4004 LK Rickenbacker Build

[Lickmaker]

Hello!

I'm new to this forum. I am planning to build a 4004LK replica and thought I'd pop in here and say hi! I hope I make some friends here along the way. I'll probably have a lot of questions, and I'll share pics of the process and would love to pick the brains of experienced Ric builders!
Cheers everybody!
Lickmaker

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Welcome! We do enjoy a Ric style build here. Plenty of smart and resourceful folk who love to help to.

 

[Lickmaker]

Welcome! We do enjoy a Ric style build here. Plenty of smart and resourceful folk who love to help to.

Thanks Matt!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Got one in the works myself! Slow build though, my brother is carving the body wings for me, so it’s on his schedule.

 

[Lickmaker]

Got one in the works myself! Slow build though, my brother is carving the body wings for me, so it’s on his schedule.

Cool! Love to see some pics. Do you have a build thread?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Here's my build thread, but I havent updated it in MONTHS. My brother is doing the carving, so I just have to be patient for him to finish it.

The Hossenfeffer IV Build

Here's the wings partially carved, but this was a few months ago, he may be nearly done for all I know.....

 

[Lickmaker]

Just read the your build thread. Very nice! That acorn and oak leaf carve is looking dandy.

 

[Flamingo21]

Hey Lickmaker, welcome! Is your avatar a photo of an actual bass? Looks interesting.

 

[Lickmaker]

Hello Flamingo21, thanks for the welcome! Yes it's a 5 string I made for a dear friend.

 

[Lickmaker]

OK fellas...couple of questions. What is the fretboard material on Lemmy's original. Anyone know? In some of the pics I see of Lemmy with the bass, it looks fairly dark...Bubinga? or something else?...
The star inlays. What material is that. Is there a source?

 

[Lickmaker]

One more! Anyone know if the original had an angled headstock? I wonder because he had that weird string tree (looks like a strap button) for the E and A. hmmm....

 

[Gilmourisgod]

AFAIK, all Rics had between a 5-8 degree headstock angle, and it varied over the years. The fingerboard is 3/8" thick and the nuts are really tall, so you have plenty of string break angle without a lot of headstock angle. The fingerboards looks like bubinga, so that's what I'm using, but I never really knew for sure. Might be mentioned in @PaulBoyer book. (which I own, I'll take a look). Some of his Rickenbastards had ebony boards, so I think it's up for grabs. I got some MOP star inlays from DePaule Supply, can't remember the size, I'll look it up. The stars shown on the drawing I did are the "correct" size. I haven't worked up the nerve to try cutting them into my board yet, one hurdle at a time....

https://luthiersupply.com/3d-star-3d-moon-shooting-star-3d-star-fret-board.html

 

[micguy]

The fingerboards looks like bubinga, so that's what I'm using, but I never really knew for sure.

You are correct about that. There's a factory tour where they say that. The skunk stripe is shedua (n those models that have/had one), though I think I remember somewhere hearing they were going to roasted maple for that? Could easily be wrong about that.

 

[Lickmaker]

Thanks guys! I guess I may have been mistaken....I thought I've seen some Rickys with non angled headstocks.
Bubinga it is then! That seems to be the most common consensus. The stars do seem like they are the same material that they use for their fin inlays, but I've never seen a source for that. So probably have to go with MOP.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The sharkfin inlays were a slightly "greenish" pearloid plastic. now it's a more realistic white "mother of toilet seat". I don't what the original Lemmy inlays were, but as a custom run, I assume it was real MOP. All the DePaule stuff is genuine MOP. Damn well better be, it was expensive!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I checked my order, it was (10) 6mm "3-D" stars in white MOP from DePaule. Somebody else out there must have them too, but these ones are really nice. Some on Ebay that are much cheaper, but it's hard to tell what they really look like from the crappy photos.

https://luthiersupply.com/3d-star-3d-moon-shooting-star-3d-star-fret-board.html

 

[Lickmaker]

All of the stars are the same size?

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I did all the same size , that’s how it looks in the photos of all the LK’s I’ve seen, but you could do graduated size, bigger ones at the 12th, etc. Your bass/your choice!

 

[Lickmaker]

Cheers! Yeah I think I'll go with all same size. Was contemplating cutting them myself but after seeing the low price on DePaule....well that's a no brainer!

 

[Lickmaker]

Off topic....but ughhh. My band has been auditioning bass players for a week! Man, is it hard to find a good bass player! Got gigs coming up and fear we may have to cancel.