Rickenbacker D-16

Craig Reed · Post by **Craig Reed** » 8 Jan 2008 8:16 pm

I'm just getting started steeling, but this D-16 is my first and only guitar at this time. I use the old Elvis Presley TV tray to sit it on.(no legs) Good height for sitting,although a little wobble. I think the sound is fine IMO. When i learn to play better, i may shop around for a second guitar. I've been wondering what model and style this is. Thanks for the pics. CR

Kevin Greenberg · Post by **Kevin Greenberg** » 28 Jan 2008 3:40 pm

I have had 3 D-16's. Still have 2. I just traded one. I can't hoard all of them. I had one that was all aluminum and sounded heavenly played over the 24th fret, but is extremely bright playing near the pickup.
I still have 2 T-badge D-16's like Rick's D-12. And I must say, one of them with it's flipped pickups has to be one of THE best sounding things I have EVER heard! The other one needs either a pickup rewind, or maybe the shoes recharged on one neck, but the other neck is great.
I will put my "Old Ugly" D-16 with the bakelite necks played through an old princeton reverb amp up against ANY steel, of ANY make, or model, with ANY amp, and ANY effects, and my D-16 will sound better 99% of the time.
I give myself chills when I play it, and I'm a rookie hacker. In the hands of a master, it will make you cry! I brought it to my friend's house and he showed me how it's done. Close your eyes and you're in paradise.

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 30 Jan 2008 7:11 pm

I played the D-8 Ricks that Kevin has and they sounded pretty good to me , especially the ones with the bakelite necks and aluminum body.
In my opinion, the sound of the guitar depends upon a lot of things. I like the the sound of my 6 string bakelite (T logo)with a Fender super reverb amp.
Using a different make amp, the sound will also changes. Of course the amp setting has a lot to do with it. In general those Rick pick-ups are darn good. I agree that the Rick's D-8 steels are heavy
and hard to play them on your lap.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 30 Jan 2008 7:26 pm

Gosh! Am I the only guy who's seen a Ric stand? They must be pretty rare.

Kevin Greenberg · Post by **Kevin Greenberg** » 3 Feb 2008 9:45 pm

John, I've never seen a Ric stand. I wish I could find one. Jozef (the Hawaiian steel master) Smith is right. They are heavy. But they almost sound as good as an all-bakelite, so I'll deal with the weight. Too bad they didn't make a D-16 all bakelite. Although it would be an accident waiting to happen, it would be a dream come true.

Mike Maddux · Post by **Mike Maddux** » 5 Feb 2008 3:17 pm

I have to agree that Kevin's Ricks sound great.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 5 Feb 2008 5:10 pm

I really didn't have time to fool around with the one I did repairs on. It was the model with all aluminum body. I believed at the time that it had potential if it were tweeked a bit. I guess what made me not like it much was the need for a stand of some sort. If it were mine I would have developed a stand for it.
A friend of mine bought a new D6 Epiphone in the 40s, which had no stand either, but was likely lighter than the Rick.

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 5 Feb 2008 5:32 pm

Back in the early 50s in one of the Boston bars I saw an old Hawaiian playing a big thick bakelite Rickenbacher standing up and I am quite sure from memory that it was a Bake. D-6 !!?? Does anyone know for sure if Rick. made a D-6 all bakelite ?? It would have been a real old timer and big and heavy !!!??? Eddie "C: ( the old non-pedal geezer )

Craig Reed · Post by **Craig Reed** » 5 Feb 2008 7:50 pm

I bought a HeavyDuty Deluxe ERGOLOK Keyboard Stand from Musicians Friend and it works fine. I have no more wobble, and the height is good(adjustable). A piece of table top cut 43"x12" and 1/2" thick is perfect to set my D-16 on. No sliding or movement. I can also use it for my keyboard. 43" long allows room to store picks, bars, and tuner. CR

Kevin Greenberg · Post by **Kevin Greenberg** » 5 Feb 2008 10:24 pm

I have been seriously thinking about building a stand with telescoping legs and sockets so i can play standing or sitting. I almost went out and bought a keyboard stand, but then I started thinking too much.

