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.

[Bassassin]

5 hours 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. 🙃

 

Greco 4001/4003 types ran from the early 70s through into the 90s/00s, so it depends! At the point in the 70s where the Chushin Fakers were available, Greco's versions were Fujigen Gakki's 2388B & 2388B/DX models, the DX being through-neck & the most comparable.

 

I don't think there's much in it - all of the Japanese factories active in this era were capable of extremely high quality & any through-neck MIJ Rick copy is a high-end instrument within its range. I own a Chushin Faker and it's a solid, well-made & very playable bass - however I've never owned a Fujigen-made one so I can't make a direct comparison.

[Stoffmister]

Here are some pictures of my Greco. (DId I just go off topic in my own thread?) It's a neckthrough, the original pickguard is white and it is a "high gain pickup" in it. I think the toaster one looks better. 🙂 If I remember it's built in 1989.

 

Again, a big thank you to all of you that contributed to the thread. Both I and especially my friend are very greatful.

[prowla]

Just now, Stoffmister said:

Here are some pictures of my Greco. (DId I just go off topic in my own thread?) It's a neckthrough, the original pickguard is white and it is a "high gain pickup" in it. I think the toaster one looks better. 🙂 If I remember it's built in 1989.

 

Again, a big thank you to all of you that contributed to the thread. Both I and especially my friend are very greatful.

 

I think that particular model Fujigen (Greco and the other brands it was sold as) is the top of the tree for Japanese fakers.

I'd place the Chushion (Shafty and other brands thereof) as just below.

One issue I've seen with the Chushins is the binding can soften (or is it tighten?) and detach around the inner edge of the upper horn.