The Steel Guitar Forum

I've come across a 1940 Rickenbacker B6 that I'm considering buying. This one seems to have the strings going through the body like the earlier models but I believe it has a 1-1/4" pickup.

I know that people generally prefer the 1-1/2" pickup but can I assume that the string through models are better sounding than the top loaders? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a picture of it:

Individual Ricks will have their own merits, but thru-body stringing is generally considered better, and at the very least will sound as good as a top-loaded tailpiece. The wider magnet pickup is more sought-after by collectors and will bring a much bigger price. That said, some narrow-pickup Ricks with top-loaded tailpieces sound fantastic...

The logo plate on the headstock is 1949 or 50. The string thru types are not all old ones. Rickenbacher did weird stuff with left over parts.
The "T" logo plate is older than the one in the picture, like 1947,48.
The small magnets are just as good as the big ones, just not as much hype.

That Rick is completely postwar. It's a BD-6 produced from the late 40s into the early 70s. The B and BD models were made with tail piece and string through body configurations in the 40s and 50s.

They are all good and better than most other steels. This looks 'ca 1950. If the price fits, buy it. I wood not be embarrassed to play it. We nit pick too much and sometimes miss the point.

I had the honor of recording on Manny K's three, recent award winning Hawaiian CD's, all traditional music and they were good enough to WIN! That's three years in a row.

I used BOTH, and older pre-War model as well as a white paneled g'tar. The Pre-War had brand new strings and the 'panda' had the olde strings on it; just as I had purchased it with.

I've repeatedly attempted to pick out which songs I played the panda on, and for the life of me, cannot determine which one is which. So....... like others here have said, I guess there's not THAT MUCH difference. Jerry Byrd even used a seven string 'panda' for awhile and no one could seem to tell the difference.

The one in the photo looks exceptionally clean and if the price is anywhere near reasonable, I'd grab it before some undeserving loon partakes of it and turns it into a ROCK & ROLL 'screamer'.

I would say, if the price is reasonable, go for it. I had one like it, and it was a great sounding instrument. The only reason I no longer have it is because I have a seven string.

From the picture, the case looks like it's in very nice condition.

By the way, those guitars make great ROCK and ROLL SCREAMERS!

The small magnets are just as good as the big ones, just not as much hype.

I've repeatedly attempted to pick out which songs I played the panda on, and for the life of me, cannot determine which one is which. So....... like others here have said, I guess there's not THAT MUCH difference. Jerry Byrd even used a seven string 'panda' for awhile and no one could seem to tell the difference.

I'm glad to see ... some folks are "seein' the light"

The only differences (in my opinion) lie in the bridge attachment ... and the fact that the latest Rickys (aka late 50's on up) ... turned from # 38 magnet wire ... to a much thinner gauge

I like the top loader (tailpiece) model because it has less sustain.

Jeff, don't mention sustain to Bobby unless you have lots of time

I have nothing but narrow pickup top loaders. I own Bill Crellers old BD6. I have played all types, not to any great extent, but have plugged various one sinto the same amp, and they all individually sound only slightly different, nearly undetectable. It could have been differences int he pots, capacitors, etc..

The fact that you can generally buy a narrow pickup model on the cheap, makes it all the more attractive to me, they are sleepers, but folks will catch on...

That guitar looks fantastic. as with the advice you've gotten so far... if its a good price, buy it!

dave

What Dave said. Make sure no none buys it out from under you!! GO FOR IT!

The models with the nice cover over the tuners are not that common, by the way.

That's the same as my first bakelite - 1950.
It's a great sounding guitar, I'd say - get it.
I have a wartime and a prewar 35 also.
The wartime is real nice too.
The 35 growls and moans and screams like a sasquatch in heat.

Here they are:



'50 BD6



'40 B6



'35 B6

Incidentally, when Herb Remington was recording in my studio he played my 50 BD6 and he loved it. You can hear him playing it in some of the songs on our CD and some of the songs in TUFF FUN TAB

Ricky bakelites are among the best of the vintage lap steels, and they don't make 'em any more . .

When I repaired the broken neck on my 7 string,"T" logo,I removed the string bracket and put the strings thru the body,and replaced the pickup with one of the 1 1/2 inch types I make.
Gotta tell ya, no difference what-so-ever in tone..I like the looks of it , but I like the bracket types too.

I have both a 1934 1.5" magnet single volume control Bakelite Rick and a 1947 T-Logo 1.25" magnet Bakelite Rick.

Two years ago the 1947 gave up the ghost - completely dead. I sent it Rick Aiello and he rewound the bobbin with the pre-war gauged wire, redid the wiring and Aiellicized the magnets. The thing sounds amazing now. Currently this guitar is my primary gig steel. Why?... the tone control. The '34 does not have one and I don't like having to run back to the amp to change the tone during a song.

Jump on it.
Dont delay.
-andy z-

What's a Rick like that worth?

I would say seven to eight hundred, if it's as good as it looks.
If it can be had for less, that's great.

Gerald, your prewar is the best sounding lap steel I've ever played.

A BD-6 that clean seems to have gone up in value as of late. Here's two completed eBay listings for the same guitar.

Auction on eBay.

A different auction on eBay.

To be honest, I ended up buying a National Dynamic instead. I'm sure that I'll own a Rickenbacker at some point but I've been gassing for a Dynamic for a while and didn't have enough to buy both. The guy wanted $850 shipped for the Rick. Here is a link:

http://charlesmartinsimon.com/National-Rickenbacker.htm

Unless this information in incorrect, the guitar is a BD-6 built between 1949 - 1970 by Rickenbacker.

1949 Model BD specs:
Deluxe "BD" version with metal peghead cover, available until 1970.
Model BD discontinued 1970.

There's one like the middle picture that Rick Alexander posted at a store here locally that they want 899 for. It has its case, but the case is in bad shape. I went and played it after work, and it sounds nice. The strings are loaded througj a tail piece.