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Topic: Model 59 |
Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 1 Oct 2008 4:25 pm |
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I just picked up a Model 59 serial # E1548. It appears to be stock with the possible exception of the bridge, which has continuous grooves for the string guides. I haven't seen another with that type, but I'm pretty much a newbie.
Any ideas about this one?
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 8:01 am
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As far as what, Steve? Could you post a picture of the bridge in question? Thanks.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 10:49 am model 59
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| I'll get a close-up of the bridge posted tonight. I was curious about the approx. year given the serial# and obvious features. Thanks Brad! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 12:21 pm
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I would guess around 1939, as that's when Rickenbacker started putting the tone and volume knobs on opposite sides of the pickup. It looks like a good'un. How does it sound?
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 4:03 pm bridge close up
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Here it is. The 59 sounds great. I wonder if the pu's could use a little juicing up though given the age of the magnets. Hellooo Rick?
Also, is the stock setup for the pu's, with the the poles closer to the high strings or the low strings? On this one , the poles are longer on one side than the other but at a consistent taper, closer to the treble than the bass strings.
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 4:38 pm
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I've never seen a bridge like that. Quite interesting. If the pickup works good as-is, keep track of how much you adjust it so that you can get it back to where it was  Maybe that one is not adjustable. Rick Aiello mentioned something about that some time ago. |
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Rich Hlaves
From:
Wildomar, California, USA
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Posted 2 Oct 2008 7:30 pm
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| I was cruzin' Rick's site the other day and I think I remember a page on adjusting non-adjustable Ric PUs |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Richard Shatz
From:
St. Louis
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Posted 4 Oct 2008 7:57 am
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Steve,
Those are for slothead instruments not solid head like the Model 59 you have. |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 4 Oct 2008 8:33 am
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I think they would still be usable though with the exception of the dimension to the string hole drilling. I need something at 7/8" or further out. Between this issue and my fender 400 tuners, I can see a real need for a company making custom made tuners for vintage guitars.
Maybe that will be my retirement hobby, side business.
These should work though.
http://www.stewmac.com/specs/2500 |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 5 Oct 2008 5:35 am
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Those new issue tuners do look quite similar to common Ric tuners (notwithstanding that they sometimes used different tuners, probably a matter of supply over preference).
Notice those same model tuners are available for solid headstocks (and hollow Ric 59's):
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead_tuners.html
Be sure to check out the Specs tab on their page and measure your Ric 59 with a fine incremented rule or calipers to make sure all of the geometry matches up. NOTICE that the string receiver shafts and string hole positions are shorter on the Stew Mac slotted headstock model tuners than on the longer solid headstock model, ...while all other measurements are the same.
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Some info from working on Rick 59's; ....FWIW:
If neccessary, drill or elongate screw holes in the tuners and not the headstock ! Small washers can often dress / hide elongated holes; And if redrilled too far for washers then the original misplaced holes can be filled with solder hand-tooled flat & even, ...or filled with JB Weld, or epoxy, hand tooled flat & even and touched up with a drop of matching color paint (small bottles of plastic model paints are just fine and come in a good variety of silver colors). Leave a small concave cup in the epoxy on the outside of the tuner plate, and scratch-up that "cup", so the paint will have a cup to lay in flat and have scratches for the paint's tooth to grab onto. Leave enough drop of paint for it to be domed when applied; Wet paint drops will lose about 70% of their volume / dome as their liquid vehicle evaporates / dries out. If you're lucky the dome will level out with the tuner plate; But better to have a little extra dome to hand-tool down than to have the paint concave and need another drop to level out.
When I'm installing such metal parts to metal surfaces, I'd rather go buy stainless sheet metal screws and "eliminate" any future corrosion, if the screws supplied with the tuners aren't stainless. I also use stainless washers unless a job really calls for convincing original appearance matching, in which case filling holes looks better than washers.
Screws that seem even moderately loose in Rick 59 headstock screw holes can be deceiving. Once the run through the tuners plate and the heastock slight misalignment, they usually have a plenty ample grip. If they're still loose, and the next size-up screw is tight before seating; then a blob of carpenters glue can be put on the bottom of a vegetagle can turned upside down as a pallet, and the glue allowed to dry to thick but still liquied consistancy similar to peanut butter; Then pick up a small drop on the tip of a toothpick and work it onto the threads of the headstock screw holes, and let it dry for at least 24 hours. That will provide some additional grip for the screws, as long as you don't overtighten them and pull the glue out. It will also not expand an original screw hole with a larger screw; Which I suppose an owner years down the road will appreciate.
A good tool for small, detailed and/or delicate work like cupping the epoxy or leveling solder, epoxy or paint, ...can be made by rolling a narrow masking tape finger-spinning handle on the chuck end of a small drill bit ....or onto a Dremel metal diamond grinder bit with the small ball on the end (finger driven, not Dremel motor driven). Scroll down this page to see such a drill tool:
http://www.dennysguitars.com/HarmonySilST1488WorkTrussCover1.html
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/
Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 5 Oct 2008 7:15 am Thanks Denny!
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| Thanks for the good info Denny. I love your website too. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Oct 2008 8:56 am
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| I like your website too Denny |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2008 3:38 am
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Thank You for the kind words, Steve and Bill.
And Steve, ....I must apologize for rushing through that info without commenting on what a nice model 59 you have there, for real. I've been fighting one heckuva cold bug here this last week that the kids brought home from school; And the drugs for that cold don't mix well with some others I'm taking; Makes me a bit dizzy and "apathetic" (self defense), ....and since I deplore apathy, I ain't been a real sharp nor happy camper. So please accpet my late compliments on your model 59; I'm sure you won't be disappointed with it at all. I would sure like to have one like that and that nice.
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Even now I'm about to fall face first into the keyboard here ......sufin' through the forum waitin' for that to overcome the "pep pill" nature of the cold meds. Good thang I ain't tryin' to ask or answer questions right now; IQ'a down to about 45; about every 7 key strokes if followed by a finger / brain fart correction.......... 
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/
Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus |
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Steve Hamill
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2008 4:59 am tuners
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I have ordered the correct stewmac Golden Age replacements for a solid headstock. The specs look to match up quite well with the originals, with the exception , they don't come in black to match the ones I'm replacing, which may not be originals either for all I know.
Now back to the bridge. Has anyone seen one like that before? |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2008 5:27 am
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Steve,
I've never seen a bridge like that on any Ric; But I've seen several similar bridges made for Steels. I'd venture to remember that the ones I've seen were home / shop made aftermarket bridges. They work well for setting or changing desired string spacing. I think it's a replacement cut from threaded rod with holes drilled for the mounting screws, ...and maybe machined / ground / filed flat on the bottom as it seems it should be to work best. FWIW: The mounting screws look a bit small for the bending moment of string pressures on a round bottom, unless they are case hardened. If they are bent then the bridges intonation might be offset. You might want to check that and the intonation out (strings should chime directly over the 12th fret). If they are bent AND in the original mounting holes in the body, then you might replace them with case hardened screws ...UNLESS they must be bent to achieve correct intonation.
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/
Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus |
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