose to do so. I recorded the Automatic Man Visitors album with this bass also used it when recordind Ghost of A Smile with Freddie Mercury & Brian May, it was also used on the recording I made with Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy on his solo project's and on the Gas Tank television show I did with Rick Wakeman of Yes! The Bass was stolen in London after I returned to England following the breakup of Automatic Man. I found out years later that Lemmy of MotorHead had the the instrument, by that time it had been modified to Lemmy's needs and totally unsuited to my style of playing. As much as I respected Lemmy as a musician the bass was designed for a much more versatile application. I would love to get the bass back and restore it to it's beautiful state!   J. M. Rimson

[Basvarken]

Welcome to the Outpost Jerome!
And thank you for enlightening us on that special Rickenbacker.

If you have some more stories to share, please do.

[4stringer77]

What an epic story. Wonder if Lemmy himself lifted your bass Jerome, lol!
Was it still in his estate at the time of his passing does anyone know? I'm rooting for you to get the bass back too. Good luck.

[Alanko]

Madcap theory, but I wonder if the addition of the bridge mute-slot pickup in this modified Rickenbacker was the catalyst for Lemmy's signature bass being built with three pickups, with one right down at the bridge?

[Pekka]

Mystery solved! Thanks Jerome!

And while you're here...

Did you play fretless bass on Thin Lizzy's "Fats" (Renegade 1981)? There's no credit in the sleeve but you played fretless on his solo albums on songs like "Solo In Soho" and at that time only Phil Lynott seemed to know which song went to his solo albums and which to Lizzy. "Fats" is definitely one more suited to his solo albums but went to Lizzy instead.

[uwe]

Oh my, the guy from Automatic Man!!! Here!

[Chris P.]

I have taken the liberty to post a link to this thread, with the post of mr. Rimson, on the Rickresource forum. A friend of mine is already informing Lemmy fans:)

[tonewheels]

Hi Jerome

I saw you with that bass in Reading University with Chappo back in around 78/79.

Cracking gig with Geoff Whitehorn, Mel Collins and Tim Hinckley.

I cornered one of the roadies about the bass after the gig and he told me it was an Alembic modified Rick. Didn't quite believe such an instrument could exist. Really tight funky sound.

Your playing on Live in Hamburg became a bit of a touchstone for my formative bass playing years, along with Jaco, Bernard Edwards, Norman Watt Roy and Tex Comer (of Ace).

40 years on and that top five still hasn't changed. Thank you!