Rickbacker Basses

[john turner]

OT, but what's going on with the frets on this...guitar?

I'm guessing it's a lapsteel, but it looks like the strings pass under the frets, of which there are two at each position.

i'm guessing that's so that the frets can be removed - many lapsteel guitars are fretless. on the other hand, the player might want the frets. what you are seeing are the slots for the frets, with the frets removed.

 

[Warwickluvr]

Hate to say it, but that bass is horrid.....

The newer Ricks are 10000% better looking.

 

[john turner]

Hate to say it, but that bass is horrid.....

The newer Ricks are 10000% better looking.

what bass? the "lapsteel guitar" bass?

 

[iamthebassman]

Wow, lots of silliness in this thread.

 

[mikeswals]

The cover being plastic must be a newer model thing...
I just picked up a '78 4001 and the the cover is most definitely metal, and a friends' '85 4003 is also metal.

Like my Fender's, I find as a good place to anchor by thumb since I only play fingerstyle. Without the cover is an ugly gaping hole around the pickup.

 

[ustabawannab]

Every Rick owner I know including myself took the cover off. That pickup is a great place to play and the thing just gets in the way in general...my opinion only.

Mark

You don't know me, I guess.

 

[poopadoopa]

In the old days the pic guard would press down and it had peices of felt on it to mute the strings when you pushed it down. Kind of like palm muting on the guitar. Now its more or less just for decoration it actually kind of gets in the way of you plucking.

 

[gruffpuppy]

Mine is on, never really gets in the way, just got to learn to jump over it if needed.