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 10 Feb 2008 5:14 pm

Since I own a Rick D-8 all metal, I tried using a keyboard stand but it is too unstable. I modified my existing stand of my Rick bakelite 6. The top part is from an old (Oahu?) stand and it happened to fit into a standard Gretsch cymbal stand which is made solid. Then I made an aluminum bracket so I can play either my single or double neck Rick. The center bracket fits my single neck and when using my D-8 this bracket will prevent the inner D-8 neck from sliding. Now I will be able to adjust it to any height See foto attached.

Kevin Greenberg · Post by **Kevin Greenberg** » 12 Feb 2008 11:00 pm

Jozef, I knew you'd come up with something. You never cease to amaze me with your playing or your ideas. I was thinking about making something just like your bracket for the necks, to put on my table with the legs. Now if i could just con you into making me one, life would be great!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 13 Feb 2008 3:29 am

Jozef, that's very close to the original Rick stand I spoke of in an earlier post:
"I almost bought a nice D-16 about 20 years ago. It was mint, and,,,,, it came with a Ric stand! The stand looked similar to a snare drum stand. It had a little Ric plaque on it."
The top of yours is much solider looking.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Feb 2008 3:43 pm

You might want to put some felt on that bare metal where it touches the bottom of the instrument, or it might cause scratches.

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 13 Feb 2008 4:55 pm

Alan, if you look at my stand, you will see that the metal parts that are touching the guitar are covered with brown rubber strips at the neck and clear vinyl tubing at the body end. The guitar never touches bare metal at all.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 13 Feb 2008 5:02 pm

Very nice job on that stand Josef. Good of you to pass on the info to others to make their own.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 Feb 2008 5:50 pm

Bill Creller wrote:Very nice job on that stand Josef. Good of you to pass on the info to others to make their own.

Good. If those brown strips are rubber then you've already taken care of that.

From the photo I couldn't tell what they were made of.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 Feb 2008 5:51 pm

JOZEF SMITH wrote:Alan, if you look at my stand, you will see that the metal parts that are touching the guitar are covered with brown rubber strips at the neck and clear vinyl tubing at the body end. The guitar never touches bare metal at all.

Good. If those brown strips are rubber then you've already taken care of that.

From the photo I couldn't tell what they were made of.

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 3 Apr 2008 2:35 pm

Anyone got a wiring schematic for a post-war D-16 like this?

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Apr 2008 6:20 am

Derrick Mau · Post by **Derrick Mau** » 4 Apr 2008 9:04 am

Hi Bill,

A friend of Bobby's has one, and there is a problem with the outer neck having only half the volume than the inside neck when the 3 way switch is set in the middle.

The pickup doesn't seem to be the problem, so they just want to double check the wiring. Looks like someone has fiddled around with the wiring before.

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 4 Apr 2008 12:32 pm

The best stand I have been able to come up with is a projector stand. Telescoping legs, large top surface, easy to carry as the legs snap into the bottom. I put a rubber mat on the top so the guitars don't slide.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Apr 2008 5:12 pm

I haven't seen a wiring diagram for that, but the Fender Dual-Pro has two single coil pickups like the Rick, and the switch in the center. Maybe that would help??

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Apr 2008 5:17 pm

Derrick, I just remembered that John Ely has wiring diagrams on his site; hawaiiansteel.com

ALOOOOOOOHA

Kevin Greenberg · Post by **Kevin Greenberg** » 4 Apr 2008 11:40 pm

Derrick, check out these.

To all you purists,nevermind the new pot and cap. They have since been replaced again with the originals.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Rickenbacker D-16

Rickenbacher D-16

D-6 Bakelite Rick. ???

D-16 stand

The Ric stand

Steel stand

D-16 wiring diagram