The John Birch Appreciation Brigade

[noirpunk]

After quite a spate of John Birch related activity I decided we should put a thread together. To kick things off my 1973 short scale Rickenfaker, found on ebay as an 'under the bed' job. Original owner from new, original case, original strap and original stereo cable.





Myself and John Carling, who was very impressed with the condition of the bass



As featured in the photoshoot for my new band, Machinegun Etiquette. It'll be used in the studio for our forthcoming EP.

Let's see your John Birch gear!

[Darkstrike]

That's one tasty looking Ricken-faker.

[Soloshchenko]

Absolutely awesome mate.

[3below]

Can't let you see it because I moved it years ago - EB3 style bass - black, maple through neck, Grover/Schaller small tuners, hyperflux pickups, stainless 3? 2? point bridge, I think it had a full size plastic belt rash plate on back. Really well made. Took it back to JB himself in Bromsgrove circa 1980/81 and had it refurbished at a very good price. Only downside - short scale. Wonder where it is now. another one I wish I had kept.

Edited April 15, 2011 by 3below

[noirpunk]

[quote name='3below' post='1201086' date='Apr 15 2011, 07:18 PM']Can't let you see it because I moved it years ago - EB3 style bass - black, maple through neck, Grover/Schaller small tuners, hyperflux pickups, stainless 3? 2? point bridge, I think it had a full size plastic belt rash plate on back. Really well made. Took it back to JB himself in Bromsgrove circa 1980/81 and had it refurbished at a very good price. Only downside - short scale. Wonder where it is now. another one I wish I had kept.[/quote]

Sounds beautiful. Pickup wise mine has Magnums like Tony Iommi had in his SG! Personally short scale is a plus side for me, then again I do have small hands

[Bassassin]

Excellent new topic, good to see some pics of your Birchenbacker - and as a Damned fan from way back, I heartily approve of your new band's name!

Jon.

[noirpunk]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1201189' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:27 PM']Excellent new topic, good to see some pics of your Birchenbacker - and as a Damned fan from way back, I heartily approve of your new band's name!

Jon.[/quote]

Cheers dude, our drummer is a huge fan of The Damned so I chose the name much to his delight

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='noirpunk' post='1201017' date='Apr 15 2011, 06:01 PM']After quite a spate of John Birch related activity I decided we should put a thread together. To kick things off my 1973 short scale Rickenfaker, found on ebay as an 'under the bed' job. Original owner from new, original case, original strap and original stereo cable.

[/quote]

What's your 5th pot do? There were so many options from; effects, a simple Master Vol, treble booster, phase invertor.

I'll have to take some better pics of mine.

The EB3 sounds nice too, Geezer Butler was a big user of John Birch. Tony Iommi got him into them. Geezer had at least 3 EB3's & some JayDee's too.

[noirpunk]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1201200' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:39 PM']What's your 5th pot do? There were so many options from; effects, a simple Master Vol, treble booster, phase invertor.[/quote]

It's a mono/stereo blend pot. Birch wiring is always a surprise haha! Also there's 2 micro switches for phasing

Edited April 15, 2011 by noirpunk

[BigRedX]

[quote name='noirpunk' post='1201192' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:31 PM']Cheers dude, our drummer is a huge fan of The Damned so I chose the name much to his delight [/quote]
Of course you do know that you share your band name with Japan's [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thee_Michelle_Gun_Elephant"]Thee Michelle Gun Elephant[/url].

A John Birch was the first guitar or bass that I really lusted after. I used to have a copy of their printed catalogue which I got by filling in the advertisers' card in the back of International Musician. I haven't played any of the recent John Birch Basses, but I did play one of the new guitars about 10 years ago and remember being sadly less than impressed.

However, I'd still be seriously interested in a JB EB3 if one ever came up for sale.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1201211' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:50 PM']I'd still be seriously interested in a JB EB3 if one ever came up for sale.[/quote]

You'll be incredibly lucky to find one. There's an American collector; Gregg Dorset, owner of RockStarsGuitars who collects any and all John Birch SG's, he's gone stacks of them. He even has an agent in the UK who finds them. Last one I heard of was in Denmark, I was offered it, Greg bought it but it was lost in transit.

