The Steel Guitar Forum

Every now and then I actually finish a project. This evening I brought a Rickenbacker Model 100 back to life. This guitar was purchased about a year ago as a body only with the nut, bridge and control plate intact. Also in place where the tuners. The buttons where crumbling so it got a set of StewMac ivroids. You have to get the tunner shafts real hot to install the ivroids. It worked out great and I re-lubed the tuning machines before reassembly. There was no mounting hardware with the pickup but I found springs at the Home Depot and knerled nuts at Lowe's. Lucky me.

I had to re-glue the fret board in place, clean everything and supply all new electronics including the pickup. I just found an affordable horseshoe the other day so I soldered her up tonight. I hope to find original control knobs and a headstock decal someday but for now....what a player.

I have a tin can Ric, a post war model with both controls on the audience side. It does not hold a candle to my new "creation" in tone or output. This particular horseshoe is HOT. It meters 2.7K ohms and will send my Twin Reverb to overdrive. I am blown away by the pickup and this ugly splatter painted plank of wood.

A few pics.













Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while!

RH

Hey Rich, that looks great! The post-war horseshoe is hot too.

Nice job, Rick! Let's hear how it sounds.

Nice work, Rick! Restoring an old instrument and putting it back on the stage is certainly rewarding. Are you running straight into the Twin?

Thanks Guys, I think I'm going to play a gig with it on Dec. 7th. I was going to play my '47 New Yorker but now I have a new favorite tone machine. If it gets recorded, I'll post a link.

RH

Nice save Rich

Justin,

Yep, straight in. Nothing but a volume pedal in the signal path. Volume on 3.5, treble 7, mid 8, bass 8 reverb 3. The bright switch is off. With it cranked like that it will sustain very nicely as just keep adding some "foot feed". I does let me know if a screw up and don't throttle down before I grab a string or three!

Tom,

Your customs are gorgeous. I have seen several looking through old threads. Great body shapes and contrating woods. I'm drueling.

I have one of those, blonde speckled finish- not as 'spattered' as yours, dont know if it's worn down or not. The IRC brand Pots date to early '54, and the volume/tone controls are on opposite sides of each other, black flying saucer knobs. Never seen another laid out like that(no metal control plate)...the input jack is recessed at an angle- really unique but totally original. I'm thinking this one might be one of the earliest 100 series.

Those horseshoes are amazing..like yours, mine overdrives the amp easily but, in such a nice non-offensive way. It's easily the best 6 string i've played. Good to see another one in service as I think these are pretty underrated (IMO).