Rick Turner RIP

[Dave W]

Just read at TDPRI that he died yesterday, and I found this posted at the Rick Turner Guitars FB page:

Ethan & June Turner here.

With a heavy heart we must say that our father Rick Turner (Warwick Lancelot Armstrong Turner III) has left the building. Rick passed away peacefully last night (4/17/22) of complications from congestive heart failure and stroke.

If you have a message for the family or a story to share please share below this post. We will read all and reply when when can.

Please respect our privacy during this time of mourning.

[BTL]

I just saw that on Facebook. He was a legend.

[Rob]

RIP Rick

[uwe]

The man who invented the diamond shaped split coil for the legendary Silly Purple (or Red) Clown Bass of which only two specimen are known to exist ... In a faraway land ...

Gute Reise!

[gearHed289]

Definitely a legend and an innovator. RIP

[Dave W]

Very nice article in Fretboard Journal.

Rick Turner, 1943 – 2022

[Basvarken]

The man who invented the diamond shaped split coil for the legendary Silly Purple (or Red) Clown Bass of which only two specimen are known to exist ... In a faraway land ...

Gute Reise!

I'm afraid not.
In that same faraway land there's another.
The split coil diamond shaped pickup got lost on the mists of time. But you can see where it sat.

[uwe]

But that's not pointy!!! 

I know why the Rick Turner pup is no longer there - with all due respect to the deceased, you can't win them all & those diamond pups created issues. String-to-string volume was uneven  and on my 5er Silly Red Clown Bass, the B and E sound vastly different to the A, D & G. It's like playing two different basses. 

Still, I wouldn't take out those diamond shaped contraptions (underneath the pup cover, simply a slanted P split coil lurks, the diamond shape is just packaging), they belong to those WRC basses.

[Basvarken]

But that's not pointy!!! 

Who said it needs to be pointy?
Oh well the headstock is ;-)

I think I would make an effort to restore the diamond shaped pickup. Make a casing from ebony or so and then put a split P inside.
The (German) owner of the WRC prototype is looking to sell it by the way. So if you need it for Ze Kollekshun, just let me know.

[uwe]

It ain't Silly Clown if it ain't pointy!

[Alanko]

I'm afraid not.
In that same faraway land there's another.
The split coil diamond shaped pickup got lost on the mists of time. But you can see where it sat.

That bass had some exotic diamond shaped pickup and the owner still thought 'just chuck a Jazzy pickup in there mate!'

[ilan]

Awesome Model 1

[uwe]

That bass had some exotic diamond shaped pickup and the owner still thought 'just chuck a Jazzy pickup in there mate!'

They weren't great-sounding.

[morrow]

That Model 1 though ilan , does look awesome !

[Dave W]

I played a Model 1 at Willie's in St. Paul years ago, it sounded amazing.

Rick was a real pioneer in so many ways.

I had downloaded a pic of Rick playing the Epi equivalent of an EB-6 with Autosalvage, the band he was in in the late 60s. It's probably still somewhere on my hard drive.