[noirpunk]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1201211' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:50 PM']Of course you do know that you share your band name with Japan's [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thee_Michelle_Gun_Elephant"]Thee Michelle Gun Elephant[/url].[/quote]

Haha that's quality! Lucky they mispronounced it then

[noirpunk]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1201228' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:58 PM']You'll be incredibly lucky to find one. There's an American collector; Gregg Dorset, owner of RockStarsGuitars who collects any and all John Birch SG's, he's gone stacks of them. He even has an agent in the UK who finds them. Last one I heard of was in Denmark, I was offered it, Greg bought it but it was lost in transit.[/quote]

Gotta be honest, I'm a madly passionate collector of guitars... but surely that's a tad excessive isn't it? I'd love an Iommi style JB with the crucifix inlays etc, snowballs chance in hell though

[EBS_freak]

Wow... that's in a really tasty condition. Yum!

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='noirpunk' post='1201251' date='Apr 15 2011, 10:11 PM']I'd love an Iommi style JB with the crucifix inlays etc, snowballs chance in hell though[/quote]
John Birch built his first one it was specially built for his knackered fingers; and customised his "Monkey" SG ([i]& in return Tony funded the creation of John Birch Guitars as a builder rather than a customiser[/i]). But the "Old Boy" that Tony uses the most was JayDee's first guitar under his own name rather, rather than as a part of John Birch. JayDee has built all of his customs since & will make a copy for anyone - around about £1400 & a 18 month waiting list
Tony Iommi and John Birch had a parting of the ways many years ago, not helped when Tony said in an interview that he used to use JB's but then JB was put in prison & "that was the end of that". Unfortunately it was a different John Birch, so the "real" one sued and won, despite Tony & the magazine making many apologies.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1201228' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:58 PM']You'll be incredibly lucky to find one. There's an American collector; Gregg Dorset, owner of RockStarsGuitars who collects any and all John Birch SG's, he's gone stacks of them. He even has an agent in the UK who finds them. Last one I heard of was in Denmark, I was offered it, Greg bought it but it was lost in transit.[/quote]
That's a pity...

I take it he's only collecting the original Birmingham-made instruments? I suppose I could order a new JB bass as they're now being built locally. However my experience of the new guitar I played at one of the music shows some years ago has put me right off the new ones as I thought it was pretty nasty...

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1201722' date='Apr 16 2011, 12:08 PM']That's a pity...

I take it he's only collecting the original Birmingham-made instruments?[/quote]
Yes, to the best of my knowledge - and only SGs, or odds & sods. Also JayDee SGs too
TBH I did refer some guitars that I saw on the 'net or in shops to him on the understanding that he's send me a mount/frame for my JB Magnum pickup; it never transpired so I've not bothered telling him of the last three SGs I saw.

John Birch J1s turn up on Ebay quite often, kinda like a twin cutaway Les Paul (John told me that's where he got the idea from, at the time he built his first Les Pauls were ten-a-penny, so he hacked one to see how it looked & played - and liked it).
They're very nice instruments, lighter than a LP, very wide range of tones - often with built in effects. Dave (H) Hill had a few, usually with a treble-booster.

[ash]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1201827' date='Apr 16 2011, 02:13 PM']Yes, to the best of my knowledge - and only SGs, or odds & sods. Also JayDee SGs too
TBH I did refer some guitars that I saw on the 'net or in shops to him on the understanding that he's send me a mount/frame for my JB Magnum pickup; it never transpired so I've not bothered telling him of the last three SGs I saw.

John Birch J1s turn up on Ebay quite often, kinda like a twin cutaway Les Paul (John told me that's where he got the idea from, at the time he built his first Les Pauls were ten-a-penny, so he hacked one to see how it looked & played - and liked it).
They're very nice instruments, lighter than a LP, very wide range of tones - often with built in effects. Dave (H) Hill had a few, usually with a treble-booster.[/quote]

Ok as promised here's the JB that I bought recently, it's superb to play very light and has some great sounds courtesy of the incredibly complex (and confusing to me so far) switching system. There is a master volume, tone and volume for each pickup a three way toggle switch and a three position pot - in the third position this knocks off the neck pickup. The pickup volume and tone pots appear to be double pots (like in a radio) and seem to have a cancelling effect on the tone when in the centre spot....if that makes sense. I'm used to Gibson Grabbers so forgive me! If anyone can explain I have included a pic with the back scratchplate off......

