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Topic: RickZilla |
Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 5:53 am |
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The '35/'36 body and neck (volume only, players side jack) were bought on Ebay.
The seller ... Ty (aka Totally Tighe) ... sent along a broken Black Rajah bar that I filed down for bakelite powder. I used it with West Systems epoxy to repair a few cracks in the finish. I sanded flush with 320 to 1200 grit ...
The bridge had no grooves cut (I love that) ... but there were marks left from strings that didn't line up with my pole pieces ... so I sanded them out too.
I buffed the entire guitar with 3 different plastic rouges/flannel wheels ... it shined up "big time" !!!
The plates are from a '40 B6 (wartime) body I also picked up on Ebay ... I stripped the white paint off, sanded off the rust and plated.
The "3 on a strip" tuners are from another Ricky of mine that could take "singles" in trade.
The mounting hardware came from another Ebay auction of a postwar set of black mags/mounting plate ...
The Ricky logo is a sticker my buddy made me ... Thanks Richard R.
Finally ...
The most powerful horseshoe magnets to date ... A 830 gauss (mid-gap) H-Shoe ...
A fully charged set of Ricky mags runs around 200-220 gauss.
Combined with my favorite Jason Lollar bobbin (used it to test all my prototypes), these neodymium-based horseshoe magnets puts this steel in a category all its own.
Nothing I own can match it for clarity, crispness, output, tone, moan ... whatever !!
It's "FREAKISHLY" delicious ....
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www.horseshoemagnets.com |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 6:03 am
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I love the work it took to get there. It must feel extra cool to play.
Just wondering--do you wear a lead codpiece when you hold it in your lap? Does anybody know what them 830 geese'll do to the family jewels? :>)
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 6:24 am
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Was wondering what that "glow" was ... 
These babies can't be used by folks with pacemakers, etc ...
Magnetic Field Warnings ...
10,000 gauss(G) = 1 Tesla(T)
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Jeff Strouse
From:
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 8:48 am
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Very nice, Rick! I bet it moans like no other!
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 9:59 am
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This puppy is a beauty, and does all the things Rick said she does. Rick can play her, too. If enough people ask, he'll post some sound clips. 
I just love the fact that you rescued those Bakelite parts. To anyone reading this: there are alot of folks here with answers to questions that befuddle a simpleton like myself, so my advice is ASK someone here. Guys like Rick, Bill Creller, Jason Lollar...
If you'd like to contribute to the 'Save a Rickenbacher' fund.... |
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John Pelz
From:
Kettering, Ohio, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 10:19 am
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| Okay, then-- here's a vote for sound-clips! Please vote early and vote often... |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 2:45 pm
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| very excellent!! |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 9 Apr 2004 3:05 pm
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| Quote: |
| Does anybody know what them 830 geese'll do to the family jewels? :>) |
give you 3 kids?.... 
That's it, Rick! You could open up your own clinic! Steel guitar lessons and fertility treatments at the same time.
Forget about all those ads in men's magazines and email ads. Since they don't call Mr. Aeillo "Little Ricky", this could be the real deal.[This message was edited by HowardR on 09 April 2004 at 04:12 PM.] |
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John Pelz
From:
Kettering, Ohio, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2004 6:21 am
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| Wow-- that Rick looks great and sounds great! |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2004 7:34 am
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My problem now, as many of y'all have expressed before, is knobs.
As ponted out by many, Rickys used various knobs ... hexagonals, pointer/arrows and flying saucers ... being the common "standards".
Well, I have had enough with the "knob sharing" between my steels and using "close but no cigars" ones (sorry Mr. Pres  ) ...
So I'm now in the process of making molds of the three major types ... using RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) silicon rubber.
Once the molds are finished (the flying saucers will be done today) ... I'll cast them using a polymer ...
Drilling out the shaft hole and set screw holes may be a pain to get centered and straight ... but I'm gonna give it a shot.
We'll see ...
Thanks again for all the nice comments ...
The recording and my playin' (as I well knew) doesn't adequately represent this "Monster" ...
Playin' it is almost a "visceral" thing ... like the steel is ALIVE ... kinda tough to describe
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2004 11:36 am
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Well, the black "Flying Saucers" turned out great ... every last detail
Gonna let them cure abit longer ... then I'll try my hand at drillin' and tappin' 'em ...
I'm gonna start the molds for the "Octagonals" ... maybe get some brown pigment to try the "swirl" look ...
Got a kind offer to do drill/tap with the proper equipment ... might have to take you up on it, Jack A. ... 
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 11 Apr 2004 12:49 pm
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| Now that you have the horse shoes and soon to be, the knobs, there's one thing left. If you were able to cast the body, find an investor and go into production, you'd have....Rick & Backer... |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 3:50 am
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Rick, this may not be the place to ask you that... but, is it possible to buy complete (complete means early 30's spec coil and HS assembly, ready to be mounted) L-series HS pickups from you? I would be interested in a 10 string and one or two 12 stringers.
And I hope you will share them knobs with us .
