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The Rickenbarner - my first fully scratch-build!

#222
Now for some sexy glamour shots:
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And lastly, the video. Please excuse the fact that I forgot to focus the camera and that I ramble too much. Despite the rambling, I forgot to mention that I am playing through a Markbass Little Mark II amp and fEarful 12/6 cab in a garage with lots of junk rattling as I play:

 
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#223
Ron
Congratulations, great to put a face to the avatar. The bass looks and sounds fantastic! I Love seeing old things re-used and brought back to life. There is nothing quite like playing something you made yourself. I'm really looking forward to getting back to mine as summer winds down, fall always jars me from my torpor. No hurry on a diagram, I'm drawing one up in CAD to try to understand this wiring business a little better, no excuse for my ignorance really.
 
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#229
I think its tough to improve on that iconic shape visually, kind of like the strat, its so nearly perfect already. The Retrovibe is one the few basses inspired by the Ric body that really succeeded IMO. Ron's bass is effectively a 4001s, already arguably an improvement ergonomically over the bound 4001, and he's totally owned it, mistakes and all. For me, its an opportunity to learn a whole range of luthiery skills re-creating a bass I once owned. The "labor of love" aspect keeps me going. I'm making a few changes I feel are technical improvements, such as DA trussrod, carbon stiffeners, minimized rout depth at the neck pup, etc. I don't see how its any different than an art student copying old masters drawings to learn technique. There is a small Ric partisan fringe that hates seeing "their" bass copied by one-off builders, they are entitled to their opinion, its no concern of mine. After I have a couple tribute builds under my belt, I hope to branch out into original designs. Mapleglo's Ric influenced builds are a perfect example of a progression from a faithful copy to increasingly original design as she has mastered basic techniques. Her headstock design is what id consider an aesthetic improvement over the original.
 
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#233
Nothing like the debut of a new creation! Truth is, even if it sounds good solo at home, a band context is the true test. Sometimes it's great right out of the gate, and sometimes the mix illustrates deficiencies. I've experienced both. :). Glad your first outing was a success!

Oh, and it looks fabulous next to that wimpy grey thing. ;)
 

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