[attachment=77643:John_Birch_4000.JPG]

[attachment=77644:Neck_joint.JPG]

[attachment=77645:Under_the_hood.JPG]

[Big_Stu]

Sounds like the pots are cut & boost pots, similar to the Fender TBX pot with a centre indent? He did fit htem occasionally.
The switch I dunno, only switched pot I ever saw on one was a phase inverter, though you say one kills it? Maybe ask John Carling, or John JayDee Diggens who would have been at John Birch in '74. He has an almost encyclopedic memory of what was built.

[daz]

[quote name='noirpunk' post='1201192' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:31 PM']Cheers dude, our drummer is a huge fan of The Damned so I chose the name much to his delight [/quote]

As a tangent to this thread id just like to say waaay back in the punk days [b]The Damned [/b]were my favourite band to see live. In fact they were the first proper band i ever saw live. At a crappy nigh club called Smartyz in Chester in the Spring of 1979! Zeesh thats too long ago, far too long.

Edit: I have just checked and it was 9th April 1979 almost exactly 32 years ago

Edited April 16, 2011 by daz

[noirpunk]

Any more JB content?

[Schnozzalee]

I owned a '72 Rickenbacker 4001 Custom Copy...I do still have pictures but nothing I upload is compatible anymore, so I'll add a photobucket link soon! My first guitar teacher owned a double neck SG and i've been in a band where the guitarist used a J series and i've played a double neck 4001 guitar which was in a bad way (faded finish + broken neck), a sound construction but cosmetically 'relic'd' J1 (niiiice!) as well as an EB3 Birch, sadly neck heavy, modded and just plain awful - shop owner wanted towards 2k for it!! If you PM me I know the worth of the 4001's too after a pro valuation and an SG collector to anyone who has one...

Regarding mine...

Pros:

Look - Beautiful Sunburst/Black and Maple finish and backplate too, the controls made it look serious too, many a compliment!
Build - Mine was pretty sound but I've heard loads of problems, particularly to do with neck inconsistencies (dead spots, sustain, intonation and one case even where it was too shallow to setup!! So be careful!!)
Tone - Thick Geezer Butler sounding bass (probably the most inspirational bass player for a rock band situation IMO)

Cons:

Vinegar sticky laquer - slowed playability and required cleaning after every use
High output pickups - crackle upon touch so pick only
34" scale - too much of a stretch for me so +1 for Short Scale!
Truss Rod - moved about lots and required tool other than an allen key, Chris May (Overwater) said he thought this was due to lack of use following his setup. In hindsight I should have used Flatwounds for some extra tension

Edited April 24, 2011 by Schnozzalee

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Schnozzalee' post='1209749' date='Apr 24 2011, 01:33 AM']If you PM me I know the worth of the 4001's too after a pro valuation and an SG collector to anyone who has one...[/quote]
Ahem?
[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1201228' date='Apr 15 2011, 09:58 PM']You'll be incredibly lucky to find one. There's an American collector; Gregg Dorset, owner of RockStarsGuitars who collects any and all John Birch SG's, he's gone stacks of them. He even has an agent in the UK who finds them. Last one I heard of was in Denmark, I was offered it, Greg bought it but it was lost in transit.[/quote]

THIS is the most recent JB job I found for him - and it'll be the last ............. (JB customised a lot of Gibsons)



If it's the same guy you're talking about?

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='noirpunk' post='1209706' date='Apr 24 2011, 12:13 AM']Any more JB content?[/quote]

Oh dear - well since you ask - I did keep these pics, some of which were recent-ish appearances on Ebay

The Bat - John Birch made only two of these, this isn't Dave Hill's one, his has American Indian images engraved into it. Dave's was on Ebay for IIRC - £25k or nearest offer.


A John Birch T-bird - very nice - for some reason three of these came up in a month, then nothing since.


John's take on the Gibson Moderne???


A 10/5 bass??? Now in the possesion of the aforementioned.


Dave Hill with two of his J1s, a J2 bass loaner, which Jim was trying out (rounder horns) and Nod's customised SG Junior

[Darkstrike]

Here's one I've always loved, originally made for Barry Devlin, bassist for Horslips(he eventually gave it to a fan/friend). One of the other members of the band designed it, I don't remember which.



I've often thought of asking a luthier to make me a copy, or something close to it.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Darkstrike