The Steel Guitar Forum

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This is honestly very cool. I've been wondering why there are not more (spanish) guitars with string-through pickups.

I enjoy the tone quite a bit.
I'd be interested in hearing a completely dry tone.

Thanks Doug!

Too cool. I've always wondered what one of those 'electro spanish' Rics sounded like. Thanks for sharing the demo.

Very cool guitar! Did the metal frets have been added?

The eight metal frets appear to be "factory", but I can't say for sure. It's possible that someone could have sanded down the first eight moulded frets and added metal frets, but I doubt it. The tuners are 1960s Klusons.

Way too cool, Doug! I'd be surprised if the metal frets were factory installed.

It would be the best blues bottle neck guitar possible!

That is one lead guitar...... What a sound, such clarity!

Only an early day BIGSBY standard guitar could even come close to that and and do believe, that the Ric has that beat a dozen ways.

Thanks for sharing.

That's great, Doug. I didn't know they ever made them as Spanish guitars. Are you sure it didn't start life as a Hawaiian lap steel and someone later converted it to Spanish?

NEGATORY!

It was a standard guitar since birth.

OK. Interesting.

Here's a video - John Jorgenson playing and discussing his 1935 Rick Electro Spanish ----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hafGI5B6aC4

These were made from 1935 to 1939. The 1935 had a vibrato arm (whammy bar). John's guitar looks to be restored with the metal parts shining brightly. I think he's playing an open tuning, which is smart because bar chords on the upper frets are usually out of tune. There was no way to intonate the neck, no truss rod or other adjustments on these. Some of the upper voicings are a little out of tune, but the guitar is what it is... historical, and the coolness factor is off the charts! I'm looking forward to playing it as a lap steel, but for now it's going in the closet because I have too many other things to do...

I've been reading about the hot pickup in these guitars (and lap steels) for years, but this is the first one I've ever played. The output is hotter and louder than any of my other steel guitars or regular guitars. It really screams. Makes me wonder why guitar companies don't, won't, or can't make a pickup to these specs today? or maybe some do?

What a great sound on that Ric. Very nice song selection for your opening number.

Imagine if Ry Cooder had gotten a hold of a Ric with a horseshoe pick-up and how his Coodercaster would have looked.

When I saw the long neck on this it reminded me of a picture of Dick McIntire I have seen where he is playing what looks like a long-scale Ric bakelite guitar. I wonder if he did the same thing and put a nut raiser on an electro-spanish model.

Cool score Doug! You are going to have some fun with that one for sure

Doug:

Great vibe on the Ric Spanish guitar and it's a closet classic for sure. These pickups have round punchy growl and the bakelite body adds to color of the overall sound. Very nice....

Rickenbacher not only sold Lapsteel and Spanish guitars but even violins and electric basses made out of bakelite.

Here are two nice videos from the "Bakelite Band":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFqs07TykDE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXig91L07mc

Ralph Kolsiana and his band the Waikiki Swingsters were playing a regular gig at Steel Pier, in Atlantic City, NJ, back in the early 1930s. Rickenbacher outfitted the whole band with their new fangled electric instruments for free. Ralph got Ric lap steel serial # 004.

The Spanish models were always intended for traditional guitar playing. Leo Fender's first partner Dc Kaufman played one and aded his own Vibrola unit.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/history_early.asp

http://www.retrofret.com/products.asp?ProductID=4801

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/1 ... ro_spanish

"Imagine if Ry Cooder had gotten a hold of a Ric with a horseshoe pick-up"

He has....

http://youtu.be/xabbXSog2Cs

Impressive find!! Your demo sounds real good Doug.

"Imagine if Ry Cooder had gotten a hold of a Ric with a horseshoe pick-up"

He has....

http://youtu.be/xabbXSog2Cs

I was at that show (actually, both shows)! He played through an old Magnatone 280 amp. Great sound. Both nights were released as Ry Cooder & Corridos Famosos: Live in San Francisco.

Moved to Music, as this isn't about a lap steel.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Len. I like your description of the sound as a "punchy growl". There is also an acoustic quality to the sound, probably due to the hollow sections under the metal plates.

I have the English variant of one of these, they were re badged as a premier vox as the anti German feeling was gathering speed in the mid to late 30,s. Aside from that it,s the same with the 1 1/2 pickup, the neck is currently broken at the heel (weak spot) I have been thinking of fixing it for several years but it,s still on the back burner.

I may well go the repro neck route and get a wooden neck fashioned with a wider nut and real frets.

Regards

Lee

Where did you find the guitar? They same to be pretty scarce. Very cool indeed.

I found it here on the Steel Forum.