Rick Bakelite neck breakage

Richard Shatz · From: St. Louis

I've seen at least one thread on the forum about neck breakage repair on Rick Bakelites.
What I would like to know is what causes Bakelite necks to break. Is it string tension (normal use) or from dropping the instrument or some other cause like using it as a weapon?

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Dropping it on a hard surface will spell disaster for a Ric Bakelite in 99% of the cases, seldom if ever breakage is caused by string tension. Ray Montee has had experience with a broken bakelite...perhaps he might add his thoughts to this thread....(?) Ray ?

[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 18 August 2005 at 02:23 PM.]

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Thank you George......... For those that have never had the pleasure of handling a Rick Bakelite be forewarned:

Bakelite guitars are slick as glass; have no rough edges or grab-holds to firmly grasp the instrument body; at the Butt-end, they are disproportionately HEAVY; when grasping the guitar at the neck below the headstock
one immediately finds that it is SLICK and the weight from horizontal to vertical is immediately shifted and the guitar becomes a pile-driver. OR, when mounted on a "playing" stand; or, when leaned up against the front of an amplifier, the chord has only to wait until some busy feet of other band members become entangled in it and over it goes....WHAM! One story has it of a popular OPRY steel man who was charging up the stairs with his recently acquired double neck Rick only to trip and snap off BOTH NECKS!

Jerry Byrd warned not to leave the Rick's in a case or on display with the string fully tuned as it might cause warpage of the neck.

Did I leave anything out? I've seen several where the headstock themselves had cracked or broken off, from between the 4th & 5th strings and the 1st & 2nd string tuners.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: