Possible to ID a Rickenfaker?

[Stoffmister]

Greetings from Sweden!

 

A friend of mine happened to buy a Rickenfaker this weekend. Is it possible to determine a maker? He describes that the neck is good quality but tuners and pick guard are of the cheapest possible sort. (I haven't seen it my self).

 

All the best!

[BlueMoon]

Not sure what it is.....but, it isn't a Greco. 

[pete.young]

I'm not an expert, but it looks like a Shaftesbury to me.

[Stoffmister]

Thank you very much both of you! For the time being I will tell my friend to investigate the Shaftesbury trail. 🙂

[JPJ]

If I remember correctly, the Shaftsbury’s were bolt on necks?

[Stoffmister]

I don't think so? Look at this one that my friend found, doesn't it look like a neck through?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/644756101568102/

 

[pete.young]

I think the Japanese made ones were neck through. Not sure about the ones made by Eko. I was looking at the tuners and hardware.

 

Anyhoo, I'm well out of my depth here. @Bassassin and @prowla , can you help the nice man please?

[prowla]

3 hours ago, JPJ said:

If I remember correctly, the Shaftsbury’s were bolt on necks?

I've only seen neck-thru Shaftys.

 

2 hours ago, Stoffmister said:

I don't think so? Look at this one that my friend found, doesn't it look like a neck through?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/644756101568102/

 

Yep - the bolt-on Japanese ones didn't have the skunk stripe through the body.

 

2 hours ago, pete.young said:

I think the Japanese made ones were neck through. Not sure about the ones made by Eko. I was looking at the tuners and hardware.

 

Anyhoo, I'm well out of my depth here. @Bassassin and @prowla , can you help the nice man please?

I don't think Eko (Italy) did 4001 copies?

[prowla]

3 hours ago, pete.young said:

I'm not an expert, but it looks like a Shaftesbury to me.

A tell for the Shaftys (and other Chushin Gakki ones, I think) is the slightly translucent pickguards.

[fretmeister]

New member. 3 posts...

 

Nice try Mr Hall, I see you!

 

 

 

[pete.young]

1 hour ago, prowla said:

I don't think Eko (Italy) did 4001 copies?

 

I don't know whether they did or not. I think they made various copies in the early 70s for Rose Morris, but not which ones. I'm not an expert. 

[prowla]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

 

I don't know whether they did or not. I think they made various copies in the early 70s for Rose Morris, but not which ones. I'm not an expert. 

They made semi-acoustic models.

[Bassassin]

Chushin Gakki, Japan, mid 70s. Pickups may have date codes. On the whole these are very, very good copies. Might have been branded Shaftesbury but these turned up with a bunch of names, and if the bass is in Sweden it probably had a local importer or retailer's brand.

 

Odd comment about the 'cheapest possible quality' parts. The pickguard's a bit of plastic, not sure the bits of plastic Rickenbacker use are made of superior material! The closed-back, cast button tuners are Gotohs, and should be perfectly serviceable. Shergold used them back in the 80s.

 

Eko never made a 4001 type but Italian manufacturer Gherson made some nice ones.

[prowla]

39 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

Chushin Gakki, Japan, mid 70s. Pickups may have date codes. On the whole these are very, very good copies. Might have been branded Shaftesbury but these turned up with a bunch of names, and if the bass is in Sweden it probably had a local importer or retailer's brand.

 

Odd comment about the 'cheapest possible quality' parts. The pickguard's a bit of plastic, not sure the bits of plastic Rickenbacker use are made of superior material! The closed-back, cast button tuners are Gotohs, and should be perfectly serviceable. Shergold used them back in the 80s.

 

Eko never made a 4001 type but Italian manufacturer Gherson made some nice ones.

I think Ric's plasticware (and shinyware in general) is the best in the business.

[Stoffmister]

14 hours ago, fretmeister said:

New member. 3 posts...

 

Nice try Mr Hall, I see you!

 

 

 

Carry on, nothing to see here ... ;-)

[Stoffmister]

Thank you everyone!

 

Regarding the comment about the pickguard and tuners I'm sure he meant no harm. 

[Stoffmister]

11 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Chushin Gakki, Japan, mid 70s. Pickups may have date codes. On the whole these are very, very good copies. Might have been branded Shaftesbury but these turned up with a bunch of names, and if the bass is in Sweden it probably had a local importer or retailer's brand.

 

Odd comment about the 'cheapest possible quality' parts. The pickguard's a bit of plastic, not sure the bits of plastic Rickenbacker use are made of superior material! The closed-back, cast button tuners are Gotohs, and should be perfectly serviceable. Shergold used them back in the 80s.

 

Eko never made a 4001 type but Italian manufacturer Gherson made some nice ones.

How do you think they compare to the 80:s Greco ones? I have one of those and need to know whether I'm still happy with it or not. 🙃

[prowla]

1 hour ago, Stoffmister said:

How do you think they compare to the 80:s Greco ones? I have one of those and need to know whether I'm still happy with it or not. 🙃

It depends which model of Greco (mostly Fujigen made, but some Matsumoku) you have; some were OK and some were really good.

Maybe post a picture?

The Grecos tended to have nicer tuners, but some had the wrong pickups and some were bolt-ons.