... J-D. |
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Tighe Falato
From:
South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 4:08 am
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Thought this was a good opportunity to come out of the woodwork and recognize Rick A's restoration talents. It was good to see my '35 Model B become a player's instrument once again. Others benefited from its various parts so overall several steels were restored and a new creation or two are in the works. Amazing what a black rajah bar's filings and some West Systems epoxy will do for you! I've used the SGF for research for quite some time and it's folks like Rick A. that make reading the threads not only informative but just a real pleasure. I've been fortunate to have met numerous SGF members on eBay over the past few years. I've been a lap steel collector (and player as I know collectors are frowned upon a bit) for many years and feel I'm at the point I can contribute to everything but theory especially all those darn tunings ! I'm a Gibson guy at heart (Howard R. isn't the only SGF member with an EH-275 now) but love my prewar Ricks as well. Maybe someone will enlighten me on Fenders at some point !
I guess this ended up being not only an acknowledgement of Rick A's talents but an introduction for myself to the SGF as well. Looking forward to contributing in the future and becoming an active member of the SGF community!
Tighe (Ty)
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 4:45 am
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JD ... give Jason Lollar a holler at:
info@lollarguitars.com .... www.lollarguitars.com
It takes me a couple days to make a set of H-Shoes (any size) ... but he has his own timeline for the bobbins ... so everything revolves around him.
The H-Shoes come with a special steel mounting plate (not the standard Al or brass) ... The steel backed magnets bump up the flux density by 10-20% ...
Sorry folks, it don't work that way on standard Ricky horseshoes, 
I make them and the magnets ... then send them to Jason and he does the rest.
I have a CAD drawing of a Ricky 10 string (ala Mike Neers B10) and he also has drawings from others which vary from mine ... so you might want to discuss the exact dimensions of each with him ...
Hi Tighe ... You know, I only used the two chips that had been previously re-glued onto that Black Rajah. I'm going to fill in the space with polymer, top coat that area and sand/buff ... the damage was only to the back of the bar ... so I'm hoping the repair will not affect its performance ... shouldn't
Oh yeah ... the knobs will be available to anyone who needs them ... I'm buildin' the octagonal mold now, gonna try to drill/tap the "Flyin' Saucers" tonite ... I've made a DeltaCad "paper template" for the shaft hole placement ... and the mold left an impression for the location of the set screw ... really
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www.horseshoemagnets.com |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 5:02 am
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Welcome to this Great Forum Tighe
i know you from ebay and i'm glad to see you here amongst us
edited: you often have some Gibsons 4 sale
i liked that yellow one that did'nt sell
i'm a Gibson freak too [This message was edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 12 April 2004 at 09:22 AM.] |
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Jackie Anderson
From:
Scarborough, ME
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 7:46 am
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But, HowardR, they'd still need someone with the right equipment to mold the resin at the proper high temperature: the Rick & Backer Baker.
Okay, you keep doing the humor. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 4:19 pm
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Ladies and Gentlemen...
Is your Rick, no longer slick?
Is there a crack in the back?
Is there a ding on the thing?
Is there a gape in the nape?
Is there a chip in its hip?
WELL, FRET NO MORE!....because...
Rick & Backer Enterprises has entrusted me, to offer you,....the amazing, revolutionery, patented new product...
"The Shake and Bakelite-O-Matic"
Thousands would pay $18.99, but you can own this wonder of the world device for just $19.99. Order yours today.
Rick & Backer Enterprises
Box 1234
Dingleberryville, Va
warning: Slide affects may occur in the form of a decrease in, er, well, this is a family forum. Ok, sometimes more like the Manson Family, but hey, they paid their $5.00. (way to go b0b. no favors for celebs)
and Tighe, I'll be watching you.....
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 4:23 pm
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OK, the above thread was a joke. Do not send any money.
I know there's gotta be one guy out there saying "Golly, I need one of those" and has started to write a check. I have enough bad checks. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 4:29 pm
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Rimshot!
Howard, on first meeting one would never know that in the flesh you're the same guy who posts these works of comic genius. What's the secret to getting you out of your shell?
Welcome, Tighe. You should stop on by one of these days. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 12 Apr 2004 5:31 pm
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| Quote: |
| What's the secret to getting you out of your shell? |
VODKA |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 13 Apr 2004 11:45 am
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| Hey Howard---could you send me some of those Shake&Bake shavings you are making there? Y'see, I shaved down a pretty bad flat spot on my post-war Rick trying to get enough material to make a home made black beauty bar but I'm sorta having second thoughts and would like to fix this guitar back up if I can. Then I'm gonna need to order a new horse shoe job from Rick & Jason 'cause I pulled that off of the guitar to make a pair of taps for my cats 'cause I thought it would be a larf to listen to them click & clack around the house although it is getting kinda annoying as you can probably imagine but at least it pisses them off pretty good which serves them right for yakking in my boot which I only discovered this morning as I was dressing for inclement weather. |
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Jeff Au Hoy
From:
Honolulu, Hawai'i
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Posted 13 Apr 2004 12:23 pm
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...
Last edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 19 Jan 2018 2:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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