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I admit to being one of those guys. I love Rickenbacker guitars, but am the first to admit that they are quirky and imperfect in some ways. On the 12 strings, the necks are too narrow on most models (except for the 660-12), the guitars come stock with a six saddle bridge that negates perfect tuning and intonation, and the control layout is odd. In addition, there's that "small knob" that nobody seems to understand (it actually rolls off bass frequencies). John Hall, the president of Rickenbacker, knows the guitars are quirky, and pretty much refuses to change them. His rationale is, look at all the great records that have been made for decades with Rickenbacker 12 strings just the way they are. We've had this discussion, he and I. Also, if you like Rickenbacker guitars, you simply have to adjust to the inconsistencies, because the payoff is in the looks, sound and vibe they convey.
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There's no reason you can't like both
In fact, my 4001 bass is as close to an unmodified vintage design as any instrument I have, but I've still replaced the pickups with hum-cancelling ones and changed one of the control functions.
Actually the 5th knob is just an extra reverse volume control for the neck pickup - I find it very useful, especially as I put a treble-pass cap on them. It's the other four controls I find useless! On my bass, I've converted the 'treble tone' control to a bass-cut 'vintage cap' control, and it's really the only one I use much. (And the bass tone rarely.)
The 6-saddle bridge is fine once it's set up right - although that is a bit of a pain - and the 12-saddle bridge on my 660/12 could get every note perfectly in tune.
But John Hall does indeed have a very odd attitude to change - there is none when customers want it, but it happens without warning when the company does...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Having said that, a Birdfish is now so expensive as to be unobtainium and I guess the folded tea tray guitar is considerably cheaper.
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Maybe certain types of wood, but it doesn't seem to be stopping anyone building those types of guitars.
Gibson started laminating stuff in the 70's because of wood supply issues. They weight relieve most of their standard range these days, they are constantly trying alternative fretboard materials or moving onto different supplies of mahogany.
For smaller builders like me, good mahogany used to be easy to find. Its getting harder and harder, and i'm enjoying looking into alternatives. I can build a few guitars in the 50's style from old stock of mahogany.... if i was doing that to make a living then resources would become a real issue. Yes people do it, but not everyone can at the rate those materials have been used before
Its not just wood.
there are issues with nickel supplies which is having an impact of pickup and hardware availability.
Nitrocellulose is not an environmentally friendly product and its use is only going to be come more restricted
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I get that but what I mean is LPs and Teles will probably remain more popular than this thing.
50's spec is now an extra you pay a lot more for.
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Exactly. We are still building guitars designed in the 50s, because they are good.
Innovation is good
Most of what I make is kinda vintage inspired, often made with found stocks of old mahogany. I build guitars because I like guitars and i love those 50's designs. You don't need to try and sell them to me.
Despite that, I still regularly post about alternative materials and building styles down in making and modding. I understand we can't carry on the way we have in the past, change is needed.
The last completed build was very vintage styled, with modern sustainable materials. That's the avenue I am currently exploring. I fully support builders who choose to go a different way
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Fair do's. I was trying to keep it on topic but it's veering of.
Out of 9 guitars all but one are early designs (albeit copies due to being a south-paw and really picky).
But I think the points about Leo Fender looking forward and the changing environmental demands (increased responsibility), not to mention 70 years of tweaks and improvements and massive advancements in manufacture.
One of the biggest points raised by professional musicians a lot is weight - Derek Trucks saying "a lot of these vintage guitars that are box-fresh got put under the bed in the case because they're too heavy", it was one of the reasons Townsend hunted SGs and Clapton Les Pauls in the late 60s... which people believe sparked the whole old-guitar market.
So this guitar is lighter and perceived as flimsier (I say perceived as none of us have held one) - so there may be a perception among guitarists to address quite aside from the visual aesthetics
It's made to allow the top with magnetically mounted pickups to flex away from the strings. Either for a properly named natural tremolo, or controlling other things
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Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
On this upside, it's going to be one of those rare guitars where your audience will definitely notice what you're playing - but not in a good way.