Dating a Ric B6 (I know, I know)

Richard Couch · From: Merced, California, USA

I have a Rickenbacher B6 that I'm trying to date (I know, I know...) and I'm a bit stumped.

The Serial # stamped on the headstock is C1428, and the string through the body bridge
has the Pat No 1881229 numbers.

I'm thinking pre war based on the small Electro Headstock and the through body stringing and
one of the knobs looks to be pre war.

But...

The 1/4" output jack is on the player side, the volume and tone pots have been replaced
ID about 12 years ago but the cap looks original. And the "frets are not painted"...

Any ideas?

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I had the funniest, most original response and there you go taking all the fun away.....

I had thought that several of your features--the 1 1/2" horse shoe, the small Ric label on the headstock, the string-thru tailpiece all nailed this down as pre-war. J_D Sauser several years ago posted a very thorough treatment of the subject including some war-time variants and early post-war permutations but it will be real tough to turn it up via search. But you can try.

Richard Couch · From: Merced, California, USA

Thanks Jon, I did find some of JD's posts (I had booked marked them along with some other stuff on B6's a couple years ago) and according to his info it's pre war. I guess trying to get the year is too much to hope for...

I'm gonna put it up on fleaBay and I wanted to get as close on the date as I could but oh well...

Russ Young · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

According to Gruhn's Guide, B6s went from one knob to two "by 1937" and the frets were outlined in white "by 1938."

Richard Couch · From: Merced, California, USA

Thanks Russ! That get's me close enough.

--richard

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

This one is listed on EBay, right?

Colin Brooks · Posted 18 Sep 2005 11:42 pm

Harry Sheppard has identified C1428 as one of the last ones with Pat. Pend. rather than PAT. NO. 2089171 on the pickup mounting plate. A 1937 for sure.

The flying saucer knob on the bass bout must have come from a later guitar? It should have 2 arrow knobs. And are the 3 on a plate tuners right? Mine, C1657, one of the earliest with the Pat. no.has individual all metal ones.

Any of you have one that fits in the sequence between those numbers?

Colin Brooks

Willis Vanderberg · From: Petoskey Mi

Richard:
If your opinion of ebay is FleaBay why would you bother to use it ?

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Another Ric dating question. The thread below includes a pic of my Ric B6 serial no, B577, patent pending pickup. Note that it DOES NOT have a bevel on the end of the fretboard. Also, the tuners and knob are not original.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/004833.html

Might this be a really early Bakelite 6, say 1935?

Thanks,

Bob

Richard Couch · From: Merced, California, USA

Ray, yes it's on eBay.

Willis, in regards to fleaBay it's a love hate relationship... But overall I've done OK with them...

Robert Salomone · From: Carefree, Arizona

With the different vintage knobs, and variety of features may be that the body, neck and parts are from different instruments.

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

I would believe that the tone control was added in the forties or fifties, judging by the waxed capacitor, since later guitars had tone & volume together on treble side of the instrument.

Richard Couch · From: Merced, California, USA

Thanks for all the help guys. I've put a note on the ebay page and lowered it's starting price.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

And here is the auction. Good luck!

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Robert Corwin · From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

I have a couple of dating questions... I was slow in high school, and still haven't caught on.

I'm wondering how the early B and C serial numbers on the bakelite ricks fit together. I believe this was discussed somewhere, but I've done a search, and can't find it.

Does a B always come before C, or did they go back and forth? Would a spanish or 7 string be numbered separately, or should the numbers all be sequential? My 7 string just arrived, and it's #C69. It has one hexagonal control, metal dots, and pat pend pickups, so I'm wondering if it could be one of the first. Or would the early B numbers come before?

You would think that the earliest ones would be the ones without serial numbers, but it sure is odd that the earliest ones seem to have low Bxx and Cxx numbers. I know that the numbers sketchy, but there must be some logic to this at least some of the time.

Also, does anyone know how long the metal position dots were used? Was it only the first year or so?

thanks.

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