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NBD 81 Mockingbird

GeneralElectric

GeneralElectric

Dec 26, 2007
10,314
1,375
36
NY, NY
#1
Picked up a 81 BC Rich Mockingbird in transblue! Its in great shape and was obviously well cared for. There are a few minor dings and dents that were filled in with blue marker or blue ink (can't tell) and there is an extra screw hole on the top horn and a few screw holes on the back of the body in a cluster (I'm assuming that they were trying to put a strap button back there) and they filled that in with blue ink too.

Other than strap buttons and the rubber tip to the pickup selector, its all original.

I really like the way it sounds but I'm not sure I like the neck shape. The preamp in it is probably one of the best sounding ones I've played even if its not the most tweakable.

Out of curiousity, what is this worth? Pictures soon.

EDIT: Found out its an 81 Mockingbird.
 
#2
DSCN0840.jpg


Moar pictures here!

79 BC Rich Mockingbird pictures by ImSuperPoor - Photobucket

EDIT: Those are black covered dimarzios in case anyone was wondering.
 
#7
That's about as cool a pointy bass as one can get...

But I sure don't remember them making them in anything by natural or black back then... How do you know it's a '79...??? If memory serves, they used cream DiMarzio's as well back then...
 
#11
The more I think about it, the more this bass smells to me. This is either a full-refin of an older BC Rich or a newer bass sold to you as old. In 1979 I wanted a BC Rich Mockingbird more than anything... So I knew what they looked like pretty darned well... Usually a natural finish - some with a clear red.... Some all black... But they all had DiMarzio's and BadAss bridges...
 
#13
GeneralElectric said:
This bass has Dimarzio pickups and a bad ass bridge. The only thing I thought to be odd was that it has black pickup covers instead of creme and most of the ones I've seen were creme.
Click to expand...

Well, if that bass IS a '79, it's been around 30+ years... I would have put black p'up covers on it too!

But the blue... The blue just seem wrong. It looks *good*, but I don't think that's original. If I had seen even a picture of a blue one back then I would have sold my mother into slavery to buy one. I kid you not.
 
#14
There is a '78 available locally in natural, very nice condition they are asking $995 w/ohsc. I think it is worth all of that and then some. I drooled over these back in the day when I worked at the House of Guitars in Rochester NY. As I recall I could buy (dealer cost) a '76 Thunderbird or a BC Rich for $365. I bought the Tbird. Nice bass any way you slice it. Early ones did have the cream Dimarzios, I'm thinking this one is early '80s but I am no expert on these. Enjoy it !
 
#17
BigOldHarry said:
That's about as cool a pointy bass as one can get...

But I sure don't remember them making them in anything by natural or black back then... How do you know it's a '79...??? If memory serves, they used cream DiMarzio's as well back then...
Click to expand...

my first GAS circa 1986 was over a translucent purple one exactly like that one... I think they had it marked as an 81. I knew a guy in the late 80s with an Eagle that same color.

Awesome bass GE! congrats!
 
#18
godofthunder59 said:
There is a '78 available locally in natural, very nice condition they are asking $995 w/ohsc. I think it is worth all of that and then some. I drooled over these back in the day when I worked at the House of Guitars in Rochester NY. As I recall I could buy (dealer cost) a '76 Thunderbird or a BC Rich for $365. I bought the Tbird. Nice bass any way you slice it. Early ones did have the cream Dimarzios, I'm thinking this one is early '80s but I am no expert on these. Enjoy it !
Click to expand...

Hmmmm - I saw a mocking bird, a no BS mockingbird from I think '78 at TrueTone selling for something like $3000... So $995 doesn't sound right...

But I could certainly be wrong.
 
#19
Cool retro bass, even though I normally have a deep aversion to (Frank Zappa voice here) POINTY instrumentz (end FZ voice); they just scream "hair metal" to me. The trans-blue is a neat color for that bass.

But holy cow, people say Alembics have too many controls??!! I'd need a chart to figure out everything on that bass!

Come to think of it, "The Hair Farmers" would be a great name for an 80s cover band.....:D
 
#20
BigOldHarry said:
Hmmmm - I saw a mocking bird, a no BS mockingbird from I think '78 at TrueTone selling for something like $3000... So $995 doesn't sound right...

But I could certainly be wrong.
Click to expand...
Location has everything to do with price, the bass is on consignment in a small independent store, it is a '78 no doubt about it, I sold these things back in the day.
 

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