| Author |
Topic: Rickenbacker Pedal Steel |
Cartwright Thompson
|
Posted 10 Feb 2007 10:09 am |
|
I just stumbled upon this:
click here for ebay auction
Anybody ever play one?
It looks kind of like the Jerry Byrd non-pedal model.
Please use bbcode for long links. -b0b- |
|
|
|
Jack Mansfield
From:
Reno, NV
|
Posted 10 Feb 2007 4:44 pm
|
|
| I have a 1962 Model! Plays and sounds excellent! |
|
|
|
Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
|
Posted 11 Feb 2007 1:02 am
|
|
Wow, sure is pretty. I've only seen a couple of these for sale in 5 or 6 years looking on eBay.
The photo in the Smith book on Rickenbackerβs of James Burton sitting behind one is really fabulous!
With 8 strings and 6 pedals what tuning did, do you guys use? What tuning did Rickenbacker put on them new shipped from the factory? C6th or A6th like the Fenders seems practical in this time period but Bud Isaacs was so popular wasn't E tuning widely used also? |
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 11 Feb 2007 3:40 am
|
|
BTW Are the strings on the Rickenbacker in the correct orientation on the changer ? shouldn't they go around the top ? |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 11 Feb 2007 7:24 am
|
|
This guitar looks eggs ackley like the one I passed up a couple of years ago. That one had had the legs and pedal rods cut down for a child or a midget! This one isn't being shown set up.
I wonder if it's the same guitar?????? |
|
|
|
Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
|
Posted 12 Feb 2007 6:08 pm
|
|
Basilh,
Looks like there is a roller bridge behind the pickup, and the changer pulls down or back,sorta like the Fender 400/1000. I would like to see one up close.
Bill
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!! |
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
|
|
|
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
|
Posted 12 Feb 2007 10:11 pm
|
|
Wow, if I could afford it I'd grab that in a second. It'd make a great addition to my Fender, Gibson, Multi-Kord group. And I'd probably actually PLAY the thing!
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
|
|
|
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
Posted 13 Feb 2007 7:52 am 7 string pickups in 8 string Rics
|
|
Bobby Black told me a strange story.
Remember the famous picture of Jerry Byrd sitting behind a similar looking 7-string Ric with legs? Apparently Rickenbacker thought that JB's endorsement would sell a lot of 7 string pickups, so they made a bunch of them. Unfortunately, sales of 7 string steels never took off. Everyone wanted 8 strings.
Then they did something very uncool. They used the batch of 7 string pickups on 8 string guitars! After all, it's hidden under the magnet. People didn't know. You can see in the pictures above that the front pickup coil is too short, while the back one is full size.
Bobby unknowingly bought a Ric D-8 with 7 string pickups. It took him a while to figure out what was going on with the tone. He told me the story in Mesa, where I took delivery of an 8 string Ric pedal steel last month. We checked the pickup and, sure enough, it has seven pole pieces, staggered between the strings so that the ends of the coil will reach the first and last string.
_________________
-πππ- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
|
|
|
Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
|
Posted 13 Feb 2007 8:13 am
|
|
Hey Basil,
Thanks for the pics, and link. That comes under..I'd like to have one of those, just to say,I got one. Still would like to see one in person to see if the changer works like I think it does.
Bill
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!! |
|
|
|
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
Posted 13 Feb 2007 10:02 am
|
|
| basilh wrote: |
BTW Are the strings on the Rickenbacker in the correct orientation on the changer ? shouldn't they go around the top ? |
I think they're correct, Bas. The bridge point is a roller in front of the changer. The strings don't need to go over the top of the changer.
My newly-acquired S-8 is in Tom Bradshaw's shop right now. He noticed right off the bat that the changer tuning screw holes didn't line up well with the fingers. He's going to fix that with spacers along the changer axle, I think.
_________________
-πππ- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
|
|
|
Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 13 Feb 2007 10:24 am
|
|
| Quote: |
| They used the batch of 7 string pickups on 8 string guitars! After all, it's hidden under the magnet. People didn't know. |
What a Black Eye on a company I had a lot of respect for! |
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 2:28 am
|
|
I've E-Mailed the seller EVERY day since the start of the auction, asking the length of the pedal rods. No reply, I wonder why ?
_________________
Steelies do it without fretting
CLICK THIS to view my tone bars and buyββ> |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 5:36 am
|
|
| Hmmmm, Baz. Maybe it is the same guitar that I passed on. |
|
|
|
Jack Mansfield
From:
Reno, NV
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 6:38 am
|
|
| Basilh, I was wondering why the pedal rods are short on these guitars. mine plays very well and stays in tune all the time, but those pedal rods have always bugged me. I have to set my pedal bar higher than a regular pedal steel. Playing C6th using multiple pedals is okay. But forget about playing E9th rocking your foot using the AB pedals. It just doesnit work for me, pedals are to high. I was wondering if i could find some one to make longer pedal rods. |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 6:41 am
|
|
| Jack, do the legs on your guitar splay out quite widely? |
|
|
|
Jack Mansfield
From:
Reno, NV
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 8:09 am
|
|
| John, Yes they do |
|
|
|
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 8:30 am
|
|
Jack, on the Fender user group's "sub-forum" we are compiling a list of parts makers/suppliers, and one of them is someone who can make rods to order; I don't know if he can do the rod ends if they are an odd type, but if the ends are removable I'm sure he could make longr rods for your rod ends.
Fender "Cablehead" forum:
http://scaryoak.com/forum/index.php
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
|
|
|
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 10:03 am
|
|
| Jack Mansfield wrote: |
| Basilh, I was wondering why the pedal rods are short on these guitars. mine plays very well and stays in tune all the time, but those pedal rods have always bugged me. I have to set my pedal bar higher than a regular pedal steel. Playing C6th using multiple pedals is okay. But forget about playing E9th rocking your foot using the AB pedals. It just doesnit work for me, pedals are to high. I was wondering if i could find some one to make longer pedal rods. |
It's not just the length of the pedal rods. The pedal bar is designed to attach to the legs at one point only, directly under the leg adjustments. The legs splay outwards, so longer pedal rods would also require a new, wider pedal bar.
Luckily I'm a short person. I can see that anyone six feet tall would have a hard time playing one of these guitars.
_________________
-πππ- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
|
|
|
John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 15 Feb 2007 10:06 am
|
|
| I'm 6'2", and I couldn't get my knees even close to getting under the guitar. Were they all this way? I was sure it had been cut down for a child. |
|
|
|
