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Topic: B6 Ric at Gruhn |
Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2005 11:48 pm |
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| Gruhn Guitars has a 1946 B6 Bakelite Ric for sale. $1250 in extrafine condition. I thought these guitars were much more expensive than that now, like $1700 and up. Are other years more desirable? |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 2:22 am
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$1250 seems high for a post-war bakelite. I paid about $850 for a '49 in excellent condition less than a year ago.
Thr pre-war models tend to cost more.
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George Manno
From:
chicago
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 3:42 am
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There were three at the recent guitar show, All of them were $1200 or better.
GM |
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Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 8:51 am
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| Other than age or collectablity, is there anything about the pre-war bakelites that makes them more desirable? Aren't they identical in sound and construction to post war models? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 10:30 am
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REMOVED
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 28 Feb 2011 6:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 1:42 pm
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Gerald,
Yes, I really want to get into it. I'm considering making an offer on a post-war Ric, and since I'd always assumed that all Bakelite Rics were very similar in sound and construction, I could get a better deal on a later model. Please, I need some edumacation. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 2:05 pm
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Many people think the pre-wars with the wider magnets sound better. Many people think the pre-war Bakelite formula was different than the post-war, thus better. Many people think the pre-war's go out of tune easier than the post wars.
Many people think completely opposite of the above paragraph.
Many people think the sound all has to do with the pickup and if you stuck the pickup on a broomstick you'd get the characteristic Rick sound.
What I have found is that each Bakelite sounds different. I have heard some pretty sweet post-wars and some pretty terrible pre-wars. It's just like any other stringed instrument.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 2:06 pm
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Well ... in my opinion ... the main difference comes ... in the bridge.
In pre-wars ... the bridge is integrated ... as the nut is ... part of the body.
In post-wars ... the bridge sits upon a tailpiece ... which in turn sits upon the body ... attached by a few screws.
The other significant "feature" would be the way the strings load ...
In prewars ... they load thru the body.
In postwars ... they load via the tail piece. In the early 50's, they went back to "String thru" ... but the bridge remained seated on "pickup surround".
In my opinion ... the LEAST significant thing is the 1.5" vs 1.25" magnet width ... which unfortunately is often made into the most significant thing by some folks ...
In fact ... the 1.25" are more consistant in their strength ... and always charge up more than even the strongest prewars.
So thats the basic "scoop" ...
I love my T-Logo postwar ... but my earliest B6 ... circa 1935 ... just has a tone thats hard to beat.
A reported change in bakelite "formula" ... i.e. the addition of plasticisors to make the bakelite less fragile ... seemed to have changed the resonant qualities of the phenol-formaldehyde ... after say '36 ... ???
For what its worth ... thats how I see it anyway.
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Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 22 October 2005 at 03:33 PM.] |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 2:14 pm
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| Quote: |
| Many people think the sound all has to do with the pickup and if you stuck the pickup on a broomstick you'd get the characteristic Rick sound. |
I am one of those people ... 
I have probably swapped out more pickups ... into various steels ... than anyone I know ..
And no matter what body you stick a Ricky horseshoe in ... its gonna sound like a Ricky.
The broom may not moan .. ha, ha ... but its gonna sound like a Ricky.
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Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 3:06 pm
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I agree mostly with what Rick says. I just haven't found a good way to mount a horseshoe on my broom stick. The wood lap steels which are Rickenbachers dont seem to be in demand,so either they dont sound that great or we are missing out on something. They show up on ebay frequently. Do you
have one Rick???
BILL |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Oct 2005 5:55 pm
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So the prewars sustain better and perhaps have a richer tone due to the string through and integrated body bridge?
Do I also understand correctly that a postwar model would still have the characteristic tone of a Ric bakelite with maybe a thinner tone and less sustain?
What do you think, should I hold out for a prewar model or go for the 49? |
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Andre Nizzari
From:
Bronx, NY
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Posted 24 Oct 2005 5:09 am
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if your getting it for a good price get the postwar, then look out for a prewar....buy the prewar, then play both back to back, and see which one sounds better. I never had or even played a post-war, but I was waiting to find a prewar, I just love the chrome plates along with the intergrated bridge and nut than don't exist on postwars. I was lucky to run into a pre-war for a great price....
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http://www.andreandthenighthounds.com/
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Oct 2005 8:07 pm
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| I could really go for a pre war, if it was a seven string, but I suppose those are rare. |
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Andre Nizzari
From:
Bronx, NY
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 25 Oct 2005 9:48 am
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"The broom may not moan"
I couldn't get a good mounting on the broom, so I mounted it on my Electrolux vacuum cleaner. You want moan, that thing has moan.... |
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