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Topic: So this is what all the fuss is about! |
Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2017 8:57 am |
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I've been wanting to try a bakelite horseshoe pickup Rickenbacker but figured they were out of my price range right now. I saw this guitar on ebay listed as a "40's lap steel guitar" and thought it looked like a Rickenbacker-made guitar similar to some of the ACE branded guitars I've seen. You can barely make out the worn and faded lettering of "Academy" on this one. I figured other ebay buyers would recognize it as such and bid it up to $400 or so but, to my surprise, my last minute low-ball bid wound up winning. When it came last week I plugged it in an was quite pleased the two strings that were still on the guitar come growling to life. I tuned them to a major third and spent the better part of an hour marveling at the sound that was coming from those two rusty strings! 
When I could tear myself away, I cleaned the grime off with some mild soap and water and restrung it. What a hoot! I love the tone and look of this thing. A little contact cleaner and the pots work fine. I can see a that there is a code number on one of the pots but the set screws on the knobs are seized so I can't get it out to read it. I'll try a drop of Kroil penetrant on the screws but if that doesn't work I'll just leave it alone. Obviously not the original tuners but they work okay for now. The paper and wax tone cap measured .1ufd instead of the .05 that it was marked so I changed it out. I can tell a little difference in the tone sweep but it probably would have been fine to leave the original. Found some good info and hints in this thread: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=142058&sid=6f996bfabc212972151f5bfd860bd818
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2017 9:00 am
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Still plenty of "patina" after the cleanup. At least you can see the paint on the frets now. Any suggestions on replacing the round fret markers? Find some repros or just white paint?
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David Knutson
From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
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Posted 6 Aug 2017 9:16 am
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Nice score, Bill. You should be able to find fret dots at stewmac.com.
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David K |
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Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2017 12:34 pm
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Congratulations on winning the auction. I really like the one piece body/neck construction.
Ron
PS: Drops of white paint on a very small brush are much easier. |
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Jerry Wagner
From:
California, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2017 9:27 pm
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| This is really a great little guitar, and maybe the high point in Bakelite industrial design for Rickenbacker; all one piece! Maybe a good model for the 3D printed carbon composite guitar that George Piburn's developing. Only 3 things that might improve it: better thermal stability to help stay in tune (carbon composite?), easier PU height adjustment, and just a little bit higher action. I love the tone of mine; fun to play! |
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C. E. Jackson
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 8 Aug 2017 2:32 pm
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| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
Any suggestions on replacing the round fret markers? Find some repros or just white paint?
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I found household all-purpose putty fills the holes well.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2017 2:48 pm
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| Any suggestions on replacing the round fret markers? Find some repros or just white paint? |
Milliput casting putty works great too. There are all sorts of other "plumber's putty" and epoxy puttys out there too, but Milliput's foolproof for dots - no sizing troubles! |
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James Phillips
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 8 Aug 2017 5:54 pm
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Nice find!
_________________
Visit my Studio: LimeStoneLabs at.. http://Facebook.com/LSlabs
"Let the Bridges We Burn Light the Way" |
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