I'd sure like ta have that Rick that JBs playin' ! ! !
I think that Rick might have had more than one of 'em, as I had an interest in a local guitar shop with a guy who was a friend of Rick's manager at the time of his death.
One day he showed me the same model guitar, but tobacco sunburst with triangular inlays without the leather, that he claimed was Rick's, or he'd owned at one time.
It was one beautiful looking & sounding instrument that played lika wet dream, as it was effortless to play like their electrics ! ! !
Someone who'd probably read this post just e-mailed me this link a little while ago. This might be that same guitar, but I don't recall the pickguard being that elaborate. The two gentlemen described as Rick's companions were JB (left) & Master of the "Slap-bass' James Kirkland.
http://www.rickenbacker.com/gallery_image.asp?archive_id=460&gallery_year=1950Not having made acoustic guitars since the late 60s, Rickenbacker made a failed attempt to set up shop at their Santa Ana facility to again produce acoustic guitars a few years ago, but unfortunately produced only a small handful due to their inability to acquire the skilled and/or semi-skilled labor needed to do so in that area from what I'd heard.
Supposedly, they'd licensed a luthier in the SF Bay area, who does some beautiful work from what I've seen, to produce 'em in limited quantity on a per-order basis.
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:30 pm