Short scale 4030

[ilan]

https://twitter.com/RickenbackerInt/status/989527156907798528

@RickenbackerInt has just tweeted:

Custom one-off 4030's for Death From Above 1979's Jessie F. Keeler. Three of the same:
- 24 Fret
- 30.5 inch scale length
- 4002 body
- Overwound, custom pickups
- Richlite fingerboard
- Scooped heel

[Dave W]

Why would you put Richlite boards on obviously expensive basses? Ugh.

[ilan]

I don't like it either - kind of in between a 4003 and 483 - but they are experimenting and that's good.

The fat horns / birdseye maple show that they still have some more surplus 4002 body wings at Santa Ana.

[Granny Gremlin]

Finally, a Ric I might really like (richlite means not laquered, right?).  Still can't afford it though (I assume).

[Dave W]

Richlite doesn't need to be lacquered, but neither does the chechen (caribbean rosewood) they use.

Despite the hype about richlite for fretboards, it's not a wood product. It's a polymer made from chemically combined recycled paper and phenolic resin. It's a plastic. It's no more a wood product than rayon or nitro lacquer.When it starts offgassing 20 or 30 years from now, the people and companies pushing it will be singinga different tune.

In this case, I'm guessing it was specified by the artist. His choice, that's okay. I wouldn't accept it on a $300 dollar bass, much less an expensive one.

[Granny Gremlin]

That's what my Sonex is made out of (basically High density fiberboard).  1980 model; no offgassing (there are worn spots in the finish so it's not perfectly sealed).  Possibly a slightly different resin, and certainly no dark dye like Ric is obviously using. Technically it has wood (cellulose) content) ... as do rayon and nitro.  Basically a smaller particulate size but essentialluy particleboard or chipboard on a micro scale.

And yeah, I'd prefer real wood, but from my experience with my Sonex, I wouldn't be put off necessarily.

[Alanko]

No problem with richlite here. With some luck I will live long enough to see us all eating the stuff.

[Dave W]

That's what my Sonex is made out of (basically High density fiberboard).  1980 model; no offgassing (there are worn spots in the finish so it's not perfectly sealed).  Possibly a slightly different resin, and certainly no dark dye like Ric is obviously using. Technically it has wood (cellulose) content) ... as do rayon and nitro.  Basically a smaller particulate size but essentialluy particleboard or chipboard on a micro scale.

And yeah, I'd prefer real wood, but from my experience with my Sonex, I wouldn't be put off necessarily.

Resonwood was nothing like richlite. It was fiberboard in a cast form, very similar in composition to the Kalamazoo guitars and basses of the late 60s. It did offgas like all masonite type products but not enough to deteriorate as long as it was sealed and painted. This type of material has been around for about 70 years, we know what it will and won't do. Not so with richlite.

[amptech]

If I had more money than common sense, I´d get one. I like my 4001 but have gotten too comfy with shorties.
But I might have put a horseshoe in bridge pos.

[Granny Gremlin]

Resonwood was nothing like richlite. It was fiberboard in a cast form, very similar in composition to the Kalamazoo guitars and basses of the late 60s. It did offgas like all masonite type products but not enough to deteriorate as long as it was sealed and painted. This type of material has been around for about 70 years, we know what it will and won't do. Not so with richlite.

OK, but you said paper and phenolic resin; which is what the resonwood is made of too.  The Kalamazooo stuff was more of a (larger particle) chipboard, no?

[gearHed289]

Pros:
body wings/checkerboard binding
short scale (cool option)
scooped heel

Cons:
bridge/tailpiece (both functionally and in this case visually)
pickguard shape

I'm assuming those are HB-1 pups, which are already pretty hot (14K). Surprised they would over-wind them. I never heard of Richlite. I've got an ebonol fingerboard on my Kramer, which I've always liked, but I understand that is basically bowling ball material. Overall, I think this is a cool, functional bass. I'd like to see an S model with an improved pickguard shape and Schaller bridge.

[Dave W]

OK, but you said paper and phenolic resin; which is what the resonwood is made of too.  The Kalamazooo stuff was more of a (larger particle) chipboard, no?

Not the same thing, but I'm not going to belabor it here.

[ilan]

Sorry but I just had to ;-)

[the mojo hobo]

Why would you put Richlite boards on obviously expensive basses? Ugh.

Craig Anderton says "it's more expensive to make guitars with Richlite fretboards than ebony,"

http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Gear-Tech/en-us/Building-a-Better-Fingerboard.aspx

Rickenbacker or Jessie F. Keeler probably like it because it's made from 100% recycled material. Gibson likes it because it isn't listed with CITES.

[Dave W]

Craig Anderton says "it's more expensive to make guitars with Richlite fretboards than ebony,"

http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Gear-Tech/en-us/Building-a-Better-Fingerboard.aspx

Rickenbacker or Jessie F. Keeler probably like it because it's made from 100% recycled material. Gibson likes it because it isn't listed with CITES.

Luthier's Mercantile charges about 60% more for a Gaboon ebony board than a richlite board.

I've read that Craig Anderton article before. IMHO it's just Gibson hype. He left Gibson suddenly last fall. Wonder if he would say the same thing now.